Remembering April 4, 1968

Celebrating January 15

By Herman Hall, Editor & Publisher, EVERYBODY’S, the Caribbean-American Magazine

I vividly remember the night of April 4, 1968 and the morning after, Friday, April 5th.

First, let me briefly describe my life during that era. In 1968, I was a young and new immigrant with no relatives in the US. My two adventurous friends, Cecil and Cadore, came to NY before me and encouraged me to join them. I came on a student visa. Life was rough. I was determined not to violate my immigrant status, in any event I desired to seek a better education, so I attended school. My night job provided me $40 per week after taxes. $8 paid my weekly rent; about $23 for weekly school fees and about $9 left for food, transportation and other needs. I think subway tokens were 10 or 15 cents. I was not yet a big eater so one meal per day and orange juice then about 15 cents for a quarter gallon was enough to take me thru the week.

My biggest problem was my plastic factory job and missing Grenada.  Brooklyn had many plastic factories. It was a 4pm to 12midnight shift with 20 minutes for dinner  and two five minutes break.  For 7.5 hours I had to stand, keep up with the machine door which opened every 20-second. Some machines opened every 15 seconds. It was boring and the plastic was hot as fire when it came from the mold.

The Civil Rights movement was at its climax. To me, the Caribbean people in NY I got to know saw themselves as different to African-Americans. They felt the civil rights struggles was an African-American problem and not a problem for Caribbean immigrants in the US. It was a time when West Indian wives and other West Indian women  came to the US to work as domestic servants for white families. It was the easiest avenue for a woman to get her Green Card or Permanent Visa. Upon getting it she sent for her husband, children and parents.

West Indian women working for white folks in the suburbs of Westchester and Long Island by listening to their bosses  regard the civil rights struggle as purely a Black-American-white American issue.

However, what they did not know was people such as Harry Belafonte, Cecily Tyson, union boss Peter Ottley were of Caribbean heritage and part of the civil rights movement.

Older generations and their children were involved in the civil rights movement. Many were veterans of Marcus Garvey organization and experienced what life was really like in other states.

At 4pm on the afternoon of April 4, 1968, I arrived at the factory located near Broadway in Brooklyn located between Bedford-Stuyvesant and Williamsburg neighborhoods. By 8pm, I sensed something was wrong. The African-American foreman who hailed from South Carolina was not observing us work. He was on the phone with his boss. He looked perplexed.  News did not spread or confirm as easily as today.

Finally around 9pm, he asked everyone to turn off their machine, announced Martin Luther King had been shot and killed, we should hurry to our homes before riots break out.

I lived in Bushwick. Every morning I took the J train at the East New York station then switched to the always crowed A train for Manhattan. The A train was quiet that Friday morning. I saw tears from many as they read newspapers.

Minor riots did occur in Harlem and on Fulton Street in Bedford Stuyvesant but the riots were not major in comparison to what occurred in other parts of the US.

Every 4th and 5th of April, I reminiscent of the chilling days in 1968 and about how Governor Nelson Rockefeller provided his personal plane to transport civil rights leaders in the NY area to King’s funeral in the South.

Years later, the late Percy Sutton, a former Borough President of Manhattan and Malcolm X lawyer, introduced me to Mrs. Coretta Scott King at a luncheon in Manhattan.

“Coretta, I want to introduce you to this young man. He used to work for me at WLIB but he is a big shot now; he has his own magazine,” Sutton amusingly told Mrs. King.

Mrs. King asked if I had a copy. Fortunately, I had one; moreover it was an edition showing photos of the annual March in Washington, DC led by Steve Wonder and others asking January 15 Martin Luther King birthday be declared a national holiday. She was thrilled.

She chatted with  me for about five minutes and invited me to Atlanta.

“Make sure you come to Atlanta for Martin’s birthday next year,” she reminded me.

Trinidad calypsonians at New York Village Vanguard in the 1940s

For the last 27 years T&T’s National Action Cultural Committee, the cultural arm of the National Joint Action Committee, has been hosting an Annual ‘Top 20’ Stars of Gold Calypso and Calypso of the Year Award Ceremony. Gilman Figaro, Chairman/Founder of the The Sunshine Awards, gave the feature address: Excerpts

CALYPSO
A Place in the Present for the Past
By Gil Figaro

     At the very onset, let me congratulate the National Action Cultural Committee and its leadership for embarking upon this noble initiative of preserving calypso music in its traditional form and for bringing artists into closer contact with the people of Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the world for the past 27 years. In other words, this organization’s recognition of the cultural diversity that pervades its musical forms, not only frames the society of Trinidad and Tobago but also underscores the power of the blending of various cultures and its significance to teaching, learning and human development. I stand before you tonight as a beneficiary of this tripartite result or outcome.
I was introduced to calypso and the calypso tent around the age of 7 or 8 by my uncle, Daniel Emanuel Jardine Gilchrist known to calypso aficionados or enthusiasts as the “Young Killer.” Through him I met some of my heroes and teachers – namely, the Mighty Sparrow, the Mighty Chalkdust, Terror, Bomber and the Mighty Duke. Of course, over the years there have been many others too numerous to mention. It is with deep pride, that as I reflect on my years from pre-adolescence to adulthood that these very calypsonians by their research, their mediation of disputes, their delving into history, their documenting of events, their re-narrations of the colloquial idioms and their ensuring that our African traditions remain alive, have all been instrumental to my learning, education and development. Like the Mighty Sparrow, I am proud to say that in the face of British colonial education, that “If I was bright, I woulda be a damn fool.”
The impact of calypso and the calypsonian has far-reaching implications and is not surprising that researchers and historians alike continue to write about the art form and its artists, many of whom may lack formal education as we know it, yet have made and continue to make significant contributions to our culture. And so my goal tonight is to reiterate that there is a place in the present for the past.
My point, brothers and sisters, is that while many of our veterans did not attend college or university, their compositions, their lyrics, cognitive processes, insights, and melodies have led us to believe otherwise. Their social and political commentaries have helped to shape and expand my understanding and ability to engage in dialog in many circles.
In short, they have contributed significantly to increasing my cultural literacy and equipping me with an arsenal of worldviews that has become commonplace in my daily existence.
I often describe our calypsonians as ‘incubators of knowledge’ because they have educated us using their tools of varied skills, craftsmanship and talent. We therefore owe a great deal to these pedagogical heroes who have used their performing venues as classrooms. We should not forget them even if some are waiting to welcome us elsewhere.
Social commentaries like the Mighty Sparrow’s “Education is Essential,” Duke’s “How Many More Must Die,” (How poignant a title when we relate it to the social breakdown and murder rate in our communities, not to mention the spate of police killings in the US), Christo’s “Don’t try to Live like the Morgan’s,” Chalkdust’s “Black Inventions” and Funny’s “Read a Book” should not only be viewed or enjoyed as advice or counseling in song but should be appreciated in the context of human development and empowerment. Truly, the power of the veteran calypsonians must not be taken lightly but should be contextualized as harbingers of knowledge for the upcoming generation. I am therefore appealing to the veterans to continue to forge ahead with the traditional art form of calypso to ensure that the past transcends the present thereby ensuring a future.
We must also credit the veteran calypsonian with a keen understanding of the fabric of his/her society and the ability to recognize the gap between rich and poor – a gap that reaffirmed his role as the voice and ears of the masses. I am sure that you can recall, as recently as the 1960s calypso was not considered an integral part of the performing arts to the extent that it was not played by radio stations during the Lenten season. The performing artist was perceived as the individual who played the piano or the violin at Queens Hall in Port of Spain for the upper echelon in society.
The same can be said of the very powerful and informative political commentaries from the veteran calypsonian. The calypsonian can set the stage for a democratic society like ours. Gypsy proved it with his “Captain the Ship is sinking,” Chalkdust with his “Driver can’t drive” and the Lord Kitchener with his “Not a Damn Seat For them.” The politician plays a significant role in the affairs of citizens through the crafting of laws, policies and the structuring of society – sometimes creating gaps between rich and poor and favoritism among the citizenry. In stark contrast, the calypsonian often point out these inequities and social ills through his compositions. In other words, the calypsonian, like a journalist can inform, persuade and influence political outcomes.
Moreover, his or her compositions serve to pull the feathers of the wings of politicians to enable him to “fly an ordinary pitch” to use the words of Shakespeare. I often ponder upon this reality asking myself that after playing all these roles, why becoming a calypsonian was not viewed as a respectable pursuit. Is it because of the lower class, African roots of calypso, or is it because the calypsonian is often right?
Let’s take a look at another area of the calypso genre that our heroes have mastered which has also contributed to my development – the humor in calypso. Humor is an integral part of our cultural fabric. One might even venture to say that Caribbean societies will cease to exist if there is no humor. Humor to our Caribbean society is therapeutic. Medical researchers are even reporting that laughter is important for one’s good health and well-being…. Remember Chalkie’s calypso “You Got to Learn to Laugh.”
Many veteran calypsonians have integrated humor into their compositions, often making it the most important ingredient. I often describe their humor as “creative humor.” Calypsoes like Lord Pyscho’s “My Memory,” Spoiler’s “Himself Talking to Himself,” Lord Nelson’s “Lying Competition,” Dougla’s “Lazy Man” and Young Killer’s “Black Woman named Miss White” are all calypsos that reflect a high level of creative humor and were appreciated by all audiences. It is this creative humor of the calypsonian that finds its way back into the society, where, as part of the socialization process, it frames our personalities and contributes to our national identity. Many foreigners therefore cannot understand why we laugh at events and things that make them cry and why we are so joyful in areas where others find gloom.
Stay with me on this journey and let’s reflect on the calypsonian as an entertainer and the calypso art form as entertainment. There is no doubt that some veteran calypsonians have mastered the art of entertaining others and the public using skills and techniques, language and body movements that leave audiences wanting more and wishing that the performances never end. Actions and emotions to underscore the message from the lyrics clearly define the calypsonian as an entertainer and not just someone who sings calypsoes.
The Mighty Sparrow, Super Blue, David Rudder, Black Stalin, Brigo and Calypso Rose are among those who have thrilled many audiences to the fullest repeatedly answering calls for encores. So my brothers and sisters, in many respects, calypso is much more than humorous political and social commentaries – in fact it is an art form that persuades, informs, educates, motivates, uplifts and entertains.
All these characteristics of the calypso art form superbly performed by the calypsonian helped to persuade and educate me as a young man here in Trinidad and Tobago so that I could embark upon an adult life with the capacity to appreciate other aspects of the performing arts. The joys and excitement of calypso often replaced my need, as a young man in Trinidad, to listen to other forms of music. So powerful is the art form of calypso that it has given birth to other genres: soca; chutney soca; soca parang; and the performers of these new art forms are benefiting from the sacrifices the calypsonians of yesteryear have made throughout their careers.     This illustrates that there is a place in the present for the past.
It is this appreciation for the art form and a strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives that gave me the impetus to found Calypso for Africa in 1984 and write and produce the music track “Now Is the Time” with Joe Brown and Ralph MacDonald. A recording that included 72 calypsonians spanning four generations. The objective of that project was to assist our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia, Africa.
Following that historic Project, I founded the SUNSHINE Awards to recognize excellence in calypso and steelband music and pay tribute to the pioneers and great contributors. Let me be clear – an undertaking such as this cannot be accomplished single-handedly.
I have had tremendous support from individuals who shared the same passion for our indigenous art form – the calypso and steelband music…
The establishment of the SUNSHINE Awards did not occur without challenges. We had many “naysayers” including the various Caribbean Consulates (including my own) in New York City that clearly voiced their  opinion saying – the idea was not going to work – calypso has no track record. There were also our brothers and sisters from other Caribbean countries describing it as a “Trini Thing.” There was the lack of trust in the idea from sponsors, in the Caribbean and New York and the shortage of financial resources – were other barriers to which we were privy.
No doubt, there were times I thought of shelving the idea but felt that I owed this to my uncle, my culture and myself. Moreover, my uncle indicated that once I had Chalkdust in my corner that I would never fail and he was indeed clairvoyant in that regard. …
Tonight, I can proudly tell you that through the years, the SUNSHINE Awards Program has expanded in scope and breadth extending its canopy of awards to America, Africa, Central America, South America and India….
You should also know that following the death of Nelson Mandela, we requested [and got] approval from his family and The Nelson Mandela Foundation to name a SUNSHINE Award in his honor as a tribute and to keep the focus of his works and contribution to our world in the forefront of our minds. …
In conclusion, I note that this special event tonight, coincides with the centenary of the first vocal recoding of a calypso, “Iron Duke in the Land” performed by Julien Whiterose. We should note also that history has recorded that carnival over the years has become the hallmark of the Trinidad and Tobago society. Some historians and researchers still argue that there would have been no carnival without calypso music and the calypsonian.
If we accept that argument then we must accept that calypso is the cornerstone of the rich history and beauty of our society and has been very instrumental in setting the stage for cultural diversity. In that case we, the calypso promoters and calypso lovers must ensure that the cornerstone be not removed and that indeed there is a place in the present for calypso music….
My brothers and sisters, you and I are indeed blessed beneficiaries of the beautiful art form of calypso music – an art form that must be preserved with its heritage for future generations. Let us all embark upon a personal assignment joining hands and hearts with the National Action Cultural Committee and other like-minded cultural organizations to ensure that there is a place in the present for traditional calypso music and the calypsonian.

True, most of North America is freezing and many will love to fly to hot weather islands. Months ago thousands of carnival fans – calypso, steelpan, soca and costume – residing in cities such as Toronto, Montreal and New York booked flights to go to Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. Many are already in Trinbago.

Trinidad’s Carnival is only a month away, February 13-17. Calypso tents are opened, bands are competing to be selected for the panorama finals and soca is hot.

Soca artists have been selected for both the Groovy Soca and Power Soca semifinals. A change in the high profile competition no longer the reigning monarchs to defend their title. “The decision to change the rule of defending the title was guided by a decision to align the competition with best practices in the global entertainment industry, where the reigning monarch is not obligated to defend their title,” a release from the organizers said.

Therefore, it appears that Machel Montano and Kerwin Du Bois will not defend their respective title.

Roger Toussaint Who Once Shutdown

New York City Comments On Latest Saga

   “That could have been any of us!”

   As someone who lived in New York for 35 years and as the former president of one of its larger unions, the Transport Workers Union, Local 100 (2001-2009), and thus quite familiar with the fabric and terrain, I write to address the challenges facing the protest movement in the aftermath of the tragic murder of the two NYPD officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.

    This is clearly not what either the family of Eric Garner or the tens of thousands involved in recent protests wished or wanted. Indeed, the vast majority of voices raised and feet marching in protest called for change and not for violence. Nor was this criminally demented young man, who shot his girlfriend just before getting on a bus and traveling to New York where he launched his deadly attack on these unsuspecting officers, part of any protest movement.

   We all extend deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of these fallen officers.

There is neither justification, good sense nor purpose to attacks and violence against individual police officers who have little or nothing to do with the policies and leadership that have created, promoted and defended the dehumanizing of the lives of black people and other people of color. The target of the protests has been and is indeed institutional racism, not the police in and of themselves.

The acquittals in Florida (Trayvon Martin), Missouri and New York are the doing of the guardians of the system of institutional racism. In each case, the Governors, Mayors and District Attorneys hid their own refusal and failure to take action to defend the victims behind grand juries, whom they spoon-fed and steered to deliver the message that Black Lives Still Do Not Matter!—today, and certainly tomorrow!

   While this experience, in terms of heinous acts and attitudes, is part of an unbroken American legacy, the recent spate of unpunished, sanctioned attacks are also intended to deliver the message: Even with Obama in the White House, don’t think things have changed or forget who’s in charge!

It is the city and state fathers and District Attorneys and other top policy-makers who have for decades sustained the dehumanizing of communities of color in New York and around the country.    Across-the-board inferior and unequal housing, education, employment, medical care, protection and other services, access to culture and to opportunities in general, translate directly and precisely into disrespected and devalued lives. The only preference allowed is for punishment and prisons.

But, in this way, people focus on each other, either as competing victims or to protect their own measly privilege, while the fat cats make out like bandits and control everything. Institutional racism serves systems of inequality and each will be defended with might and fright, as with words and prose.

   The recent protest movement is the first breath of fresh air in a long while and represents the only hope that this generation and the next might move America closer to a more-just society where our teenagers, our sons, uncles and grandparents can leave their homes and walk the streets of America without fear from those sworn to protect and serve.

Today’s movement might just accomplish what my own generation has obviously failed so miserably to do.

   Changes are indeed needed. Police cannot be allowed to act without accountability or to operate as an occupying army. Governors, Mayors, District Attorneys and top policy-makers must be held chiefly accountable for the realization of actual equal treatment under the law and not just at election time when promises abound.

   It would be pure folly to rely upon promises or on goodwill to move America closer to this elusive reality, just as it would be a profound loss and mistake to abandon the best mechanisms of pressure to bring these about—the protest movement. There is not even a whimper of hope for change without such a movement. For power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

   In one sense, George Zimmerman in Florida and the police officers involved in the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner are mere tools and pawns in an American story that is much bigger than them. Tomorrow they too and their families can be discarded, if it suits that machine. The same forces that today sing praises to the cops underpay them and are working desperately and openly to strip them and their families of their pensions; that is more easily done if the public and communities view the work they do in an unsympathetic light. All communities should matter, not just some. This calls into question the very public actions of the leadership of so many of these police unions, which deserves to be addressed.

   As a former union president, I must say that the leadership of New York’s PBA and other police unions across the country has been utterly insensitive and worse with regards to the passionate feelings and concerns recently being expressed by the very communities which the police are sworn to protect, especially when those communities happen to be communities of color.

   I know the leadership of New York’s PBA fairly well and have personally valued the solidarity they showed for transit workers in past struggles. I was hopeful that they would demonstrate the ability to navigate the changes needed in policing and in their relationship with the communities.

Sadly, the leadership of these unions seems to ignore or forget that so many of their members/officers themselves today have sons and nephews who look exactly like Michael Brown and brothers and uncles who look like Eric Garner and moreover, could just as easily have been them!

   Notwithstanding the positions being taken by the leadership of these unions, I am certain that this fact is not lost on many NYPD officers who go home to these very communities. Moreover, many if not most of the other members/officers do truly see their work as protecting the communities and as jobs—to feed, house and raise their families—NOT as a means to act out some “chip on their shoulders” or to feed their personal sick insecurities and need to “put people in their place,” or as a badge to bully and kill for no good reason. So who speaks for that majority?

   The challenge facing the PBA is to represent the interests of the majority of its members who are decent, and not the sickos and bullies, any more than I would glorify a station agent or bus driver who is truly abusive to the passengers they are supposed to serve and who pay their wages—even without the power to use deadly force, such as NYPD officers do.

When unions serve the interests of the few, they lose their way and their ability to be forward-looking. But one of the better-kept secrets is that invariably, they also quietly become alienated from their own members. Inevitably, if the leadership of the PBA continues to ignore and fail on this challenge, new leadership will be destined to take it up.

   Meanwhile, the reality is that unless and until the doors of justice are equally open and guaranteed to all, we will be visited with unspeakable tragedies on all sides.

PHOTOS: (1) Mayor Bill de Blasio and wife were much loved on January 1, 2014 when he was sworn. Twelve months later, January 1, 2015, they are the Judas of the police union boss.

(2) Former TWU boss Roger Toussaint

Roger Toussaint was the President of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, the union of New York City Transit Authority employees in New York City. He is a former national of Trinidad & Tobago.

The 2015 EVERYBODY’S Global Caribbean Calendar is available in print and digital formats.

It provides all major Caribbean events in the region and Caribbean communities worldwide from Independence dates and other holidays to carnival and festival events.

When is Caribana in Toronto? What date is London Carnival? When is the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival? The information can be found in the calendar.

To order the 2015 Global Caribbean Calendar click:

http://everybodysmag.com/magazines/#print

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President Barack Obama and President Ronald Reagan
Immigration Policies
By Herman Hall

President Obama and speech writers prepare the final draft of the president’s immigration message to the nation.

Brooklyn, NY – President Ronald Reagan signing legislation granting amnesty to millions of “illegal aliens,” as undocumented immigrants were then called was welcomed in the Caribbean-American community. As a result of Reagan’s vision, thousands of undocumented Caribbean aliens got permanent status. A few years later many opted to become U.S. citizens.
EVERYBODY’S Magazine graced its cover with Reagan photo and the Amnesty headline. One hundred copies were later requested by the Reagan White House. Today, it’s the era of twitter, facebook, TV newsmagazine and more …so EVERYBODY’S doing a comprehensive report on President Obama’s decision will be outdated even before the magazine gets to the printer.

The timing of President Barack Obama taking dramatic actions on the burning immigration issue was similar to the timing of President Ronald Reagan on immigration. Both presidents acted boldly during their second term.
There is a difference. Reagan twisted the hands of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to get the Immigration Bill of 1986. Similar to Reagan’s Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) he signed during his first term, the president depended on Democrats in Congress to support and passed both pieces of major legislation, the CBI and Immigration Reform.
Regardless to Obama’s pleas, Republicans in the House of Representatives have steadfastly refused to consider Obama’s willingness to act decisively on immigration legislation thereby forcing the president to take executive actions.
“Our nation is a nation of immigrants. More than any other country, our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands. No free and prosperous nation can by itself accommodate all those who seek a better life or flee persecution,” President Reagan remarked on July 20, 1981.
President Obama focused on three major points during his national address on November 20, 2014. “First, we’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over.
Second, I’ll make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.
Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.
I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we’re also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable -– especially those who may be dangerous. That’s why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent. And that’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.
But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants in every state, of every race and nationality still live here illegally. And let’s be honest -– tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here, and their hopes, dreams, and patriotism are just like ours. As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: ‘They are a part of American life.’”

Geoffrey Holder

Broadway famed Geoffrey Holder has passed on. He was 84. Geoffrey holder was a household name across America especially during the 1970s and 1980s. One of the two Tony Awards Holder won was for the remake of the classic Wizard of Oz.

Holder was proud of the nation of his birth, Trinidad & Tobago. He was one of EVERYBODY’S most loyal readers and kept the magazine for his sister to read when in New York visiting.

More from EVERYBODY’S on the passing of Holder later.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO PRIME MINISTER
CELEBRATING REPUBLIC DAY IN BROOKLYN
THURSDAY, SEP. 25
TROPICAL PARADISE BALLROOM
1367 UTICA AVE., BROOKLYN

     Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will celebrate Republic Day with nationals of Trinidad & Tobago and other Caribbean states at a town hall meeting on Thursday, September 25 beginning at 8:00pm at Tropical Paradise Ballroom, 1367 Utica Ave., Brooklyn, NY. “It’s an honor for our Prime Minister to spend Republic Day with us,” says Michelle Young, a prominent Trinbagonian-New Yorker.
Trinidad & Tobago became a republic on August 1, 1976 with a president as head of state and not the British monarch. However, Republic Day is celebrated every September 24 to commemorate the opening of the nation’s first Parliament under the Republican constitution.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar is in NY attending the 69th United Nations General Assembly.
In addition to addressing the General Assembly, the prime minister is also participating in several meetings and conferences on population and development, climate change and other environmental topics.
Last evening she was a guest at a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama.
Before she arrives at Tropical Ballroom on Thursday, Prime Minister Bissessar will visit two landmarks in Brooklyn’s Trinbagonian community. She will first stop at Charlie’s Records on Fulton Street. Charles produced the great calypso hits of the 1970s-1990s. One of his daughters, Olympian Tina Charles, plays for WNBA New York Liberty. The prime minister’s second stop will be Conrad’s Bakery at Utica Ave.
After formally addressing the anticipated large crowd at Tropical Paradise Ballroom, Trinidad & Tobago first woman prime minister will socialize, meet and greet in celebration of Republic Day.

Several other Caribbean leaders are addressing the UN General Assembly.  Maybe some will remain in New York during Oct. 4-5 weekend. If so, they may attend the Oliver Samuels play, Dolly House, at York College Center for the Performing Arts.

Over the years, many prime ministers when in NY have attended several plays and shows produced by Herman Hall Communications. The last surprise visit was Prime Minister Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A call from Secret Service informing this magazine and the performing arts center at Howard University that Prime Minister Gonsalves would be attending an Oliver Samuels that evening. And, the prime minister came.

The cast of the comedy play, Dolly House