First Lady Chirlane McCray recently delivered remarks to the Women’s Initiatives Networking, a diverse forum of New York City-based women’s groups organized by the New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women.

    I really wanted to come tonight because I have this question that I’ve been wondering about for some time.

    And that question is: Who exactly are the 100 Black Women?

     Such a powerful name! And you all have been such a mystery to me. I’m not talking about your names on paper of course. And not your professional affiliations. And what you’ve achieved.

     I’ve just wondered, what exactly does it feel like to be in a room with you all?

     Well, I can say it’s feeling pretty good…  I like the company.

     And I feel so lucky to be alive and standing here with you.

     I love the way you have come together to support one another and do the kind of work that you’re doing for our young people.

    You know people ask me how I can live this crazy political life.  Giving up so much of our privacy, living in a fishbowl. The pace. With no two days ever alike. Traveling from the Bronx to Staten Island to Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, and then doing it all over again.

    And I have to tell people that everything I’ve been through in my life has helped to prepare me for this moment.

     I’m sure most of you follow the news pretty closely, so you’ve probably come across an article or two about me.

    But you’re also savvy enough to realize that what you read in the newspaper is only one part of my story.

    So let me tell you just a little more – of my version of my story – in condensed form.

    Because there is definitely something interesting, some spirited blood flowing through my veins.

    I’m the granddaughter of immigrants. My maternal great grandmother, my maternal grandfather AND my maternal grandmother all traveled from Barbados to the United States.

    The farthest back I can trace is my great grandmother, Louisa Parris Edwards. And let me tell you, that woman had a lot of gumption. The short story is that she was a widow, working on a mail ship that traveled between the islands in the Caribbean. A wealthy family took a liking to her and invited her to work for their family. In Claremont, New Hampshire.

    She could not have known how COLD it was. Right? Anyway, she accepted the offer. And one by one she brought her children over and eventually bought the house my mother was born in. Then Louisa, after raising her family in Claremont, packed her bags and moved to Harlem. And there, she joined the Marcus Garvey Back to Africa movement.

    She invested in the Black Star Line and the Parent Body of the Universal Negro Improvement Association Construction Loans. AND she invested in the Negro Factories Corporation. And I know that when she died, she had one of the biggest funerals ever held in Harlem. That’s the activist blood I have flowing through my veins!

    My parents had a mixed marriage. Her folks came to this country from Barbados and my father’s parents came from the south. And they brought me up in Springfield and Longmeadow, Massachusetts, which was about a million miles away, culturally, from Harlem.

     I was always the only black student in my class, and there was a stretch when I was the only black student in the entire school.

     It was tough – emotionally and psychologically. I was teased, I was chased, and yes, I even was spit at. But I was the first girl in my family to go to college.

     So for me the real mystery is, how my parents managed to achieve what they did? And my grandparents? How did they all do it? This is something I spend a lot of time thinking about these days.

    So when people ask me, how can I DO what I’m doing, I tell them that, everything I have experienced has helped to prepare me. And I had help.

     I had afterschool and weekend programs — at the Girl’s Club, West African and jazz dance and theatre at the Dunbar Community Center, youth group at St Peter’s Episcopal Church, the YMCA.  I had piano lessons, swimming lessons and swim team. And every week we’d go to the library and I’d find refuge in the tall stacks of books. I would check out as many of them as my little arms could carry.

    And there were adults who encouraged me. Not just one. And no ONE in particular. But they were there and I drew strength from them.

    Once I started writing, poetry, in high school, the writing was my skill and it sustained me. It was my therapy and my outlet.

    At Wellesley, where I went to college, I teamed up with some other students to launch Brown Sister, a publication celebrating the voices of women of color. And I had professors there who encouraged me.

     And then I moved to New York City — in 1977, with two possible job contacts, a place to stay and about 35 dollars in my pocket.

    My first job was with Redbook magazine. My first freelance assignments were with Essence magazine. It was challenging to be in that industry, when so many people were still claiming that Black people did not read. And there were so few people of color in NY publishing houses.

    Outside of Essence and Black Enterprise magazines, there were only a handful.

    But when I started an organization called Black Women in Publishing, the editor in chief at Redbook made sure we had a space for our first meetings. He encouraged me.

    But it was not ALL easy. When I finally decided to leave publishing and work full-time as a writer, I learned first-hand the challenges of being a single artist without a lovely benefits package!

    Those were the years when I learned what it was like to live in a building with drafty windows and not enough heat.

    Those were the years I learned how to get by with second-rate medical care because I couldn’t afford a good doctor. And I learned what happens when you land in a hospital with a newly diagnosed, severe chronic disease and you have no health insurance.

    And thanks to a job, I took as a substitute teacher, those where the years when I gained a fuller appreciation for why my parents sacrificed so much for my education.

    I eventually landed a position in the Dinkins administration, as a press person. And that’s where I met my very tall and very handsome and very smart husband. The spot where we met is just a few yards from where his office is now.

    And we were married nearly 20 years ago. We celebrate our anniversary is in May and we have the two fabulous children you’ve heard about – Chiara and Dante.

    Since then I’ve worked in communications and as a speechwriter — in government and politics and healthcare. But I’ve never forgotten the lessons I learned during my youth.

     I know that government has a powerful role to play in the lives of everyday people. And has powerful tools to help protect people and keep the doors of opportunity open.

    I’m so proud to be a part of the de Blasio administration. And I have to say that I did not go door to door to door, hand out flyers in subways, go to bed late and get up early — campaigning side by side with my husband so I that could sit back and put my feet up!

    After all these years together, I know how committed he is to using those tools of government to lift up all New Yorkers.

    Today Mayor Bill signed the paid sick bill legislation, which means a half million more New Yorkers have the right to take a sick day without losing their job. Or care for a child or parent who is ill. Which makes for a healthier workplace and city if someone with the flu is not serving your food!

    I’m also proud to be part of the movement to bring universal pre-kindergarten and after-school programs for our middle school students

    We are working day and night to provide every young person in New York City with full-day pre-kindergarten when they’re young… and high-quality after school programs when they’re in middle school.

    I could rattle off a bunch of statistics proving that early education is one of the best investments we can make in our children, but instead I’m going to tell you one little story.

    A few weeks ago, I visited a model pre-K classroom in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

     It was Choice Time, so all the 4-year-olds were clustered in different centers, working on different aspects of construction.

    Some were building with blocks. Some were measuring and hammering, and drilling – using adult-sized tools!

    And some had just finished building a castle. And this one teeny-tiny gal with pigtails and a squeaky voice grabbed my hand to show me the drawbridge and other parts of their castle.

    I was impressed with all the detail, but I was even more impressed with how articulate she was.

    A few minutes later, right before story time, she plopped herself down in the front row, looked into my eyes with great seriousness and said, “I’m paying attention.  I’m engaged.”

    I just laughed. I was so tickled with her AND the other children in the class.

    Her vocabulary was bigger than she was.  And her intelligence… off the charts.

     But just imagine. What if she – like some 50,000 of her peers in New York City – didn’t have access to pre-K?

    There’s a good chance she’d spend most of her time at home, perhaps sitting in front of the TV.   Which would be such a waste.

     So if you haven’t already, I urge you to join the UPK-NYC movement. Please help us make New York City history by making sure all of our children have pre-kindergarten and all of our middle school students have access to high quality, after school programs.

    And… just in case you think I’m not busy enough, I want to remind you that I also serve as Chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

     My team is just getting started, but already tackling some of the toughest problems facing us today. To give you a sense of the Mayor’s Fund broad scope of concerns, there were two projects that were in the news last week.

    Last Wednesday was the opening of the city’s fourth Family Justice Center, in Lower Manhattan.  which provides crucial support to the victims of domestic violence.

    Then, on Sunday, I was in East Harlem to announce a relief effort to help victims of the tragic building collapse put their lives back together. And I am so grateful for all the donations we have received. If there is one thing New Yorkers can count on when tragedy strikes, it’s other New Yorkers.

    Because there is so much I want to share with you. So, I invite you to check out my blog on tumblr. It’s flonyc.tumblr.com. The letters stand for First Lady of New York City and I call it FLOW-NICE. The blog one of the ways I share my thoughts, what I’m doing around the city and the people I am meeting. With poetry, pictures, video and stories. It’s interactive you can share your stories on it too!

    Think of it as one of the ways we can continue getting acquainted.

     And I do want to get to know you better and work with you. So please, consider this the beginning of a long conversation we get to have over the next four to eight years.

     I know we share the same dreams for our young people and if history has proven anything, it’s that nothing – and I mean nothing – can stop us when we unite behind a common goal.

    Together, we can help get our young people and our city where it needs to be.

Castries, St. Lucia, Feb 21:   Prime Minister Kenny Anthony paid tribute to Sir John Compton who led Saint Lucia into independence 35 years ago, Feb. 22, 1979. The speech, Celebrating Our Past,” was given at the unveiling of a statue of the late Sir. John Compton at Constitution Park on the eve of Saint Lucia’s independence.

“Think of the Taj Mahal of India, the Sphinx of Egypt, the Mona Lisa held in the Louvre Museum, Mount Rushmore and its presidential features, the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour. Statues abound in every city square around the world. They tell a tale of achievement, of courage and of honour. They proclaim the progress of nations and identifies the character of the people they represent.

In this instance, this statue which we will unveil is part of the story that is our history – that long road from discovery to self-determination; of our achievements from colony to independent statehood; of our progress from underdevelopment to a developing and diversified country; of our character from a politically tribal to a maturing democracy. This unveiling is helping define a new Saint Lucia which is at peace with its past.

THIS MONUMENT DOES NOT INDEMNIFY

Here in the heart of Castries, this place of honour we unveil today should not be conjured or confused in our minds as the summation of the man, the leader, the statesman, that was John Compton.

No! All of Saint Lucia knows better. He was and will always be more than a park and a monument.

Saint Lucians are also cognisant that this monument does not indemnify or repay the untiring, unyielding will that this soul from Canouan carved into the landscape of Saint Lucia and in the psyche of its people.

HIS HISTORY CANNOT BE DIMINISHED

This monument will remind all Saint Lucians of the life and stories which can be told of John Compton. It will allow the story to be retold more often to those who did not know him, who were not of his era.

Some of these stories are facts of history. Some of these stories might well be myth or legend, some more skewed and tinted red, yellow or blue, dependent on the bard. Either way, his history cannot be diminished or denied.

UNEQUIVOCAL VOCATION

Sixty years ago this year, a young John George Melvin Compton was immersed into what would be his baptism of Saint Lucian politics, into what would become a life-long, unequivocal vocation. A decade on from then, in 1964, and following his sojourn and irreconcilable differences with the Saint Lucia Labour Party of the day headed by Sir George F.L. Charles, he branched out boldly to form the National Labour Movement (NLM) which merged with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to form the United Workers Party; an entity through which he championed his vision for Saint Lucia. As such, this year is perhaps a fitting one within which to unveil this lifelike epitaph of bronze.

John Compton was the ‘Father of Independence’. He completed a process of self-determination that stretched from the resistance of the Amerindians against the arrival of Europeans, the rebellions of the slaves against slavery and the rejection by George Charles against colonial disenfranchisement. George Charles fought for our right to vote and have our own political leadership effectively ending direct white rule. John Compton completed the circle of decolonisation by leading us to achieve the right to decide our own destiny.

But more than carrying us over the line of self-determination where we could proudly state we are now independent, able to stand and join other nations as an equal, John Compton gave his life pursuing a vision for the development of Saint Lucia. His achievements in leading Saint Lucia from a colonial backwater to a developing state, speak of a man who was resolute, committed, and relentless in his efforts. It took a lot of character, dedication and visioning to tackle the colonial ills of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, disease and backwardness.

This park should be rightfully seen as a place of respect and honour for a man who gave so much of his life in the service of Saint Lucia.

NEITHER BEATIFICATION NOR SANTIFICATION

Citizens of Saint Lucia, at the cusp of our anniversary of Independence, we have come together as a nation to publicly honour the life of service of John Compton. This ceremony is neither beatification nor sanctification, for we are mindful enough of the tribulations that is the theatre of politics and the troubles, tragedy and toils of its actors.

Yet, our politics, this clashing of contending sides within our country must be noble enough, courageous enough – and courteous to a fault – so that we might embrace such moments of undeniable unity.

DIFFERENCES SHOULD NOT DENY GOODNESS

In truth, I trust that we should know that there lies no shame or hypocrisy in the leader of one political party paying homage to the honour of another leader, even as they might once have been political adversaries. At the end of things, if such homage is due, then it should never be denied. All politicians have faults, but such blemishes should not deny the goodness of character and strength of heart of each.

If we cannot emulate this, then what sense is there when we meet only a few yards from this place in Parliament, to speak to the honourable business of the people?

ALWAYS CELEBRATE OUR HEROES

Today, I ask you not to perceive yourself as a member of the Saint Lucia Labour Party; nor as a member of the United Workers’ Party, or of any political group for that matter. Rather, we are here this evening to declare we are simply Saint Lucians, gathered to celebrate one of our heroes.

Indeed, this applies not only for today. Rather, on all days, we should think first of country and its wellbeing before political hue.

This monument, thus, is to remind us not just of the man, Sir John. Instead, it is a reflection of ourselves, a mirror of our heritage and achievements. This monument is not for Sir John Compton, nor even is it for his family. It is primarily for the people of Saint Lucia, for those who might not have known his form and feats of fame.

It is to remind us all of our past, of our struggles, of our stern and starved nights of pain, and then of our triumphs, to trace our dawns of brighter, more peaceful, more beautiful morns.

A TOOL OF LEARNING

It is this past which Sir John has so undeniably shaped and caused to alter from the dark days of colony to our maturing years of statehood and independence. We owe it to our youth as a tool of learning and instruction.

Thus, this monument serves to the child, to the school group, to the passer-by, to the many who find Constitution Park their place of rational thought, of worship or preaching or of diatribe, as an aide memoire of all these indelible moments and institutions that we must cherish.

I speak of independence. I speak of our right to govern and determine for ourselves, as best we can. I speak of our cherished values enshrined in our Constitution, for which we must hold onto dearly.

Sir John cherished these for he undoubtedly fought for their realisation.

On this year of our thirty-fifth anniversary of Independence, we cannot stretch out to glad, new, brighter days if we are not at peace with our past, if we cannot celebrate our past. Nor should we parry to the past our ignominious and wanting faults without accepting them. We will find it difficult to champion a new world for ourselves if we disregard and depreciate our heroes.

AN ALLOY OF METAL

This alloy of metal, this statue – while exquisitely and superbly formed and cast as it may be – does not capture the memories that Sir John Compton has himself sculpted in the minds of many; particularly the people of Micoud, who knew him lovingly as Daddy Compton.

Some may well argue that he would perhaps not have approved such a form of remembrance, for he was a man of frugality and practicality. And it is true, indeed, that he believed in memorials that did things for people: a dam that provided people with potable water, a highway that linked the city with the suburbs, and so on. I think no one would debate such economy of resources, and these things have been named in his honour.

ANOTHER PRICE TO BE PAID

Yet, there is value even in this small gesture, and I am sure he would have been proud of it because he might interpret it as an elevation of the Saint Lucian patrimony. Or, perhaps grudgingly, he might accept it as just another price to be paid by the politician in the vocation of service in politics.

FOOTSTEPS AMIDST THE FIELDS

Whatever may have been his true feelings, there is value in having a place of physical memorial that people might gather and pay homage to his memory and achievement. His favourite places, no doubt will be cherished by his family and close friends: his home at Moulin-a-Vent, walking his footsteps amidst the fields at Mahaut, and so on. Indeed, there are few places in Saint Lucia where his feet had not walked, where his hands did not do work.

And even while this is the case, this landmark brings to focus our memory of this courageous man. He did walk through here without fear, interacting with people whether in moments of calm or of political turmoil and upheaval .

And so, this statue completes Constitution Park, with the bearer of the constitution document in his hand. Perhaps he might suggest we plant a banana tree nearby as a memory of him, but I am sure Lady Janice would agree only if it maintains the aesthetic and character of this green space. And while he might have preferred us to remember him by his simplicity and humanity- his green F.A.R., his voice always filled with prose, his kindness and humour, we are duty bound for our own posterity to remember him for his national legacy.

LET HIS MEMORY FIND RESONANCE

And so tonight, at this temporal confluence filled with anniversaries, in this spatial intersect of Parliament and the Courts, the Castries City Hall and William Peter Boulevard where he worked professionally and politically, we find a place to let his memory find resonance in the minds of the Saint Lucian people. Let our nation find balance in his midst. Let our nation find peace about this place.

To Lady Janice and your children, Sean, Jeanine, Maya, Nina, Fiona, Saint Lucia says thank you for allowing us to share with you and to shine in Sir John’s legacy.

I thank you”

Port-of-Spain, Feb 19:  The highest award Trinidad & Tobago can bestow on its citizens,  Order of Trinidad & Tobago, will be bestowed on Grenada-born Dr. Slinger Francisco known worldwide as The Mighty Sparrow. Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar made the announcement at a carnival school event attended by The Mighty Sparrow who recently returned to Trinidad & Tobago after a long hospitalization and rehabilitation stay in New York.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar proclaimed that Sparrow’s very high medical expenses will be paid by the Government of Trinidad & Tobago.

The Prime Minister stated that she was happy to make the announcements in the presence of The Mighty Sparrow. Addressing Sparrow at the event she said with the approval of Cabinet “ I recommend to His Excellency, President Anthony Carmona, to confer on you, Dr Slinger Francisco, the Mighty Sparrow, the prestigious Order of Trinidad and Tobago, the highest national recognition and honour which can be awarded to any citizen.”

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar continued  “like so many citizens from all walks of life, I have long admired and enjoyed the impressive work of the Mighty Sparrow whose unparalleled contribution to our music and our culture has been hailed all over the world.”

“The Prime Minister told him “Your work , Sir, has been studied, analyzed, dissected and interpreted by scholars, academics, musicologists, but above all by the multitude of ordinary people not only here in our twin island, and all over the Caribbean, but in so many other parts of the world. Indeed you have justly earned the title — the Calypso King of The World.”

As the crowd and children applauded the PM said “It is a fitting tribute to the contribution you have made to Trinidad and Tobago, and to the World …  I am sure the national community will agree this is a richly deserved honour. I am also very pleased to announce that the Cabinet has further agreed to cover all the medical expenses incurred by your recent illness, from which by the Grace of God, you successfully recovered …  you have entertained our senses and challenged our sensibilities. Your words have inspired, reflected, caused serious introspection and at times have just provided sheer musical and lyrical delight.”

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar also saluted Guyanese-born but Trinidad raised Peter Minshall. The renowned carnival costume designer who also designed the opening and closing scenes of the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympic Games was given the deed to a State owned property that Minshall occupied for decades.

 

 

 

Port-of-Spain, Feb. 17: The Trinidad & Tobago Unified Calypso Association released the names of the 40 calypsonians, selected from various calypso tents across Trinidad & Tobago, who will compete in the National Semifinals on Saturday. At Skinner Park, San Fernando on February 22, the judges will choose 11 for the National Calypso Monarch title. They will try to dethrone the 2013 monarch Pink Panther. Many veterans are in the group of 40 including Chalkdust and Singing Sandra.

Sandra is already booked to appear at the EVERYBODY’S Mother’s Day Saturday Concert on May 10 in Brooklyn, NY.

Other veterans include Singing Francine, Brother Valentino and Allrounder.

Several young but experienced artists are in Saturday’s mix. Heather Mac Intosh who gave a sterling performance at last year’s Mother Day Saturday Concert is in; others include Brian London, Leslie Ann Ellis, St. Vincent-born Fya Empress, Body Guard and Georgia McIntyre.

The 40 are:

Alana Sinnette, Tobago Chalkie, Brother Mudada, Allan Welch,
Amrica Mutroo, Brother Valentino, All Rounder,
Bevon St Clair, Brian London, Skatie, Devon Seales,
Erphan ALves, Singing Francine, The Messenger, Giselle Washington,
Heather McIntosh, Snakey, Chalkdust, Karen Thomas, Karene Asche
Ke Ke, Kurt Allen, Leslie Ann Ellis, Fya Empress, Marlon Edwards,
King Luta, Myron B, Bunny B, Nicole Thomas, Chucky,
Body Guard, Rondell Donawa, Young Rose, Singing Sandra,
Psalmist, Mista Shak, Queen Victoria, Cro Cro
Stephen Marcelle, SPicey
RESERVES
Lady Gypsy and Protector

New York, Feb. 17:  Clyde Jones, an EVERYBODY’S Magazine photographer, has released the 2nd edition of his picturesque book, The Man and His Camera. The book was launched  a few weeks ago in Mr. Jones beloved nation, Barbados, and in New York last Friday.

Not even frigid New York where frequent snowfalls turned into solid ice stopped Mr. Jones colleagues from attending the launch at the Barbados Consulate. Introducing Clyde Jones was his longtime friend Ambassador Joseph Goddard.

The Man and His Camera is a collection of photographs that Jones took for over forty years. Forty years is a longtime. It makes The Man and His Camera a history book that presents a sweet slice of the history of the Caribbean in photos during the last four decades .

The book has 184 pages with nearly 400 memorable pictures.

As Mr. Jones remarked at the New York launch, “I have visited many places from Rome to  South Korea but regardless to how beautiful they are, I always look forward to get back to my home, Barbados.” It is not surprising, therefore, that The Man and His Camera captures the history of Barbados and Barbadians residing in the Caribbean diaspora.

November 30, 1966, was one of the most important days in Barbados history; the colony achieved independence after hundreds of years as a British possession. Clyde Jones shares a photo of Errol Barrow in formal attire on the nation’s first Independence Day clutching what seems to be a package of the constitution. The first Prime Minister, Errol Barrow, may have been leaving the new Parliament with the sacred documents.

The photos of prime ministers reveal Barbados only had seven since independence. Of the seven prime ministers, three died in office of natural cause.

Jones also includes the prime ministers wives.

On the Barbadian-American side, Jones presents the heads of many Barbadian-American organizations since independence and portraits of consuls general who served in New York.

Jones shares his collection of the visit of President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan in 1982 and also the visit of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Mr. Jones could not be a true Barbadian if he did not capture the achievements of Barbadian cricketers who excelled for West Indies Test teams and the contribution of fans in Barbados and New York. There’s a picture of the legend Sir Garfield Sobers and his Australian wife.

The award winning photojournalists who also won a regional award from the Caribbean Tourism Organization for a collection of tourism oriented photos in EVERYBODY’S magazine leaves “no stone unturned.” Barbadian artists from the  Merrymen of yesteryear to today’s Red Plastic Bag are included.

Needless to say visits of Queen Elizabeth II and a Concorde Plane permanently on display at Sir Grantley Adams International Airport are in the book.

True, The Man and His Camera mainly focuses on Barbados life and times but it is a book that any progressive Caribbean person would want to acquire for his or her collection.

The Man and His Camera by Clyde Jones is available in Barbados at Cave Sheppard.

In New York from CJ Media Communications, 1206 Bergen St.,  Suite 3G-C, Brooklyn, NY 11213.  Price $30

By Mail Order in the U.S., from EVERYBODY’S Magazine, www.everybodysmag.com. ($30 + $10 for S/H)