The following article has been written by the Afro Caribbean Society (ACS).

The Afro Caribbean Society is a multicultural, student-led society that looks to create a safe space to unite BIPOC students of African and Caribbean descent and broadly, anyone captivated by the culture.

‘Coronavirus’. ‘Contact Tracing’. ‘Contagious’. ‘Chloroquine’. All words that were practically non-existent into our vocabulary around this time last year and now we cannot seem to hear the end of it. The Novel Coronavirus has undeniably left its mark on each and every one us as humans, as students and certainly as a society.

Like many cultural clubs at Plymouth University, the Afro-Caribbean Society is one of the entities that rely heavily on the face to face interactions and physical contacts when hosting events and socials. The adjustment from contact to non – contact (virtual) gatherings undoubtedly took a minute to get used to. However, we are grateful and blessed to have a student community of black and Caribbean descent that we were able to communicate and socialise with over the lockdown period. Albeit social media interactions cannot compare to real-life interactions, it did help to make the isolation from our home countries and from our peers more bearable.

^ Afro Caribbean Society Social, 2018

‘’Lockdown gave me opportunity to do some things that I had always thought of doing but never had the time to’’ 
 

- Walter, Chairman of ACS Plymouth

We as a society are thankful for the fact that the worst is behind us and are now gearing up for the new academic year. Without a doubt, things are going to be different this year. However, as the infamous motivational saying goes, we are ready to ‘’Improvise, Adapt & Overcome’’. With freshers slowly creeping upon us, we are in the process of planning a virtual games night via zoom as well a walking tour of Plymouth for the newcomers (tentative as it depends on UPSU and government guidelines).

^ Afro Caribbean Society Social, 2018

‘’It was really hard staying in my flat in isolation and just watch my flatmates move back home. However, having people that I had met through ACS to talk to online certainly made me feel less homesick’’

 

- Mishael, committee member of ACS Plymouth.

^ Afro Caribbean Society Socials, 2014 & 2019

ACS definitely has plenty in store notably with ‘Black History Month’ approaching in October and ‘Movember’ (Moustache November = No Shave November) where we will be raising awareness on males’ mental health, especially within the black community. More to come from us this academic year are membership deals and discounts from local businesses all around Plymouth so be sure to #WatchThisSpace on our socials for updates.

Newcomers as well as any interested participants can get in touch with us through our social media or simply send us an email via plymouthacs1@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you guys and hope that everyone had a great summer and is in tip-top shape for the new academic year!

Stay Safe,

ACS Plymouth