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FREE

N E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N E

WWWWW HO: Caribbean Amer-ican Passport NewsMagazine and Orlando

Magic partner to celebrateCaribbean Night with Carib-bean Culture, Music & Food.

WHAT: The Orlando Magicwill host Caribbean Nightwith dances and much more.Fans are invited to arrive earlyin the arena and enjoy theMagic Caribbean Day event.

WHEN: Friday, March 29th ,2013. Pre-game performancesstart at 4:00pm.

WHERE: Amway Center, 400 W.Church St, Orlando, FL 32801

HOW: Tickets are $20.00 andinclude the game. Please call407-427-1800.

Caribbean American PassportNews Magazine is proud to an-nounce that the OrlandoMagic have designated Friday,

Caribbean AmericanCaribbean AmericanCaribbean AmericanCaribbean AmericanCaribbean AmericanPassport Partners withPassport Partners withPassport Partners withPassport Partners withPassport Partners withOrlando Magic to hostOrlando Magic to hostOrlando Magic to hostOrlando Magic to hostOrlando Magic to host

Caribbean Night atCaribbean Night atCaribbean Night atCaribbean Night atCaribbean Night atMagic GameMagic GameMagic GameMagic GameMagic Game

Friday March 29th, 2013Friday March 29th, 2013Friday March 29th, 2013Friday March 29th, 2013Friday March 29th, 2013

It’s courage . . .It’s courage . . .It’s courage . . .It’s courage . . .It’s courage . . .

Continued on page 22

Continued on page 17

The “cure” of a baby from the dreaded disease HIVmade news globally but missing from the storyis the fact that a Caribbean-born doctor of Johns

Hopkins’ Children’s Center in Baltimore led the teamof researchers who found the “treatment.”

Guyana-born Dr. Deborah Persaud, a virologist atJohns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said in a newsconference at the Conference on Retroviruses and Op-portunistic Infections in Atlanta on Sunday, that thechild from Mississippi was born with HIV two-and-a-

Caribbean-Born Doctor led teamCaribbean-Born Doctor led teamCaribbean-Born Doctor led teamCaribbean-Born Doctor led teamCaribbean-Born Doctor led teamthat “cured” baby of HIVthat “cured” baby of HIVthat “cured” baby of HIVthat “cured” baby of HIVthat “cured” baby of HIV

. . . the courage of people raising kids, certainly women raising them – but it is also thecourage of every man who defends his daughter’s right to an equal education, or everybrother who challenges a law that keeps his sister from owning property or opening abusiness, or every husband who not only promises that the cycle of domestic violencecan stop with him, but who proves it...Their cause is our cause. Women’s issues, as weknow, are more than just women’s issues. They’re families’ issues, they’re economic is-sues, they’re security issues, they’re justice issues. And they matter to all of us, men aswell as women, boys as well as girls, those of us who live in free countries as well as those

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$55

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L I F E S T Y L E

Guenet Gittens-Roberts,

Publisher/Editor

Copyright (C) 2010 GGR Marketing & Public Relations. All rights reserved.

Publisher ........................................................... Guenet Gittens-RobertsEditor ..........................................................................Natasha SolomonContributing Writers: ................................................... Rosemarie Roth..................................................................................... Natasha Gittens............................................................................. .Sandra Ann Baptiste

. .................................. ................................................... Roger Caldwell................................................................................ Nouchelle Hastings

Contributing Photographers ........................................... Dillia Castillo.................................................................................. Tahara Thompson

Distribution.................................................................... Samuel Roberts....................................................................................... Frank Ambrose

Who Am I???Who Am I???Who Am I???Who Am I???Who Am I???

GGR Marketing & Public Relations1230 Hillcrest Street, Suite 101 • Orlando, FL 32803

407-427-1800 • guenetroberts@yahoo.comFor Media Information email: capnewsmagazine@yahoo.com

Should you desire to review past copies of the publicationgo to http://www.issuu.com/caribbeanamericanpassport and

search for Caribbean American Passport News Magazine.

One of my favorite movie stars is Jackie Chan, growingup in Guyana on a culture of Chinese movies andwesterns, it had to be him or John Wayne, I know that

I’m not alone, some might say Bruce Lee but mine is JackieChan (leave me alone, Sam gives me enough grief). Last week,I was watching for probably the 5th time one of his moviesWHO AM I? About a week earlier I had gone through theprocess of sorting out who was ‘black’ at a planning meetingto honor ‘black businesses’ in Central Florida and it left mewith the burning question...exactly Who am I?

For us as Caribbean people, we come from a culture where wedon’t lead with race as a description. When I lived in Guyana,to describe myself, I would say that I went to, Stella Maris thenQueen’s College, grew up on Church Street, Alberttown, myparents made glee toys and owned NCE Screen Printers, wherethey did t-shirts, school badges and other promotional mate-rial. Coming from a grandmother, on my mother’s side, whois Indian, a grandmother on my father’s side who is half whiteand half black; both grandfathers being black, never mademe think in terms of race.

However when Buju Banton sang:Me love me car, Me love me bikeMe love me money and tingBut most of all, Me love me browning

That was the closest in race that I was ever described in theCaribbean, especially by my husband Sam. But here in Americawhere there are so many labels...Who am I? Guyanese, Carib-bean, South American, African American, Asian Pacific Ameri-can, Caribbean American…....Who Am I?

Then when I describe where Guyana is, I’m sometimes asked“well then aren’t you Hispanic”...to put one item torest...Guyanese are not counted as Hispanic. One of theways you’re counted as being Hispanic is by being from acountry that was a Spanish Territory. Guyana is one of theonly English speaking countries in South America, so we’renot Hispanic, I actually called the Hispanic Chamber tofind out. My children, on the other-hand, have found out,due to their outward appearance, that they are identifiedas Hispanic in most circumstances. My daughter has curlyhair which makes her look ‘Spanish’ and she loves Spanishand is always speaking in the language; so she is identi-fied as Puerto Rican; however whenever she straightens herhair, she looks ‘black’. My son, who is darker than mydaughter, has really tight curly hair, so he’s often identi-fied as Dominican or even Black.

My brother is married to a black Jamaican, who was born inAmerica - they identify strongly as Black American...that couldbe due in part to living in New York. He feels that we shouldall identify as Black since there are programs out there that wecould be utilizing as Black Americans that would benefit us allas a community.

My sister is married to a Chinese/Amerindian mixed Guyanese- who looks Japanese than and he works for Toyota... wherethey keep sending him to Japan for further training. Her kids,4yrs and 7yrs, are learning to speak mandarin and speak pri-

vately to each other in mandarin and they live in Canada.Living in that environment I could see the kids identifyingstrongly with the Asian community as they grow up.

Sam’s side of the family is even more mixed than we are…….onebrother looks Italian but has dreadlocks down to the floor, onesister is married to a white American, and looks white but thenshe has a son who the kids at school said must have a blackfather when they saw her; she has other children and they areall unique in their own way; blond hair, blue eyes…brown curly/kinky hair and even straight brown hair with browneyes…..Who am I?.

So where do we identify...Who am I?

I love identifying as Caribbean, since it covers and explainsthe true diversity of who we are as a people all of the wonder-ful mixtures of people, food and culture that we are.

Caribbean American covers people of African, Indian, Portu-guese, White, Chinese and more. It also covers the Hispaniccommunity from the islands like Puerto Rico, Dominican Re-public and Cuba, the French Creoles of Haiti and Martiniqueto name a few.

Who am I? I am Caribbean American; I’m part of the grow-ing Caribbean American community here in CentralFlorida, Florida and the nation as a whole. We are a vi-brant part of the American community and we continue tocontribute to the fabric that holds this great country to-gether. We contribute through the many businesses thatwe own, operate, service and manage. Caribbean Ameri-cans have opened new businesses, even during this time ofrecession. We contribute to showcasing the diversity of ourtowns, our Cities, our States and our nation through thelove of our culture which motivates us to present our manyCaribbean events nationwide.

Join us March 29th at the Caribbean Night Celebration withthe Orlando Magic to showcase and find out more about ourdiverse culture and people right here in Orlando.

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“Together, we have cleared awaythe rubble of crisis, and can saywith renewed confidence that thestate of our union is stronger,” saidPresident Obama in his first Stateof the Union address since he has

won his second term in office. Some of the president’s oppo-nents cannot see the forest from the trees, and they believethat his speech is just rhetoric. But the president is aware thatthe American people made a choice in the 2012 election tocontinue down the road that he has initiated, and he now hasa mandate.

President Obama is a change and transformational agent, andhe has helped create more than 3 million jobs in the last 22months, and six months before he took office the economy lost4 million jobs. The president saved the auto industry, and thereal estate market is starting to rebound. Whether one admiresPresident Obama oratory skills, he can support his case withhis record.

“The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promisealive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more impor-tant. We can settle for a country where a shrinking num-ber of people do really well while a growing number ofAmericans barely get by, or we can restore an economywhere everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does theirfair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules,”says the president.

America is at a cross-road, and in order to maintain leadershipin technology, banking, and manufacturing, there is a need forgroundbreaking research and innovation. In this speech thepresident established a blueprint for the next four years, and heis focused on American ingenuity. America is back and Presi-dent Obama refuses to let dream killers stop his progress.

At the State of the Union address there was a 102 year oldBlack woman named Desiline Victor who waited for six hoursto cast her ballot in Miami, Florida. In this story, the presidentdemonstrated the indomitable American spirit and when thiswoman recieved her sticker; the crowd at the polls applauded

and congratulated her for not giving up. But on another level,this incident showed that our systems are broken, and our lead-ers are betraying our ideals by forcing citizens to wait for hoursfor a basic and fundamental right voting.

As result of this embarrassing situation in our state, the presi-dent is proposing a bipartisan panel that will develop solu-tions so that voting problems are corrected. In education, Presi-dent Obama proposed that every 4 year old should receivequality child care, and high schools need to be redesigned toemphasize “real-world learning,” and tighter accountabilityfor colleges receiving federal aid.

He also shocked many Republicans when he stated if you workfulltime you should not live in poverty and he is proposing toraise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. This speechwas a liberal call to-arms and he asked for more support forgay rights, and the Congress to address climate control.

The president is also asking the Congress for $50 billion in in-frastructure spending and a partnership to promote clean en-ergy and improve manufacturing. He also asked for legisla-tion for comprehensive immigration reform and told us he willbring home 34,000 American troops from Afghanistan.

But the most emotionally charged part of the speech was whenthe president began to talk about protecting our children anda common sense approach to gun reform and gun control.There were a dozen families at the address who had lost amember of their family to gun violence, or they had been shot.

This was the part of the speech where the applause was thegreatest, and there have been 1000 deaths by guns across thecountry in the last two months.

“If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposalsdeserve a vote. Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families ofNewton deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote,”as President Obama made it clear what he believes.

This is an extremely ambitious and aggressive plan, but Presi-dent Obama believes that he can ignite the true American spirit.The president has four years and he will need our support.

The State of Union Address;The State of Union Address;The State of Union Address;The State of Union Address;The State of Union Address;Bold and Breaking New GroundBold and Breaking New GroundBold and Breaking New GroundBold and Breaking New GroundBold and Breaking New Ground

By Roger Caldwell

we can restore an economy where everyonegets a fair shot, and everyone does their fairshare, and everyone plays by the same set of rules

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By Wendy Roberts

The 9 Mile Music Festival began as a labor of love, pio-neered by, Cedella Marley Booker. Over the years thefestival has had other names including “The Caribbean

Music Festival” finally evolving into what is known as the 9Mile Music Festival today. Keeping in alignment with its Name-sake, This reggae musicevent is more than justyour average “concert”,it has a commitment todoing good and spread-ing love. The 9 Mile Mu-sic Festival is responsiblefor collecting over two (2)million canned goodsover its 18 year span, inan effort to continuouslygive back to its commu-nity. Four canned goodswere required for entry,along with a purchasedadmission; the cannedgoods collected are thendistributed to shelters inMiami & Jamaica.

This was my first yearattending this event andI feel blessed to havegone. The lineup in-cluded a variety of differ-ent artists from reggae tohip hop to soca. The art-ist in attendance were

THE NINE MILE MUSIC FESTIVAL

CAP Reporter Michelle Mohammed was one of the only reporters to get backstageto talk with the Marleys after their amazing performance at the Nine Mile Festival.

She credits performer Spragga Benz with allowing her to get that scoop andenjoyed the warm, friendly family atmosphere that was evident behind the scenes.

Caribbean Passport teamreporter Wendy Roberts andPublisher Guenet Gittens-

Roberts with Machel Montano

CAP Reporter WendyRoberts with Mavado

CAP Reporter MichelleMohammed withSpragga Benz

Damian Marley Stephen Marley Julian Marley

Stephen, Julian and Damian Marley with a surprise guestappearance by Spragga Benz during their segment, 2Chainz, Future, Mavado (My personal favorite), Konshens,Jr.Reid, Capleton, Luciano, Machel Montano (another fa-vorite), and Patrice Roberts. All of the artists were greatperformers on their own and they each gave the crowd adifferent style of music.

Everyone seemed to bemesmerized by the musicand the all around vibe ofthe concert. If you boughttickets for the VIP sectionthen you would havecaught a glimpse of theartistes who had per-formed earlier in thenight. Machel Montanoenjoyed the Marley perfor-mance standing directlyin front of us, just a regu-lar guy enjoying the show.The entire night was a suc-cess and it wad definitelya night to remember. Thecrowd was one of the mostdiverse I’ve ever seen andthe show flowed well. Allthe artists were humbleand gave their all in theirperformances. This is adefinite must attend typeof show and I definitelywill be attending thisevent every year.

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ImmigrationINFOImmigrationINFOImmigrationINFOImmigrationINFOImmigrationINFOTMTMTMTMTM

Knock, Knock, It’s Immigration at the door!Knock, Knock, It’s Immigration at the door!Knock, Knock, It’s Immigration at the door!Knock, Knock, It’s Immigration at the door!Knock, Knock, It’s Immigration at the door!Immigration News for Our CommunityImmigration News for Our CommunityImmigration News for Our CommunityImmigration News for Our CommunityImmigration News for Our Community

This past week, while in conversation with a client in re-moval/deportation, she complained to me about how shewas treated by immigration officers that came to her home.

The doorbell rang at 6:30am and when her husband answered thedoor, two uniform officers said they were looking for someone inthe area and asked him who lived at this address. Her husbandanswered truthfully and the offic-ers let themselves into her home(without a search warrant). Beforeshe knew it, two officers were stand-ing in her bedroom while she stillhad her nightgown on and theyasked her to come with them. Sheasked if she could change into regu-lar clothes and they answered “yes”but the female officer remained inher bedroom while she changed.Yes, the officers had a final order forher removal/deportation due to animmigration case that she lost inimmigration court. However, shedid not lose her right to be treatedas a human being and should havebeen given the respect and dignitydue to any individual regardless oftheir immigration status.

Unfortunately, many individualsdon’t know what to expect if Im-migration comes knocking at theirdoor due to an expired visa/I-94, initiation of removal/deporta-tion proceeding due to commission of a crime, or execution of afinal order of removal/deportation. Also, Immigration can visityour job and detain you at your worksite. Recently, Immigrationhas engaged in numerous worksite raids at corporations that hire alarge number of immigrants.

So, what are the DO’S and DON’TS if Immigration comesknocking at your door or job?

1. Be Respectful: Refer to the Immigration Officer as “Sir” or“Madam” or “Officer.” Though the Immigration Officer maynot treat you with respect, you should show respect becausethe decisions regarding your detention, issuance of bond, orrelease initially rest in their hands.

2. Get the name of the Immigration Officer: ask the officer forhis/her business card. If he/she is not willing to give you abusiness card, then casually ask for his/her name. Make amental note or write down their name.

3. Ask the Immigration Officer where you are being taken: this isvery important because in most states, Immigration has more thanone detention center. As an immigration lawyer, I find it difficultto locate my clients when the family members cannot tell me wheremy client is being held. Sometimes, it takes 2-3 hours to call everydetention center in the state to locate my client. Immigration isnot always very helpful.

4. While being processed-ask to use the phone: the first placeImmigration will take you is to an office where you will befingerprinted and photographed. They will also ask you ques-tions about your status and family members and create a“Record of Proceeding”. Also, they will serve you with a

“Notice to Appear,” which initiates the removal/deportationprocess. Politely ask the Immigration officer if you can usethe phone to call your family member to let them know youare safe.

5. Inform family member where you are & name of Immi-gration Officer: Once you get to speak with your family mem-ber, give them the name of the detention center you will betaken to and the name of the Immigration officer. This in-formation will be helpful to the immigration attorney hiredto represent you.

6. Do Not Sign any Documents: The Immigration Officer willpresent numerous documents to you for your signature. DONOT SIGN ANY DOCUMENTS. Simply write, “Refuse toSign” in the signature block. There have been numerous caseswhere immigrants sign documents not knowing that they arewaiving a judicial hearing and choosing expedited removal/de-portation. Once an attorney is retained to represent you, theattorney will review the documents and advise you of the legalramifications of each document.

7. Do Not Submit to Threats byImmigration Officer: I have heardstories of Immigration Officersmaking threatening remarks suchas “If you don’t sign these docu-ments or cooperate, we will holdyou here for 6-9 months” or “If youhire an attorney, we will deport youtomorrow”. Do not believe thesestatements. Removal/deportationis a process and takes at least 2-3months with a final order or re-moval/deportation. ImmigrationOfficers don’t like to see you hirean attorney because you will be ad-vised of reliefs and waivers that willallow you to remain in the U.S.Additionally, they know that whenan attorney is involved, they mustbe on their best behavior becausethe attorney will not hesitate tospeak with their supervisor or file acomplaint against the Departmentof Homeland Security.

8. Exercise Right for Bond Hearing: The Immigration Officerwill ask you if you want a hearing to determine bond – al-ways answer, “Yes”. Contact your family members and tellthem to hire an immigration attorney to represent you atthe hearing.

9. Be Patient: It is tough to be held in a detention center and tobe away from your family. I always urge my clients to be pa-tient with the process and don’t rush to give up and opt forremoval/deportation without a hearing. In most cases, myclients that are held in detention are eligible for some type ofrelief from removal/deportation but we can only apply for suchrelief in immigration court. There is a 1-2 years backlog inthe immigration court but when you are in a detention cen-ter, your case can take 3-6 months.

10. Inform Immigration Officer of Special Dietary Needs or MedicalConditions: If you have special dietary or food needs (such asvegetarian), make sure you inform the immigration officer so theycan make the proper arrangements for your food. Also, if youhave any medical conditions and require daily medicine, advisethe immigration officer so they can have your family bring yourmedicine or make arrangements for you to have your medicine atthe detention facility.

Remember, at the end of the day, though Immigration Officers try tomake you feel that they are trying to help you, they are more con-cerned with their job security and showing statistically that the U.S.is safer due to increased removal/deportation. The only person whohas your best interest in mind is your immigration lawyer. Our officeis available 24/7 to assist in these types of detention emergencies – ifyou get the voicemail message, simply hit “1” to be connected di-rectly to the lawyer’s cell phone.

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March 29th, 2013 as the first “Caribbean Day” celebration. Theprogram will include a Street Festival featuring Caribbean danc-ers, music, display tables, and other activities from 4-6 pm filledwith the pageantry of the Caribbean through Carnival.

The dancers will range from Indian to African, traditional toCarnival and there will be a variety of dance styles. Caribbeansnacks will be available and a short video on Caribbean cul-ture to make this Magic Caribbean event an unforgettableevening depicting the colors and diversity of the Caribbeanand to provide an interesting insight into this excitingculture. Caribbean American Passport News Magazine haspartnered with local Caribbean Associations and will be us-ing this as the official launch of their portfolio of exciting Car-ibbean Events lineup being promoted including - PhagwahMarch 31st, Islands Gone Wild April 21st, CAFA Fusion Festi-val April 28th, Orlando Carnival May 26th, CAHM FestivalJune23rd. Different levels of sponsorship packages are avail-able. Tickets are available for Caribbean Night, a celebrationof the culture and heritage of the Caribbean at $20.00 per per-son and include the basketball game.

For sponsorship packages, display tables and event informa-tion, please contact Caribbean American Passport News Maga-zine at 407-427-1800 or capnewsmagazine@yahoo.com.

GGR Marketing and PR is recognized as the ‘Passport to the Car-ibbean American Community’. Our multi-media platform, whichincludes the Caribbean American Passport News Magazine, Ra-dio and Events is recognized as the premiere source of Caribbeannews and events within the greater Central Florida community.

Magic,Magic,Magic,Magic,Magic, Continued from page 1

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JAMAICA:JAMAICA:JAMAICA:JAMAICA:JAMAICA:The Epicenter of Crisis in the CaribbeanThe Epicenter of Crisis in the CaribbeanThe Epicenter of Crisis in the CaribbeanThe Epicenter of Crisis in the CaribbeanThe Epicenter of Crisis in the Caribbean

By Owen Everard James

As the largest of the islands, but forwhat I provocatively call “the big

island” of Guyana, and the first to gainindependence from the British, Jamaica

has always been seen assomewhat of a bell-weather for achievementand progress in the re-gion. The early years af-ter Independence justi-fied this view. Much haschanged since then. Theconsensus is that Ja-maica is worse off to-day than it was duringthe ten years prior toand since Indepen-dence in 1962.

It appears that Ja-maica’s problem istwofold at its core: theone is entrenched po-

litical tribalism; the other is a complex selfishness that maybe defined simply as a confusing, flexible patriotism. Whilepolitics tends to be tribal, patriotism by its very nature can-not be since it is essential to a people’s collective willingnessto sacrifice on their county’s behalf. This is especially true intimes of crisis when the outcomes sought may appear distantand even unlikely. There can be no question that Jamaica isin crisis. Similarly, there can be no doubt that the combinedeffect of the two identified problems is potentially catastrophic.

Prolonged survival in the embrace of political tribalism or flex-ible patriotism leads to a place in which indifference thrives andacquiescence grows in respect of stagnation, extensive poverty,destructive admiration of selfishness and greed, ineffective gov-ernment and the wholesale failing of national institutions meantto serve the people and move the country forward. We shouldbe much less concerned about party colors than we should beabout accountability, performance and the measurement ofperformance on the part of those we elect to govern. We shouldall marvel as well as worry at the protracted resignation of thoseamong us who suffer and are marginalized. This resignationcannot be permanent and therefore has explosive potential.

These circumstances provoke some distressing questions: Whydo we so frequently make such poor political choices? Whydon’t we recognize the deficiency of related outcomes? Why dowe remain committed to a traditional two-party-system-democ-racy that continues to yield results that generally fail to ad-vance either our personal welfare or the welfare of our country

generally? Why do we not recognize the reality that unchangedbehavior in the face of unchanging problems is most unlikelyto bring about changed outcomes? Why do those who sufferthe most and are clearly marginalized appear so resigned totheir plight? Are there opportunities to improve both our choicesand the related outcomes? If such opportunities do exist, arethey shrinking to the point of irrelevance as we ceaselessly re-commit ourselves to the status quo?

It appears that the more obvious it becomes that we need smartsolutions to our intractable problems the more political lead-ership attempts to redirect our survival concerns to politicalillusions like the urgent need to become a republic. It is verydifficult to imagine a worse time than now in which to con-template, let alone actually implement, such an indulgence.This may be justifiable only if we consider national pride as inimmediate need of triage and of significantly greater prioritythan issues of survival. I am unaware, for example, of anysignificant advantages gained by the Republics of Trinidad &Tobago and Guyana that could not have been gained had ei-ther country remained simply an independent nation. I dounderstand and support the desire for republic status. I simplyconsider this a luxury that should only be indulged after ourmany more pressing priorities have been addressed. In this re-gard it is not accidental that the title of my new book is Suffer-ers’ Manifesto: A New Way to an Old, Elusive Destination & aChallenge to the Best in us and Among us.

I recall as a teenager in Jamaica, a small group in the capitalcity of Kingston that self-identified as sufferers. The group ex-emplified the reality that there was an underclass that wasconfined to the very fringes of a society in which a few weremaking visible, steady progress toward a better life in termsof access to education, better jobs, increasing incomes andupward social mobility. Not too many years later, this smallgroup of sufferers had so grown in numbers that the classifi-cation was widely applied and justifiably applicable acrossmuch of the nation. Even members of the upwardly mobileclass would conveniently self-identify as sufferers when im-portant aspects of their progress were stymied. Worthy of noteis the fact that until recently there was a community just out-side of Kingston called Sufferers Heights. The place is nowknown as Windsor Heights. Unfortunately, the dramaticchange in name has yet to be matched by a comparable trans-formation in circumstances.

The plight of the sufferers was acknowledged to be genuine byboth those who were not too far removed from the condition andthose who were so far removed that acknowledgement was al-ways at war with indifference. Indifference always seemed to win.

Given the fact that the plight of sufferers was recognized asreal from as early as the mid-1960s, one must wonder how

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As a result of the growing domes-tic violence tragedies in the Hai-tian community in Central

Florida, a number of concerned citizenscame together to form a task force toaddress this issue. While the task forceidea did not “take root” at the time (andwe hope that it can still happen), twoyoung ladies got together and took ac-tion on behalf of domestic violence vic-tims and their loved ones.

While domestic violence has increasinglybeen a silent killer in the Haitian com-munity, it, however, does not discrimi-nate. Domestic violence affects every cul-ture, race, gender, ethnicity, and religiousbeliefs. In order to combat this very destructive pattern of be-havior, education and community outreach must be a priorityto prevent senseless deaths that many have already suffered.As such, Ms. Milda Monplaisir-Elysee and Ms. Rose-Nancy Jo-seph decided it was time for a change and created Ladies InProduction Services (LIPS). On February 9, 2013, LIPS launchedits first series of workshops geared towards promoting healthyrelationships and deterring domestic abuse and violence. Lan-guages of Love targeted couples and singles, young, old, and in-between to an evening of interactive and invigorating conver-sations delivered by three dynamic, licensed relationship coun-seling professionals. Pastor Ernst Thervil, and Drs. Clifford andJoselle Laguerre presented and engaged our guests on the fol-lowing topics: Communication 101, Understanding and Express-ing Love Languages, and Initiating Change and Applying it Ev-eryday. The event also featured local talents: spoken words byZazou and musical performance by Ganouse Capricien andCarlo Jean, who entertained the audience throughout the pro-gram. All in all, everyone was enthralled the entire evening!

Two Young Women Address DomesticTwo Young Women Address DomesticTwo Young Women Address DomesticTwo Young Women Address DomesticTwo Young Women Address DomesticViolence in the Haitian CommunityViolence in the Haitian CommunityViolence in the Haitian CommunityViolence in the Haitian CommunityViolence in the Haitian Community

in Central Floridain Central Floridain Central Floridain Central Floridain Central FloridaWhile the debut of LIPS’ Languages ofLove workshop was a total and undeni-able success, the road ahead is long andarduous. However, this inaugural suc-cess is due in part to the strong supportfrom dedicated community volunteers(Fabienne Alphonse-Reid, andMackenson Elysée), event presenters, andfull endorsements by the Center forMulticultural Wellness and Prevention,Inc. (CMWP). CMWP believed so muchin the innovative way that LIPS wants totackle domestic violence in our commu-nities, that it was one of the leading spon-sors of this event along with: The Consu-late of Haiti in Orlando, Haiti 1 Stop, andOrlando Caribbean Catering. LIPS also

received donated domestic violence educational handouts fromHarbor House of Central Florida.

The work of Ladies In Production Services (LIPS) exemplifiesthe meaning of caring, community service and proactivity inthe desire to do something worthwhile to bring about a muchneeded change. To continue the mission of promoting healthyrelationships and deterring domestic abuse and violence, thenext event is scheduled for May 18th, as part of the AnnualHaitian Flag Day Celebration in Orlando. You are encouragedto COME OUT AND JOIN THE FUN WHILE GAINING INVALU-ABLE INFORMATION ON HOW TO ENJOY A LONG-LASTINGHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARTNER, FAMILY,FRIENDS, AND ASSOCIATES.

For more information, please contact LIPS, LADIES IN PRODUC-TION SERVICES, at 321-247-7806 or via e-mail at LIPSSINC@GMAIL.COM. To be one of the first to like and learn about LIPS’upcoming events, please visit www.facebook.com/LIPSSINC.

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By Susan L. Taylor

Six years after I first heardthem, the statistics stillhaunt me: Eighty-six per-

cent of Black children in thefourth grade read and domath below their gradelevel. Black girls between theages of 15 and 24 represent thegreatest number of new HIVinfections. Homicide is theleading cause of death for ourboys. The village is onfire! And our love is the sav-ing, healing water that legions

of our children are literally dying for. When we listen we heartheir cries rising above the flames. Their voices carry the in-cendiary pain and humiliation of intergener-ational povertythat turns dreams to ashes: days of missed meals, uncertainsafety and poorly resourced schools that plenish the pipelineto prison. These are among the many grievous thefts of poten-tial impoverishing the lives ofBlack children in the land ofplenty, a land made richand powerful on the backs ofour ancestors. And it’s hap-pening on our watch!

Attorney General Eric Holdercharged a national task forcewith investigating how expo-sure to violence impacts chil-dren. I attended his December 14th meeting at which the culmi-nating findings in the Defending Childhood report were deliv-ered. The violence that children of this nation are subjected toin their homes and communities and glamorized in the mediais relentless and chilling. Expert after expert cautioned that ex-posure to violence traumatizes children and that, unresolved,those traumas easily lead to deep depression and dysfunctionalbehaviors. These socially disruptive behaviors—our youngpeople’s cries for help—lead the nightly news fromcoast to coast, rousing shame and anxiety. We holdour collective breath and pray, Lord, don’t let thecrazed one be one of us. But the question that is neverasked and answered is why are these young peopleacting out? What I have come to know in my per-sonal and professional life is this: Understanding thecause of our pain and taking action to address it arecrucial to our healing.

With understanding and action, we heal, grow andthrive in profound ways. Held up proudly, nurturedand supported, we have in past generations succeeded despitethe often dire economic circumstances, troubled families and trau-mas that many of us endured coming of age. Who among usisn’t carrying some hurt or depression or self-sabotaging habit weyet need to break?

We are a remarkable species, living at an extraordinary time inhistory, a marvel of creation, human and divine. Love is the di-vine aspect of our being. It is restorative and healing and elevateseverything it touches. That’s thepromise. Love, God, Jehovah,Yahweh, Allah—call It whatyou will. Originating Spirit gavebirth to all existence. It’s theenergy that governs and bal-ances all in creation, every cellin every living thing. It is theunchanging, unfailing, eternalaspect of our being. Spiritualawareness inspires the love,walk-on-water faith, courageand creativity needed to heal everything within us and aroundus, including the damage done to our people over the seas andcenturies. With love and caring we can create the beautiful futurewe want.

Among my baby-boomer peers are real-world exemplars of thegood that is possible when a generation cares and acts out of

love: We build schools and cultural institutions, develop busi-nesses, write great books, compose great music and create dancesthat elevate the spirit. The generation that inspired me––thatinspired the creation of Essence and the building of other Blackinstitutions––stopped a war, moved young people out of gangsand into breakfast programs that often gave school children theonly nutritious meal they had each day. We didn’t pull a triggerto settle a beef or join gangs to make family. Even if our ownfamily was broken, our community was whole and stood in thegap. Grownups did not fear or neglect the young. They loved,protected and corrected us. Today, under-resourced Black chil-dren have been all but discarded.

While there are no people on earth more kind, caring and cre-ative than us Black folks, a certain world-weariness has crept intoour days. As a group, we able African Americans have half-steppedaround our moral responsibility to care for “the least of these.”We cannot minimize the external threats to Black advancement,but our greatest challenges are endemic. Ours is a spiritual crisis.Our spirit is fed by faith and nourished in community. But thesocial bonds that once tied us to one another are frayed. We haveforgotten who we are and what we’re supposed to be doing here;

forgotten that “we are each other’s keeper…each other’smagnitude and bond,” as the late, great Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks reminded us. Likeour fore-parents, who made possible the privileges wenow take for granted, we must live for a purpose greaterthan the acquisition and accumulation of more stuffto stumble over, clutter our path and obstruct our vi-sion. The terrain we traverse today is not even the roughside of the mountain; the rough side is behind us,cleared for us by those who came before us. We areuniquely positioned among people of African descent

to make that final assault on the summit of our aspirations, if wewill commit to doing what has become most difficult for us as apeople: link arms and aims, make a plan and get along with oneanother to see it through.

We say that God is love. But love is a verb. It requires us to dosomething, to actively care for ourselves and serve one anotherfrom the overflow. In the image and likeness of that Love and car-

ing that gives Itself away to theworld, we can move strategically,creatively toward economic andsocial justice. No obstructionsstrewn in our path will deter orimpede us when we stand for thehigh purpose and move for-ward—together! But we’ve got tomove. We’ve got to push Blackleaders to humble themselves, al-low love, not ego, to lead. And ifthey won’t lead, then they must

follow and bring their constituents and congregants along. Ourchildren cannot continue to die outside the temple doors while we“praise His holy name” within. We are all here on assignment. Wehonor God when caring for our vulnerable young. Hands that serveare holier than lips that pray.

In January we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signingof the Emancipation Proclamation. Just six years before thathard-won acknowledgement of our humanity on the long march

toward freedom, the U.S. Supreme Court decided theDred Scott case, ruling that African Americans were“so far inferior that they had no rights which thewhite man was bound to respect.” But FrederickDouglass, even in the face of the Dred Scott decision,envisioned an end to slavery just down the road. Ifduring the most despicable time in this nation’s his-tory, a man who was born into slavery could leadabolitionists and a president to take a stand on theright side of history, let us not retreat from makingthe only moral choice before us in our time. We haveeverything we need: creativity, connectivity, educa-

tion, resources, access, a history of triumph and a pantheon ofway-showers. We can learn to work together better; choosehealthier, life-sustaining behaviors; fill our hearts with love andgratitude and do this work that is ours to do. We can reclaimand secure the young lives we abandoned and rebuild the vil-lage. And we can do it well by mentoring.

Faith HealersFaith HealersFaith HealersFaith HealersFaith HealersWhat We Can Do to Reclaim Black Children Struggling on Our WatchWhat We Can Do to Reclaim Black Children Struggling on Our WatchWhat We Can Do to Reclaim Black Children Struggling on Our WatchWhat We Can Do to Reclaim Black Children Struggling on Our WatchWhat We Can Do to Reclaim Black Children Struggling on Our Watch

— Continued on page 21 —

1 21 21 21 21 2

This year, is the 26th an-niversary of the paradeand the planning com-

mittee is hoping to work withlocal promoters, bandleadersand volunteers to make thisan exciting weekend of ac-tivities in Orlando for Carni-val weekend.

GGR Marketing & PR areworking with the associationto put together an excitingCarnival under the theme“Carnival is we CaribbeanFete.” The new leaders of theassociation have just returnedfrom Trinidad & Tobago Car-nival where they were inspired to bring performances by thenew Calypso monarch and the new chutney monarch to theOrlando Carnival. We’ll announce the lineup of performers atthe formal media launch of the Carnival at the end of April.

The Carnival Association is reaching out to the community tojoin their efforts by volunteering to help at this years' Carni-val. “The Orlando Carnival is a major event that needs to engagethe efforts of many willing and able volunteers. Volunteers areneeded from now until the event ends on May 26th. We’re askingpeople from all walks of life to volunteer to ensure we put forwardour best foot for this event this year.”

Orlando Carnival Set forOrlando Carnival Set forOrlando Carnival Set forOrlando Carnival Set forOrlando Carnival Set forSunday, May 26th, 2013Sunday, May 26th, 2013Sunday, May 26th, 2013Sunday, May 26th, 2013Sunday, May 26th, 2013

Pageantry, color, music catch all the excitement of OrlandoPageantry, color, music catch all the excitement of OrlandoPageantry, color, music catch all the excitement of OrlandoPageantry, color, music catch all the excitement of OrlandoPageantry, color, music catch all the excitement of OrlandoCarnival as thousands line up around the Citrus Bowl for theCarnival as thousands line up around the Citrus Bowl for theCarnival as thousands line up around the Citrus Bowl for theCarnival as thousands line up around the Citrus Bowl for theCarnival as thousands line up around the Citrus Bowl for the

Orlando Carnival Parade on Sunday May 26th, 2013Orlando Carnival Parade on Sunday May 26th, 2013Orlando Carnival Parade on Sunday May 26th, 2013Orlando Carnival Parade on Sunday May 26th, 2013Orlando Carnival Parade on Sunday May 26th, 2013New leaders of the associa-tion include:

• Carl Mahadeo, President• Malcolm Wiltshite,

Vice President• Maria Buddy, Secretary• Cludeen Roundtree,

Treasurer• Maureen Brizan,

Asst. Treasurer• Kenneth Hayes,

Public Relations• George Mascall,

Asst. Public Relations• Vidal Jittan,

Director of Entertainment

On Carnival Sunday, we invite you to bring your wav-ing flags, family and friends to Festival Field for an ex-pression of unity...but remember...You don’t have to befrom the West Indies...everyone’s invited to take part inthe parade. For information on bands, route, sponsor-ship and booth information contact GGR Marketing &PR and we will provide you with the relevant informa-tion: 407-427-1800.

Come to Orlando for the Memorial Weekend - The entire week-end is devoted to special events with a Caribbean flavor!

Orlando Carnival 2011

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Caribbean American ChamberCaribbean American ChamberCaribbean American ChamberCaribbean American ChamberCaribbean American Chamberof Commerce of Florida, Inc.of Commerce of Florida, Inc.of Commerce of Florida, Inc.of Commerce of Florida, Inc.of Commerce of Florida, Inc.

www.caccfl.comwww.caccfl.comwww.caccfl.comwww.caccfl.comwww.caccfl.com

A Message from Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.:A Message from Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.:A Message from Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.:A Message from Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.:A Message from Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.:

Thank you so muchto everyone that at-

tended February’s Busi-ness After Hours at Pi-azza Rialto Ristorante.What a great turnoutof members and guests! Piazza Rialto was a

great venue they werewarm hosts especiallyChef Eddie who treatedus to loads of deliciousfood. Matthew the eventcoordinator, and the en-tire staff ensured we en-joyed our evening.

Check them out at 7782 Winter Garden Vineland Road,Windermere, FL. 34786 or online at www.piazzarialto.com anddefinitely stop by, enjoy the food and great atmosphere if youare in the area.

Thank you to our new Orange County Tax Collector ScottRandolph for attending and inviting us to apply for the jobopenings at the Orange County Tax Collector’s office.

Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours atPiazza Rialto with Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph.

Save the Following Dates:Save the Following Dates:Save the Following Dates:Save the Following Dates:Save the Following Dates:March 16th -11am - 3pmCitizenship Clinic at Rollins College

March 20thTruffles GrillWinter Park http://caccfmarchbah.eventbrite.com/

March 20th-9am - 11amBasic Immigration Law for the Non Immigration Attorney11:30 am - 1:00pm Cost: $21.00March 26th New Member Orientation

April 17thTaste RestaurantCollege Park http://caccfbahapril.eventbrite.com/

May 15thOley’s Home Style CookingRestaurant http://caccfbahmay.eventbrite.com/

Members are Free, Non - Members $5.00. Appetisers areprovided by the restaurant and the Business After Hoursrun from 5:30pm -7:30pm.

June 1st-1pm - 4pmOur Business After Hours will be held at the Ribbon Cuttingand Kick-Off Reception at Orlando City Hall.

For more information about the Chamber call CACCFPresident Guenet Gittens-Roberts at 407-427-1800 oremail caccforlando@gmail.com.

We issued a special challenge to our members to invite othersand Anita Singh of PS Freight/ Laparkan had a team of 4 turnup because of her invitation. She wins hands down! As a giftto them please check out and like their facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/OrlandoLaparkan.

Visit the Chamber’s webpage at www.caccfl.com for photos andupcoming events.

BBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons Event

Saluting 187,000 Black Business in FloridaSaluting 187,000 Black Business in FloridaSaluting 187,000 Black Business in FloridaSaluting 187,000 Black Business in FloridaSaluting 187,000 Black Business in FloridaHONOREES’ COMBINED GROSS REVENUE FOR 2012WAS WELL OVER $300 MILLION AND ACCOUNTED

FOR OVER 500 EMPLOYEES IN FLORIDA

Florida’s top performing Black-owned businesses turned-outby the hundreds to attend the recently held, sold-out Black

Business Beacons event, hosted by the Black Business Invest-ment Fund (BBIF), on February 22, 2013.

Held during Black History Month, the Black Business BeaconsBrunch event celebrated and saluted “Beacons: Our humblebeginnings, our endless possibilities.” As defined, a BBIF BlackBusiness Beacon is a trailblazing business with a strong founda-tion, a commitment to excellence and a commitment to the com-munity as well as civically engaged and socially responsible.

Over 250 business owners, entrepreneurs, procurement special-ists, executives and professionals convened in Orlando from

— Continued on page 22 —

Meeting of Volusia Businesses forMeeting of Volusia Businesses forMeeting of Volusia Businesses forMeeting of Volusia Businesses forMeeting of Volusia Businesses forthe Caribbean American Chamber ofthe Caribbean American Chamber ofthe Caribbean American Chamber ofthe Caribbean American Chamber ofthe Caribbean American Chamber of

Commerce of Florida, Inc. Commerce of Florida, Inc. Commerce of Florida, Inc. Commerce of Florida, Inc. Commerce of Florida, Inc. 6pm, Mon. March 18th, 2013 at Soul Cariba Restaurant

121 Howland Blvd., Suite 103 • Deltona, FL 32725(In the Walmart Plaza)

This is a free event meant to gather information from busi-ness people in the area about the services they need from

the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida tobe able to provide a support arm for the Caribbean BusinessCommunity in Volusia County.

For more information 407-431-7418

1 41 41 41 41 4

Mayor Dyer’s Neighborhood SummitMayor Dyer’s Neighborhood SummitMayor Dyer’s Neighborhood SummitMayor Dyer’s Neighborhood SummitMayor Dyer’s Neighborhood Summit

On Saturday, February 23, 2013, more than 300 neighborhood, arts and cultural, civic, community and faith-based

leaders and volunteers joined Mayor Buddy Dyer for his 8thannual Mayor’s Neighborhood & Community Summit. Thepurpose of this annual Summit is to bring neighborhood andcommunity leaders together for a day of learning, networkingand sharing.

Sam Roberts, President of the Guyanese American Cultural As-sociation of Central Florida and Sandra Fatmi, President of the

Jamaican American Association of Central Florida spent mostof the day in workshop sessions where they gathered the re-sources and information necessary to build a strong, vibrantcommunity that is the best place to live, work, retire and raisea family.

Both Sam and Sandra represent the Caribbean American Cham-ber of Commerce of Florida as members of the Chamber’s Advi-sory Board, members of the Heads of Caribbean Organizationsand Caribbean American Heritage Month Planning committee.

1 51 51 51 51 5

The Guyanese American Cultural Association of CentralFlorida (GACACF) recently celebrated the 43rd Republic

Anniversary of Guyana on Feb. 23rd. The evening was cel-ebrated at Soiree Event Center with six different food sta-tions representing the diversity of Guyana’s many races.

Guyana’s 43rd Republic AnniversaryGuyana’s 43rd Republic AnniversaryGuyana’s 43rd Republic AnniversaryGuyana’s 43rd Republic AnniversaryGuyana’s 43rd Republic AnniversaryEvent attendees enjoyed the range of foods offered, the abil-ity to pose next to Stabroek Market and they danced thenight away. GACACF stated that this would be the style ofcelebration for their upcoming Republic Celebrations due tothe response from attendees.

GACACF Republic Celebration Planning committee members and owners of Soireeand Carol Singh of Whimsies.

Terry, Phillip , Ricky, Clement, Lawrence and a friend pose infront of Stabroek Market.

Indian dancers sponsored by Laparkan/PS Freight Rick Singh, Guenet Roberts, Andy King, Sam Roberts Attendee Ann Narine andfiancee visited from New York

Russell Permaul, Rick Singh, Mr& Mrs Conrad Taylor

Attendees that evening enjoyed a simplerstyle to the proceedings.

Buxtonian Drummers performing at the event

Etty DeVeaux &Esmond Joseph

Skip Roberts andSue Ann Roberts

Vanessa Churaman, Douglas Dobbs(Dobbs Funeral Parlor), Maureen Allegro

Junie Munroe in the middle with friends

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ubscribe to Caribbean American

Passport News Magazine today.

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For a limited time we are offering a one year subscription

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you with discounted admission to events, coupons for

shopping at your favorite stores as well as updates on

caribbean events coming up in our community.

Support your community by giving the gift of a subscription

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of us who don’t. That’s why, including with the work of Secre-tary Clinton and Ambassador Melanne Verveer, the ObamaAdministration has put advancing the status of women and girlsright at the center of America’s foreign policy...Statement by Sec-retary of State Kerry on the Seventh Annual Celebration of theSecretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awards.To mark the 102nd anniversary of International Women’s Day.

It’s courage, It’s courage, It’s courage, It’s courage, It’s courage, Continued from page 1

President of the Jamaican American Cultural Association, SandraFatmi, with the winners at the Association's Domino Competition

hosted at Taste of Jamaica Restaurant

1 81 81 81 81 8

By Sandra Ann Baptiste

CARIBBEANPERSPECTIVES

An in-depth focus on Caribbean issues

Concerns about the perfor-mance, operations, chal-lenges and future of the

region’s key foreign exchange earn-ing tourism industry are among themain reasons that prompted a recentcall by the Caribbean Hotel andTourism Association (CHTA) for aCaricom Heads of Government Sum-mit on Tourism.

“The Caribbean is the most tourismdependent region in the world and isalso extremely vulnerable to both

external and internal forces and many of the issues that affectus really require a unified approach in order to obtain any levelof success or progress,” President of the Barbados Hotel and Tour-ism Association (BHTA), Patricia Affonso-Dass, told me in aninvited comment on theCHTA Summit proposal.

Her St. Lucian counterpartKarolin Troubetzkoy echoedsimilar sentiments. “Withtourism being the numberone source of revenue for themajority of Caribbean is-lands and the challenges af-fecting our individual tour-ism industry being globallythe same, it only makes senseto dedicate an entire Summitto tourism specifically.”

Troubetzkoy, who is the Presi-dent of the St. Lucia Hoteland Tourism Association (SLHTA), told me at past Caricom Sum-mits, tourism was the “stepchild of the agenda”. The LastCARICOM Tourism Summit was held in the Bahamas in 2001.

The CHTA, which is hoping that a CARICOM Tourism Summitwill be convened within the next six months, wants the agendato focus on airlift, travel facilitation, marketing, visitor secu-rity, human resource development, the environment and newways to encourage economic growth through a common ap-proach to the problems facing the industry. The associationbelieves a Summit can lay the foundation for helping the in-dustry to return to “levels of success last seen in 2006”.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has reported a 5.2per cent increase in overall arrivals to the region in 2012 com-pared to 2011, visitor spending returning to pre-recession lev-els and hotel occupancy up by 7.1 per cent, but stressed thatthe industry still faces significant challenges.

CHTA Chairman Josef Forstmayr says the Caribbean needs tobe marketed as a region through combined public and privatesector efforts and joint funding.

“ Some of the funds which the governments are allocating totourism boards to do their own marketing should be allocatedto a regional marketing fund, so we can create a pool of funds

that can be used to effectively promote the Caribbean as onebrand,” Forstmayr told me.

Forstmayr, said among the issues to be raised with CARICOMleaders would be making it less cumbersome and expensivefor visitors to the region, including revamping “excessive” air-port improvement fees and departure taxes.

A recent meeting the CTO’s regional aviation committee calledfor the implementation of a single visa system for visitors trav-elling within the region, similar to that of the European Unionwhereby visitors who are cleared at the initial port of entry cancontinue travelling seamlessly throughout most of the mem-ber countries.

CTO Secretary General Hugh Riley said the Caribbean Tour-ism Development Company (CTDC), the marketing and busi-ness development unit, owned equally by the CHTA and CTO,needs to be properly capitalised.

“Every stakeholder and decision maker in the industry needsto understand that this is an effort that needs to be sustained.We cannot just take action when there is a crisis,” Riley said ina recent conversation.

“While the forecast for tourism growth in 2013 is positive, thereare future storms on the horizon, and it’s best that we lockarms to tackle upcoming as well as current challenges – fromdeclines in intra-Caribbean tourism to the onerous Air Passen-ger Duty that is adversely affecting business from the UnitedKingdom,” CTO Chairman and U.S. Virgin Islands Commis-sioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty commented.

The timing, venue and cost of a small no-frills CARICOM Tour-ism Summit that will have tourism as its only agenda itemneeds to be addressed sooner rather than later.

For such a meeting to beproductive, it is critical forHeads of Government to bebriefed on the state of thetourism industry, includingby national private sectorassociations, which shouldbe represented in delega-tions to the Summit.

I fully endorse the senti-ments of Patricia Affonso-Dass, the President of theBarbados association on theneed for a CARICOM Tour-ism Summit: “Once and forall the critical importance of

tourism to this region needs to be agreed, focused on, champi-oned and all necessary measures put in place for itssustainability and growth. There has been enough talk overthe years. It is now time for action and conviction.” (SandraAnn Baptiste, a Specialist in Caribbean Affairs, is a businessconsultant, trainer and writer. She is the Chief Executive Con-sultant of CARIGOLD Associates and is the former head of theGuyana Office for Investment - GO Invest).

A CARICOM TOURISM SUMMIT IS LONG OVERDUEA CARICOM TOURISM SUMMIT IS LONG OVERDUEA CARICOM TOURISM SUMMIT IS LONG OVERDUEA CARICOM TOURISM SUMMIT IS LONG OVERDUEA CARICOM TOURISM SUMMIT IS LONG OVERDUE

Karolyn Troubetzkoy

Patricia Affonso Dass

1 91 91 91 91 9

The Professional Opportunities Program for Students aspiresto educate and cultivate its youth for their future througha series of workshops and community service outreaches.

Its most recent workshop held at the Metroplan Orlando office,which was undoubtedly my favorite. It was an annual writing work-shop and Rap Session, hosted by Virginia Wittington, Director ofRegional Partnerships and guest speakers were Former Florida StateSenator Gary Siplin, Dr. Dorsey and Author, Erica Pooler.

The writing workshop changed our minds towards the concept ofwriting. The session began with goal setting for writing. Goal

POPS Writing Skills WorkshopPOPS Writing Skills WorkshopPOPS Writing Skills WorkshopPOPS Writing Skills WorkshopPOPS Writing Skills Workshop“Write the Vision”“Write the Vision”“Write the Vision”“Write the Vision”“Write the Vision”

Sarah Merine12th Grade,Jones High School

setting targets changing our minds toward the concept of writing.We learned that we must initially make an effort to write. Wecannot simply throw a pen and paper in a box and expect an en-tire essay to manifest.

During the workshop, we learned the perfect acronym: W.R.I.T.E-Write a plan, Revisit the inspiration, Investigate, Tips on creativ-ity, and Examples from other writings. Mr. Terrance Jones,Cameron Hopewell and Shawn Welcome elaborated on each oneof these areas to arm us with the tools necessary to become moreeffective writers.

As youth we lack a full understanding of many things, even thebasic concept of writing. In the work world, there is no time totrain those who are unprepared. The POPS workshops aren’t justobligatory gatherings to take notes and hope something sticks toour minds. They are stepping stones to whatever successes wehope to achieve.

2 02 02 02 02 0

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BRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLIC FORUMBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLIC FORUMBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLIC FORUMBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLIC FORUMBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLIC FORUMFOR SOME OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKINGFOR SOME OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKINGFOR SOME OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKINGFOR SOME OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKINGFOR SOME OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKINGTOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. HERE’S A LETTER THAT TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. HERE’S A LETTER THAT TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. HERE’S A LETTER THAT TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. HERE’S A LETTER THAT TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. HERE’S A LETTER THAT ASKSASKSASKSASKSASKS:::::“SHOULD I LET MY MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?”“SHOULD I LET MY MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?”“SHOULD I LET MY MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?”“SHOULD I LET MY MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?”“SHOULD I LET MY MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?”

Bryan

Gary

Dear Bryan and Gary,

I just want to get your thoughts on a decision that I have to make. Iam one of those undocumented workers that you hear people talk-ing about and so is my common law husband. Now he’s been work-ing undercover for the past 10 years, but since the economy hasturned he hasn’t worked and to tell you the truth, he is sick and tiredof hiding and living under the radar. So…when his ex-boss offeredto marry him and give him his old job back, he said he saw a wayout. Now he says he wants to do it because: 1) It would allow him toget his papers, 2) He would be able to earn and cover his bills, and3) He says he could better provide for me and our family. Now hisboss says she wouldn’t want any money or anything from us, justthe opportunity to spend some time with him so as to keep up ap-pearances. She would want them to go to functions and family gettogethers and such. AND, when he gets his papers, he promises todivorce her and marry me, but I don’t know. SHOULD I LET MYMAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN? And DO YOU THINK SHE ISSINCERE, OR IS SHE REALLY JUST AFTER MY MAN?

Signed....Illegal Alien!!!!

GARY: Wow lady, it sounds like you’re between a rockand a hard place. Do you stay illegal, or do you get

your own path to citizenship?Bryan, what do you think?BRYAN: Well, I like the fact that thisfamily is willing to take control of theirown destiny and since our govern-ment is taking their own sweet time, Ican understand the need to do some-thing about their situation. But, Idon’t know about this boss lady. Idon’t trust her. I think she has an ul-terior motive. So, I wouldn’t do it.GARY: C’mon man, this mightbe this guy’s only way to providefor his family and stop from hid-ing. I think there are times that“A man’s gotta do what a man’s

gotta do” and I think this is just one of those times.BRYAN: And what happens when this woman starts treatinghim better that his common law wife? What happens whenshe doesn’t want to let him go? What happens when he dis-covers that the grass is greener on the boss lady’s side? Youknow what happens, this lady is STUCK having to raise theirkids by herself while he is over there eating prime ribs.GARY: Yes Bryan, but sometimes that is just the riskyou have to take. She could be placed in that situationright now if her man gets arrested or someone reportshim to Homeland Security. Their whole life is ONE BIGRISK, because at anytime they could be put on someone’sradar. So I say, some risks are worth taking.BRYAN: Well Ms. Alien, although I agree with my colleaguethat some risks are worth taking, I don’t think this is a calcu-lated risk. YOU and MOSTLY YOU stand to lose the most inthis equation. The boss lady gets a husband and a workerand someone to parade around her family. He would get hispapers, a job, and a CAKE THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY EAT.

YOU on the other hand, MIGHT getsome table scraps. YOU my dear,ONLY get a promise that he will doright by you. And like my mother useto say, “A promise is a comfort to afool.” I say don’t be a fool.GARY: LOL, bwoy you definitelyknow how to frame and argument.BRYAN: Well it’s all true Gary.GARY: So what should she dothen Bryan, continue hidingfrom the law?BRYAN: Well I’m glad you asked. I saywait for the government, continue liv-ing under the radar. You’ve alreadybeen doing it successfully for the past 10 years, so clearly you’regood at it. I say trust your instincts, if it sounds too good to betrue it often times IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. And lastly I say,hold on to your man. If that means you have to suffer a little,I’m sure you’ll feel better knowing that you’re suffering together.Through THICK or THIN, for RICHER or POORER, in GOODtimes and in BAD….when you are in a committed relationshipyou have to be ALL IN.GARY: HA HA HA….LOL, So let me see if I understandBryan, You’re telling this lady to stay broke, stay un-der the radar, stay in whatever situation she finds her-self in….RIGHT??BRYAN: Right, but I’m also saying….Stay in LOVE, Stay withyour MAN, Stay TOGETHER and it will work itself out.GARY: Well Ms. Alien, you can listen to Bryan if youwant to, but all that is going to do is keep you hungry,broke, and with no prospects for getting out of yoursituation. OR, you can stop thinking about just youand think about your man and your kids. What dothey want? And lastly, TRUST the man that you’ve beenwith for all these years. TRUST that he will do right byyou and his family. Just have a little faith and TRUSTyour man.BRYAN: TRUST….Only in God should you TRUST Ms. Alien. Ifa person can stick themselves in their own eye, you can’t justTRUST anybody. Not only that, but this a MAN we’re talkingabout here. HELLO!!!!!!GARY: O.K., I give up. You’re hopeless. If it were me, Iwould do what I had to do to get out of this situation.But that’s just me. At the end of the day, you have todo what you think is in the best interest of you andyour family….and that’s all I have to say.BRYAN: Gary I’m not hopeless, I’m just letting this woman know thereality of life. But I do agree with you in the sense that at the end ofthe day, she will have to live with the decision that she makes.GARY: So very true my friend, only she knows whatshe can live with. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF CON-FRONTED WITH THIS SITUATION? WOULD YOU LETYOUR MAN MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN?

LIFE IS A JOURNEY THAT’S FULL OF UPS AND DOWNS, TWISTSAND TURNS, SUCCESSES AND FAILURES, AND A LOT OFTHINGS IN BETWEEN. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF FACED WITHTHIS DECISION? E-MAIL US AT BACK2BASICLIVE@GMAIL.COM

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Mentoring—a low-cost, high-returns solution—works miracles.In the tradition of our ancestors, whether we are rich or poor,formally educated or not, and though none of our lives is per-fect, we can provide a protective shield for the children. Donewell and consistently, mentoring changes even the most chal-lenged young lives. But when the call goes out for mentors,White women and men are the first respondents. Black womenand men too often are not in the mix, while the wait lists atyouth-serving organizations continue to swell with Black chil-dren, the vast majority of them our beautiful boys, waiting….

The National CARES Mentoring Movement, founded as EssenceCARES in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, is committed to chang-ing this in the now time! Before we began our work, there wasno national infrastructure in place to engage desperatelyneeded Black men and women volunteers. Operating in nearly60 U.S. cities under the leadership of devoted volunteer com-munity leaders, CARES is determined to ensure that all Blackchildren needing guidance and role models are surrounded bya circle of caring, supportive adults who are committed to vol-unteering just one hour a week of their time as mentors. Be-cause our program evaluators have determined that the stressof competing pressures is a major factor distracting many Afri-can Americans and diverting our energies away from criticallyneeded engagement in mentoring today, CARES is buildingsingle-gender Wellness Mentoring Circles––safe spaces, wherementors share their challenges and triumphs, support one an-other, build community among themselves and learn to man-age stress. When we are healthy and whole we’re betterequipped to support our children. This year, in more than adozen cities, we are piloting programs with our partners thatundergird our children academically, emotionally and socially.

To date, CARES has recruited more than 125,000 mentors forupwards of 135,000 children. But it’s not enough. So I’m ask-ing that you stand in the gap and volunteer an hour a week tohelp guide our young who need more caring adults in theirlives. Our children losing ground need your congregation, yourblock association, your friends and family, they need our fra-

Black Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children Struggling— Continued from page 11 —

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across the State of Florida. With a massive statewide responseto this event, the BBIF honored 50 Black businesses at the eventfrom the following counties: Miami-Dade, West Palm Beach,Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Leon, Dual,Hillsborough, Pinellas and Gadsden.

The honorees’ combined gross revenue for 2012 was well over$300 million. The honored businesses also account for an em-ployee base of over 500 Florida residents. Florida has the third-highest number of Black-owned businesses in the nation - outranked only by New York and Georgia with 187,000 Black busi-ness in the state according to the 2007 census report.

The BBIF Black Business Beacons honorees were:ACY Contractors, LLC, Orange;AlphaGraphics - Lake Mary, Seminole;Angel Products, Seminole;BFA Environmental, Orange;Built to Prosper Companies, Orange;C & C Pharmacy, Orange;Cake in the City Bakery, Orange;Caribbean Superstore, Orange;Celebs Corner Kitchen, Duval;CH Publishing, Orange;Choice Security and Investigations, Inc, Orange;CMJ Resource & Development Group, Orlando;Construct Two Group, Orange;DARR Solutions, Orange;Event Grabber, Orange;GrassrootsMovies, Orange;HD Painting & Restoration , Orange;HNM Logistics, Orange;Horus Construction, Hillsborough;HZ Construction, Inc., Orange;IMDC Engineering , Orange;IROK Construction, Polk;Jazz Tastings Jazz & Wine Bar, Orange;Law Office of Marva Davis, Esq., Gadsden;Life Worth Living Pharmacy, Orange;

BBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBBIF Hosts First-Ever StatewideBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons EventBlack Business Beacons Event

— Continued from page 13 —half-years ago but now appears to be AIDS free.

The child, a little girl, has been off medication for about a yearwith no signs of infection. If the child remains free of HIV, it wouldmark only the world’s second known cure. The infant described inthe report underwent remission of HIV infection after receivingantiretroviral therapy within 30 hours of birth.

The investigators say the prompt administration of antiviral treat-ment likely led to this infant’s cure by halting the formation of hard-to-treat viral reservoirs—dormant cells responsible for reigniting theinfection in most HIV patients within weeks of stopping therapy.

Specialists say the finding offers exciting clues for how to elimi-nate HIV infection in children. “Maybe we’ll be able to blockthis reservoir seeding,” Persaud said.

The finding, the investigators say, may help pave the way toeliminating HIV infection in children.

A report on the case was presented Sunday at the 20th Conferenceon Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta.

“Prompt antiviral therapy in newborns that begins within daysof exposure may help infants clear the virus and achieve long-term remission without lifelong treatment by preventing suchviral hideouts from forming in the first place,” Persaud said.

The researchers say they believe this is precisely what happenedin the child described in the report. That infant is now deemed“functionally cured,” a condition that occurs when a patientachieves and maintains long-term viral remission without life-long treatment and standard clinical tests fail to detect HIVreplication in the blood.

The child described in the current report was born to an HIV-infectedmother and received combination antiretroviral treatment begin-ning 30 hours after birth. A series of tests showed progressively di-minishing viral presence in the infant’s blood, until it reached unde-tectable levels 29 days after birth. The infant remained on anti-viralsuntil 18 months of age, at which point the child was lost to follow-upfor a while and, the researchers say, stopped treatment. Ten monthsafter discontinuation of treatment, the child underwent repeated stan-dard blood tests, none of which detected HIV presence in the blood.Test for HIV-specific antibodies—the standard clinical indicator ofHIV infection—also remained negative throughout.

“Our next step is to find out if this is a highly unusual responseto very early anti-retroviral therapy or something we can actu-ally replicate in other high-risk newborns,” Persaud says.

Persaud was the lead author on the report, and University of Mas-sachusetts Medical School immunologist Katherine Luzuriaga,headed a team of laboratory investigators. Pediatric HIV specialistHannah Gay, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Univer-sity of Mississippi Medical Center, provided treatment to the baby.

Persaud was born on Aug. 23, 1960 in Guyana, South Americaand migrated to the U.S. at age 16. Her parents had divorced,and when she was 10, her mother went to America to findwork. Six years later, Persaud and her three siblings joined herin Bushwick, Brooklyn, N.Y.

She went on to earn a B.A., York College (CUNY) and an M.D.from NYU Medical School before doing her pediatric residencyat Columbia-Presbyterian.

Persaud was a medical student at NYU in 1985 when the firstcases of HIV were being identified in young, gay men. Duringher residency at Columbia Presbyterian, she started seeing in-fants presenting with the same type of pneumonia.

In 1997, she was hired by John Hopkins and by 2005 had won theElizabeth Glaser Scientist Award. The award, which funds AIDSresearch, gave her $700,000 for five years to better understand drug-resistant HIV in children both in the United States and abroad.

Today, eight years later, Persaud not only fulfilled this missionbut could have helped find a cure for HIV in children, a histori-cal achievement.

Her career highlights include the Aaron Diamond Fellow, NYU,the Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow, JHUSOM and the Eliza-beth Glaser Scientist Award.

She is married to William Moss, M.D., M.P.H, pediatric infectious dis-eases specialist and has three children: Taylor, 10; Ian, 8; Soraya, 6.

Asked what people should know about her she told The DOME,a John Hopkins publication: “I am the American dream.”

— AIDS Baby, AIDS Baby, AIDS Baby, AIDS Baby, AIDS Baby, Continued from page 1 —

Guardian Care Rehab & Nursing Center was honored as aCommunity Asset.

Event images available at www.BBIF.com

MK Waterproofing, Inc., Orange;MNH Weddings & Designs, LLC, Gadsden;Mobile Labs Express, Orange;Morehouse Realty, Orange;Oley’s Kitchen Restaurant, Orange;PA Wallace Associates, Orange;RL Burns Inc., Orange;Rhodes + Brito Architects, Inc., Orange;RYSE Magazine, Orange;Sam T’s Plumbing, Seminole;Sewing House Inc, Duval;Simmons Pediatrics, Duval;Siplin Law Firm, Orange;Soul Food Festival, Duval;Spectra Engineering & Research, Inc., Leon;Sterling Silver Scape and Sod, Inc., Osceola;TEC-Link, Hillsborough;The BRS Group, Inc., Orange;The Gregory Law Firm, Duval;The Handfield Firm, Miami-Dade;The Matthews Automotive Group, Volusia;Tobler Construction, Inc., Lee;Ver-Val Enterprises Inc., Okaloosa;WBQ Design & Engineering, Inc., Orange;West Orlando News, Orange;Wyche & Associates, Seminole.

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LEADING LADIES BEHIND THE SCENESAND ON THE FRONT LINE

Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”

Welcome to my column on Leading Ladies behind the Scenes. Our column will introduce you to leadingladies who have branded their own recognition and blazed their own trails. These ladies work behindthe scenes but manage the front line with high impact results. You might have heard their namesor admired their work, but never met them up close and personal. Our column will give you thechance to meet these ladies so you can place a face with the name and their trendsetting work in ourcommunity, various organizations and in business. Thank you for celebrating their value with us.

Anne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and Tobago,lived in Washington, D.C. before relocating to Orlando,Florida over 20 years ago. She is the Assistant to the

Dean of the College of Business Administration at the Univer-sity of Central Florida (UCF) and serves as the Advisor to theCaribbean Students’ Association at UCF sev-eral years. At UCF, she also serves as a cam-pus mediator and a member of the StudentConduct Board.

Now that I have gotten the most importantinformation out front, I want to share from aplace that I have not done before in my seg-ments. A prophetic or spiritual connection oc-curred when I first began to meditate on AnneMarie (as I do with all of my writings, I ask theHoly Spirit for guidance). A vision of a coffeebean came to me and I could not on my ownhave known why. I really believe that what isahead for Ms. de Govia is going to bring herfuture even more prominence and bless thelives of our generation for years to come.

The Coffee Bean: A coffee bean is a seed ofthe coffee plant. It is the pit inside the red orpurple fruit often referred to as a cherry. Eventhough they are seeds, they are incorrectly referred to as ‘beans’because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits - coffeecherries or coffee berries - most commonly contain two stoneswith their flat sides together. A small percentage of cherriescontain a single seed, instead of the usual two. This is called apea berry. As coffee is one of the world’s most widely con-sumed beverages, coffee seeds are a major cash crop, and animportant export product, counting for over 50% of some de-veloping nations’ foreign exchange earnings.

So when I was given the vision of the coffee bean and took thetime to evaluate the coffee bean, it speaks growth and a majorpart of many economies – thus is the spirit of Anne Marie; sheis the growth to many young professionals in the Caribbeancommunity; not to mention her zest for life and commitmentto supporting the Caribbean community overall. She is morethan an advocate; she is a seed that has replicated many timesover in the lives of one success story after another.

Ms. de Govia’s extensive community involvement includes: Advi-sor to the Caribbean Students’ Association at the University of Cen-tral Florida, Mediator at University of Central Florida, and StudentConduct Board Member at University of Central Florida. She ispast Chairman of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerceof Florida where she served for 4 years - she also served as a BoardMember of the organization for several years prior to becomingthe Chairman. Anne Marie’s line of service include a processionalof service such as but not limited to: Board member of the OrangeCounty Branch of the NAACP, Officer of the Caribbean-AmericanCultural Association, Treasurer of the Southwest Orlando Jaycees,Chair of Orlando’s 1995 Martin Luther King Parade sponsored bythe Southwest Orlando Jaycees and the City of Orlando, “Womenof Distinction” Award Committee Member, Citrus Council of GirlScouts, Volunteer at the Coleman Federal Prison in Lake County,Florida, Volunteer at the Coalition for the Homeless, Member ofthe Registration committee for the 1993 and 1994 African-Ameri-can Male and Female Summits, Member of the Greater ParramoreBusiness Association, the Parramore Heritage Renovation “Opera-tion Clean Sweep” and “Green-up Parramore.”

Ms. de Govia received the University of Central Florida’s StaffLeadership Award for her service and leadership contributionsboth on campus and in the Central Florida community. She

was past recipient of the “Women of Distinction” award for Edu-cation and Government from the Citrus Council of Girl Scoutsand has received numerous awards from student organizations,including Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fra-ternity, Inc., and is very proud to have their annual “Excellence

and Outreach Award” named after her.

The next time you stand in line to get your fa-vorite coffee take a moment to reflect on the linein your life and what it means to know thatyour work speaks volumes above even yourname. Many have never met Anne Marie ormay not have recognized her humble presencein many settings, but they know of her worksand have benefitted hugely because of it. It doesus proud to introduce to our community the‘seed’ of accomplishment in that of Anne Mariede Govia as our Leading Lady Behind the Scenefor this special issue during Women’s HeritageMonth. Incidentally, when I asked Anne Marieabout her last name as I have never met any-one with that name, she laughed and said thatwas her family name as her dad wasPortuguese…..really God I love your humor,you have likened this woman to a coffee bean(a seed) and her lineage is from one of the cof-

fee capitals of the world – it is no coincidence that the communitywas blessed by this seed called Anne Marie de Govia.Nouchellehastings@live.com

Anne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and TobagoAnne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and TobagoAnne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and TobagoAnne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and TobagoAnne Marie de Govia, a native of Trinidad and Tobago

Anne Marie de Govia

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and why the numbers continued to grow and metastasize likea cancer to the point where, decades later, the vast majority ofJamaicans may be accurately classified as such. It would seemthat this state of affairs is the most undeniably damning evi-dence of all that as a nation our leaders have failed the people.This evidence forces us to question the performance and choicesmade by successive governments and demands that we thor-oughly examine the perpetual indifference of government aswell as the amazing resignation of sufferers themselves to thisalarming state of affairs. Could it be that in the end we are allsufferers to varying degrees so that, like Sisyphus, we are con-demned to a condition of relentless futility?

There is great irony in the reality that the newly independentcolonies embraced wholeheartedly the very two-party-system-democracy that was the instrument of our subjugation for morethan 300 years. Remarkably, we did so purposely without coer-cion, question, or controversy. In retrospect one finds it diffi-cult not to wonder why a political system that justified slavery,relegated an entire people to the status of lesser beings, shame-lessly compensated slave owners for their loss of property afterthe abolition of slavery with nary a consideration of compen-sating former slaves for their forced servitude, should ever beworthy of adulation and emulation by those it exploited somercilessly and generally without remorse. Of equal concernis the fact that the system continues to be revered by many asthe very best form of government possible. This hubris is notsupported by either history or current reality. In fact, just aboutevery former Caribbean colony is either in crisis or diligentlyengaged in preventing one. Once again Jamaica leads the way.

The Epicenter of CrisisThe Epicenter of CrisisThe Epicenter of CrisisThe Epicenter of CrisisThe Epicenter of Crisisin the Caribbeanin the Caribbeanin the Caribbeanin the Caribbeanin the Caribbean

— Continued from page 9 —ternities and sororities to take action. We need all hands ondeck, and the best way to get others to step up is to get engagedourselves and express the joy we feel and the healing that oc-curs when doing God’s work.

You can email me at taylor@caresmentoring.org or visit ourwebsite, www.caresmentoring.org, to get connected with a localCARES Affiliate. You can also start a mentor-recruitment move-ment in your area. Linking arms and aims, we can ensure thevillage that now burns will be reborn, phoenix-like, from the ashes,and that our children will soar, dreams first, into a new day.

Susan L. Taylor is the founder and CEO of National CARES MentoringMovement. For 27 years she served as the chief editor of Essencemagazine. Learn more about the programs of National CARES atwww.caresmentoring.org.

Black Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children StrugglingBlack Children Struggling— Continued from page 21 —

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One of my favorite ladies in the bible is Ruth, a Moabite whosehusband died and left her to “survive”. Instead of returningto her past she persevered to her future by working in thefields for the left over barley. She held onto the destiny thatwas placed upon her through marriage. She held unto thingsthat were good. She labored for her household and the Lordblessed her faithfulness. Neither circumstances nor situationsin her past were able to hinder her from moving forward tothe things that were important for her family. She was deter-mined not to sit and die but to be productive and be the leaderof her family.

I salute all women especially YOU the one who is head ofyour household, even through you had no choice in the mat-ter. I choose you, a woman of strength. We want to recog-nize you, a woman who is a “Powerhouse” when it comes toraising children on very little money and not enough time inthe day to make more. You are full of faith to believe that thebills will be paid by the end of the month. You are the womanwho has inspired pride in your children. You are the womanwho has studied hard to advance your career. You are thewoman who has worked harder to increase your business andyour ministry. We want to empower YOU, a woman of grace,integrity and great honor. Thank you for inspiring confidencein your sons to be the men they are to be and your girls to bewomen for all seasons. “Many daughters have done virtu-ously, but thou excellest them all.” Proverbs 31:29

We honor YOU a powerhouse woman with distinguishedability.

Education opportunities awaits you:* All Right Learning Center (407) 423-8058* Cornerstone University of Florida (407) 879-1597* Orange County Public Schools (407) 836-5550

Powerhouse WomenPowerhouse WomenPowerhouse WomenPowerhouse WomenPowerhouse Women

By Rosemarie G. Roth

Marjorie Brown of Paradise Café in Orlando is a womanwho believes in helping others to see their greatestpotentials. She was born in Jamaica but fitted right

into the framework of America by creating the Jamaican Ameri-can Association. Here she brings the best of both worlds to-gether through education and cultural exchange.

Doreen Barker created Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries toextend the love she knew from her mother. This ministry al-lows her to share a meal, a blanket or a word of encourage-ment to those in need.

“Lady D” as she is so affectionatly known in our community,will promote a cause or program that pertains to the spread-ing of the gospel. She makes each person feels like they areimportant and their project is worth the air time. Her joy is“The children forum” where she interacts and plant good seedsof an exemplified woman of God.

Seeta Singh she works tirelessly, quietly beside her husbandHari at Lotus Financial Service/Mortgage & Insurance. Sherepresents a strong connection to the Caribbean communitythrough the festivals and celebrations. Her commitment is tobe the best wife and community activist to touch lives thatneeds a smile.

I could go on but this space is not enough to mention the namesof all the women who have contributed to their community,churches and families. What makes them stand out from theothers? Powerhouse women are women of faith.

Mark Finley in his book “Satisfied” separates the losers fromthe winners. Now you choose!

Mirabai was a great saint and devotee of Sri Krishna. Despite facing criticism andhostility from her family, she lived an exemplary saintly life and composed many devo-tional bhajans. She was immune to the criticism and suffering of the world. She wasborn a princess but forsook the pleasures of a palace for begging on the streets ofBrindaban. She lived during a time of war and spiritual decline, but her life offered ashining example of the purest devotion. Many were inspired by her infectious devotionand spontaneous love for Sri Krishna. Mirabai showed how a seeker could attain unionwith God, only through love. Her only message was that Krishna was her all. http://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/mirabai.html

Rosemarie Roth is the Director of Commu-nity Services at Alpha Point, Inc., operat-ing at Silver Star Christian Church, Inc.7510 Silver Star Road in Orlando.

Solid Rock Outreach Ministries4213 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando

Offering Church services, education, food,clothes, senior citizen club Wednesdays10-12 p.m.

To volunteer or to join us you can emailmoreministry@gmail.com, or go to www.alphapoint2.org, or call 321-460-3093.

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