City designates July as Cabo Verdean Heritage Month

New Bedford has officially designated July as Cabo Verdean Heritage Month, extending the typical week-long celebrations for Cabo Verde’s independence from Portugal to the entire month of July. The designation falls on the 50th anniversary of Cabo Verde’s independence.

“Having July as Cabo Verdean Heritage Month will continue to help to draw people to us so that they can learn the beginnings from us and then go elsewhere,” said Candida Rose Baptista, the driving force and founder behind the effort.

Baptista said the official declaration will help Cabo Verdean organizations in New Bedford create programming “without the feeling of having to do everything and pull it into a meeting.”

“The residual effect of this type of effort would ultimately help the organizations themselves to stay viable as pillars of this community,” Baptista said.

The City of New Bedford announced on June 16 that the month will further “historical and cultural knowledge” of Cabo Verde.

Making it official

Baptista said her desire to propose July as Cabo Verdean Heritage Month began in 2021 when she was applying for the Artist-in-Residence program at the New Bedford Whaling Historical National Park. The initiative officially began in 2022. 

The timeline goal for the month-long designation was always 2025, she added. 

The city’s Appointments and Briefings council approved the request for the official designation this year on March 18, and the full council unanimously voted to support it on March 27. Mayor Jon Mitchell signed the request on April 3.

Baptista worked with city officials, City Council representatives and members of the Cabo Verdean community in a “collective effort” to make her vision a reality. Out of these efforts came the Cabo Verdean Heritage Month Coalition.

The coalition’s mission focuses on educating people about Cabo Verdean history, politics, the independence movement and various aspects of culture and language, said Ruby Erickson, secretary for the coalition.

“The idea is teamwork across all of these organizations which have already been doing so much important cultural heritage, educational [and] community engagement work, but even bringing folks together and providing just even a meeting ground,” Erickson said. 

Baptista said the official month would help secure funds for Cabo Verdean organizations “dedicated to the preservation of culture in the city.” 

The coalition intentionally did not include “recognition” in its name and the month’s official name to eliminate confusion between the coalition and its activities and the Cape Verdean Recognition Committee, a nonprofit that recognizes and promotes the contributions and education of Cabo Verdeans in the New Bedford area.

“We didn’t want to take away from the amazing work that has been done over the last 53 years by the Cape Verdean Recognition Committee,” Baptista said. 

According to Baptista, growing populations of Cabo Verdeans in Massachusetts cities like Brockton and Boston and in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, have overshadowed New Bedford’s importance in Cabo Verdean American history.

“New Bedford should be the first place that people look when researching information about Cabo Verdean immigration to the United States,” Baptista said.

The month-long designation will re-solidify New Bedford as the birthplace of Cabo Verde in American history — the “Ellis Island of Cabo Verde,” Baptista said.

So what’s new?

With an entire month to celebrate, the coalition has partnered with New Bedford Tourism & Marketing to create a digital calendar for the month’s events.

So far, the events feature an art exhibit exploring Cabo Verdean identity at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, an independence day bike ride and a musically infused book presentation about the contributions of women to Cabo Verdean musical heritage. This year’s events will also include the traditional flag-raising, parade and scholarship awards ceremony run by the Cape Verdean Recognition Committee. 

Here are the details:

• Through Feb. 24, 2026: Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast at the New Bedford Whaling Museum — This temporary exhibition explores the story of the region’s Cabo Verdean diaspora through personal stories, oral histories, music, photography and objects from individuals and community organizations. The exhibition is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Through Dec. 7: Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art at New Bedford Whaling Museum — This temporary exhibit showcases artwork by Cabo Verdeans and Cabo Verdean Americans and includes sculptures, woven arts and mixed media. The exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• June 28: Kaneta Ten Vos (The Pen Has A Voice) — Kaneta Ten Vos celebrates its one-year anniversary as a space for appreciating artistic expression in all forms at 5 p.m. at 246 Union St. This year’s honorees include: Chumpa-Lino Lopes, Míchiko B. Andrade, Thairo Kosta and Djofa Tavares. 
• June 29: Kabumerikanus: The Sum of US: Exploring the Cabo Verde-United States Musical Connection and Legacy — Candida Rose Baptista will be conducting an educational “tour” of New Bedford, a three-event series funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and New Bedford Creative’s Wicked Cool Places grant program. The series begins with a concert on Sunday, June 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at The New Cape Verdean Ultramarine Band & Club with the full KabuJazz Ensemble. The rest of the series consists of two events that will dive into the history and context behind the music in the original concert. Both parts feature musical performances of their own. Part I plans to cover the history of Cabo Verde’s transnational connection to the United States through music on Sunday, July 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall. Part II plans to explore specific New Bedford artists and history through music on Thursday, July 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Underground Railroad Café and Gallery. 
• July 2: Casting a Wider Net Exhibit Opening — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center opens its exhibit exploring the stories of Cabo Verdean, Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Guatemalan and Salvadoran contributors to New Bedford’s working waterfront. The opening will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall on 561 Purchase St.
• July 4: Cape Verdean Independence Day Bike Ride — The Underground Railroad Café and Gallery and the Cape Verdean American Veterans Association are reviving this bike ride through New Bedford’s Cabo Verdean neighborhoods. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at The Underground Railroad Café and Gallery, 213 Acushnet Ave., and the race begins at 10 a.m. A post-ride celebration at Hazelwood Park will begin at 11 a.m. A free bike clinic at Monte Park will be held June 28 from noon to 3 p.m.
• July 4: 4th of July Celebration at the Vets — DJ Mark Dias will spin hits from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall at 561 Purchase St. Tickets are $10. 
• July 16: Global Yoga — Cabo Verdean yoga instructor graduate Audra Lee Andrade will lead a free Global Yoga class at Sangha New Bedford, 693 Purchase St. from 6 to 7 p.m. This class is a part of Yogaspirit and Sangha’s New Bedford Summer Series.
• July 26: Kriolas di Muzika: Not Just for Men Anymore – A Sonic Book Presentation and Concert — This musically infused book presentation details the contributions of Cabo Verdean and Cabo Verdean American women to Cabo Verdean musical heritage. With musical interludes and audio and visual aids, the presentation aims to immerse the audience in these musical traditions. The concert that follows will feature the KabuJazz Ensemble with Candida Rose Baptista on lead vocals. 
• Sept. 5: KabuJazz: Celebrating Cape Verdean Independence Through Music — This celebration of culture and music commemorates the 50th anniversary of Cabo Verdean independence at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Baptista will lead the KabuJazz Ensemble, with musical direction by J. L. Santos Spencer, to blend Cabo Verdean and American musical traditions, primarily jazz. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with the performance at 6 p.m.

Along with new events, the Cape Verdean Recognition Week Committee will host its traditional events as well: 

• June 26: Scholarship Award Ceremony at the New Bedford Whaling Museum at 6 p.m. 
• June 29: Memorial Mass for Deceased Members of the Cape Verdean Recognition Committee at Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 9 a.m. 
• June 30: Flag Raising Ceremony — The event begins at New Bedford City Hall at 5:30 p.m., and the Cabo Verdean flag will be raised at 6 p.m. A celebration with music, appetizers and entertainment will follow after at the Bisca Tournament Club.  
• July 5: The 53rd Cape Verdean Recognition parade and Kultura Festa — Parade Marshal John “Buddy” Andrade will lead the parade route from Union Street to Acushnet Avenue and then to Grinnell Street before turning onto Purchase Street to end at the Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall. The parade is held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Kultura Festa at Serenity Garden Fields will take place afterwards and will offer music, vendors and cultural food until 6 p.m. 

The coalition plans to close the month with an inaugural event and ceremony featuring a community conversation around Cabo Verdean language and liberation. The event will feature Kriolu language experts Dr. Donaldo Macedo and Djofa Tavares, also known as Scribing Sista. Details are to be announced.

Crystal Yormick, a journalism student at Boston University, is a summer intern at The New Bedford Light. She can be reached at cyormick@newbedfordlight.org.