WHAT WE DO
The African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica (ACIJ) was established in 1973 as a division of the Institute of Jamaica to deepen public awareness of African cultural retention and its relationship to the other ethnic groups in Jamaica.
The Jamaica Memory Bank (JMB) began as an independent agency in 1980, and was integrated into the ACIJ to form the ACIJ/JMB in 1990 .
Both entities were integrated to complement each other in fulfilling the mission to collect, research, document and disseminate information about Jamaica’s intangible cultural heritage through the utilization of oral and scribal sources.
The JMB documents Jamaica’s social history via audiovisual recordings of the memories of senior citizens throughout the country. The ACIJ/JMB has a wealth of resources relating to Afro-Jamaican and other ethnic cultural heritage and a vast area of Jamaica’s social history.
In fulfilling its mandate, the ACIJ/JMB has developed a systematic research and documentation programme, thereby establishing its importance as a centre for the study of African presence in Jamaican and Caribbean culture. This programme includes research conducted on traditional dance forms, various aspects of language, traditional and popular music, religions, food, social movement, herbal medicine, festivals, and community histories.
In fulfilling its mandate, the ACIJ/JMB has developed a systematic research and documentation programme, thereby establishing its importance as a centre for the study of African presence in Jamaican and Caribbean culture. This programme includes research conducted on traditional dance forms, various aspects of language, traditional and popular music, religions, food, social movement, herbal medicine, festivals, and community histories.
WE...
Research
Document
Disseminate Information
Mount Exhibitions
Educate
Create Publications
Have a Library
Document
Disseminate Information
Mount Exhibitions
Educate
Create Publications
Have a Library
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) and all its divisions, departments and units are guided by the IOJ Act of March 1978. To review click here