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July/Aug 2019
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Guyanese-born Valerie Amos appointed new Master of University College Oxford
Current Director of SOAS University of London, former politician and former senior United Nations official The Right Honourable The Baroness Amos CH PC has been appointed as the new Master of University College Oxford. She will take up the post on 1 August 2020, following Sir Ivor Crewe’s retirement after twelve years in the role. Baroness Amos will be the first woman Master of University College Oxford and the first black head of an Oxford college. Upon taking up the Mastership, Baroness Amos will step down from her current position at SOAS – a role that she took up in 2015. Prior to that she served as undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN from 2010-2015, and held senior roles in government and the public sector. Cont'd on page 9
Trinidadian American Artist Sirju Seeharack Mohan honored in Pompano Beach
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rtist Sirju Mohan, is originally from San Fernando in South Trinidad, and has lived in Pompano Beach Florida since 1988. He is a visual artist, calligrapher and sculptor. Recently he was awarded Pompano Beach's highest awards for distinguised Visual Arts. In a statement he said, "What a momentous and historic occasion for Pompano Beach to host their First Award Ceremony. Notably, Pompano Beach was so proud to bestow awards to their own world class artists who blazed a trail to the highest of standards in their refined and exceptional craft."
At the event, Mohan captivated the audience by painting a stunning Maharaja scene, live on stage. He painted on a 28" x 40" canvas in Acrylic. He was dressed in a pure white pants holding a colorful palette in one hand, and with his other hand moved with such poise and dexterity that he mixed pigments and brushed his canvas without a dot of paint dropping on to his white pants! Mohan describes himself as having a passion for Pompano Beach which has translated into compositions featuring the former Mayor, Vice Mayor, Broward County Commissioners, Colonel, Captain and Deputy of the Broward Sheriff's Office as well as land-
Artist in frame - Sirju Seeharack Mohan
landmark buildings of Pompanobeach and Pompano fish. His artwork has been auctioned off at Unity in the Community provide scholarships to deserving and needy students of Pompano Beach. Mohan has been painting all of his life and has received countless awards including from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. When asked about what is next ... Mohan is humbled that his talent has brought him to the point that he has been asked to render a portrait of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai.
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L I F E S T Y L E
Guenet Gittens-Roberts, Publisher/Editor
It is Summer, we are remembering how we begun. Samuel Roberts, Publisher/Editor
It is July and that means half the year has gone! Half the year already. What have you done? What are you doing?
important to us all here :) Maybe in a few years you'll be asking me to produce a Creole Lifestyle Magazine...who knows!
For us it always means that we can take a break, we usually go flat out from one event directly into another starting from January. But once we get past our last festival in June, it is usually hard to get us doing anything but spending time with family during the summer.
Caribbean American Passport has an entire theme to the name...we'll be doing membership programs where you get a subscription to the newspaper, reduced advertising rates and reduced rates on tickets to events....we have an exciting plan in place and you'll be hearing more about it in the next few weeks.
We also stop and take stock of where we are in our lives and our business. This year, it struck us that we are just about to embark on our 10th year in business. Talk about time flying, 9 years has truly flown by. It caused us to think hard about what our plans were when we started this newsmagazine. I went into archives and found this email that I sent out July 2010
For everyone who sent in a name, a suggestion or well wishes, we'll be sending you a copy by mail and also including a 50% coupon towards any size ad you'd like to run. If you have events, specials, news or information you'd like to share in our next issue - email me at guenetroberts@yahoo.com.
"June was such a hectic month that I had to rest and regroup before I could even send you news of upcoming events. As this weekend is so action packed I had to rouse myself from my self imposed work exile and let you know "what a gwan!" The most important news that I have is that I'm launching my own Newspaper later this month. It's a Community Collaborative event with special emphasis on Community & Events right here in Central Florida in the Caribbean Community. Most of you know me from the Caribbean Sun, however I'm not with the paper anymore and yes I think they are coming back out, but I'm doing my own thing.
Now: Well, how did we do? Give us your feedback. We have so much plans for our tenth year. We need your help to move forward and upwards. Please send us your news, your events and your advice. It is always welcome.
My newsmagazine is intended for the Caribbean American person who has combined certain aspects of life in the Caribbean with life in America and is a glorious hybrid of both cultures. I will be promoting that mixture but with an emphasis on who and what we are here in America and incorporating that into events that I'll be featuring my advertisers at during the month as well. I've been doing some market research on the name for the paper - I have Creole Lifesyle and Caribbean American Passport.....on July 22nd, you'll know which name I chose to go with. Visit my webpage www.creolenewsmagazine.com to give me your feedback. It's still a work in progress but I need your thoughts (especially about the name) The webpage name doesn't mean that the newspaper will keep that name...even my mother isn't getting into the concept behind creole and when your mama doesn't like what you're doing...you've got to pause and think about it :) Anyone who does give feedback gets a 50% discount coupon on an ad of their choice and is entered into a pool to win a free ad in the next issue. Please email me with your comments - obviously I need your help guenetroberts@yahoo.com. " By August, we had selected a name and this was our next email: "I have to say a very grateful Thank You to all of you who weighed in on the name and concept of the newspaper. The winner is Caribbean American Passport.... which beat out my favorite Creole Lifestyle Magazine by about a 10 to 1 margin if not more. I'd be upset by this but the overwhelming response made me thankful that you all care and grateful that I took the time to ask and didn't just force a name on you that you all hated. I'm getting the new website ready and we'll be all set to launch by the middle of August. The newpaper will be putting out the first issue - a Summer Issue - by September 1st! This issue will be filled with all of the activities and celebrations by our Caribbean Community in Central Florida over the hectic summer June - August period. I'll be writing a Creole Lifestyle Column every month to enlighten you as why the name Creole is
Remember this is a community paper for and about you the community who live here in Central Florida."
We also need your support, through advertising, distribution, and through your purchasing of a subscriptions. We will be launching a subscription drive on September 1st. Our aim is 5000 subscriptions by the first month. The very first print volume that we did. Our new goal!
1969 Alafaya Trail • Orlando, FL 32828 Office: 407-427-1800 Fax: 407-386-7925 Toll Free: 877-220-8315 For Media Information email: Publisher: sroberts@caribbeanamericanpassport.com Info: .Info@caribbeanamericanpassport.com
Should you desire to review past copies of the publicationgo to http://caribbeanamericanpassport.com and click on the 'Print Archive'. Editor & Publisher................................................................................... Sam Roberts Publisher ............................................................................. Guenet Gittens-Roberts Graphic Design & Layout .....................................................................Aleia Roberts Contributing Writers: ................................................................................ Tony Dyal .......................................................................................................................Ryan Davis ...................................................................................................................Sandra Fatmi .......................................................................................................................Gail Seeram .................................................................................................................Sasha Watson ..................................................................................................................Aleia Roberts Contributing Photographers ............ .......................................................Ted Hollins .....................................................................................................................Dilia Castillo .............................................. .............................................................Nancy-Joe Brown Central Florida Distribution........................................................Kadeem Roberts South Florida Distribution .............................................................Norman Williams NorthFlorida Distribution .....................................................................Theo Jack Jr. Tampa Distribution ..................................................................................Julian Pina Copyright (C) 2016 GGR Marketing & Public Relations. All rights reserved.
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NAREB President Sets Agenda Urging Millennials to Build Wealth Through Homeownership During his speech on August 1st at the conclusion of the 72nd Annual NAREB Convention held in Atlantic City, NJ, Donnell T. Williams, newly installed as the 31st president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) set a bold, yet targeted agenda to increase Black wealth through homeownership with a special focus on reaching the country’s millennials. NAREB’s national meeting convened just days after the U.S. Census Bureau released its second quarter 2019 homeownership rates which listed the Black homeownership rate at 40.6% the lowest it has been in more than 50 years. In comparison, the non-Hispanic White homeowner rate was 73.1%, representing more than a 30% gap. “Bold, energetic and effective action must be taken to stop this unthinkable slippage in Black wealth. Homeownership and investment in real estate represent the tools Black Americans in general, and millennials in particular can use to build or rebuild their wealth,” said Donnell Williams, taking the helm of NAREB, the nation’s oldest minority professional real estate organization. “My plan to reverse the downward slide is to reach the 1.7 million mortgageready Black millennials who make over $100,000 annually, but have delayed or not considered homeownership as part of their wealth building strategy,” Williams stated. Several initiatives were outlined in Mr. Williams’ speech that speak to the millennial demographic. One program in particular drew much applause from the audience when he said, “Our people need to know that you’re in violation if
if you drive a Land Rover and you pay rent to a landlord.” The initiative, www.housethenacar.com launches shortly and concentrates its financial focus on attracting millennials and Gen-X-ers to homebuying or real estate investment opportunities to build sustainable wealth. Mr. Williams emphasized that NAREB’s member Realtists must embolden themselves as well as their potential customers. He said, “We must Educate, Empower, and Mobilize ourselves as well as the Black American public. Wealth building through homeownership is indeed possible and we need to make that happen.” Mr. Williams is not new to the real estate profession. First licensed as an agent in 1992 serving the Northern New Jersey area, he established his brokerage Destiny Realty in 2001 in Morristown, NJ with a satellite office in Newark, NJ, now one of the largest Black American, independently owned real estate brokerages in the state.
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Interested in learning more about Multicultural Real Estate Organizations? As America becomes more diverse, the top goal of immigrants is to own their own home. REALTORSÂŽ can help buyers of any cultural background achieve the American dream of homeownership. Knowing how to work effectively with diverse populations can help you build business success in today's multicultural real estate market. NAR's Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity program offers education, grants, partnerships, and events for REALTORSÂŽ. This section provides information and tools to help you connect with diverse groups and create business opportunities. Learn about the business case for diversity and inclusiveness, discover leadership opportunities, and find out about fair housing and equal opportunity.The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB or Realtists) was formed in 1947 by chartered African American real estate professionals out of a need to secure the right to equal housing opportunities, regardless of race, creed, or color. For more than 60 years, NAREB has participated in meaningful legal challenges and has supported legislative initiatives that ensure the availability of fair and affordable housing for all Americans. The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals' mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic home ownership by educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve Hispanic home buyers & sellers, advocating for public policy that supports the association's mission, and facilitating relationships among industry stakeholders, real estate practitioners and other housing industry professionals.
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The Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) is a nonprofit professional trade organization dedicated to promoting sustainable home ownership opportunities in Asian American communities by creating a powerful national voice for housing and real estate professionals that serve this dynamic market.
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- Your Genes Hold the Answers to Your Whole Health Nearly every cell in your body contains a complete copy of your unique and complex genetic code. And these genes hold the answers to many questions about your health — including understanding your risk of serious diseases, such as cancer or heart disease. Researchers at AdventHealth Orlando are partnering with Helix, a personal genomics company, to launch WholeMe, a first-of-its-kind study in Florida. Our team will be looking at the genomes of 10,000 individuals to help them better understand their risk for familial hypercholesterolemia, as well as gain other insights about their ancestry, health and preferences. What Is Familial Hypercholesterolemia? Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that’s passed down through families. It’s caused by a defect on chromosome 19. FH keeps your body from getting rid of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the blood. LDL is considered “bad” cholesterol. When elevated, it can increase your risk of sudden heart attack and other heart diseases. FH begins at birth, which means high levels of bad cholesterol begin to accumulate early in life, leading to a higher risk of heart attack — even at a young age. Joining the WholeMe Study Participants in WholeMe can uncover if they have the genetic defect linked to FH. You can also find out about gene traits that impact daily life, like your sleep patterns, how caffeine affects your body, and your risk of becoming lactose intolerant. WholeMe is open to Florida residents over the age of 18 for free and will accept 10,000 participants. Enrollment sites are based in the Orlando area, and there’s no cost to participate. Beginning on July 24, participants will be able to choose a date and time to reserve an appointment at one of the available locations. What If I Find Out I Have FH? The first step toward whole health is gaining a clear picture of your risk factors and genetic traits. A genomic study, like WholeMe, can help provide that important insight so you and your doctor can make the best possible choices. And, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack, even if you have FH. These
include lifestyle changes and medications. Your doctor may recommend: • Cutting saturated fat from your diet • Eating a plant-based diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein, such as beans, lentils and seafood • Exercising at least 30 minutes, five days a week • Maintaining a healthy weight Sometimes, lifestyle changes are enough to help lower LDL levels in the blood. If you still have elevated cholesterol levels after making healthy changes, your doctor may also prescribe medications, such as a statin drug. Take the First Step to Better Health If you’re concerned about your risk for FH or want to have a better understanding of what your genes say about your health, sign up for WholeMe. Registration opens on July 24.
Diabetes Is Rising, But It’s Not Destiny: Here’s How to Take Control A slow-moving health disaster that’s unfolding nationwide is poised to hit Florida particularly hard. By 2030, nearly one in five Floridians could have diabetes, a new projection shows, which would give it the second-highest rate in the country. The main culprit: rising rates of obesity, says Leslie Hall, director of the AdventHealth Diabetes Institute and a certified diabetes educator. More than two out of three Americans are overweight or obese. The major causes of obesity are clear, says Hall. “Look at the underlying way we approach food and nutrition in the United States,” she says. “People are busy, they work a lot of hours and they move away from plant-based, healthier foods and toward high-fat and calorie-dense fast foods.” Fast food, for example, is quick and easy. But it takes a bit of time to prepare delicious and healthy meals, like slowroasted Brussels sprouts. Changing the food you eat every day isn’t easy, Hall says. “You have to tune into what motivates people, remove their barriers to success and set realistic goals,” she says.
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The Caribbean Health Summit is one of the many vehicles that the Center for Multicultural Wellness and prevention, Inc. (CMWP) are using to reach out to our community to help individuals to make positive lifestyle changes. Bring out your family, friends and neighbors on Saturday, September 7th. Know your numbers, it could save your life. www.cmwp.org. 7
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Diabetes Is Rising, But It’s Not Destiny: Here’s How to Take Control Doing that takes a team that includes doctors, nurses, registered dietitians, weight management experts, exercise specialists and mental health specialists. Our multidisciplinary approach is one of the reasons we recently earned the number 12 ranking in the nation for diabetes and endocrinology care from U.S. News & World Report. Education about how to make a healthy lifestyle fit your life is the centerpiece of our whole-person approach to diabetes. Here’s what we want our patients to know — ideally before diabetes enters their life. What Is Diabetes? Diabetes can be hard to understand. It’s not an infection like the cold or flu, where there’s a crystal-clear line between having the sickness and getting better. Instead, it’s a spectrum, more like our weight. As our weight increases, our health problems slowly add up over time. Except for diabetes we’re measuring blood sugar, not pounds. Diabetes is a label we’ve come up with when a person’s blood sugar rises above 6.5%. When it rises above 8%, it means their diabetes is uncontrolled. Our blood sugar levels can rise slowly. When it hits 5.7%, we have what’s called “prediabetes.” One in three American adults have this condition, which is a warning sign that diabetes could be in your future. (The diabetes we’ve been describing is called “Type 2.”) But nine in 10 people with prediabetes don’t even know it. This is one reason diabetes is so dangerous. The disease often waits to cause major problems until it’s too late to reverse. Why Preventing and Controlling Diabetes Matters Especially to someone who doesn’t have it, diabetes might not seem like a serious illness. But high blood sugar can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs throughout your whole body, potentially causing serious problems. To name only one, adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes. Avoiding diabetes while you’re young or in middle age is especially important. As our recent blog post explains, having diabetes when you’re under 40 is particularly dangerous for your heart and brain. What Is Diabetes? Diabetes can be hard to understand. It’s not an infection like the cold or flu, where there’s a crystal-clear line between having the sickness and getting better. Instead, it’s a spectrum, more like our weight. As our weight increases, our health problems slowly add up over time. Except for diabetes we’re measuring blood sugar, not pounds. Diabetes is a label we’ve come up with when a person’s blood sugar rises above 6.5%. When it rises above 8%, it means their diabetes is uncontrolled.
Our blood sugar levels can rise slowly. When it hits 5.7%, we have what’s called “prediabetes.” One in three American adults have this condition, which is a warning sign that diabetes could be in your future. (The diabetes we’ve been describing is called “Type 2.” To learn more about the different types of diabetes, check out our blog poston the “diabetes spectrum.”) But nine in 10 people with prediabetes don’t even know it. This is one reason diabetes is so dangerous. The disease often waits to cause major problems until it’s too late to reverse. Why Preventing and Controlling Diabetes Matters Especially to someone who doesn’t have it, diabetes might not seem like a serious illness. But high blood sugar can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs throughout your whole body, potentially causing serious problems. To name only one, adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes. Avoiding diabetes while you’re young or in middle age is especially important. As our recent blog post explains, having diabetes when you’re under 40 is particularly dangerous for your heart and brain. People with the following risk factors are likelier to have diabetes: • Being overweight. Excess fat can make it harder for the body to control blood sugar. • Eating unhealthy food. Red meat and soft drinks in particular can raise your diabetes risk. • Not being active. Inactivity can lead to weight gain and get in the way of blood sugar control. • Age. Most people with diabetes are 45 or older, but you can get the disease at any age. • Race. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, AfricanAmericans, Hispanics and some others are more likely to get diabetes. Helping You Regain Control Losing weight is hard, and simply telling someone to eat a low-calorie diet doesn’t work. We use a technique called motivational interviewing, meaning we help you figure out what matters to you. In other words, your goals are our goals. On the other hand, setting overly ambitious goals, as many often do, sets a person up for failure, Hall says. Even if you already have diabetes, medication and lifestyle changes are still critical. Even losing 10 or 15 pounds can help. “The earlier you get your diabetes under control, the lower your risk of developing complications,” Hall says. “If you wait for 10 years to get it under control, a lot of damage has already been done.” Whether you or a loved one are worried about developing diabetes or already have it, this whole-person approach can put you back in the driver’s seat. With nine Central Florida campuses, our team-based care is close to home for residents of Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.
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"SINGING SANDRA" comes to Orlando
Born to humble beginnings on Dec 10th in East Dry River Port of Spain was the start of this phenomenal woman’s journey we know today as Singing Sandra. Today she boasts that she is a proud product of the Prime Minister’s Best Village Competition as it was there she was approached by the late calypsonian Dr Zhivago in 1984 who introduced her to the calypso arena. From there on in it was no stopping as she was immediately a member of the Sparrow’s Young Brigade. 1987 saw her becoming the Calypso Queen with “Die with my Dignity” Carifesta Monarch in 1990 . 1990 also saw her being the flag bearer of the awesome group United Sisters..Tigress, Marvellous Marva & the late Lady B. Today she stands proud as the only woman to win the coveted title Calypso Monarch of Trinidad & Tobago on 2 occasions. The legacy of this Phenomenal Sistah, Mother, Woman is surely represented not only my her numerous awards and accolades, but thro-ugh her music… she always champions the cause of the women children and down trodden. Voices from the Ghetto For whom the bell tolls To much ashes in the urn. Just to name a few…
Guyanese-born Valerie Amos appointed new Master of University College Oxford Cont'd from page 1
She has been a Labour Life Peer since 1997, and served in the Cabinet from 2003 to 2007 as Secretary of State for International Development and subsequently as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council. Before joining the House of Lords she worked in local government and as Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and was an adviser to the Mandela Government on leadership and change management issues. She was UK High Commissioner to Australia before joining the UN in 2010.
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A bit about Jacksonville Carnival... The Jacksonville Caribbean Festival was launched in downtown Jacksonville in 2005. Theis event features everything from a street parade with Caribbean costumes and music, to a food festival highlighting all the flavors and aromas of Caribbean food, as well as Caribbean craft displays and catchy steel drum music. End the fun with a live Caribbean concert at the Carnival. The parade begins at 12PM, from the corner of 1st Street & A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard. After, proceed to the Carnival for food, crafts, and music at Metro Park 2 (1410 Gator Bowl Blvd) until 9PM.
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United States Virgin Islands takes their marketing campaign on the road The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has launched a vigorous summer campaign to market the islands' unique carnival and festivals. Following the passage of Legislative Act 8153, Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte now has the department actively promoting and managing festival tourism with a busy summer schedule in place to promote the rich heritage of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. The U.S. Virgin Islands celebrates three major events: Crucian Christmas Festival (St. Croix), Virgin Islands Carnival (St. Thomas) and the St. John Festival. Each event features beauty pageants, music concerts, sporting events and food fairs, all displaying the rich history and cultural heritage of the Territory. This weekend, the department, represented by Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Hansen Watley, is at the Charleston Carifest, a Carnival celebration in honor of Caribbean American Heritage Month; while Luana Wheatley, Director of Film, leads the department's team at Caribbean305 in Miami, South Florida's premier Caribbean cuisine and culture celebration. In Charleston, South Carolina the festival has a Virgin Islands theme, featuring Virgin Islands author and filmmaker Peter Bailey, who is Grand Marshal of the parade. Bailey screened his popular documentary "The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders" at a symposium ahead of the Carnival celebration to an engaged audience at the College of Charleston on Thursday evening. At Caribbean305 in Miami, talented Mocko Jumbie dancers from the Territory as well as four chefs, including author and champion boxer Julius Jackson, will display the culinary excellence of the islands. The culinary contingent also includes chefs Cory Magras and Madga Moolenaar as well as student chef Micaya Tuitt. "While we work with the Office of Management and Budget to secure funding for the Division of Festivals and the Virgin Islands Cultural Heritage Institute within the Department of Tourism, we are exploring every way we can to let travelers know about the outstanding cultural offerings of our islands," said Commissioner Boschulte, who is hopeful that the management of the Territory's festivals will begin in earnest with the 2019-2020 edition of the Crucian Christmas Festival, which kicks off in December on
U.S. Virgin Islands Assistant Commissioner of Tourism Elizabeth Hansen Watley (left) with journalist and filmmaker Peter Bailey in Charleston, South Carolina.
St. Croix. Next month, the department will once again host travel journalists and a film crew to cover and promote the 65th anniversary of St. John Festival with the goal of securing similar coverage that was generated for Virgin Islands Carnival on St. Thomas, and to promote future celebrations in the Territory. The USVI will also have a strong cultural contingent at the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) African American Hotel Ownership and Investment Summit and Trade Show, the International Multicultural and Heritage Tourism Summit and Trade Show, and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention in Miami; and in New York for the annual Caribbean Cultural Fest and for the West Indian American Day Labor Day Carnival.
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EMANCIPATION CELEBRATIONS IN FLORIDA South Florida is about to come to life yet again on August 10th as the newly formed group Trinidad & Tobago Emancipation Group of Florida celebrates Emancipation Day here in South Florida... (Emancipation Day is a public holiday in Trinidad & Tobago on August 1st) This has been the vision of proud Trinidad & Tobago’s very own former promoter, cricketer and a Basketball hall of famer (2000) Carl Blackman. Together with his dynamic crew of Alicia Gibbs, Skip, and Lynette the décor and ambiance was set by Maria of Kalalloo Miami, The libation was done bay Pastor Sherma Edawrds of St. Catherine’s Spiritual Baptist Church of Longwood FL then patrons were wowed upon entering the hall after the mini parade on the streets of Miami, with live drumming from Preston & Adio, that was only the start of a culture packed evening where authentic African dances was put on by Asha & Company. Dexter the pannist was excellent as ever and Kamellah did a number
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that had patrons lapping up every word and the cultural journey went even to a higher height with Calypso Queen Tigress (Joanne Rowley) brought the crowd to their feet for a standing ovation upon completion of her performance. The team is again excited as this year on August 10th as they look forward to welcoming delegates from the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad & Tobago with performances by Twiggy and many others.
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Agritourism Can Drive SocioEconomic Development In Caribbean
With the global market size of agritourism expected to reach $10.16 billion by 2024 (Verified Market Reports) and with an estimated Caribbean market for agribusiness products of $4 billion per year, there is a major opportunity for the region to enhance its tourism product and improve food security, connecting visitors and locals to the people, places and processes involved in the production side of food and drink. Regionally, operations such as Goodfellow Farms in the Bahamas, PEG farms and Coco Hill Forest in Barbados and Ridge 2 Reef Farm in St. Croix are offering farm tours, farmers markets, farm stays, farm retreats and even opportunities to take part in farm life. As an outcome of their study to map agritourism policies in the Caribbean, the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation and the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture are currently supporting agritourism development in 6 countries, including Grenada, Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Suriname and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
According to the Culinary Tourism Alliance, these initiatives are particularly important to socio-economic development because they “allow farmers to diversify their income through tourism-related activities that often leverage un- or underutilized lands and buildings, connecting people to the source of their food through experiences that are meaningful, which can help to bridge urban-rural divides while cultivating pride in agricultural landscapes and livelihoods.� Trevor Jonas Benson, Director of Food Tourism Innovation at the Culinary Tourism Alliance, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s social enterprise consultancy, Grow Food Tourism and as a Barbadian, he is particularly passionate about the region.
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EVENTS INDIGENOUS FUTURISM: Transcending Toxic Times This critically acclaimed show staged at the Orlando Museum of Art sent shockwaves through the community and is back with the next installment entitled “Transcending Toxic Times�, paying homage to the recent project released by featured artist, The Last Poets. Accompanying The Last Poets in this revolutionary art show will be Sunni Patterson, Tahir RBG (of dead prez),Tyla Harrington, and more special guests. The Art Show will include local artists along with international visiting artists capturing the spirit of the African Diaspora through multimedia creative collaboration. This is Indigenous Futurism. Date: August 17th, 2019 Doors Open at: 7 PM | Show Starts at 8 PM Earlier in the evening experience a FREE open market filled with Live DJs, African Drummers, and local vendors. Pop-Up Open Market hosted by: MOOD THE PARTY | 5 PM - 8 PM The art show will include local artists along with international visiting artists capturing the spirit of the African Diaspora through creative collaboration. This is Indigenous Futurism.
EVERY SUNDAY ENJOY FREE ADMISSION
Meet the Artist Series: Echoes of Africa featuring Van J. Experience the essence and spirit of Africa though Art, Live Entertainment, African drumming and More! This is a free event with RSVP . Go to www.BronzeKingdom.com www.caribbeanamericanpassport.com
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Please join us at for a Caribbean American Town Hall meeting on September 29th, 2019. This Forum is organized by the Caribbean American Passport News Magazine in partnership with the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc will explore issues facing the Caribbean American Diaspora. Topics to be covered include Census 2020, Immigration updates, Business and Investment both in American and the Caribbean. The role of Caribbean American non-profits, their contributions and their development potential as well as funding opportunities. The Caribbean American Town Hall meeting will explore role of the Caribbean Diaspora in potential opportunities for Caribbean Investment, Home Ownership & Retirement, Disaster relief, Education and Health. Caribbean American Passport News Magazine will be launching their 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, based in Orlando, it will build further upon the work started by Caribbean American Passport NewsMagazine geared towards transforming the lives of members of the Caribbean American diaspora through Business, Arts and Culture. For more information about this event please visit our website at: www.caribbeanamericanpassport.com or by telephone at 407-427-1800.
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IMMIGRATION NEWS Brief via www.nwirp.org:
On the Trump Administration's Proposed Expansion of Expedited Removal The Trump Administration announced its intention to expand authority for expedited removal of immigrants who cannot prove they have been in the United States for two years. This is a problematic policy that expands an already troubling system that we do not view as comporting with due process. However, there will be efforts to challenge this bad proposal at the national level by both American Immigration Council and the ACLU, and NWIRP will be vigilant to respond to individual cases in which people's rights are being violated. For community members wondering if they should keep some form of evidence that they have been living in the US for at least two years - we do not advise you to do so. We believe that the best protection is to remain silent and not disclose anything that would lead to an arrest in the first place. If you or someone you know is detained, please call the Washington Immigrant and Solidarity Network Raid Response Hotline at 1-844-RAID-REP. It is best for an individual who is detained to seek legal help in challenging the detention and then providing evidence that they are unlawfully being subjected to this process. It is advisable to keep documentation of your length of residence in the US in a safe place at home and where it can be accessed by someone trustworthy.
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DESTINATIONS
Overview: Immigrants and Legalized Marijuana Across America, states are moving to legalize some use of marijuana. As of January 2018, 29 states3 and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. Nine states4 and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Noncitizens residing in these states may reasonably think that using marijuana in accordance with state law will not hurt their immigration status, or their prospects for getting lawful status. Unfortunately, that is wrong. For immigration purposes, it is federal law that controls, and it remains a federal offense to possess marijuana. In particular, a noncitizen who admits to an immigration official that she possessed marijuana can be found inadmissible, denied entry into the United States, or have her application for lawful status or even naturalization denied. Depending on the circumstances, it can make a lawful permanent resident deportable. This is true even if the conduct was permitted under state law, the person never was convicted of a crime, and the conduct took place in her own home. State laws legalizing marijuana provide important benefits, but, unfortunately, they also are a trap for unwary immigrants. Believing that they have done nothing wrong, immigrants may readily admit to officials that they possessed marijuana. In some states, such as Washington State, ICE, CIS, and CBP agents are aggressively asking noncitizens if they ever have possessed marijuana, in an attempt to hold people inadmissible. In other states, such as California, CIS does not appear to be doing this, although CBP officials at border and internal checkpoints are.
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The message is simple: Immigration law treats any marijuanarelated activity as a crime, with harsh penalties, even if it is permitted under state law. The advice is: • Stay away from marijuana until you are a U.S. citizen. • If you truly need medical marijuana and there is not a good substitute, get a legal consult. • Do not carry marijuana, a medical marijuana card, or marijuana stickers, t-shirts, etc. Remove any text or photos relating to marijuana from your social media and phone. • If you have used marijuana or worked in the industry, get a legal consult before leaving the United States or applying for naturalization or immigration status. • Never discuss conduct involving marijuana with immigration, border, consular, or law enforcement authorities -- unless your immigration attorney has advised that this is safe. Remember state laws and Federal laws are completely different. Federal law has no marijuana exceptions for medical or other use. It is a federal offense to possess, give away, sell, cultivate, import or export marijuana.
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Ping Pong Solos And Doubles
BY TONY DEYAL
We ‘country’ children born in Trinidad and, in fact, most of the Caribbean, immediately after the Second World War did not have many recreation facilities or options.
I was born in 1945 was starting to develop into an art form that eventually took the world by storm and became Trinidad’s claim to global musical fame.
There were two seasons, dry and wet, and this determined what games we played. No rugby or lawn tennis for us, no swimming pools or hockey sticks. The youngest of us played ‘whoop’ (or "hoop", a type of ‘hide and seek’), ‘stickem-up’ (like the Wild West) and ‘Police and Thief’, which we stopped playing because increasingly it was, and still is, difficult to differentiate between them.
Ping pong was the name we initially gave to steelpan music and then to certain pans, notably the ‘tenor’. Angela Smith in her extremely well-researched Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History refers to a calypso, ‘The Beat Of The Steelband’ by Lord Kitchener in the ‘Bamboo to Steel’ section of the book, “Zigilee, Pops and Battersby/They coming with a semi-tone melody/When they start the contrary beat/They had people jumping wild in the street/ Port-of-Spain was catching a fire/ When the Steelband was crossing the Dry River/Zigilee leader of the ping-pong/ Had people jumping wild in the town.”
It was cricket in the dry season or ‘crop time’ for the boys and football in the wet. In-between, there was my favourite pastime, running, and then, when I was in my teens, ping pong (later known to us as ‘table tennis’) became a hit since as an indoor game it was not affected by the weather and, more important, in Trinidad, the land of ‘bobol’ (pronounced ‘bob-ball’, a confidence scheme, trick or fraud) and black market, rackets were not just commonplace but very cheap. In fact, bobol is supposedly still the most popular Trinidad pastime. TWO LOVE TO NONE Ping pong was not, and is still not, my thing. As I told a Facebook friend recently, I ping when I should pong and pong when I should ping, but worse, I flick when I should smash and poke when I should lash. Even in using the word ‘lash’ I had to explain that it does not have the same meaning in Guyana as in the rest of the region. There it is the common and accepted term for sexual intercourse. In exploring this further, we agreed that the table tennis board could do for either, but while it can take some weight, it should be net rather than gross. It is then my friend dropped some terms on me like chop, loop, snake, banana flick and chop block with the comment that if I got five minutes, I would spin a fine joke around them. Unfortunately, in my teenage ping pong days, I was more interested in ‘love’ than anything else and had the unfortunate experience of rapidly and violently moving from two-love to none since both loves found out about each other and demanded to know what the deuce I was up to. One of them even dropped a backhand on me and the other one’s father threatened to chop me up, balls and all. I recognised that I was in too deep and doubles was not my game since I tended to make a meal of it. I tried a backspin with one of the girls later but when that did not work, I took up free hand and fore hand instead of inverted or funny rubbers. I even tried a Penhold and a Ping Pong Solo. ART FORM STEELPAN This leads to the main reason many of us switched from calling the game ‘ping pong’ and used ‘table tennis’ instead. The fact is that we had another ‘ping pong’ that by the time
CUT PAINT TIN Selwyn Taradath in his ‘100 Years of Pan’ carried in the Trinidad Guardian on January 1, 2000 wrote, “The ping pong was a small hand-held pan cut from a paint tin or carbide container. The indentations made by striking it with wooden sticks were pushed upwards to form small bumps, which were then tuned to different pitch notes.” While Winston ‘Spree’ Simon is credited with inventing the ‘ping pong’, it was Anthony Williams, the most famous pan-tuner of all, who took it further forward. Ian ‘Teddy’ Belgrave, famous in his own right as a steelband historian and activist, wrote in 2008, “When Mr Williams discovered a used oil drum (among other discarded items in a dump which the Americans at the Naval Base at Chaguaramas had established) on the Mucurapo foreshore, he put notes on it and attempted to introduce it into the Sun Valley band. No one was interested in this. It was too heavy, he was told. Sometime after, when the ‘Islandwide Steel Band Competitions’ began at the Mucurapo Stadium in 1947, the oil drum became the norm for the ping pong. The ping pong at this time still had only 12 to 15 notes, which could not include the chromatic scale. In the typical spontaneous style of this era, Mr Williams was one of the first tuners to include a semi-tone on the instrument when he attempted to play ‘Stardust’ and realised that in the very first bar of this piece, such a note was required.” STICK TO SOLO In my schooldays in Port-of-Spain around 1956 and later, with the Siparia Deltones steelband across the street from me, the ‘ping pong’, aka ‘steelband’, was part of my life. However, when I tried a ‘ping pong solo’, I was told by my friends in the band to stick to the soft drink ‘Solo’ and leave the ping pong alone. I never did anything but beat the occasional iron and try, in the old days, the two-beat rhythm pan the ‘doodoop’. And this is how I ended up with the third and fourth ping pongs in my life. The third has been my lot for many, many years now, and means, “to move back and forth or transfer rapidly from one locale, job, etc, to another”. The fourth ping pong, though, is “a series of usually verbal exchanges between two parties”, and unlike beating ‘pan’ or playing tennis, it is something I am good at, but Indranie and the children are much, much better. They always throw me for a loop. Tony Deyal was last seen talking about a girl he once encountered on the middle of a table tennis board. He knew her as ‘Annette’.
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