• Sat, 26 September 2026

Establishing a Race – Out of Many One People, We Are A Race Apart Part 2

My call for establishment of a Jamaican race in last month’s column triggered so many favorable responses that I asked Xavier Murphy, the man behind Jamaicans.com, whom we should see to get a separate race established. Xavier didn’t know. Nobody I asked had a clue. So I went surfing on the web to find out. […]

Jamaica’s Rear-View-Mirror Planning

Jamaica’s well-intentioned oil exploration initiative is likely to be a waste of time and money. And in my opinion, it’s an example of rear-view-mirror planning. I know oil is expensive. Who doesn’t? And I know Jamaica would save a lot of precious foreign exchange if it could produce some of its own fuel. But there […]

Influential Jamaicans in Atlanta: Jewel C. Scott, Clayton County District Attorney

The Honorable Jewel C. Scott made history in 2005 when she simultaneously became the first female and first Caribbean-American District Attorney for Clayton County, one of the counties that comprise the Atlanta Metro area in the state of Georgia. Originally from Mandeville, she spent her formative years in the Parish of Hanover in Jamaica. As […]

Keeping Our Culture Alive: Interview With Norma Darby of the Jamaica Folk Revue

This month we interview Ms. Norma Darby of the Jamaica Folk Review. Ms. Norma Darby leads this well known Florida-based folkloric group that has been performing for over 30 years. They use Jamaica folklore to entertain and educate about the Jamaican culture. We talk to Ms Darby about her passion for Jamaican culture, Miss Lou […]

Interview With Basil Smith Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board

This month we interview Basil Smith Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). We talk to him about the “Brand Jamaica”, eco-tourism, heritage tours, marketing to the Diaspora and the future initiatives of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Q: You were recently appointed to this post. When did you take up office and […]

Trouble On Vacation Isle

When my husband and I set out for a well-needed three-week vacation to Boston and Florida, the last thing on our minds was a trip to the emergency room. Like many other Jamaicans traveling to the US our list looked something like this: 1. Do some shopping2. See the sights3. Do some more shopping4. ….. […]

Giving Back to the Community – An American Retiree in Jamaica

Much of my writings have been centered around my personal experiences since retiring to Jamaica. One of these experiences is being involved in a school lunch program. For new readers, this lunch program was started by Neena Chandiramani, a local businesswoman, who had a heart for the underprivileged children of Montego Bay. Each Friday up […]

Real Stories…Real Jamaicans…Real Survivors: Meet Mary

Meet Mary………a 37 year old Jamaican woman. Mary was born in the parish of Westmoreland, where she grew up with three sisters and one brother. She recalled the unpleasant memory of being sexually molested by a cousin who was ten years older. She never talked about it and always wondered if her parents knew about […]

People to Watch: Andy Vernon, Jamaican Polo Player and Reggae Musician

I first met Andy Vernon on the south field near the Toronto Polo Club in Gormley, Ontario. Dreadlocks flying, as he galloped across the field, Andy and his team had just given the Canadian team a good thrashing during 4 fast paced chukkers. For years, I have been longing to have a Jamaican presence on […]