Dr. Olive Lewin OM (1927-2013) – Saluting 60 Jamaican Women Pioneers
“I just want to be remembered simply as one was true to her roots.” She was born in Vere, in the parish of Clarendon. The story is told that, as a little girl, she spent her young days making any type of music she could come up with – singing, clapping, praying. She became so […]
Claude McKay, Jamaica – Caribbean-American Man of Influence
Claude McKay was born in Clarendon, Jamaica in 1889 and migrated to the United States in 1912 to attend Tuskegee Institute. Unhappy with what he said was the school’s “semi-military, machine-like existence,” he left to attend Kansas State University, where his first reading of W.E.B. DuBois “Souls of Black Folk” inspired him to political action. […]
Mahadai Das, Guyana – Caribbean Woman of Influence
Guyanese poet Mahadai Das was born in Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Guyana in 1954. She began writing poetry while a student at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown. She earned a degree from the University of Guyana and then a BA in philosophy at New York’s Columbia University. While she started a Ph.D. program in […]
Malcolm X, Grenada – Caribbean-American Man of Influence
Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, the African American Muslim minister and human rights activist was the son of a Grenadian. Until 1964, he was a strong advocate for the National of Islam, urging Black empowerment, advocating for the separation of Black and White Americans, and promoting Islam in the Black community. After his […]
Featured on Oprah Daily, This Jamaican American Quit Her Job to Start Caribbean-Flavored Vegan Cookie Company
Jamaican American, Danielle Tubbs of Chicago, quit her day job to focus on growing her vegan cookie company, Tubby’s Taste, after being featured on Oprah Daily. Tubbs, whose heritage includes numerous bakers, both African American and Jamaican, has always been serious about making cookies, and now she is relying on her background as an inspiration […]
Claudette Werleigh, Haiti – Caribbean-American Woman of Influence
Claudette Werleigh, the first female Prime Minister of Haiti, was born in Cap-Haitien in 1946 to a wealthy family involved in coffee exports. Her father had been a member of Parliament. She attended primary and secondary schools operated by Catholic nuns, then attended schools in the United States, Spain, and Mexico before obtaining a license […]
Norma Rodney Harrack – Saluting 60 Jamaican Women Pioneers
“My primary inspiration is the forces of nature, the landscape, artifacts, architecture in different cultures and times…” Norma Rodney Harrack always dreamt of being an artist. Little Norma was awed by the beauty of nature – the green trees, the blue skies, the sparkling sunlight and the rich red-brown earth from which she later fashioned […]
Maria Layacona – Saluting 60 Jamaican Women Pioneers
Maria Layacona loved to photograph goats, revivalists and ordinary people going about the business of their daily lives. She was born in 1926 in Ohio (USA) of Italian parents. In 1955 Maria visited Jamaica, fell in love with the country and made it her forever home. Although she was well known for her work in […]
Jamaican Restaurant on List of Essential Eateries to Try In Orlando
The Caribbean Sunshine Bakery in Winter Garden, Florida, which has been providing classic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, oxtail, and curry chicken for more than 25 years, has been included in Orlando Weekly’s life of 20 essential restaurants to try in the Orlando area. The eatery is also known for its authentic coco bread and […]
New York School Honors Jamaican for Work on Diversity and Inclusion
The Alumni of Color Network at the Calhoun School in New York City hosted its first in-person celebration for alumni, parents, and guardians of students of color, faculty, and staff on May 24, 2022, marking the 125th anniversary of the school. The event honored Lavern McDonald, a teacher at the Upper School, with the inaugural […]