13 minute read
Jamaica Consul General: Message to Diaspora
Message from the Jamaica Consul General Alsion Roach WIilson, OD
My fellow Jamaicans in the Diaspora, I am delighted to convey warm greetings to you, on the occasion of National CaribbeanAmerican Heritage Month, which, since 2006, has been celebrated annually in the month of June. The celebration of National CaribbeanAmerican Heritage Month this year comes against the backdrop of continued challenges internationally, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, this occasion allows us to celebrate the resilience of our Jamaican Diaspora and their commitment toexcellence. In this regard, I am pleased to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to one of the architects responsible for the establishment of this occasion, who is one of very own – Dr. Claire Nelson, Founder and President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies. As one of the largest Caribbean immigrant communities in the US, our Jamaican Diaspora has made and continues to make noteworthy contributions to the socio-economic, cultural and political landscape of the United States. These achievements and contributions have helped to shape the legacy of our common Caribbean American Heritage, of which we are proud. The recent milestone accomplishment of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to be elected to the second highest office in the US, follows the rich legacy of Caribbean Americans of Jamaican descent who have held public office. These include, but are not limited to: Colin Powell – former Secretary of State and first person of color to hold said Office; Susan Rice – former US Ambassador to the United Nations; Yvette Clarke – Congresswoman of the 9th Congressional District of New York; and David Paterson– New York’s first African-American Lieutenant Governor. In the area of arts and culture, we take this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Jamaican American trailblazers. In this connection, we acknowledge the work of Sheryl Lee Ralph – Actress, Singer and Author, as well as one of the first official spokespersons for Caribbean-American Heritage Month in 2006. In addition, musical giants such as Harry Belafonte and Clive Campbell, are just a few of the Jamaican Americans who have exposed Jamaica’s musical prowess and talents to the American and international audience. As your Consul General, I am truly delighted to see the continuation of the celebration of National CaribbeanAmerican Heritage Month here in the United States.I am also heartened by the support from the White House towards the ongoing recognition of its significance, as well as the call to all of us here in the US to join in celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Caribbean Americans. One Love!l
Advertisement
Jamaica Consul General, Hon Alsion Roach Wilson TEAM My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6
Publisher I.Q. INC.
Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip
Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq.
Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman
Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Kenrick Williams
Contributors Victoria Falk Linda Nwoke Jennine Estes Erin Telesford Janet Howard Mary Campbell Tarsha Gibbons Travis Morales
Email info@myiqinc.com
Telephone 718-771-0988
Website www.cawnyc.com
Brooklyn: Why I Should Be Your Next Borough President
BY ANTONIO REYNOSO
I'm running for Brooklyn Borough President because our borough faces tough challenges, and I believe that together we can overcome them and build our borough back better than before. We need a leader who is willing to champion bold, progressive solutions to the pressing challenges that face working families and residents across Brooklyn. During my time on the City Council, I have fought to secure affordable housing, passed legislation to improve relations between the NYPD and civilians, and spearheaded efforts to improve civic engagement. Brooklyn gave me everything I have, and now I'm running to build a Brooklyn for all of us. I am the son of parents who emigrated from the Dominican Republic with next to nothing. Growing up, we relied on government assistance to survive. Food stamps, Section 8, Medicaid — my siblings and I would have never succeeded without it. Now, I’m a Councilmember and candidate for Borough President, running to root out the deeply rooted inequities in Brooklyn. I want to make sure that my success story is the rule, not the exception, that no matter what zip code our kids are born in, they have the resources to thrive and succeed. My career in public service began over a decade ago. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I became a community organizer for NYC ACORN, and then joined the office of Council Member Diana Reyna as her Chief of Staff. In 2013, I ran for City Council myself, to serve the community that has given me so much. Over the seven years that I have served on the City Council, I have sought to advance bold, progressive legislation Citywide, while improving quality of life in my district. As Chair of the Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee, I passed a sweeping overhaul of the corrupt and inefficient private sanitation industry. The Commercial Waste Zones bill that I sponsored drastically improved the industry’s working conditions and environmental practices, and cut down on miles of dangerous and polluting truck traffic. I was a lead sponsor of Stand for Tenant Safety, a legislative package of bills to protect tenants from harassment. In addition to my strong legislative track record, I have been focused on supporting the creation and preservation of deeply affordable housing across my district and the institutions that support residents, like our childcare centers. I also passed the Right to Know Act to improve police-community relations through deescalation, furthering public safety. As Brooklyn Borough President, I’ll take my activist spirit to Borough Hall to pull our communities together to rebuild in the aftermath of COVID. On the Council, my bill to bring outdoor dining to New York City saved 100,000 restaurant jobs and provided a critical lifeline to outer borough and minority-owned small businesses. As Borough President, I’ll bring the same kind of creativity to Borough Hall to ensure a just recovery for all. The inequities in Brooklyn extend beyond the pandemic though. That’s why I’m committed to protecting our local businesses; empowering communities, not big developers, to lead in land use decisions; building affordable housing in every neighborhood; continuing my work to create healthier communities and ending environmental racism; and bringing crime down by getting guns off our streets, reducing poverty and growing our economy for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Our campaign is powered by everyday Brooklynites, and I’m proud to say that we’re not accepting donations from real estate developers or powerful special interests. We’ve also built a broad and diverse coalition, with support from: the NY Working Families Party; Congress Member Nydia Velázquez; Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Make the Road Action; Council of School Supervisors and Administrators; United Auto Workers Region 9A; State Senators Jessica Ramos, Julia Salazar, and John Liu; Assemblymembers Marcela Mitaynes and Maritza Davila; New York Communities for Change, and many more community leaders and progressive organizations. I invite you to join us in our people-powered movement to create a Brooklyn for all of us. l
Read more about my campaign at www.reynosoforbrooklyn.com
Early Voting Starts on June 12, 2021. The Primary is June 22, 2021. Make Antonio Reynoso Your #1 Choice for Brooklyn Borough President.
6 Mayoral Elections 2021 Endorsements
Maya Wiley. Photo: Maya for Mayor Campaign
BY CAW EDITORIAL TEAM
Brooklyn, NY: We polled our readership, and the following three candidates secured the highest percentages, named here in alphabetical order: Eric Adams, Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley. This year's election is rank choice voting, and you can select up to 5 candidates. Vote these three candidates accordingly. The issues of concerns for our communities are:
•Voting Rights for Green Card holders in Municipal Elections •Desegregation of and Proper Funding of NYC Public Schools •The disparity in health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic •Public safety and protection from law enforcement in terms of stopand-frisk •Creation of jobs and support and opportunities for minority businesses Based on our interviews and observations of the candidates throughout the campaign process, we agree with our readership and support the candidates mentioned above. Here are snippets of our endorsements. Full stories can be read at our websites www.cawnyc.com and www.workersworldtoday.com. You can also listen to interviews at
www.pppradio.nyc
Maya Wiley
Maya Wiley has shown herself to be a principled, bold, progressive, and visionary leader. A mom and civil rights lawyer, Ms. Wiley is seeking to become the first woman and first woman of color to the mayor of NYC. Wiley is confident she can function well as the next Mayor of New York City and get New Yorkers' results. During our interview, she pledged her support for the black, brown, and immigrant communities and promised to treat these communities with the respect and dignity that is not always forthcoming. "For me, the issues that our immigrant brothers and sisters face are central to the things that we must fix so this is a city we can all live in with dignity. That means that our people: the Caribbean Diaspora, who are our residents, our people, whether they have documentation or not, are contributing to this City, are our essential workers, are paying taxes, and deserve the full recognition of the city government for what they add to communities. For me, that includes making sure immigrants can vote in municipal elections exactly as that used to happen in our school board elections. I support that because we need to have a vote to have a voice, and anyone who is building communities in this City and being part of our solution has to have a voice."
Eric Adams. Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com
Kathryn Garcia
Kathyrn Garcia is known as a no-nonsense and no-frills manager who believes in and gets the job done. She comes up with a plan and executes it to detail and perfection. Ms. Garcia is looking to bring to the mayoral position over 14 years of government experience. Garcia is an individual that epitomizes the New York spirit – progressive, optimistic, strong, energetic, defying yet stable and welcoming—bidding to lead a city formed from the amalgamation of a variety of cultures and people from around the world, who arrive the City in search of a better life. During her interview, Garcia emphasized: "A plan for small businesses to reopen and stay open, and a green future. We have lost hundreds of thousands of jobs, and we need them to come back. That means supporting small businesses, giving them access to public space for arts, culture, restaurants. I know that they need support. We need to make sure they are getting low-interest loans from the City, that they also are not being subjected to the City's fines and fees." She strongly believes in improved community policing, which drives down crime yet restores community trust in the City's law enforcement agency. "They need to not over enforce on a community just because of how they look," Garcia says. "Those that do treat people differently based on the color of their skin need to be held accountable."
Kathryn Garcia. Photo: Garcia for NYC Campaign
Eric Adams
Eric Adams has a story that many New Yorkers can relate to born in poverty, beaten at the hands of the police, and rising from the ashes to be a proud son and productive member of society. Adams' determination to be beaten by the police to become one and rise through the ranks shows his determination and focus. He has enjoyed a successful public career moving from State Senator to Brooklyn Borough President and now leading candidate for NYC Mayor. Adams has shown a strong commitment to addressing the issues of crime and gun violence. His passion and advocacy for health is his legacy as Brooklyn Borough's President. In a recent Town Hall meeting with the Ethnic Press media, when Caribbean American Weekly asked about advocating and supporting voting rights for Green Card holders in municipal elections, Adams said, "Yes. During the pandemic, I saw immigrants at the forefront, keeping the city moving. The basic foundation of this country is taxation with representation. Permanent residents should have representation as they are paying taxes. I definitely support voting rights for Green Card holders in municipal elections. "He also promised to create "WeRISE" agenda to raise immigrant safety and empowerment. Adams said, "My administration will lift up immigrants as high as Lady Liberty lifts her torch in our harbor, as a beacon of hope to for all who come to our shores…. We will ensure that together WeRise."l
THE PRIMARY IS JUNE 22. VOTE!
We Endorse Antonio Reynoso for Borough President of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY : Martin Luther King Jr said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Antonio Reynoso has proven to be a man willing to stand and fight for those without a voice, less fortunate, overlooked, and downtrodden. He has shown that he is ready to take the right stand even when it is unpopular and uncomfortable. He is a champion for the minority and immigrant communities. Reynoso demonstrated his measure as a leader, advocate, and champion for those in need when he left New York to go to the island of Santo Domingo, which Haiti and the Dominican Republic share to show support and solidarity with Haitians who were being mistreated and denied citizenship. Born to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, Antonio Reynoso, who considers himself a Caribbean man, commenced his political career over a decade ago, backed with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He knows how to engage with community members through his earlier experiences as a
Caribbean American Weekly, The Immigrant’s Journal, and Workers’ World Today are proud to endorse Antonio Reynoso as the next Borough President of Brooklyn.
Community Organizer for NYC ACORN, before joining Councilmember Diana Reyna as Chief of Staff in 2009. He considers himself progressive and promotes his candidacy based on his personal experiences as an offspring of immigrants. His parents are immigrants who leveraged on policies in the society to raise him. His desire to serve as the next Brooklyn Borough President is a way of paying forward. Reynoso says, “This is an opportunity to give back to a community that has given him a lot. Here in Brooklyn, we succeed by never giving up and never giving in. Right now, we need to be tough and pull together in the aftermath of COVID to finally address our affordable housing shortage, dismantle systemic racism, save our small businesses, fix our schools, and stop overdevelopment and gentrification. Brooklyn makes us all who we are, and together, we’ll make Brooklyn stronger and fairer for everyone.”
Antonio Reynoso speaks at a rally commemorating the life and legacy of George Floyd.Photo: Reynoso Campaign
Reynoso is passionate and committed to continuing to make a difference in the lives of all Brooklynites. He understands our concerns – whether it’s providing Temporary Protective Status (TPS) assistance for immigrants, quality health care, in particular mental and maternal health care, an equitable education system for our kids, job creation, and meaningful support for small business owners and budding entrepreneurs. Reynoso is dedicated and ready to work hard from day one and every single day as Brooklyn’s next Borough President. We are proud to endorse him and ask that you vote for him as your candidate of choice during this election. l
NYC, A New Way To Vote This June!
Rank up to five candidates, instead of voting for just one!
Vote Early: June 12 - 20 Primary Election Day: June 22
Vote
in the June Primary Election!
