Caribbean shines in Superbowl
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Fans of American football (not soccer) around the world are aware of Rihanna, the R&B, pop, hip-hop superstar, presence in the 2023 Superbowl entertainment thereby indirectly bringing a touch of the Caribbean and Caribbean music – the reggae and soca genre – to millions worldwide.Mr. Santos Goes to Washington
MR. SANTOS GOES TO WASHINGTON
IS THE NEW NORMAL IN POLITICS ABNORMAL?
By Ken Jaikaransingh
In Frank Capra’s1939 Hollywood film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” an unsuspecting head of the Boy Rangers is selected by crooked politicians to go to Washington to replace a recently deceased Senator. Our naïve protagonist has no idea that he has been chosen precisely because of his naivete and ignorance of national politics. His would-be handlers are sure that they can exploit his wholesome image as they pursue a nefarious scheme to build a dam in his home state illegally. Finally realizing political low-lifes have set him up, Smith chooses to resist stoutly, even as attempts are made to discredit him by his former sponsors. Of course, as is required in Capra films and many other American movies, good eventually triumphs over evil, and our hero wins the day and the girl.
In 2023, Mr. George Santos, a Republican who has won a Congressional seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional district, beating out the former Democratic holder, has suddenly been outed as a fraud and liar of immense proportions. He has lied, inter alia, about his religious faith (he is Catholic, not Jewish), his education (he never went to college), his work history (he worked for neither Citigroup nor Goldman Sachs), and his sexual affiliation (he claimed to be gay). Even more alarming, he claimed that he had lost friends in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando (untrue) and that his mother’s parents were Ukrainian Jews (in fact, from Brazil). In recent news, he is now under investigation for a raft of suspect financial dealings, and Brazil has reopened fraud charges against him.
Mr. Santos has, however, not been disowned by his Republican comrades. Their majority in the US Congress is much too slim to be put at risk; the man who would be Speaker of the House desperately needs his vote to fend off internal challenges within his own ranks. Mr. Santos will take his seat in the nation’s legislative body that touts itself as the bulwark of democracy and free speech in the world, even as his Republican party squabbles publicly over its choice for Speaker of the House.
It is unlikely that Mr. Santos feels either guilt or remorse. He will certainly feel no incongruity when he finally takes his place in Congress. Republican members in 1974 voted to impeach a republican president for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress, which ultimately led to President Nixon’s resignation.
Mr. Santos should feel quite comfortable amidst such characters as Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, and Matt Goetz, poster children for the ‘New ‘ Republicans whose allegations of election fraud and anti-immigrant hysteria reflect the sentiments of a sizeable population in the United States that feels that their country should be white, Christian, conservative and isolated. To this fringe, ironically self-titled The Freedom Caucus, the ever-resolute Mr. McCarthy has so far yielded so much to win its support that if he bends any further backward, he is likely to find himself twisted beyond recognition, all still to no avail.
Mr. Santos is probably also taking comfort from signals that the new Congressional majority is also proposing to implement administrative changes that will isolate those who refused subpoenas from the January 6 Committee from a possible investigation by the Lower House’s own Ethics Committee. Mr. Santos will be an unwitting beneficiary of any such arrangement.
Mr. Santos has had a notable tutor in former President Donald Trump, whose capacity for brazenly lying, distracting, and improbable denial has little or no equal in recent political history, American or elsewhere. In January 2021, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker team calculated that Donald Trump ‘had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency—averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day…What is especially striking is how the tsunami of untruths kept rising the longer he served as president and became increasingly unmoored from the truth.
Trump did not invent the science of the brazen lie, which Santos now seems to have perfected. In a 1973 book called ‘The Politics of Lying,’ David Wise laid bare a pattern of contemporary lying by various US administrations beginning in 1966 and culminating with Nixon and Watergate. It prompts one to reflect that deception of the American public has deep-seated roots; one can look back, if so inclined, at the string of broken treaties made with or official promises given to the indigenous Native American populations in the process of territorial expansion.
It would be a mistake to unilaterally drape American leadership with perfecting the art of the politically motivated lie. The history of the world would suggest that deception of one’s public is an essential ingredient of leadership the world over. Recent events in Trinidad and Tobago suggest that our politicians have long mastered this critical skill and adopted the brazenness about it that is now seemingly a required adjunct. The philosophers would argue that the compulsion to lie and deceive is inherent in human nature; the anthropologists might claim that it became a necessity to ensure survival and self-preservation; political thinkers and historians would see it as yet another item in the public figure’s toolbox of required skillsets, the end always justifying the means.
That there should be such a profound distaste in some of us for deceptiveness and outright lying in public affairs may surprise a few (or is it more than a few?). Some of us may naively believe that an oath of office is still a sacrosanct thing and that those who would lead us must be held to a higher standard. In his 1973 book, Wise spoke of a ‘credibility gap,’ a lack of confidence by the public in what their elected officials say; fifty years later, this has hardened into political cynicism, best represented in Trinidad and Tobago not only by the large numbers who no longer choose to exercise their hard-won franchise but by the many who now believe that when we stain our fingers in electoral ink, we do so for exchange, not change. But withdrawn or cynical as one might be, we cannot help but cling to the belief, in the words of the late Black Stalin, that ‘better days are coming.’
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Ken Jaikaransingh is a former educator and publisher who lives in Trinidad. He posts occasional essays for friends on Facebook and has provided student guides for several examination texts. Now retired, he has published two collections of short stories, both available on Amazon.com. The link to his most recent,The Mark of Cane, is https://a.co/d/fwft6RG‘
Honoring Mayor Eric Adams
(L to R) Mayor Eric Adams listens to remarks by Herman Hall, Publisher of the 45-year-old Caribbean-American magazine, and Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix and Corporation Counsel for the City of New York . 2nd Photo: Mayor Adams displays 2021 EVERYBODY’S Magazine Person of the Year plaque and Herman Hall
City Hall, New York, NY – December 21, 2022
Remarks by Herman Hall Presenting 2021 Person of the Year Award to New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Announcing Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell as 2022 EVERYBOODY’S Magazine Person of the Year
Mayor Adams, on behalf of EVERYBODY’S, the Caribbean-American magazine, we wish you, and all New Yorkers, Happy Holidays.
We know it is not an easy task to lead the greatest city on earth and to have the 2nd most demanding job in America. During your almost 12 months in office, you have addressed the most burning and controversial issues in our city and nation with great alacrity. This magazine, primarily an immigrant one, applauds you for aiding migrants from the southern border and the dignity you have afforded them. Yet, we know it is a tremendous strain on your budget.
Mr. Mayor, on February 6, 2020 (I may add Bob Marley’s birthday), as Borough President, you recognized the 46th Anniversary of Grenada’s Independence. At the ceremony, and perhaps the last time we may have seen him, our friend Roy Hastick, founder of CACCI, warned guests that they would have to cross the bridge into Manhattan if they wished to see you, effective January 1, 2022. Hastick boldly proclaimed that you would be our next mayor. We embedded the photo of you and Roy at the flag-raising event in your Person of the Year plaque in memory of Roy’s foresight.
Even before you were elected Mayor on November 2, 2021, many EVERYBODY’S readers were nominating you as their Person of the Year.
This EVERYBODY’S Magazine Person of the Year Award was possible because the late John H. Johnson, founder of EBONY and JET Magazines, encouraged me to establish EVERYBODY’S Magazine at an EBONY Fashion Show held at Brooklyn College in the mid-1970s.
Finally, Mr. Mayor, as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day next month, Black History in February, and Women’s History in March, your Person of the Year Award is in tribute to “The Father of Black Journalism,” John B. Russwurm. As a pathbreaker like you and Mayor David Dinkins, Russwurm founded America’s first Black newspaper, Freedom Journal, on March 16, 1827, which catapulted more African American voices into the public debate setting the stage for the ongoing struggle for equity and social justice for all.
I now ask Judge Sylvia Hinds Radix, longtime EVERYBODY’S reader, fan of my history books and attendee at the magazine’s Oliver Samuels plays, reggae, and calypso concerts, to present you EVERYBODY’S “Caribbean” Magazine Person of the Year Award for 2021.
Mayor Adams Announces Opening of Satellite Asylum Seeker Sites
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro announced an additional eight Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation sites that will be opened across the five boroughs, in an effort to continue supporting newly arrived individuals and families seeking asylum. Eight community-based organizations have been chosen and granted $2.1 million to run these sites that will build on the ongoing work of the city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center, operated by Catholic Charities of New York.
“The city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Centers has served nearly 7,000 individuals since opening a few short months ago, and I’m proud to expand the footprint of this important work across all five boroughs to support the asylum seekers arriving in our city every day,” said Mayor Adams. “In partnership with these eight community-based organizations, these additional centers will help support the more than 26,000 asylum seekers who have arrived here in New York City with a range of services including legal assistance, medical care, and school enrollment. New York City will continue to do all we can to meet our moral and legal mandates and welcome and support asylum seekers arriving here, and these sites will play an important role delivering critical services directly to families and individuals who need them.”
“Throughout the city’s response to the asylum seeker crisis, we have worked in partnership with community-based organizations,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement builds upon that work and offers additional layers of support for individuals and families seeking a new home in New York City. Thank you to our partners who will continue to serve asylum seekers at satellite locations in all five boroughs.”
“New York City has led the nation’s response to the influx of asylum seekers, launching the first Asylum Seeker Navigation Center,” said MOIA Commissioner Castro. “Today, we take another stride forward by announcing several community organizations that will serve as satellite sites across the five boroughs to support our new neighbors. Through this effort, our administration will continue to lead with care and compassion and empower our newest New Yorkers with resources and services.”
The selected organizations will provide individuals and families with in-person support — in Spanish and in other languages — including a variety of supplemental services, comprehensive case management, and immigrant rights workshops:
- Aid for Aids International
- African Communities Together (ACT)
- Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York
- Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services Brooklyn & Queens
- Coalicion Mexicana
- La Colmena
- Mercy Center
- Mixteca Organization
- New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
The city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center — located at the American Red Cross of Greater New York headquarters — will continue to operate on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and provide individuals and families with in-person support. Services at the navigation center and Catholic Charities sites will be available by appointments and walk-ins are accepted in all other locations. Appointments can be made by community-based partners and certain city agencies, including city shelter staff. Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has — largely on its own — taken fast and urgent action, managing the arrival of a rapidly increasing number of buses across New York City with virtually no coordination from states sending them — opening 57 hotels as emergency shelters and three humanitarian relief centers already.
Zeldin seeks Caribbean-NY Vote
Congressman Lee Zeldin, who is running for governor of New York, and his running mate Alison Esposito met with representatives of the Caribbean community in New York City. Polls reflect a close race between Governor Kathy Hochul and Zeldin. While acknowledging that most Caribbean voters are Democrats, Zeldin said he hopes to earn their vote. Zeldin and Esposito provided thorough answers to questions. Many attendees asked what a possible Governor Zeldin will do about the “so-called affordable housing” where the monthly rent is $2700-$3100, making it difficult for people who earn $50,000 or less not to qualify. Zeldin said after 20 years of Democrat governors during that time, two resigned in disgrace, “the system is broken; therefore, a new and strong leadership is essential.” Some attendees at the roundtable meeting said they are lifelong Democrats but plan to vote for Zeldin and Esposito because they are frustrated with the breakdown of law and order and the poor leadership exhibited by seasoned Democrats. They urge voters to cast their ballot for Zeldin.
Nine days of Early voting across New York State begins on October 29. Voters are urged to vote during one of the nine days (Oct 29-Nov. 6) rather than waiting until November 8.
2nd from L: Candidate for Lt. Governor Alison Esposito.
Head Table-L-R: Joe Pinion, Candidate for the U.S. Senate whose mom is Jamaican, Alison Esposito and Congressman Lee Zedlin. (Photo Leonard McKenzie)
NYC Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit Hosts Send-off Celebration For 100+ CUNY Interns
CUNY Interns conducted proactive outreach, reaching hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
New York –The Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU) held a celebratory send-off event for the more than 100 CUNY Career Launch interns who spent their summers conducting outreach about critical governmental benefits with their team. Interns gained practical skills as they implemented PEU’s innovative and grassroots outreach strategies, including targeted phone calls, peer-to-peer text messaging, and door-to-door canvassing. This outreach was designed to identify New Yorkers in need and connect them to critical City, State, and Federal resources.
CUNY interns share an informational flier with a passerby while canvassing at PEU and Univision’s Contigo A Salvo event in Astoria Park. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
After an intensive three-day training program, interns jumped right in, distributing information and resources to more than 50,000 NYers on a range of topics, from tenants rights to health insurance enrollment to MetroCard discounts. During their time at PEU, interns attended over 40 tabling and outreach events, canvassed alongside Mayor Adams, appeared on television promoting NYC’s Fair Fares program, and used social media to get the word out about various benefits. They hit the pavement to promote GetCoveredNYC, NYC Care, Univision Nueva York’s Contigo A Salvo campaign, and more. Interns also offered free benefits screening to New Yorkers across the City using the ACCESS NYC screening tool.
CUNY interns alongside Mayor Eric Adams PEU’s Access to Care Week of Action, hosted with NYC CARE. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
CUNY intern poses with her Certificate of Completion during the closing ceremony. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
Last week, as the students left their posts to return to school, PEU held a goodbye celebration with speakers, a photobooth, and presentations. Interns reflected on their favorite memories during their internship and shared their testimonials of how they were able to make an impact in different communities.
One of those interns was Nate, an incoming first year student at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Reflecting on his time with PEU, Nate shared, “[The internship] helped me to be more open to people, it also helped me to build my confidence.” Nate canvassed across New York City and found that New Yorkers were excited to hear about the many resources he and his fellow interns were sharing information about. “At the end of the day,” he said, “I always wanted to help people.” As he prepares to start his first semester, Nate’s excited to begin taking theater classes for his major, during which, he said, he’ll be applying what he learned in his internship. “When we’re out canvassing, you’re the center of [attention] and you have to be bold. I’ll take that with me into my acting classes as well.”
Another intern, Jen, reflected on her time canvassing with that Mayor, spreading information with New Yorkers about tenants rights and NYC’s rent freeze programs. They canvassed together in her home borough of the Bronx. “As he shook my hand,” she said, “I was inspired.” A medical student at Hunter College, Jen noted how important it was to learn about tenants rights and programs like rent freeze, which contribute to the collective well-being of communities like hers. She closed by saying, “As a community, we should come together and stay together, and that’s what I learned from being part of the Mayor’s PEU team.”
CUNY intern, Jen, shakes hands with Mayor Eric Adams during their Rent Freeze canvass in the Bronx. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
As New York continues to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, investing in both outreach connecting New Yorkers to City services and the futures of young people is key to ensure that our city gets back on its feet, better than ever.
“Through this program, CUNY interns are harnessing the real education. You are getting a peak into the lives of everyday New Yorkers,” said NYC Mayor Eric Adams. “There’s nothing more difficult than engaging with a stranger. But when you’re doing outreach like this for the City, you’re not only engaging with a stranger, you are also giving them the resources they need to thrive.”
“Proactively meeting people in their communities is a key component of PEU’s mission to connect New Yorkers to city services,” said Adrienne Lever, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU), “we’re delighted to have partnered with the CUNY Career Launch program in order to expand our outreach capacity, while supporting talented CUNY students launch their careers. We are sad to see them go but are so proud of the work we did together, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for these bright New Yorkers.”
“Paid internships put our students on the pathway to careers, helping them gain experience and make connections while making money they need. Internships also help our students secure jobs upon graduation, which is why I was thrilled to partner with Mayor Adams to launch CUNY Career Launch,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “The 100 interns in the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit continue CUNY’s long history of civic engagement and I know that what they learned will benefit them for years to come. I’m proud we have a Mayor who has faith in our CUNY students to make a difference and who continues to find ways to engage them in meaningful work-oriented opportunities.”
“I learned that a lot of New Yorkers don’t know about these programs being offered and getting to help them made me happy,” said CUNY Career Launch Intern Noely Guzman. “I became more outspoken. Talking to strangers is scary and challenging but it was a good experience to get out of my comfort zone.”
CUNY intern Noely Guzman poses with her Certificate of Completion. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
About the Public Engagement Unit
The NYC Public Engagement Unit (PEU) was created to develop a new model for government outreach, using community organizing principles to re-envision how the City provides services to its most vulnerable communities. Rather than expecting constituents to navigate a complex City bureaucracy to get the help they need, PEU adopts grassroots tactics to meet residents where they are — at their doors and on their phones, in their social media feeds and in their communities. PEU combines this proactive outreach with comprehensive case management, and in doing so, combats disillusionment and builds long-term relationships between New Yorkers and their government.
About CUNY Career Launch
Career Launch provides 2,000 CUNY students with an opportunity for valuable paid work experience that connects to their major and career goals, as well as the opportunity to grow their professional networks. CUNY Career Launch is part of the City’s broader summer 2022 youth employment campaign.
About The City University of New York
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving over 260,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.
PEU staff and CUNY interns pose together at PEU’s Access to Care Week of Action, hosted with NYC CARE. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU).
JULIEN FÉDON: Revolutionary, Patriot and Insurrectionist
The Untold Story of a Mulatto Leader
By Herman G. Hall
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FACTS IN CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
FACTS IN CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
1697: The British Caribbean is more valuable to Britain than her North American colonies – Barbados trade is more than Carolina, New England, New York and Pennsylvania combined.
1751: George Washington and his brother Lawrence visit Barbados to recuperate. (The only place outside the 13 American colonies Washington visited.)
1827: A Jamaican, John B. Russwurm, together with Rev. Cornish, a Presbyterian pastor, establishes African American newspaper, Freedom Journal.
1942: Hugh Mulzac who was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines becomes the first black to captain a ship in the U.S. Merchant Marine.
1974: Mervyn Dymally, Trinidad & Tobago born and raised becomes one of the first two blacks elected as Lieutenant Governor since the Reconstruction era. Dymally was elected in California.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
African History – Black History Month Quiz
Can you name the five former Caribbean and African colonies that won their independence or became nations during January and February?
HAITI
On January 1, 1804, the French colony of Saint Domingue declared itself an independent nation. The colony restored the name the Taino Indians called their beautiful island Ayiti (Haiti). By then Toussaint Louverture who led successful slave revolts was imprisoned in the French Alps by Napoleon Bonaparte. But Jean Jacques Dessalines and Grenada-born Henri Christophe continued the struggle climaxing with Jean Jacques Dessalines’ proclamation of independence. Yes, the slaves of Haiti established the first black nation in the Americas. Although Toussaint Louverture and others were inspired by the 13 American colonies unilateral declaration of independence, the U.S. did not support the new nation. The nation was obligated to pay France 150 million gold francs as compensation for its flourishing sugar colony. The final amount was paid in 1947.
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
On February 18, 1965, a British colony in West Africa, Gambia, achieved independence from England. The nation is officially called The Republic of The Gambia. All the people who lost their lives in the Bronx, NY, fire in January 2022 were immigrants from The Gambia.
GRENADA
On February 7, 1974, Premier Eric Gairy led Grenada – the islands of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique – into independence. In late 1973, two delegations from Grenada went to England to discuss independence. A delegation consisting of leaders opposed to Gairy also visited London for the constitutional conference. Members of the anti-Gairy delegation included Maurice Bishop and Bernard Coard who overthrew Gairy in 1979. Bishop, H.A. Blaize, Coard and others informed the British Government that they were in favor independence but not under Gairy. Nevertheless, the British granted the spice island colony its independence. Unlike Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, Grenadians achieved independence under tense conditions. There was no electricity, supporters of the opposition boycotted independence ceremonies and most radical leaders such as Maurice Bishop were arrested during the impendence days.
SAINT LUCIA
On February 22, 1979, John Compton who was born on neighboring Canouan Island in 1925, a part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and who spent most of his adult life in Saint Lucia, led the Associated State into independence. During direct British rule, Compton was Chief Minister (1964-1967) and when England initiated the process of preparing its colonies for independence, Compton became Saint Lucia’s first premier when Associated Statehood was granted on March 1, 1967. Saint Lucia celebrates its 43rd anniversary of independence on February 22 where Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state. But will the nation transition into a republican system of government by February 22, 2023?
Lisa Flores – Risk Management Boss
MAYOR-ELECT ADAMS APPOINTS LISA FLORES AS DIRECTOR OF MAYOR’S OFFICE OF CONTRACT SERVICES, MARJORIE LANDA AS DIRECTOR OF NEWLY-CREATED MAYOR’S OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE
Today, Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced his appointments of Lisa Flores as director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) and Marjorie Landa as director of the newly-created Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance. These offices, which he described as central to his vision for delivering an accountable, efficient, and transparent government to New Yorkers, will report to his chief counsel Brendan R. McGuire, a former Chief of Public Corruption in the Southern District of New York. Mayor-elect Adams highlighted the track record of these accomplished public servants, both of whom have most recently served in the New York City Comptroller’s office, as affirmation of his longstanding commitment to building a team of proven leaders committed to good government.
“Rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our agencies will help our City deliver for those who need it most, and these new appointees will serve as watchdogs for our city and make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately,” said Mayor-elect Adams. “I pledged to both create a more efficient City government as mayor and finally reverse the inequalities that keep so many in our city from thriving. Inefficiency leads to inequality, and when government is spending irresponsibly and agencies are working in conflict with each other, everyday New Yorkers suffer. This is about holding our government to the highest standard of ethics and ensuring it delivers for everyday New Yorkers — because if you don’t inspect what you expect, it’s all suspect. Good government begins with accountability, efficiency, and transparency; that’s exactly what I’m committed to as mayor, working with these impressive public servants.”