National Weekly August 20, 2020

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There Were Winners And Losers

JAMAICA

Progressive!

The Surge of Women in Jamaican Politics

By Sheri-Kae McLeod

You can tell a great deal about the progressive nature of a country by the positions of power that are held by women.

Caribbean Americans Incur Mixed Bag in Primary Elections

By Garth A. Rose

In the very competitive Democratic race for Broward County Sheriff, incumbent Gregory Tony held off the strong challenge from former Sheriff Scott Israel in Primary Elections held in Florida.

Tony

In a statement released shortly after his win was announced, Sheriff Tony said, “I am deeply honored that Democratic voters have chosen me to lead the Broward Sheriff’s Office into a brighter, safer future.”

“We’ve come a long way in the last 18 months, but there is still much work to be done. Together, we’re reforming the Sheriff’s Office, promoting good deputies and keeping our communities safer by embracing police reform. As your Sheriff, I will work tirelessly to make this department a model for how a public safety agency can be effective, transparent, and accountable to our community. Let’s keep moving forward,” the sheriff said.

Sheriff Tony defeated Jamaican American Andrew Smalling, the former police chief of the City of Lauderhill, former BSO boss, Scott Israel and three other candidates.

Other disappointments were felt in the CaribbeanAmerican community, with the defeats of Jamaican continues on B4 – Winners and Losers

Spalding

THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 2020

In any society, women play an instrumental role in aspects of national development and the livelihood of its people.

Still, in some countries, women have traditionally been overlooked for leadership positions in the private and public sectors, especially in politics.

Over the years, Jamaica has made significant progress at lifting the status of women on the social hierarchy. Across various industries, many of which were typically male-dominated, women now occupy leadership positions in major corporate entities. In fact, in 2016, Jamaica was ranked as the country with the largest percentage of female managers in the world.

In recent years, there has also been a surge of women emerging at the forefront of local politics—but Jamaica has had a long history of women in politics. It dates back to the 1940s, with Iris Collins from the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP); Madam Rose-Leon, who was also part of the JLP and later joined the People's National Party (PNP); and then Iris King, the PNP Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew.

But undoubtedly, the glass ceiling in Jamaica was smashed with the election of the PNP's Portia Simpson Miller as the party's leader and ascension as Jamaica's first female prime minister in 2006. Her rise, especially as a woman from workingclass, rural Jamaica, emboldened women across the nation, opening the way for a new wave of female politicians.

Women are still in the minority in Jamaican politics, but they have also been among the most hardworking and most revered politicians in recent times.

Omphroy continues on B4 – Progressive!

WHAT’S INSIDE DR. KEITH ROWLEY SECURES A SECOND TERM AS PM A3

jamaicans can cast ballots without voter id cards A4

artiste sone sends timely message in overcome d1

SUNSHINE GIRL FOWLERREID’S FIREWORKS IN VAIN d3

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DESERVED: Melvin Foster of Cu ng Images shows off his People Profile 2020 Beauty & Cosmetology Award - Contributed.

HONORING GARVEY: Consul General Oliver Mair (le ) with patrons at 16th annual Marcus Garvey extravaganza last Monday, August 17.

From le Maxine Queenie Osbourne performer, Hal Anthony and Cheryl Wynter, community rela ons officer at Jamaican the Jamaica Consulate - Contributed.

REWARDING: Lauderhill Commissioner Denise Grant (center) and a group of volunteers bring food to some of the city's most vulnerable popula on, the elderly. - Contributed

GOOD JOB! Supervisor of Elec ons Joe Sco is all smiles, as he celebrates retaining his post. He is seen here with volunteer Jayden Mar n – Contributed

POSE: Pauline Edwards strikes a pose in her independence regalia, repping the black, green and gold as she celebrated the island's 58th anniversary of independence, recently. Contributed.

CELEBRATING YAAD: Amaya, Tamika and Tijienene, members of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council, represent in their Jamaican colors. - Contributed

HONORS: Consul General Oliver Mair (center) presents principals of Rootz Founda on Inc., Tafari Jabulani (le ) and Priest Dougie with a Community Service Award for preserving the legacy of Jamaican na onal hero Rt. Hon. Marcus Garvey. They were at the recent extravaganza celebra ng Garvey's 133rd birthday. Contributed

WINNING! Supporters of Rep. Anika Omphroy celebrated her hard-fought win in the August 18 primary elec ons in Florida. Omphroy staved off a formidable challenger to hold on to her State House District 95 seat. - Contributed.

WINNING TEAM: Sharing a socialdistance gree ng, Team Holness celebrated their win in the August 8 primary elec on. L-r Jayden Mar n, Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, Omar Smith and Murry Robinson - Contributed

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Dr. Keith Rowley

Secures Second Term as Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister At the Trinidad and Tobago polls on August 10, Dr. Keith Rowley secured a second term as prime minister, when his party, the People's National Movement (PNM) won 22 of the 41 seats in the Parliament. The remainder went to the main opposition United National Congress (UNC), led by former Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar.

Although Dr. Rowley immediately declared win following the election, he wasn't sworn in until Wednesday, August 19--over a week after the polls.

UNC leader Persad-Bissessar has requested recounts in five constituencies, causing them to delay the swearing-in of the newly elected prime minister.

Commenting on his victory, Rowley reflected on what he referred to as a “difficult” five years in office, which included the closure of the Petrotrin refinery, Venezuelan invasion, oil, gas, and methanol price collapse, and of course, the coronavirus pandemic in an election year. Rowley said that this second term would be his last term in politics and he will be committed to ensuring that young people are developed to take over leadership of his party.

The 70-year-old prime minister has dedicated over 30 years of his life to Trinidad and Tobago politics.

Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley was born in

1949 in Tobago and was raised by his grandparents, who were prominent Tobago farmers.

He completed his tertiary education at the University of the West Indies' Mona Campus in Jamaica, where he graduated with a BSc. in geology and geography. He later earned an MSc in volcanic stratigraphy at UWI in Trinidad, followed by a Ph.D. in geology—specializing in geochemistry.

Before entering politics, Rowley worked as a research scientist, holding positions of research fellow and later head of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine. He first ran for political office in 1981, where he contested the Tobago West seat. To date, he is the only PNM candidate to have contested a seat in a general election in both Tobago and Trinidad.

Rowley first served in Parliament as an opposition senator from 1987 to 1990.

Subsequently, he was appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, minister of Planning and Development, Minister of Housing and Minister of Trade and Industry.

Following the PNM's defeat in the 2010 general election, Dr. Rowley was appointed leader of the party and also became leader of the opposition. At the next general election in Trinidad and Tobago, in September 2015, Rowley led the PNM to election victory, when they defeated the UNC and secured 23 out of 41 seats in the House of Representatives to form the government. He would then become the 7th prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

Throughout his tenure, Rowley has been credited for the revival of the local natural gas sector and laying the groundwork for further oil and gas exploration, the largest economic sector of Trinidad and Tobago.

Throughout his tenure, Rowley has been credited for the revival of the local natural gas sector and laying the groundwork for further oil and gas explo ration, the largest eco nomic sector of Trinidad and Tobago.

Rowley

He has served on several parliamentary committees. In 2004, he chaired the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, which examined and made recommendations for the live broadcasting of parliamentary debates.

Rowley is married to Sharon Rowley. He is the father of four children—two sons and two daughters.

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CARICOM Leaders Discuss Hurricane Preparedness During The COVID Pandemic Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders Monday discussed proposals for dealing with the possibility of responding to a hurricane within the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a statement released here Tuesday by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.

It said that the leaders at their 11th Special Meeting held by video conference on Monday “recognized that such an occurrence would add a significant layer of complexity and would have an impact on regional response efforts.”

According to the Secretariat, the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) made presentations to the meeting which was presided over by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the current chairman of the 15-member grouping.

“The Heads of Government noted that countries in the region had already been grappling with a multihazard scenario since January 2020.

This included a drought in some States, which, according to the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), has persisted since 2019 and the COVID-19 outbreak,” the statement noted.

It said the regional leaders also stressed the “need for continued

Jamaicans Can Cast Ballots Without Voter ID Cards The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has confirmed that voters without a Voter Identification (ID) Card will be allowed to cast their ballot in the September 3 general election.

But EOJ director of elections, Glasspole Brown said they would only be allowed to vote once their names can be found on the official Voters' List.

“They can turn up to the polling station on Election Day and they will be allowed to vote.

The difference is that they will be required to take an oath. We have a mechanism within the polling stations to identify them,” Browne told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

He said that for persons with Voter ID cards with expiry dates of 2017 and 2019, these remain valid.

“We had extended the validation period to the end of December. All you need to do is come to the polling station with that card and those cards will be used as part of the process to identify you,” Brown said.

The EOJ began the Voter ID card renewal process in November of last year and individuals who have been previously registered to vote but lost their Voter ID cards are being encouraged to apply for a replacement at their EOJ Constituency Office.

As it relates to new persons, who were placed on the Voters' List published on July 31, Brown advised that “those cards are about ready and they should go to their (EOJ) Constituency

Offices and pick up the new cards.”

Nomination Day in the general elections was on Tuesday, where the two major parties, the ruling Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the main opposition People's National Party (PNP) each nominated 63 candidates to challenge each other for election by voters to the 63-seat parliament.

Both parties are predicting victory in the election. In the 2016 poll, the JLP won by a oneseat margin but later increased that to three after winning two by-elections.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) announced there'll be no instudio audience for the three political debates scheduled as part of the election campaign.

The 90-minute debates, one each on social issues, finance and economics, and leadership, will be held on August 25, 27 and 29 respectively.

The JDC said that the PNP will have the opening presentation in all three debates and the ruling party giving the closing statements.

Gonsalves Ridicules U.S. Over Travel Restrictions Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has described as “hilarious… like it's Comedy Central,” a recent travel advisory issued by the United States advising its citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Caribbean countries including St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“What is laughable though, is that the United States put out an advisory, the thing is … hilarious. I mean, like it's Comedy Central.

Imagine the United States of America, their authorities said you must have an advisory to all the CARICOM countries that you must go only if it's essential travel; all except Haiti and Guyana and I think Suriname,” said Gonsalves, who also chairs the CARICOM community.

Speaking on the state-owned NBC radio, Gonsalves also noted that the bulletin also

advises against travel to Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada, “all these countries which are doing quite well.”

Gonsalves made the comment after noting the impact of COVID-19 on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which, as of Saturday, had recorded 57 cases of the viral infection, 55 of whom have recovered.

He told radio listeners that there have been no COVID-related deaths here and that two persons who were placed at the state-run isolation facility were so warded because of recalcitrance rather than severe illness.

He contrasted this to the United States, which took 99 days to reach its first million cases and just another 16 days to record four million cases.

“And they are now on to over five million cases. The United States of America has 4.2 percent of the world's population; they have 25 percent of all the world's COVID deaths,” Gonsalves said, adding that he had seen an interview in which U.S. President, Donald Trump, disingenuously claimed the U.S. was doing well in the management of the illness.

Gonsalves said when the United States puts out an advisory “like that, any other advisory, any other report they put out, people will say, 'Well, this is a joke.' Because when you impugn your credibility with such an absurdity…”

He cited there are 192 countries in the United Nations in addition to some nonindependent jurisdictions in the world.

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, AUG 20 – AUG 26, 2020 –

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Don't Let The Excitement Or The Votes Be Suppressed The Caribbean-American community—particularly the Jamaican-American community—is highly excited and motivated by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his vicepresidential nominee for the November 3 general election.

Biden’s once uninspiring campaign, as some Caribbean-American voters viewed it, has gotten a jolt of excitement with the selection of Harris, whose father is Jamaican. People who usually display little interest in voting in U.S. elections are ready to roll. This excitement is seen not only among Jamaicans—some who have been jovially posting White House menus with Jamaican dishes like jerked pork and oxtail on social media—but throughout the larger Caribbean-American and African-American populations in Florida and other states.

Although there isn’t absolute consensus, the Harris pick, within a few days, has further boosted Biden’s chance of winning the presidential election.

This is especially so in states with combined large Caribbean and African American voters, like Florida, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, California, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, Texas, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Harris’ unique ethnicity encompasses three groups, Caribbean-American, African American and South Asian-American. Her Indian ancestry through her late mother also endears her to the large, but often little mentioned, Indian-American voting bloc in America.

Voter turnout is key Despite the excitement of having Kamala Harris on the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket, the election won’t be won and the increasing threat of Americans being subject to dictatorial rule won’t be overcome unless people turn out to vote in droves.

With the existing fear of contracting the coronavirus, it’s anticipated voters will be reluctant to take the risk by voting in person in November.

There’s evidence, certainly seen in Florida’s recently concluded primary elections, that more voters are choosing the option to request their ballots from respective supervisor of elections (SOE) offices and returning the completed ballots by mail.

The prospect of substantial mail-in voting has been met with opposition from the Trump administration, which has touted the unsubstantiated claim that it will result in massive voter fraud. What’s worse is that by weakening the United States Postal Office (USPS) it will become incapable of coping with processing the anticipated high volume of mail-in ballots.

Following public outcry regarding the removal of drop-off mailboxes, mechanical sorting machines from post offices around the country, the firing of senior postal workers, and canceled overtime for postal workers, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has been forced to reverse course, at least until after the November elections. The measures were seen by election watchdogs and top

Democrats as a blatant attempt to frustrate the electorate and suppress mail-in votes.

Voters should ensure their votes count by planning to vote early by mail or in person. Most states are expected to have ballots for the 2020 elections ready to be mailed by mid-September.

Those planning to vote by mail should, therefore, begin making requests for their ballots. When the ballots are received, they should be completed, signed, and placed securely in the envelopes provided by the SOE. Where possible, the ballots should be returned directly to the SOE offices. If that isn’t possible, the ballots can be held until early voting begins, which should be around midOctober, and dropped off at an early voting site, or the designated polling site on November 3.

If voters have no other option but to mail in the ballot, this should be not later than mid-October, to prevent expected bottlenecks and delays at post offices, which could delay the ballot being submitted by Election Day. Voters should be aware they are able to track if their mail-in ballot is received and counted on respective SOE websites. After dropping off or mailing their ballot they can check with the SOE to make sure there are no problems with their votes.

Those who are skeptical of mail-in voting are advised to take advantage of early in-person voting which begins in most states by mid-October. Long lines and risk of COVID-19 can be avoided by voting between mid-morning and mid-afternoon and wearing masks.

By careful planning, by people educating and helping other voters, the excitement currently felt with Kamala Harris on the Democrats’ presidential ticket, could be channeled into a victory for Democrats this November.

Too many people paid too high a sacrifice to let obvious efforts to suppress the vote succeed.

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Kamala Harris Selects HaitianAmerican As Her Chief-of-Staff Caribbean national Karine JeanPierre has been selected to be the chief of staff to Senator Kamala Harris, who recently made history by becoming the first Caribbean American and Asian American woman to be nominated as a vice-presidential candidate.

Jean-Pierre, 43, who was born in Martinique to Haitian parents, was selected as Harris' chief-of-staff, becoming the first Black person to serve in that role for a U.S. vicepresidential candidate.

“Karine 'ambitious' Jean-Pierre is incredibly proud to be working to elect the Biden/Harris ticket,” tweeted Jean-Pierre shortly after Democratic Party Presidential hopeful. Joe Biden selected Harris, as his running mate.

Jean-Pierre

Jean-Pierre, who was raised in Queens, New York, also serves as a senior advisor to the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign. Her professional experience has ranged broadly from presidential campaigns to grassroots activism, to

local politics, to working in the White House.

She's the Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC political analyst, who previously served as the deputy campaign manager for Martin O'Malley for President.

Prior to joining the O'Malley Campaign, Jean-Pierre said on her website that, in 2014, she was the campaign manager for American Civil Liberty Union's (ACLU) Reproductive Freedom Initiate (RFI).

Previously, she managed New York Attorney General Letitia James's successful campaign for New York City Public Advocate.

In 2011, Jean-Pierre served as Deputy Battleground States Director for former U.S. President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, “managing the president's political engagement in key states while leading the delegate selection and ballot access process.”

In graduate school, she said she explored her Haitian roots through documentary film.

“My parents, being Haitian immigrants, is like the immigrant experience,” Jean-Pierre told the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in 2019.

“They came here for the American dream that, in many ways, eluded them. They still live checkto-check,” she added. “But, in their eyes, because I made it to the White House because their daughter went to Columbia, they have received it.”

While congratulating Harris as the first Caribbean American to be selected as a U.S. vice-presidential nominee, New York City Democratic Council Member Farah N. Louis, also the daughter of Haitian immigrants, also recognized Jean-Pierre.

“Women have been at the forefront of every civil and human rights movement; and now, we stand ready to take our seat at the table in the White House,” Louis, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 45th Council District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Moïse Highlights Value Of Good Relations With Dominican Republic President Jovenel Moïse says his attendance at Sunday's inauguration of Luis Abinader as the new President of the Dominican Republic underscores the importance given to improving relations between the two islands that form Hispaniola.

“I had the great pleasure of participating in the investiture ceremony of the President-elect of the Dominican Republic H.E.M. Luis Abinader. My presence at this ceremony is an eloquent testimony of friendship and solidarity which prevail between the Haitian and Dominican peoples,” Moïse said in a message on his official Twitter account.

In his address on Sunday, President

Abinader spoke of the importance of having good relations with Haiti during the ceremony that was attended by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

“The bilateral relationship with Haiti is very important for the Dominican Republic. We are aware that the success of this relationship depends on the active, consistent and persevering presence of the two States.

“Therefore, we must continue to strengthen the instruments for a good neighborliness, promote the comprehensive development of the border and the design of an effective security policy to help the well-being of the two nations,” he added.

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The 53-year-old businessman, who had never held elected office, won a four-year term on July 5, ending a 16-year run in power by a center-left party. Abinader had finished second

in the 2016 presidential election.

“This election resounds as an example to other nations of the power of democracy and what is possible when countries prioritize the wishes of their people,” Pompeo tweeted after Abinader's inauguration, saying he was “optimistic about this chapter in U.S.Dominican partnership.”

Following the inauguration ceremony, Moïse, who is himself under pressure to call fresh elections in Haiti, held talks with President Abinader reviewing the bilateral relations between the two countries and pledged to strengthen them.

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Existing Anti-immigration Policies Likely To Be Dismantled Under A New President

By Caroly Pedersen Immigration Attorney

Over the past three and a half years, the Trump administration has waged an ongoing war against immigrants, including imposing policies, which resulted in deep cuts in family immigration, reduced by nearly 50 percent in 2020. Policies against innocent Dreamers have left a precious generation of children with little hope or sense of security, as efforts persist to cancel DACA and reduce benefits, in violation of court orders.

Under the incumbent administration, children have been caged, families separated and Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) has terrorized immigrant communities, and arrest otherwise law-abiding immigrants who lack legal status.

The Democratic Party's presidential candidate Joe Biden's policies towards immigrants are totally different than those of President Donald Trump.

Biden values immigrants and understands they are the backbone of our nation, which gives us our strength and resiliency.

According to Biden's proposed immigration policy, “…

Generations of immigrants have come to this country with little more than the clothes on their backs, the hope in their heart, and a desire to claim their own piece of the American Dream. It's the reason we have constantly been able to renew ourselves, to grow better and stronger as a nation, and to meet new challenges.

Immigration is essential to who we are as a nation, our core values, and our aspirations for our future. Under a Biden Administration, we will never turn our backs on who we are or that which makes us uniquely and proudly American. The United States deserves an immigration policy that reflects our highest values as a nation.”

As part of his plan to undo the harm imposed against immigrants by the Trump administration, Biden, if elected, plans to immediately reverse Trump's proclamations and executive orders. Major priorities include:

Reverse Trump's immigration bans which have caused thousands of family members and other immigrants to languish abroad, unable to obtain visas to immigrate to the US. The current bans prohibit most immigrants and family members from immigrating to the US through December 31 and may be extended indefinitely if Trump is reelected.

Reverse the public charge rule and health insurance mandate which requires immigrants to provide financial data and health insurance documentation to demonstrate their financial resources and prove they'll not obtain government assistance or need noninsured healthcare in the future. This rule allows USCIS to arbitrarily deny residency to immigrants it deems to become a “public charge” (or need government assistance). Courts blocked the rules, but the administration appealed and won.

Restore DACA and protect Dreamers and their families while creating a plan for Dreamers to obtain green cards and the U.S. citizenship that they so richly deserve! The plan would include legal protections for parents of Dreamers, including work permits and eventual green cards.

Rescind the “Muslim bans” which unreasonably and inhumanely separate family members and target individuals based upon their religious faith and origin.

Restore America's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program to provide protections for immigrants fleeing from terror and disasters, including those from Haiti and Venezuela, allowing them to remain in the U.S. legally and obtain work and travel permits.

Reverse the policy of separating families at the U.S. borders, including ending the caging of children and inhumane treatment of immigrant families,

and closing for-profit detention centers.

Biden also plans to immediately implement new humane immigration policies, which no longer punish law-abiding immigrants, institute pro-immigration programs and help create legislation for immigrants.

Major priorities include: Comprehensive Immigration Reform to modernize our immigration system and enable immigrants to legalize their immigration status and eventually obtain green cards and US Citizenship.

Immigrants currently living in the U.S. who contribute to the economy can come out of the shadows, live and work freely, while working towards residency and citizenship.

Enforce sensible immigration priorities, which target criminals, not law-abiding immigrants.

Institute humane asylum policies for immigrants fleeing political persecution by restoring asylum laws designed to protect rather than persecute immigrants.

Restore and defend the naturalization process for green card holders by streamlining and improving the naturalization process, remove roadblocks to naturalization and ensure applications are processed quickly, for reasonable fees.

B4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, AUG 20 – AUG 26, 2020

Winners And Losers Americans attorney Marlon Hill in the District 9 race for the Miami-Dade County Commission; Lavern Deer in the mayoral race for the City of Miami Gardens, attorney Ian Richards in his bid to sit on the Circuit Court in Broward County; and attorney Melba Pearson who lost her bid to unseat incumbent Florida State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in MiamiDade County.

On the other hand, there were several Caribbean American winners. These included Jamaican American Republican Carla Spalding, who won the primary for her party and will challenge incumbent Debra Wasserman Schultz for the Congressional seat in District 23 in November.

Another Jamaican American Anika Omphroy retained her Florida House seat in District 95 in Broward County, and Dale Holness easily retained his District 9 seat on the Broward County Commission.

Haitian American Marie Woodson won the seat for District 101 in the Florida House of Representatives. Barbadian American Gordon Weekes, a Democrat won the primary for Broward County’s Public Defender.

Haitian American Dotie Joseph won the primary for District 108 in the Florida House. Bahamian American Shevrin Jones won his primary race in District 35 in the Florida Senate. In doing so, he defeated Haitian America Daphne Campbell who was seeking reelection to the seat.

St. Kittian (St. Kitts and Nevis)

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American attorney Christopher Benjamin won the Florida House, District 107 primary. And, Puerto Rican American Alexandria Ayala won the District 2 seat on the Palm Beach County school board.

Overall, the voter turn-out at the polling stations was low across South Florida. The tri-county area, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, are still considered ground-zero for COVID-19, and thus many residents avoided going to the polls to cast their ballots. The poll workers were, however, equipped with masks, disposable gloves and face shields. Social distancing protocols were also in effect.

Another reason for the scarcity of voters, is that South Florida voters had already turned out in record numbers to cast ballots before Election Day. The vast majority of those that voted did so from home, casting mail-in ballots in advance of Tuesday’s primaries. As of Monday, the combined totals of mail balloting and early voting were up at least 47 percent in Broward, 62 percent in Miami-Dade and 78 percent in Palm Beach. Statewide totals went up as well, by 32 percent. Preliminary data also shows that democratic voting by mail is up much more than Republican mail voting. The increase is 88 percent for Democrats statewide and 18 percent for Republicans.

Broward Supervisor of Elections, Peter Antonacci said that this primary election “will go down as the highest voter turnout primary election in history, with most of that driven by voting by mail.”

cnweeklynews.com

Progressive!

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Incumbent government minister Dr. Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Minister of Sports, Culture, Entertainment and Gender Affairs; and Fayval Williams, Minister of Mining and Energy, are just some of the women that have been among the list of top-performing ministers.

And on the flip side, Imani Duncan-Price, Krystal Tomlinson and Lisa Hanna are among the women who have shown passion and authentic leadership, despite being the opposition. There is increasing speculation within PNP circles that it is only a matter of time for Hanna to be seriously considered for the leadership of the PNP. A strong indication of the increased role women are playing in Jamaican politics is that 31 of the candidates—19 from the JLP and 12 from the PNP—nominated to campaign for office in the September 3 general election, are women.

Many of them are in their 30s.

The increasing number of women politicians has been essential for ensuring equality and raising awareness of issues that primarily affect women, like sexual harassment in the workplace, domestic violence and abortion. Women's experiences across sectors and in everyday life bring a unique perspective to political leadership, which men, under their societal roles, do not. By tabling motions surrounding the health and livelihoods of women and being vocal about

women's issues, women in parliament have proven themselves to be political allies of Jamaican women—a kind of support that has never been seen or heard before in Jamaican politics.

Moreover, as has been widely seen in the context of Jamaica, particularly in the inner cities and rural regions, women are the glue that holds families together, often bearing the burden of feeding and clothing the family. As several women told CNW, “Women politicians better understand our economic reality, and know how best to help us cope.”

In other countries around the world, female political leadership has also led to more effective and inclusive policies on healthcare and education, as well as widespread access to proper housing and water solutions, thus a deliberate push towards more gender-balanced representation.

Some men have offered unsolicited criticism, suggesting the resounding number of women contesting the elections are being used as tokens for a guise of gender equality in politics. As inaccurate and sexist as these remarks are, it's the same motivation that emboldened Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, regarded as one of the best Caribbean leaders, and U.S. vicepresidential hopeful Kamala Harris, to the forefront of global politics.

Hurricane Preparedness

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vigilance of the Health and Border Authorities to prevent more importation of new cases of COVID19.

“This needs to be matched by heightened national surveillance to prevent the establishment of the community transmission of the disease. They agreed to encourage the enforcement of protocols for public health measures to reduce the risk of closure of critical sectors and loss of life.

“In acknowledging the progress of the COVID-19 Tourism Task Force in developing tourism guidelines and training workers. Heads of Government agreed to support approaches that promote testing before travelers leave the sending countries as well as testing on arrival in the member state.

This would promote sustainability of the return of safe tourism in CARICOM.” The statement said that the leaders have since mandated CARPHA to prepare a framework for the protocols to operate a bubble within the region to facilitate travel and boost domestic tourism. CMC

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, AUG 20 – AUG 26, 2020 –

Artist Soné Sends Timely Message in Overcome Turbulent times often inspire classic songs.

Sam Cooke's timeless “A Change is Gonna Come” is a prime example.

That 1964 standard, done at the height of Civil Rights activities in the United States, influenced singer Soné to record “Overcome,” his latest song which was released on August 14.

"We're dealing with some of the same racial issues in 2020 that we as a Black race were dealing with in the 1960s. The message from Sam Cooke was “change,” which is what the leaders of the day like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were preaching," Soné explained. "Today our challenge is the same, but our message has a stronger foundation because of what the

leaders of that time did. They stood up for what was right and because of their sacrifices we can sing loudly and boldly with a different kind of confidence that we shall overcome."

“Overcome” is the South Florida-based artist's fourth release of the year. His previous singles are “Miss Jamaica,” “Gravey” and “Solid Rock.” Like “A Change is Gonna Come,” he says “Overcome” calls for the oppressed to stand up for their rights.

"The song is an anthem for all those who seek justice, equality and changes in our world.

It is a confident cry, filled with hope and the strength of those who came before us."

Sone was born Cecil Wilson in Rocky Point,

a bustling fishing village in Clarendon, Jamaica. His family owns a sound system named Turbo Sonic, founded by his grandmother, Viola. In the 1990s, he remembers the biggest names in dancehall, including Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, passing through Rocky Point and performing on Turbo Sonic.

In 2006, Sone launched his music career as a member of the gospel duo, Positiv NRG. Their debut song was Deliverer.

He has been solo since 2018.

Election Dubs Enticing Jamaicans Voters Ahead of Sept. 3 Polls

What a Bam Bam! Toots actively seeking royalties for heavily sampled hit song

By Sheri-Kae McLeod

Toots Hibbert of the veteran Jamaican reggae group Toots and the Maytals has instructed a team of intellectual property managers to investigate who has been collecting publishing and royalties for his 1966 Jamaica Festival Song, “Bam Bam.” Hibbert, 77, said he has never collected royalties for the song. “Not a cent… I am the writer, the arranger, the composer, the singer and the producer of the original song,” he said.

According to Hibbert, he is listed as the principal songwriter in the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington DC. Cabel Stephenson, manager of Toots and the Maytals, said the singer has also instructed his publishers to do a thorough forensic accounting of all those who have covered his song without giving him credit.

Toots Hibbert

While Jamaican voters get ready to go to the polls on September 3, local politicians are helping to create an exciting and entertaining campaign season with the use of political dubs or remixes, by an impressive roster of reggae and dancehall artists.

There have been almost a dozen campaign dubplates released by politicians so far.

Finance Minister Nigel Clarke, who is contesting the North West St Andrew seat for the Jamaica Labor Party, dropped a version of ”Clarks Pon Foot,” done by Jahvillani.

The PNP's representative in South East St Ann, Lisa Hanna, got Shenseea to do a version of “Independent Gal” for her. She later followed up with another dub, “So Mi Like It,” by her close friend, dancehall star Spice.

PNP party leader Dr. Peter Phillips, who is contesting the St. Andrew East Central seat, has released his version of Dovey Magnum's raunchy “Bawl Out,” candidate for

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Across the aisle, the JLP leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness gained much attention on social media for his “Mr. Universe” dub by Skillibeng. Holness tweeted a video of the dub on August 18 and has since gotten over 90,000 views on the song.

Other JLP members issued their own creative campaign songs, including Floyd Green, “Owna Lane”by Teejay and Singer Christopher Martin's who supported two hopefuls, Alando Terrelonge and Robert Nesta Morgan.

While dancehall artistes like Bounty Killer and even incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel, have called out the politicians for their hypocrisy regarding dancehall music, many Jamaican voters have become engaged in the campaigns, attracted by the use of the influential local music.

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CPL to Go Ahead Despite New Lockdown, Assures Rowley Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has moved to allay fears over the hosting of the Caribbean Premier League, confirming the Twenty20 tournament would proceed as planned despite another government-enforced lockdown for the next 28 days.

In a move aimed at mitigating against a spike in new COVID-19 infections, the government announced Saturday a tightening of measures from Monday, explaining the country was now at the stage of community spread.

And though all contact and team sports have now been prohibited, Rowley said the 33-game CPL campaign would bowl off as scheduled, owing to the bio-secure bubble organizers had created.

“You may recall that the whole CPL arrangement is that they are operating in an isolated bubble, so they are very well secured away from the population and that will continue,” Rowley pointed out.

“Players are among themselves, tested, not interacting with the national population. [They will be] going to the ground, playing, broadcasting and that is about it. So that will continue.”

Players, staff and administrators arrived in Port of Spain two weeks ago to undergo quarantine for the tournament, being staged exclusively on the island due to the limitations on regional travel due to COVID-19.

All 162 persons tested negative before arrival and have since returned two negative tests for the virus, and practice sessions for respective franchises began almost a week ago at the University of West Indies St. Augustine.

The tournament is being played under tight safety protocols, with all matches being played behind closed doors at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain and at the Brian Lara Stadium in Couva, Central Trinidad.

Trinidad and Tobago has recorded over 500 cases of COVID-19 along with 11 deaths.

Sunshine Girl Fowler-Reid's Fireworks in Vain as Swifts Snatch Late Win Jamaican star Jhaniele FowlerReid netted 17 points in a dramatic final quarter but reigning champions New South Wales Swifts overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to snatch a thrilling 73-72 victory over West Coast Fever in the Suncorp Super Netball League on Sunday.

Down 33-41 during the interval at the University of Sunshine Coast Stadium in Australia, Swifts conjured up a massive third quarter thanks to sustained scoring from Helen Housby and Sophie Garbin to outscore Fever 27-11 and command a 60-52 lead at the start of the final quarter.

Fowler-Reid, the veteran 31-year-old Sunshine Girl, then inspired a final Fever surge down the stretch which saw them level the scores at 72 in the final minute when Alice Teague-Neeld netted a critical goal.

However, Housby had the final say, sinking the final goal of the contest to hand Swifts their second straight win of the new season while condemning Fever to their first defeat.

Fowler-Reid

Swifts were indebted to Garbin who led their attack with 28 from 32 attempts while Housby shot 19 from 25 and Trinidadian Samantha Wallace, 18 from 25 attempts.

For the losers, Fowler-Reid spearheaded Fever's attack with 53 goals from 57 attempts while Teague-Neeld chipped in with 11 from 16.

Fowler scored 13 goals in the first quarter

but Wallace countered with 12, as Fever could only eke out a two-point lead—20-18—at the end of the first period.

However, Fowler then produced an even bigger effort in the second quarter with 18 goals while Wallace answered with only eight, as Fever finally managed to create breathing room for themselves at the half.

But the game opened up in the third quarter as Garbin exploded with a 21-goal effort and with Fowler limited to only 10, Swifts came roaring back into the contest.

At the same venue, Jamaican Shimona Nelson launched her season in style scoring 32 from 37 attempts but the performance was not enough to prevent Sunshine Coast Lightning from a 51-47 win over the Collingwood Magpies.

Cara Koenen shot 38 from 45 to lead Lightning to their second win of the season.

On Saturday night at Nissan Arena in Brisbane, there was also disappointment for Jamaican Romelda Aiken whose Queensland Firebirds suffered a 50-78 blowout at the hands of Melbourne Vixens, despite her 35 from 43 attempts.

Mwai Kumwenda and Tegan Phillip both netted 23 goals while Caitlin Thwaites finished with 19 from 24 attempts for the winners.

In the other game at the venue, Jamaican goal-keeper Shamera Sterling's Adelaide Thunderbirds overcame a sluggish start to beat Giants Netball 59-51 and claim their first win of the campaign.

Jockey Emelio “Bimbo” Rodriquez honored by Jamaica It's every jockey's dream to be champion in their colony, as well as winning the Derby or big money stakes races. Being honored by their country is just as special.

That's how Emelio "Bimbo" Rodriquez felt when he got the call from the Jamaican government informing him that he was awarded the Order of Distinction, his country's sixth-highest honor.

"I'm overwhelmed, words can't express. I'm

in the class of the big boys; that's how I feel," he said from his Atlanta home.

Rodriguez, who is in his mid-60s, began his riding career at Caymanas Park in 1970. He is a four-time champion of Jamaica, winning those titles during the 1980s.

The Kingston-born Rodriquez rode over 1,000 winners in Jamaica before migrating to the United States in 1989. He opened the U.S. leg of his career at South Florida tracks like Calder, Gulfstream and Hialeah.

Rodriguez also appeared in elite colonies of Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga in New York, and smaller tracks like Delaware Park and

Colonial Downs in Virginia.

He reckons he won just over 100 races in the U.S. before retiring from the saddle in 2007.

His most notable victory came aboard Fly Fly Fly in the Dolphin Stakes at Calder.

"It was a new place, a strange place and I think I did very well on the circuits," he said.

But Rodriguez's best memories of raceriding are in Jamaica where he won Derbys and numerous stakes races. His win in a driving finish aboard Lucky Ole Sun in the 1979 Derby at Caymanas Park is a standout as was his fierce contest with another legendary Jamaican jockey.

"I loved the rivalry with Winston Griffiths because it kept the punters and fans cheering for both of us. That was a fantastic time for me," he stated.

Griffiths is a five-time champion jockey of Jamaica and also a recipient of the OD. Emilio Rodriguez became an assistant trainer after retiring from riding. He has been out of thoroughbred racing since 2017 when he was injured after being kicked by a horse at Woodbine racetrack in Canada.

He will receive the OD during the National Honors and Awards ceremony at King's House in Kingston on October 19.

C4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, AUG 20 – AUG 26, 2020 A D V E R T I S E M E N T