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TRUST • TRANSPARENCY • ACCOUNTABILITY

312Caribbean Trust Center

Trust is earned through transparency, accuracy and accountability.

312Caribbean serves Chicago's Caribbean community through events, opportunities, community resources, Spotlight stories, business visibility and historical preservation. We believe trust must be earned through accuracy, transparency, responsible editorial practices and clear accountability.

This Trust Center explains how we verify information, use sources, correct errors, disclose partnerships, protect personal information, use artificial intelligence and preserve Caribbean community history.

Last Updated: August 2026

Our Editorial Promise

312Caribbean exists to inform, connect, celebrate and document Caribbean Chicago and the broader Midwest community.

We commit to:

  • Publishing information in good faith.
  • Distinguishing verified facts from opinion, commentary and promotional claims.
  • Seeking official or first-hand sources whenever reasonably available.
  • Representing the diversity of Caribbean nations, territories, cultures and communities.
  • Clearly identifying sponsored, partner, affiliate and community-submitted content.
  • Correcting meaningful errors transparently.
  • Respecting the dignity, privacy and intellectual property of the people whose stories we share.
  • Preserving verified community history for future generations.
  • Never knowingly publishing fabricated people, organizations, opportunities, quotations or events as factual.

Our responsibility is not merely to publish quickly. It is to publish responsibly.

Editorial Standards

Editorial content on 312Caribbean may include:

  • Spotlight profiles and interviews
  • Historical features
  • Community announcements
  • Event listings
  • Opportunities
  • Business and organizational features
  • Student and youth achievements
  • Proclamations and official recognitions
  • Community resources
  • Educational articles
  • Sponsored or partner content

Accuracy

Names, dates, organizations, locations, quotations, links, eligibility details and deadlines should be checked against reliable information before publication.

Fairness and Context

Stories should not materially misrepresent a person, organization, event or issue by omitting necessary context.

Independence

Sponsors, advertisers and partners may support the platform but may not secretly purchase favorable editorial conclusions.

Identification of Content Type

Content is clearly labeled as applicable:

  • 312Caribbean Editorial
  • Community Submission
  • Shared by 312Caribbean
  • Hosted by 312Caribbean
  • In Partnership with 312Caribbean
  • Featured by 312Caribbean
  • Sponsored Content
  • Partner Content
  • Advertisement
  • Opinion or Commentary
  • Historical Archive

Interviews and Quotations

We use accurate quotations and do not materially change a speaker's intended meaning. Minor edits for clarity, grammar or length may be made without altering substance.

Photographs and Media

We use images owned by 312Caribbean, licensed images, organizer-supplied materials, images used with permission or properly attributed material.

Children and Vulnerable Individuals

We use additional care with minors, health matters, grief, trauma, immigration status and other sensitive circumstances, and obtain appropriate permission before publishing identifying information when necessary.

Source & Citation Policy

312Caribbean may rely on:

  • Official government websites and public records
  • Event organizers and sponsoring organizations
  • Direct interviews
  • First-hand reporting
  • Press releases
  • Consulates, tourism authorities and cultural institutions
  • Academic and historical sources
  • Nonprofit and community organizations
  • Official business websites
  • Publicly available application and registration pages
  • Community-submitted documents, photographs and testimony
  • Archived materials
  • Credible news organizations

When practical, articles and resource pages include clickable links to official sources.

Community flyers, social-media announcements and organizer submissions may be used as starting sources, but important details should be verified against an official organizer or registration source whenever available.

We do not fabricate citations, source names, links or attribution.

Information Disclaimer

General Disclaimer

312Caribbean provides community information for educational, informational and promotional purposes. Information may change after publication. Readers should confirm deadlines, eligibility, prices, schedules, availability and requirements directly with the responsible organization.

Event Disclaimer

312Caribbean is not responsible for changes, cancellations, refunds, injuries, accessibility arrangements, ticket disputes or organizer conduct for third-party events.

Opportunities Disclaimer

Grants, scholarships, jobs, vendor calls, competitions, legal clinics and other opportunities are controlled by their issuing organizations. Publication does not guarantee eligibility, selection, funding, employment or acceptance.

Legal Disclaimer

Information about laws, contracts, immigration, intellectual property or legal services is general information and is not individual legal advice. Readers should consult an appropriately qualified attorney regarding their circumstances.

Medical and Health Disclaimer

Health information is educational and is not a diagnosis, treatment plan or substitute for care from a qualified healthcare professional.

Financial Disclaimer

Financial, grant, funding, credit, tax or business information is educational and does not constitute personalized financial, accounting, investment or tax advice.

Educational Disclaimer

Scholarship, college, training and student information may change. Students and families should verify requirements directly with the school, program or issuing institution.

Emergency Information

312Caribbean is not an emergency-alert service. During emergencies, users should rely on official government, public-safety and weather authorities.

Corrections & Updates Policy

312Caribbean welcomes good-faith correction requests involving factual errors, misspelled names, incorrect dates, broken links, outdated eligibility information, misidentified photographs or other material inaccuracies.

Request a Correction

Please include:

  • Page or article title
  • URL
  • Description of the potential error
  • Correct information
  • Supporting source or documentation
  • Your name and contact information

Correction Practice

  • Minor typographical changes may be corrected without a formal notice.
  • Material factual corrections include a visible correction or update note.
  • Significant updates include the date changed.
  • Archived historical content is not silently rewritten in a way that destroys the original record.
  • Disputed information may remain under review until reliable evidence is available.
  • Removal requests are evaluated individually and are not guaranteed.

We correct the record; we do not quietly erase accountability.

Affiliate, Advertising & Sponsorship Disclosure

We distinguish among:

  • Editorial content
  • Sponsored content
  • Partner content
  • Advertising
  • Affiliate links
  • Community announcements
  • Hosted events
  • Partner events
  • Third-party events shared for awareness

312Caribbean may receive payment, sponsorship, products, services, commissions, media access or other value from certain relationships. Such relationships must be disclosed where they could reasonably affect a reader's understanding of the content.

  • Sponsored content must be labeled.
  • Affiliate links must be disclosed.
  • Advertising does not automatically constitute editorial endorsement.
  • Sponsors may not secretly control independent editorial conclusions.
  • “Featured by 312Caribbean” represents an editorial designation and does not automatically indicate payment or ownership.
  • “Shared by 312Caribbean” means the platform is promoting third-party information as a community service.
Partnership & Sponsorship Inquiries

You can also visit the Partner With Us section on the homepage.

Community Submission Guidelines

These standards apply across event, opportunity, resource and Spotlight submissions. Submissions:

  • Enter a review process.
  • Do not publish automatically.
  • May be edited for length, clarity, grammar, formatting, accuracy and accessibility.
  • May be declined if incomplete, misleading, discriminatory, unlawful, unsafe, unverifiable or inconsistent with the platform mission.
  • Must not knowingly infringe copyright, trademark, privacy or publicity rights.
  • Must include permission to use submitted text, images and documents.
  • Do not guarantee publication, placement, promotion or Spotlight coverage.
  • May be archived after publication as part of the historical record.

Required Permission Language

By submitting content, the contributor confirms that they are authorized to share it and grants 312Caribbean permission to review, edit, publish, display, archive and promote the submitted material across its website, social-media channels, newsletters, print publications and related media. Ownership remains with the original rights holder unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.

Spotlight Editorial Policy

Spotlight documents the people, businesses, organizations, students, cultural traditions, events and historical milestones shaping Caribbean Chicago.

  • A nomination does not guarantee coverage.
  • Editorial selection considers community significance, documentation, representation, timeliness and available resources.
  • Spotlight may verify claims through interviews, records and supporting sources.
  • Subjects may be asked to review names, dates or quotations for factual accuracy, but final editorial control remains with 312Caribbean.
  • Paid Spotlight placement must be clearly labeled as sponsored or partner content.
  • Published stories may remain available as part of the permanent archive.
  • Historical stories may be updated as additional verified information becomes available.

Artificial Intelligence Transparency

312Caribbean may use artificial intelligence to assist with research organization, drafting, editing, transcription, translation, summaries, metadata, accessibility, visual concepts, administrative workflows and content planning.

AI assistance does not remove human editorial responsibility.

  • Published editorial material should receive human review.
  • AI-generated claims should not be presented as verified facts without appropriate checking.
  • Artificial intelligence must not be used to fabricate interviews, quotations, organizations, events, awards, jobs, grants or community history.
  • Materially AI-generated or AI-altered visuals should be labeled when context requires disclosure.
  • Personal or confidential information should not be entered into AI systems without appropriate authorization and safeguards.
  • Corrections remain the responsibility of 312Caribbean regardless of which tools assisted the work.

Technology may assist our work. Accountability remains human.

Privacy & Cookies

Information Users May Provide

  • Name
  • Email
  • Telephone number
  • Island or cultural affiliation
  • General location
  • Interests
  • Event, opportunity, resource or Spotlight submissions
  • Business or organizational information
  • Uploaded links or media
  • Newsletter preferences

How Information May Be Used

  • Provide requested services
  • Send community updates
  • Review submissions
  • Improve platform content
  • Understand aggregate community interests
  • Respond to inquiries
  • Prevent abuse
  • Produce anonymized or aggregated insights

Privacy Commitments

  • We do not publicly display personal contact information unless the person or organization authorized its publication.
  • We do not sell identifiable individual submission data as a raw contact list.
  • Sponsors and report purchasers may receive aggregated or anonymized insights, not unrestricted access to personal records.
  • Users may request correction or deletion of eligible personal information.
  • Historical public records may be retained when there is a legitimate archival basis, subject to applicable rights and safety considerations.

Cookies and Analytics

The platform may use essential cookies and privacy-conscious analytics to maintain sessions, understand site performance and improve services.

Privacy Inquiry

Accessibility Statement

312Caribbean aims to make the platform usable by people with disabilities, and is working toward alignment with recognized accessibility standards.

The platform supports:

  • Semantic headings
  • Keyboard navigation
  • Visible focus states
  • Sufficient color contrast
  • Alternative text for meaningful images
  • Form labels and useful error messages
  • Responsive text and layouts
  • Captions or transcripts when available
  • Reduced-motion preferences
  • Descriptive link labels
Report an Accessibility Issue

Cultural Respect & Representation

312Caribbean is Caribbean-led and open to everyone who seeks authentic, respectful connection with Caribbean communities.

We aim to represent the full breadth of Caribbean identities, including English-, Spanish-, French-, Dutch- and Creole-speaking communities; continental Caribbean nations; territories; diasporas; Afro-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean, Indigenous, Asian-Caribbean, mixed-heritage and other cultural experiences.

We commit to:

  • Avoid treating the Caribbean as culturally uniform.
  • Respect national, territorial and linguistic distinctions.
  • Correct misidentified flags, countries, islands, names and traditions.
  • Avoid stereotypes and exploitative imagery.
  • Encourage community members to help improve historical accuracy and representation.

Proclamations & Official Recognitions

Spotlight may preserve:

  • Government proclamations
  • Resolutions
  • Citations
  • Certificates of recognition
  • Commendations
  • Official letters
  • Anniversary declarations
  • Legislative acknowledgments

Original documents are preserved without alteration whenever possible, along with:

  • Issuing authority
  • Date issued
  • Honored person, organization or occasion
  • Accessible typed summary
  • Related Spotlight story
  • Related event or organization
  • Searchable historical tags

Our Preservation Pledge

Caribbean Chicago is generations deep—in its churches, businesses, kitchens, associations, festivals, classrooms, music, faith communities, civic leadership and family stories.

Too much of that history has gone undocumented or disappeared when an event ended, a business closed or an elder passed away.

312Caribbean is committed to preserving verified community history so future generations can find it, study it and build upon it.

We pledge to:

  • Preserve published Spotlight stories and approved historical records.
  • Archive completed events rather than automatically deleting them.
  • Retain original flyers, documents and attribution when legally and technically appropriate.
  • Identify corrections and meaningful updates.
  • Protect the integrity of historical materials.
  • Connect people, events, organizations, official documents and related stories.
  • Build searchable archives by year, category, island, organization and historical significance.
  • Avoid silently rewriting or erasing the community record.
  • Maintain backups and migration-ready data structures where technically possible.

❝ If we do not write it down, it did not happen. So we are writing it down. ❞

We believe Caribbean history deserves to be preserved—not simply remembered.

Terms of Use

  • Users may browse the public platform for personal and informational purposes.
  • Users may not misuse the platform, submit unlawful content, impersonate others, interfere with system security or scrape personal information.
  • 312Caribbean trademarks, original writing, graphics and platform materials may not be commercially reused without permission.
  • Third-party names, flyers, trademarks and materials remain the property of their respective owners.
  • External links are provided for convenience; 312Caribbean does not control third-party websites.
  • Content and services may change, be corrected or be discontinued.
  • The platform is provided without a guarantee that every third-party listing will remain available or error-free.
  • Users remain responsible for independently evaluating third-party events, opportunities, services and organizations.
  • These terms may be updated, with the current revision date displayed.

Questions About Our Standards?