Island SPACE Caribbean Museum: Where Caribbean Women Lead the Way in Cultural Preservation

In a modest storefront at Broward Mall, just outside Fort Lauderdale, stands a world-first: the only brick-and-mortar museum dedicated to the collective history and heritage of the entire Caribbean region. It’s called Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, and though the space is compact, the vision is anything but small.

Island SPACE opened its doors in 2020, just months into the COVID-19 pandemic, in the heart of Broward County, Florida—a region where more than one in four residents has Caribbean roots. The museum exists to preserve and celebrate the cultural legacies of the English-, Spanish-, French-, and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. But beyond that, Island SPACE is an institution forged by women, powered by community, and driven by a mission to ensure Caribbean stories don’t fade into silence.

The museum was co-founded by Jamaican-American media producer and cultural advocate Calibe Thompson, who now serves as executive director, with her business partner David I. Muir. Half of the museum’s small but mighty staff is Haitian-American, and its board and volunteer corps include representatives of Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, Suriname, Cuba, Guyana, and other Caribbean nations. In a world where cultural preservation is often a luxury, this women-led initiative is a necessity.

A Living Archive of the Caribbean Story

Island SPACE houses a permanent historical hall and rotating exhibitions that trace the Caribbean story from slavery and colonialism to independence, migration and modern identity. Guests can view a guitar and stage garments donated by Cedella Marley that once belonged to her father, Bob. They can see Olympic memorabilia, rare musical instruments, traditional culinary tools, and religious artifacts that speak to the region’s incredible diversity. It’s not a museum about one island—it’s a museum about all of them, and about the experiences and contributions of the diaspora around the world.

It’s alive with energy. Throughout the year, Island SPACE hosts events that educate and entertain: Reggae Genealogy, a musical showcase of Caribbean rhythms and icons; the Anancy Children’s Festival, celebrating African and Caribbean folklore; a Caribbean Book Fair, highlighting diaspora authors and publishers; and the Black Cake and Rum Cake Festival, celebrating culinary heritage.

The museum’s commitment to honoring Caribbean women shines especially brightly through its HERS: Honoring Exceptionally Regal Sisters series, held every July, and its Women’s Month Celebration in March. These two programs—presented in partnership with respected women-led organizations like the Jamaican Women of Florida and the Caribbean Professionals Network—have become cherished annual tributes to the strength, elegance, and influence of Caribbean women across generations.

Field trips bring schoolchildren through its doors, while adults attend lectures, exhibitions, and cultural workshops. Celebrities, dignitaries and diplomats from across the Caribbean, as well as U.S. nationally and locally elected officials, have walked through these halls. Island SPACE is also the proud host of the Jamaican Consul General’s Distinguished Lecture Series and has received honors including the Caribbean Bar Association’s Corporate Citizen Award and the 2024 EmpowHER Award from Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick—a nod to the women leading the charge.

Women Carry the Culture

In Caribbean families, women are the culture keepers. They pass down the language, the recipes, the traditions. They lead the churches, run the schools, and hold the households together. Island SPACE, too, is led primarily by women. That is not an accident. It’s part of a legacy that goes back generations—and it is precisely that matriarchal spirit that the museum channels today.

But leadership alone cannot sustain this vision. As arts organizations across the country suffer from policy changes and funding rollbacks, museums like Island SPACE face precarious futures. What was already underfunded is now under threat. Public dollars are disappearing. That’s why the team behind Island SPACE is calling on the community, especially women of Caribbean and African descent, to step in and step up.

“We’ve always had to do more with less,” Thompson says. “We’ve made it this far on faith, grit, and fellowship. But if we’re going to survive—and more importantly, thrive—we need the women who care about culture, identity, and legacy to join us.”

Here’s How You Can Help

Support can come in many forms. Becoming a member—even at just $10 a month—helps fund exhibitions, field trips and community events. Cultural Guardians, a higher tier of membership, help sustain the museum’s long-term operations. Donors can make one-time or recurring gifts. Visitors can bring friends and family to museum tours and events. Even sharing a post or telling someone about the museum can create a ripple effect.

Island SPACE is not backed by government endowments or international foundations. Its strength lies in its community—especially the women. This is a moment for the community to decide whether institutions like this will endure or disappear.

When you support Island SPACE, you’re preserving the past while building the future. You’re telling children who walk through its doors that their stories matter, that their ancestors mattered, and that their identity is something to celebrate.

To learn more, donate, or become a member, visit www.islandspacefl.org. Follow Island SPACE Caribbean Museum on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

This is more than a museum—it’s a movement. And the women of the diaspora are at the helm.