INSIDE - University of Floridaufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/92/85/00059/00002-2011.pdf · 2011. 6. 1. · HOUSTON, Texas – A United States federal judge has ordered disgraced

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Vol. 22 No. 3

february 2011

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INSIDE

His high, richtenor res-onates inauditoriumsacross SouthFlorida, a sta-ple at numer-ous events inthe Jamaican community. His mega-watt smile has lit up hundreds of faces. SteveHiggins – soloist, public speaker, actor, director andproducer - is again ready totake the stage, page 7.

FormerHaitian dic-tator JeanClaudeDuvaliersurprisinglyreturned tothe French

Caribbean country last month.Now another ex-leader wantsto return. All this while thenation struggles to recoverfrom an earthquake and election turmoil in “Eye onHaiti”, page 8.

News ....................................................2Feature ..................................................7Eye on Haiti ..........................................8

Viewpoint ............................................9Black History Month ........................11Arts/Entertainment............................15

Region/Politics..................................17Sport ....................................................18Classified............................................19

T H E M U LT I AWA R D - W I N N I N G N E W S M A G A Z I N E

Call Caribbean Today direCT from JamaiCa 655-1479

Jamaica’s National DanceTheater Company (NDTC) per-formers will hit the stage for a“Caribbean Dance Celebration”this month in Florida, offeringnot just entertainment, buthonor to the group’s founderand artistic director ProfessorRex Nettleford, page 15.

~ The United Statesplans to announce anew amnesty programaimed at encouragingAmerica’s residentswith hidden offshorebank accounts in theCaribbean to comeforward, declare thefunds, and pay thenecessary taxes. Orelse, page 2.

~ Jamaican reggae star Buju Bantonreceived plenty love when he performed inFlorida last month. But he will need a lotmore from the state’s federal court when hissecond trial on drugs and weapons chargesbegins on Valentine’s Day, page 3.

The number of deporteesfrom the United Statesto Jamaica continues to

fall.The Jamaica Observer

newspaper reported lastmonth that 1,268 Jamaicanswere sent home from the U.S.in 2010. That represents adrop from the 1,480 in 2009and 1,603 the year before.

According to the report,which quoted a securityattaché at the JamaicanEmbassy in Washington D.C.,

“more than 300 otherJamaicans have exhausteddeportation proceedings andhave been given final removalorders, while orders are pend-ing against another 488”.

It noted that many 2010deportees had “not committedwhat would be considered aserious crime,” and that mosthad had overstayed their“entry permits”. Some weredeported for drug-relatedoffenses and murder.

Æ

NEW YORK – After 15months without a consul gen-eral in New York, the RalphGonsalves administration in St. Vincent and theGrenadines has filled the postwith the appointment of a former government minister.

Former Member ofParliament Selmon Walters,who represented the SouthCentral Windward constituen-cy, has been approved byCabinet to take up the post,effective Feb. 1.

United States AmbassadorLa Celia Prince confirmedWalter’s appointment withoutelaboration.

Walters – who held theportfolios of minister of socialdevelopment, co-operatives,the family, gender and ecclesi-astical affairs, and rural trans-formation, information, postalservices and ecclesiasticalaffairs – did not contest theDecember poll. He replacesCosmus Cozier, the first offi-cial consul general in New

York. The former bankerretired in Aug. 2009. Cozier,an ex-Parliamentarian, hadheld that post from Dec. 2001.

When the incumbentUnity Labor Party (ULP) firstassumed power, following the2001 elections, it created aseparate consulate general,splitting the Mission to theUnited Nations. Previously,the mission was also responsi-ble for consular affairs.

Æ

NEW YORK – A Haitian-born legislator here hasexpressed concern over thedecision by the administrationof United States PresidentBarack Obama to resumedeporting natives of the FrenchCaribbean country back totheir homeland.

Dr. Mathieu Eugene, thefirst-ever Haitian to be electedto the New York City Council,said that he is appalled thatthe deportations have resumeddespite a lingering cholera epi-demic, the “unforgiving mis-ery” caused by the devastating

earthquake a year ago and apolitical crisis of unpredictableconsequences.

“Haiti has gone fromtragedy to tragedy, and this is avery difficult moment in itshistory,” Eugene told reporterslate last month, adding “thecountry is going through somany hardships and strugglesthat it’s hard to believe we aresending people back, knowinghow terrible conditions are.”

Dr. Eugene said morethan 100 Haitians from theNew York area had been sentback since U.S. immigration

authoritiesresumeddeportations inmid-January.The medicaldoctor, said hewas horrifiedby the healthcrisis he foundin the French-speakingCaribbean country during arecent visit.

“I saw a devastated coun-try, where thousands of peopleare still sleeping in tents invery inhuman conditions, terri-bly poor sanitary conditions.Senior citizens, sick people,pregnant women and childrenall together and all in need ofthe most basic necessities:food, clean water to drink,medicine,” Dr. Eugene said.

“This is not an appropri-ate time to send anybodyback,” he added.

TPS TIMETABLEAfter the massive Jan. 12,

WASHINGTON, D.C. – TheUnited States says it plans toannounce a new amnesty pro-gram aimed at encouragingwealthy Americans with hid-den offshore bank accounts inthe Caribbean to come for-ward, declare the funds andpay the necessary taxes.

Late last month, InternalRevenue Service (IRS)spokesman Frank Keith saidthat the program would beformally announced “veryshortly” and would not offerterms as generous as those putforth in a similar initiative lastyear.

Senior tax lawyers say theannouncement will most likelycome within several weeks,ahead of the 2011 tax filingseason.

“The government wantsto encourage people not to lieon their upcoming returns,”

said RobertKatzberg, acriminal defenselawyer in NewYork with off-shore bankclients in theCaribbean andSwitzerland.

The previ-ous so-calledvoluntary dis-closure pro-gram, whichended lastOctober, wascarried out amida crackdown on Swiss privatebanks and their clients whohid money from the govern-ment. The program was used by more than 15,000Americans with hiddenaccounts, some holding hun-dreds of millions of dollars,the IRS said.

It said an additional 3,000with accounts at various off-shore banks, including theCayman Islands, came for-ward after the Oct. 15 dead-line.

Some taxpayers disclosedtheir smaller accounts at UBS,the Swiss giant that was at the

center of the crackdown, butdid not disclose their largeraccounts at smaller Swissbanks, Katzberg said. He saidthat if caught, the omissioncould leave them exposed tocriminal penalties for lying inaddition to fines and penaltiesfor taxes owed.

WIDER PROBEThe U.S. Justice

Department said it is conduct-ing a widening investigationinto the smaller Swiss banks,known as cantonal banks thatmay have allowed wealthyAmericans to evade taxes,sometimes working with largerbanks based in Switzerland.

U.S. prosecutors said theyfocused on a technique inwhich American clients wereencouraged to open a smallaccount and declare its con-tents to the IRS while keeping

the bulk of their money else-where in undeclared accounts.

Steven Miller, the IRSdeputy commissioner for serv-ice and enforcement, said thatthe new initiative would be“somewhat similar” to theOctober program.

Under the previous pro-gram, taxpayers who cameforward before Oct. 15 weresubject to a reduced penaltyof five percent to 20 percent,depending in part on whethertheir wealth was inherited.They were also penalized justonce, on the highest balancein their affected accounts overthe previous six years, insteadof for each of the six years, alevel that can leave accountholders owing more in taxesthan they have in the account.

CMC

Æ

U.S. deports 1,268 to Jamaica Former gov’t minister is St. Vincent’snew consul general in New York

Deportations concern Haitian legislator in N.Y.

U.S. to offer amnesty for owners of hidden Caribbean offshore bank accounts

2 • CARIBBEAN TODAY • FEBRUARY 2011

NEWS

The IRS wants U.S. residents to declare Caribbean accounts.

Eugene

(Continued on page 4)

HOUSTON, Texas – AUnited States federal judgehas ordered disgraced finan-cier Allen Stanford to remainin federal custody whileundergoing treatment for drugaddiction and further evalua-tion of his competence tostand trial.

Late last month, U.S.District Judge David Hittnerruled that Stanford, whoowned businesses in Antigua,cannot be tried until he under-goes detoxification fromaddictions to medications he’sreceived in jail. He recom-mended the government sendStanford to a federal Bureauof Prisons medical facility.

Hittner also admonishedprosecutors and defense attor-neys to “diligently preparethis case to proceed to trial.”

Stanford and other offi-cers of his Houston-basedStanford Financial Group are accused of defraudinginvestors of $7 billion in ascheme based largely on cer-tificates of deposit issued byhis Antigua-based StanfordInternational Bank.

Stanford’s trial had beenscheduled to begin last month,but it was delayed after theJan. 6 hearing in which attor-neys debated his ability toassist in his in defense. Threepsychiatrists, including onehired by the government, tes-tified then thatStanford takesheavy doses ofanti-anxietyand antide-pressant drugsthat renderhim incompe-tent to standtrial.

Defenseattorneys hadrequestedmental evaluations afterStanford was injured in aSept. 2009 altercation with afellow inmate at a detentioncenter in Conroe.

Stanford has been heldwithout bail as a flight risksince he was indicted in June2009.

Æ

Buju Banton will be hoping hegets some love from theUnited States justice systemwhen his re-trial on drug andgun-related charges begins onValentine’s Day.

The Jamaican reggae/dancehall star, coming off aninspiring stage performance onJan. 16 in South Florida aftermore than a year in lock-up, isscheduled to face more seriousbusiness beginning Feb. 14 inthe Sam M. Gibbons FederalCourt in Tampa, Florida.

Late last month JudgeJames Moody set the date forBanton’s second trial after ascheduled December date hadto be postponed.

Banton, whose real nameis Mark Myrie, remains on$250,000 bail, but is underhouse arrest.

“February 14 isValentine’s Day,” Banton’sattorney David Markus toldthe Jamaica Observer newspa-per late last month. “We hopethe jury gives us some love.”

During last month’s“Before The Dawn: Buju

Banton and Friends” concertat the Bayfront Amphitheaterin downtown Miami, Markussaid the entertainer wasappreciative of the near-capacity crowd that turned up

to support his near-two hourperformance. He also saidBanton had handled the stressof his legal troubles well, andbelieved he would be acquit-ted of the charges.

During the show Bantonsaid he was not “bitter,” but“better” because of his legalordeal. He entertained withmany of his long list of hitsongs, some which appeared

to indirectly reflect on hislegal dilemma. Banton alsorepeatedly questioned why hewas still facing prosecution.

“Why do you wish to seethe Banton cry? Is it because Isaid Boom Bye Bye?” heasked. “Is it because I sayRastafari? Is it because I’mblack and I’m not shy?”

Many people in the audi-ence showed their support forthe artiste by waving flags andwearing T-shirts and buttons,some which read “Free Buju”.

In September, Bantonfaced charges of conspiracy topossess with intent to distributecocaine. He was also accused ofaiding and abetting the posses-sion of a firearm during a drug-trafficking offense. But jurorscould not reach a verdict afterthe weeklong trial.

Banton, who was arrestedin Dec. 2009, faces up to 20years in prison if convicted.Two other men arrested inconnection with the casepleaded guilty.

Æ

Stanford unfit for trial ~ judge

NEW YORK - A 60-year-oldGuyanese national will spendthe next 15 years of his life injail for his role in a plot tocarry out a bombing at John F.Kennedy InternationalAirport (JFK).

Abdel Nur was last monthsentenced after pleading guiltyin 2010 to providing supportto the plot. Nur pleaded guiltyin June shortly before trial toproviding support for the plot.Daniel Nobel, a lawyer forNur, said his client was “disap-pointed but not surprised” bythe sentence.

Nur is being treated forlung cancer and will likely bedesignated to a federal med-ical center with the ability toprovide treatment while heserves his sentence. He facesdeportation after completinghis sentence.

Nur was part of a plotthat federal prosecutors inBrooklyn said was master-minded by another Guyanese,Russell Defreitas. Defreitas, aformer air cargo worker, wasaccused of being behind theplot to blow up aviation fueltanks and a pipeline at JFK in2006. He sought Nur’s help inconnecting with a Trinidadmilitant group.

‘MAJOR LOSS’Defreitas, 67, was hoping

to “cause major economic lossin the United States,” prose-cutors said. He and AbdulKadir, 59, a former member of

Guyana’s Parliament, wereconvicted of criminal chargesin the plot last August.Defreitas is awaiting sentenc-ing, but Kadir was sentencedto life last December for hisrole.

A fourth defendant,Kareem Ibrahim, 65, a citizenof Trinidad, was granted aseparate trial, slated for April,due to a medical condition.

The JFK plot members’ultimate goal was to reachAdnan G. El Shukrijumah, a

wanted in connection terroristand who is a member of al-Qaeda, the Muslim terroristgroup led by Osama binLaden, prosecutors said.

- CaribWorldNews

Æ

Guyanese gets 15 years in jailfor U.S. airport terror plot role

New Buju Banton trial begins Valentine’s Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – TheUnited States said its Office to Monitor and CombatTrafficking in Persons is pro-viding grants totaling $4.75million to strengthen Haitianinstitutional and civil societycapacity.

The agency said the officewill identify and respond tohuman trafficking, with fundingfrom the U.S. Congress underthe Supplemental Act, 2010.

“The award of 10 addi-tional grants signifies theUnited States’ continued com-mitment to rule of law and theprotection of children in Haiti,as well as strengthening lawenforcement responses againsttraffickers taking advantage ofvulnerable persons in a post-disaster situation”, the U.S.State Department noted.

It said the organizationsreceiving the grants will workwith local partners to helpdraft anti-trafficking legisla-tion, support direct servicesfor victims’ recovery, and pre-vent human trafficking andgender-based violence in theinternally displaced personscamps.

Additionally, it said thoseorganizations will increase the capacity of targeted lawenforcement agencies to“investigate and prosecutetrafficking cases and socialwelfare agencies to recognizehuman trafficking and makereferrals for services.

‘HIGH PRIORITY’“As the issue of involun-

tary child domestic servitudeunder the ‘restavek’ (child

labor) system continues to bea high priority, grantees willalso increase public awarenessabout it”, the statementadded.

The 2010 Trafficking inPersons Report estimates225,000 children wereenslaved before the Jan. 2010earthquake. Anti-traffickingexperts were part of the emer-gency response and the plan-ning to rebuild in Haiti, theState Department noted.

Following the earthquake,the Office to Monitor andCombat Trafficking in Personsfunded nearly $1 million innew grants to respond to theheightened risk of traffickingof Haitian children.

- CMC

Æ

U.S. provides millions to fight human trafficking in Haiti

HAVANA, Cuba – Cuba hassuspended delivery of maildestined for the United States,stating that letters were beingturned back because of anti-terrorist measures in the U.S.

“Until further notice, wecannot continue to accept anytype of delivery,” said Cuba’smail service, Correos de Cuba,in an announcement read onstate television late last month.

It added that it was forcedto suspend service because theairlines that it uses to shipmail through third countries“have returned all of the cor-respondence” as a result ofthe new security measures inthe U.S.

The U.S. Postal Serviceconfirmed that there are“some issues” connected withthe Transportation SecurityAdministration (TSA) that itsaid has caused mail to “accu-mulate.” Postal Servicespokesman Dave Lewin saidthe U.S. is still accepting mailfrom Cuba, but, as airlinesthat carry the Cuban mailwere attempting to meet theTSA requirements, the mailpiled up.

“Air carriers ran out ofspace and began returningmail to Cuba,” he said.

RE-ROUTESince there is no direct

mail service between the twocountries, Cuba sends mailthrough Canada and Mexico.

“There have been someissues regarding some TSAinitiatives implemented inNovember,” Lewin said,describing those initiatives as“post cargo bomb threat”requirements.

Many Cubans use the tra-ditional postal system to sendmessages to relatives in theU.S., in part because phonecalls are prohibitively expen-sive and the Internet is notreadily accessible.

Æ

Cuba blames U.S. anti-terrorism measures for mail ban

CARIBBEAN TODAY • FEBRUARY 2011• 3

NEWS

Buju BantonStanford

Nur being arrested.

NEW YORK – Prosecutors inNew York have indicted aJamaican-born pastor at aBronx church for allegedlyrepeatedly raping a teenagedgirl in his congregation.

Prosecutors charged thatMichael Clare, the 38-year-oldmarried leader of the HarvestWorship Center in theWakefield section of the Bronx,repeatedly raped the girl sinceshe was 12 years old.

Prosecutors said at hisindictment on Jan. 28 thatClare has impregnated thegirl, who is now 15.

Authorities said theylearned of the alleged abuse inJune, when the girl told herparents and police that Clarehad sexually preyed on her foryears. DNA evidence impli-cated Clare, prosecutors said.

Clare was arrested onJune 14 on second-degree

rape charges, but the grandjury on Jan. 28 upped thecharges to first-degree rape.

BETRAYAL“He betrayed everyone’s

trust,” one congregant, whoidentified herself only asKimberly, told reporters.“What he’s accused of doing issick.

“I trusted my kids withhim,” she added. “A lot ofpeople did.”

Clare, who is also theprincipal of Harvest Prep, aschool run out of the church,began preaching when he was11, and became a pastor at 26,according to court documents.Clare is being held in lieu of$50,000 bond. He faces up to25 years in state prison if con-victed of first-degree rape.

Æ

MIAMI, Florida – Six humanrights groups in Miami andWashington D.C. have filed anemergency petition with theInter-American Commissionon Human Rights (IACHR)to halt the deportation ofHaitians by the United States.

The petition – submittedby the University of MiamiSchool of Law Human Rightsand Immigration Clinics, theFlorida Immigrant AdvocacyCenter, the Center forConstitutional Rights,Alternative Chance and theLoyola Law Clinic and Centerfor Social Justice – argues thatdeporting people at thismoment to Haiti will result inserious human rights viola-tions.

“The U.S. government isviolating important humanrights obligations,” saidCaroline Bettinger-Lopez,director of the Human RightsClinic at the University ofMiami School of Law.

“These deportations willcompound a catastrophic pub-lic health and humanitariancrisis in the poorest country inthe Western Hemisphere,” sheadded.

“It is sim-ply uncon-scionable toresume depor-tations to Haition the one-year anniver-sary of one ofthe most dev-astating natu-ral disasters in world history,especially as a cholera epi-demic rages across the coun-try.”

PRECAUTIONThe petition asks the

IACHR to order the U.S. toadopt precautionary measuresto prevent “irreparable harm”to the Haitians subject toimminent deportation.Specifically, it asks the U.S. tocontinue its stay of deporta-tions, release the petitionersand grant “deferred action”status to all people facingremoval.

Last year the USCISannounced that it would giveHaitian nationals another sixmonths to apply forTemporary Protected Status(TPS). The initial deadline forapplications was July 2010.

But last month, the said itwas resuming the deportationof Haitians who have finishedserving time for violent crime.It also said it is becomingmore strict on grantingHaitians humanitarian parole,which is used sparingly tobring in someone otherwiseinadmissible to the U.S. tem-porarily due to a compellingemergency.

The U.S. had typicallyextended TPS to immigrantsfrom countries – such as ElSalvador, Honduras, Somalia,and Nicaragua – where sud-den conflict or disaster hasprevented them from return-ing safely.

- CMC

More, including ‘Baby Doc’Duvalier’s presence in thecountry, the possible return ofanother exiled former presi-dent, Jean Bertrand Aristide,and lingering problems fromlast year’s earthquake, inCaribbean Today’s “Eye onHaiti” feature, page 8.

Æ

Jamaican pastor indicted forallegedly raping congregant

2010 earthquake, the U.S. halt-ed deportations to Haiti, andHaitians who were in the U.S.were granted TemporaryProtection Status. TPS is givento citizens of a foreign countrydue to conditions that tem-porarily prevent its nationalsfrom returning safely or whenthe country is unable to handlethe return of its nationals ade-quately.

TPS for Haitians is set toexpire on July 22, and U.S. immi-gration officials have said thosewho were granted the special sta-tus won’t be deported.

Although the U.S.Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) agency hasstated that only people withcriminal records will be deport-ed, many Haitians are worriedthat wider deportations could beimminent. The ICE turnaboutcame as a surprise to New Yorkimmigration activists and civilrights groups.

“The situation in Haiti hasnot improved, and may be even

worse now than when the depor-tations were halted in the weeksafter the devastating earthquakeof January 2010”, three promi-nent non-profit groups here – theCenter for Constitutional Rights,the Institute for Justice &Democracy in Haiti andAlternative Chance – noted in ajoint statement issued recently.

Eugene said he wrote toPresident Obama andSecretary of Homeland JanetNapolitano in December, ask-ing them to review their deci-sion to deport Haitians.

“I urged them to considerthe situation Haiti is in rightnow,” he said. “If they sendback criminals, life will be moredifficult for (earthquake) sur-vivors.

“Right now, Haiti is like awar zone. There is no security,no resources. Now, those peo-ple (sent back) can be evenmore dangerous. I keep askingmyself how much more canHaiti endure.”

- CMC

Æ

Deportations concern Haitian legislator in N.Y.

LONDON, England - LordJohn Taylor of Warwick,whose parents were born inJamaica, has become the firstparliamentarian in the UnitedKingdom to be found guiltyby a jury of expenses fraud.

The jury at the at theSouthwark Court in SouthLondon found the 58-year-oldguilty of six charges of claim-ing falsely for £11,277.80 ($17,877) worth of expensesbetween Mar. 2006 and Oct.2007, after deliberating forfive hours.

Taylor, son of DeriefTaylor, a Jamaican left-hand-ed batsman who played cricket professionally forWarwickshire, took advantageof the law which permitsmembers of the houses ofParliament to claim expensesfor work-related travelbetween London and theirhome by claiming that he hada house in rural Oxford when,in fact, he lived in Londonitself.

Æ

British lord found guilty of fraud

Groups petition U.S. to stop Haitian deportations


NEWS

Bettinger-Lopez

(Continued from page 2)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aleading United States thinktank believes Guyana’sPresident Bharrat Jagdeo willleave a “tattered legacy” whenhe steps out of office later thisyear.

“Stagnation, violence, cor-ruption, arch-sectarianism,and unfettered crime – this isthe heritage that PresidentBharrat Jagdeo will bequeathto his country”, the Councilon Hemispheric Affairs(COHA) noted in a statementissued late last month.

“Now that Jagdeo hasannounced that he will notseek a third term in the

upcoming August election, hemay well ask, as a New Yorkmayor once did, ‘How did Ido?’ The answer, in thisinstance, must be: ‘terribly’”,it added.

Chosen by formerPresident Janet Jagan to suc-ceed her in office, COHA saidJagdeo could only receive thelowest of marks from anyindependent evaluation.

“Through his tolerance of crime, racism, and dismalsocial progress, PresidentJagdeo has turned in a fifth-rate performance as presidentof one of the poorest coun-tries in the hemisphere”, it

stated.“As the

Guyanese useevery strategy,legal and ille-gal, to flee thedysfunctionalcountry,Jagdeo will godown in histo-ry as a manwho did almost nothing for hisnation while in office”, itadded.

CREDITBut COHA noted that, to

his credit, Jagdeo has ledGuyana on a path of “consid-

erable economic growth” inthe last 10 years, despite adevastating flood in 2005. Itsaid the Guyanese economy,which is heavily dependent onthe export of six main com-modities - rice, timber, gold,bauxite, shrimp and sugar -has expanded at an averagerate of three percent over thepast decade.

“Sadly, however, despitethis incremental improvementin the Guyanese economy,government officials havebeen either unwilling orunable to share this modestprosperity with averageGuyanese citizens”, COHA

noted.Indicative of this trend is

that the allocation for educa-tion as a percentage of gov-ernment spending is signifi-cantly lower than it was 10years ago, it stated. COHAalso noted that public spend-ing on education dropped to6.1 percent of total grossdomestic product (GDP) in2007, down from 8.5 percentin 2000.

Because of this “lack ofadequate spending on publiceducation,” the think tanknoted, the percentage of pri-

President Jagdeo leaving ‘tattered legacy’ in Guyana ~ U.S. think tank


NEWS

Jagdeo


Jamaican national MichaelEverett was recentlyappointed chairman of the

Diversity Advisory Council ofthe Broward County Board ofCommissioners in Florida.Everett had been serving as amember of the council since2000.

The objective of the 18-member body is to identifyand focus attention on theneeds and issues of the diversecommunities of BrowardCounty, which reflect variousreligious, ethnic and culturalbackgrounds. The information

is disseminated to the BrowardCounty Commission for neces-sary action.

The council also workswith the local police, identify-ing ethnic needs and concerns.

Everett is the onlyJamaican to serve on the coun-cil, which was formerly knownas the Multi Ethnic AdvisoryBoard, since its inception 1990.

He is a graduate ofExcelsior High School and theJamaica School of Drama andhas worked in the media, the-ater and in the education fieldin Jamaica.

Everett migrated to theUnited States in 1980, first set-tling in New York before relo-

cating to Florida. He pursueda career in banking and publicservice, working in state, coun-

ty and municipal offices.

Æ

mary school entrance-age chil-dren enrolled in such schoolsdropped from 91.8 percent to62 percent.

COHA warned that therecould be “pernicious socialconsequences if educationcontinues to take a back seaton the Guyanese agenda”.

On healthcare, it notedthere have been “some posi-tive results” including anincrease in life expectancy anda notable decrease in infantmortality. But, it added,“many exigencies, however,remain unaffected”, stating,for example, that about a fifthof the Guyanese populationstill lacks access to clean sani-tation facilities.

The World HealthOrganization estimated thatGuyana has one of the highestprevalence rates ofHIV/AIDS in Latin Americaand the Caribbean.

COHA said Jagdeo’stenure will also be remem-bered for the “spike in violentcrimes experienced through-out Guyana.

“The violence in Guyanais all the bitterer for the ethnicundertones that color it.Guyana’s motto - ‘OnePeople, One Nation, OneDestiny’ - only seems a crueljoke in the face of the starkdivision that has long seized

the country - a division thatJagdeo has done almost noth-ing to address”, it added.

On balance, COHA notedthat Jagdeo has “failed duringhis presidency to advance thefreedom and fairness of

Guyanese public life, or theinequities of the Indo-Guyanese-dominated society”.

- CMC

Æ

Jagdeo leaving ‘tattered legacy’ in Guyana ~ U.S. think tank


NEWS

Jamaican is new Broward County Diversity Advisory Council chairman

FEMALE FOUNDATION

Three Caribbean women holding leadership positions in Florida shared the spotlightat the recent inauguration of the newly elected state Governor Rick Scott. NewLieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll, center, who is of Trinidadian descent, isflanked by two Jamaicans. At left is Florida State Representative Hazelle Rogers. Onthe right is Jamaica’s Consul General to the Southeast USA Sandra Grant Griffiths.The ceremony was held last month at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.


SONIA MORGAN

The sound of his high,rich tenor resonates inpacked auditoriums

across South Florida. Hissinging is a staple at numerousevents in the Jamaican com-munity. And, his mega-wattsmile has lit up hundreds offaces as he serenadesentranced women.

Steve Higgins – soloist,public speaker, actor, directorand producer - is as talented ashe is humble. His sole “power-trip” is the crescendo of hisvoice when he belts out any-thing from soft classical musicto Jamaican folk songs.

Higgins, along with inter-nationally renowned artisteCecil Cooper and one ofJamaica’s best voices DavidReid, make up Dem 3Jamaican Tenors, a group thathas been preparing for twopost-Valentine Day shows thismonth in South Florida. Thefirst is slated for 6 p.m. Feb. 19at the Kendall CommunityChurch of God, and the sec-ond at 5 p.m. the following dayat the David Posnack JewishCommunity Center in Davie.

Dem 3 Jamaican Tenorshas not performed in SouthFlorida for two years, butplayed in New York lastSeptember at the Park PlazaHotel and the year before as apart of the York CollegeConcert Season. However,Higgins said, he is often askedwhen the trio would haveanother show in South Florida.This month’s shows will be thefirst time the group will bedoing a Valentine’s perform-ance, he added.

According to Higgins, theshows will seek to dispel theopinion of many Jamaicanwomen that Jamaican men arenot romantic and also disprovethe notion held by some non-Jamaicans that Jamaicans only

enjoy reggae music.“When most people think

of Jamaican music they thinkof reggae and dancehall,” hetold Caribbean Today recently.“My purpose is to show thatwe have this other side, a lot offlavor with a lot of style andhumor and so that is how wekeep the audience veryengaged.”

Dem 3 Jamaican Tenorsintends to show a gentler, moreromantic side to the Jamaicanman.

“This show is going to be amuch different show than thelast ones we’ve had,” Higginssaid. “We have a brand newrepertoire that we’re going topresent in superb delivery.”

ENDURING TALENTFor those who know

Higgins only as a performer inSouth Florida in the 10 yearshe’s been a resident of thearea, there is so much more toknow about this musical andtheatrical talent. His career inthe performing arts spansdecades and involves many topclass Jamaican acts.

Higgins has shared thestage with celebrated actorsand actresses like LeonieForbes, the late Charles Hyatt,Fae Ellington and Dr. OliveLewin. He said he learnedfrom those stalwarts, whoinfluenced not only his per-formances, but his ability toproduce and coordinate topquality shows.

In 20 years as a member ofThe Jamaican Folk singers,Higgins traveled widely insideand outside Jamaica. Underthe tutelage of musicologist Dr.Lewin he said he “learned therudiments of putting on a showand gained invaluable experi-ence.” He recalled perform-ances with the group inWestminster Abbey in Londonand in Drummondville,Quebec, Canada where he said

he “learned very quickly thatour (Jamaican folk) music isappreciated all over theworld.”

Although Higgins describedhimself as “the least of the apos-tles” when he spoke about Dem3 Jamaican Tenors, he has beencalled on to perform or arrangemusic for significant occasions,including funerals of prominentJamaicans.

“I sang at the lying-in-stateof (former Prime Minister)Michael Manley and with thechoir at his funeral,” Higginssaid.

He was in charge ofarranging the musical tributesat the funeral of the lateGovernor General Sir FlorizelGlasspole in 2000 and sang atLady Glasspole’s funeral ayear earlier. When Dr. WesleyPowell, the founder ofExcelsior High School, died,Higgins was asked to arrangethe choir.

“Mrs. Powell thanked mefor that,” he said.

Higgins was also tapped toput together the music whentwo other important figures,Sir Phillip Sherlock, a scholarand educator, and HughSherlock, the author of the

Jamaican National Anthem,died.

“Hugh Sherlock instructedme that whenever the anthemis being sung, we shouldalways sing both verses,”Higgins explained. “… It wasvery important to him. He wasvery specific about it, andthat’s something I share withall the consulates I come incontact with.”

DEM TENORSIn 2003 and 2004 Higgins

produced the romantic musical“The Best Time of Your Life”which had performances inJamaica, United States andLondon. But, he said, it wascostly at times with a cast of 14. When he heard aboutSpanish singers PlácidoDomingo and JoséCarreras and the Italiansinger Luciano Pavarotti,known as The Three Tenors,he thought about a Jamaicanequivalent. Dem 3 JamaicanTenors was born.

In 2004, then JamaicanConsul General to MiamiRicardo Allicock askedHiggins to form a group toofficiate and sing at Jamaica’sannual Independence service.

“We now have membersfrom some 20 churches in thegroup South FloridaCaribbean Chorale. The grouphas been extended to includeother nationals from theCaribbean and we are 100strong,” Higgins said.

The chorale stagesChristmas concerts. The lasttwo were held at thePlantation United MethodistChurch. Last year the groupgave most of its proceeds from Easter and Christmasconcerts to the UnitedMethodist Committee onRelief (UMCOR), which wentto Haiti. The group has alsoperformed at Holy FamilyEpiscopal, Holy Sacramentand Miramar UnitedMethodist Church.

“The group decided tostay together and continuedoing regular concerts,”Higgins said.

Higgins also has a day job. He is the Caribbeanregional manager forMoneygram International,which is responsible for money transfer business

Steve Higgins: ‘Dat’ Jamaican tenor brings post-Valentine romance


FEATURE

Dem 3 Jamaican Tenors on stage, from left, David Reid, Cecil Cooper and Steve Higgins.


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,CMC – United StatesSecretary of State HillaryClinton ended a one-day visithere on Jan. 30 promising thatWashington will not suspendaid to the impoverishedFrench speaking Caribbeancommunity (CARICOM)country even as the disputedpresidential and legislativeelections results remain unre-solved.

Late last month, U.S.Ambassador to the UnitedNations Susan Rice hintedthat the administration ofPresident Barack Obama maycut off aid to Haiti if the RenéPréval administration did notadopt recommendations bythe Organization of AmericanStates (OAS) to resolve theimpasse. But, after meetingwith Haitian leaders, Clintonrejected that notion.

“We’re not talking about any of that,” she toldreporters. “We have a deepcommitment to the Haitianpeople.

“That goes to humanitari-an aid that goes to gover-nance and democracy pro-grams that will be going to acholera treatment center,” shesaid.

THREATBut Clinton pressed

Haiti’s leaders to adopt theinternationally-backed solu-tion to the elections’ dispute.The continuing stalematethreatens to further under-mine the fragile peace in theimpoverished, French-speak-ing Caribbean country.

“We’ve made it very clearwe support the OAS recom-mendations, and we wouldlike to see those acted on,”Clinton said.

“We want to see the voic-es and votes of the Haitianpeople acknowledged and rec-ognized,” she added.In early January, the interna-tional experts revised the dis-puted preliminary resultsfrom the chaotic Nov. 28 elec-tions. Citing widespread irreg-ularities in voting tallies, theexperts recommended thatpresidential candidate andpopular musician Michel“Sweet Mickey” Martelly beincluded in the Mar. 20 sec-ond-round runoff vote inplace of government-backedcandidate, Jude Celestin.Former Haitian First Lady,Mirlande Manigat, hasalready been confirmed forthe run-off.

OAS SUPPORTBesides the U.S., the

United Nations and majorwestern donors, like Franceand Britain, along with the

European Union, have made itexplicit that they also supportthe OAS’s recommendation.

Despite the OAS reportand international pressure,Celestin, a government tech-nocrat and Preval protégé,had not withdrawn from therace up to press tiem, despite

prodding from his own INITEor Unity coalition to do so.Washington has also revokedthe US entry visas of severalHaitians officials linked toINITE and Celestin’s cam-paign.

Æ

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, -Former Haitian dictator JeanClaude Duvalier has toldnationals that he decided toend his 25 year exile in Franceand return home to help inthe reconstruction of thecountry following the Jan. 12earthquake last year thatkilled an estimated 300,000people and left more than amillion others homeless.

But less than 48 hoursafter he made a surprisereturn to Haiti last month,“Baby Doc” Duvalier wasslapped with several charges,including corruption, theft andmisappropriation of funds thatwere allegedly committed dur-ing his 15 year rule.

Under Haitian law, thecharges must now be investi-gated by a judge, who willdecide whether a judicial caseshould go ahead.

In a prepared statementlast month, Duvalier, who

returned here on Jan. 16, alsoexpressed condolences to thefamilies of those killed.

“When I made the deci-sion to come back to Haiti tocommemorate this sadanniversarywith you, inour country, Iwas ready forany kind ofpersecution,”Duvalier saidin a soft-spo-ken voice.

“But Ibelieve thatthe desire to participate byyour side in this collaborationfor the national reconstructionfar outweighs any harassmentI could face,” he said, inapparent reference to the alle-gations made against him byHaitian authorities includingembezzlement, fraud, andcrimes against humanity.

The 59-year-old former

leader ruled Haiti from 1971to 1986 through terror and theregime he inherited from hisfather.

Human right groups saidthousands of Haitians wereimprisoned, tortured or killed,during his rule. His brief state-ment was followed by expla-nations from a team ofAmerican lawyers, includingBob Barr, a former UnitedStates congressman and presi-dential candidate, who said hewas assisting Duvalier with hisinternational public image.

One of the lawyers,Edwin Marger, denied thatDuvalier harbored any politi-cal ambitions. But he saidDuvalier does want access to funds frozen in a bankaccount in Switzerland to con-tribute to the reconstruction.

Compiled from CMC reports.

Æ

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,CMC – Less than a week afterdeposed Haitian leader JeanClaude Duvalier made a sur-prise return to Haiti, anotherformer head of state is eyeinga return to the French-speak-ing Caribbean country.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who now lives in exile in SouthAfrica, last month sent a letter tohis former foreign press liaisonMichelle Karshan indicating thathe is “ready” to return home.

Aristide, a former RomanCatholic priest, was swept outof office in 2004 and he hasconsistently blamed theUnited States and France forhis downfall.

Karshan told reportersthat she received the letter

“directly” from Aristide, 57,and his spokeswoman MaryseNarcisse.

“The pur-pose is veryclear: To con-tribute to serv-ing my Haitiansisters andbrothers as asimple citizenin the field ofeducation”,wrote Aristidein the letter dated Jan.19.

“The return is indispensa-ble, too, for medical reasons:It is strongly recommendedthat I not spend the comingwinter in South Africa’sbecause in six years I haveundergone six eye surgeries”,

he added.Seven months after he

was democratically elected in1990 for his first term,Aristide, who fought theDuvalier regime in the mid-1980s, was ousted by a mili-tary junta. Three years later, aU.S. invasion restored him topower. But he went into exilea second time in 2004 amid aviolent rebellion.

Aristide has been aresearch fellow at theUniversity of South Africa inPretoria, where he has beenteaching and presentingresearch papers, such as “WhyAfrican descendants are stillfacing poverty in Haiti”.

Æ

U.S. will not stop aid to Haiti ~ ClintonI came home to help in Haiti’s reconstruction ~ Duvalier

…Aristide too wants to return


EYE ON HAITI~ A Caribbean Today special feature

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Vol. 22, Number 3 • Feb. 2011

Peter A WebleyPublisher

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Caribbean Media SourceMedia Representatives

Opinions expressed by editors and writersare not necessarily those of thepublisher.

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Duvalier

Aristide

Clinton

JOHN KERRY

On Jan. 11, 2010, thingswere looking up forHaiti. United Nations

peacekeepers had crackeddown onHaiti’s notori-ous gangs andreducedurban vio-lence.Dangerousslums, likeCite Soleil,were saferthan they hadbeen in years.PresidentRene Préval had begun, albeithaltingly, to enact politicalreforms. Foreign investmentand economic growth, spurredby United States trade benefitsand Haiti`s active diaspora,were ticking upwards.

In what passes for opti-mism in Haiti, Prime MinisterJean-Max Bellerive observedthat the country was moving“to get out of misery to getinto poverty.”We know the tragic next chap-ter to this story. On Jan. 12, lit-erally and figuratively, it allcame tumbling down. Anearthquake killed upwards of300,000 people and left over1.5 million without shelter. Thequake set in motion a series ofevents, including a cholera epi-demic, that still has Haiti reel-ing.

After the quake, we wit-nessed many noble, generousand courageous efforts byHaitians and outside donors.Together, they prevented thecatastrophe from explodinginto something worse.Widespread famine, looting,and violence did not occur.Vital health indicatorsremained stable. Even if justunder plastic or canvas, over amillion displaced Haitians hadprotection from wind and rain,and they had access to cleanwater and latrines.

OPPORTUNITYThe once-in-a-generationopportunity to “build back “re-imagined” Haitian future, thecountry has reverted to thesame dysfunctional political cul-ture that has tormented its past.Foot-dragging and petty squab-bles have precluded solutionsto even the most compelling ofhumanitarian problems.

As a result, 1.3 millionHaitians are still living in tents.The cholera epidemic hasintensified and unemploymentand poverty rates have reachedepic proportions - unemploy-ment rates in the formal sectorare up to 90 percent.

With ministries demol-ished and thousands of govern-

ment employees killed, theHaitian national leadershiphad good reasons for its slowresponse in the early monthsof the crisis, but PresidentPréval and his governmenthave lagged in coordinatingrebuilding efforts. Even whenthe international communityhas developed plans and iden-tified funding, the Haitian gov-ernment has been slow to givethe green light to these proj-ects. Major policy priorities,such as creating decentralizedclusters of economic activityoutside the crowded capital,have had no significant follow-up.

BLAMEThe donor community is

not without blame. Haitianshave complained, often right-fully, that they have been leftout of meetings and decision-making, that approved projectsdo not conform to agreed pri-orities, and that the non-governmental communityoften pursues duplicative proj-ects without buy-in or supportfrom the government. TheU.S. has provided valuableassistance and leadership, butwe have yet to articulate astrategy for contributing torebuilding.

While there are no magicsolutions to these immensechallenges, the elements of away forward are clear.

First, the impasse that hasdelayed the presidential runoffelection that was supposed tooccur last month month must beresolved. Haiti needs a legiti-mate leader to take office andappoint a skilled team to imple-ment a development vision forthe country. The internationalcommunity must work tochange the elites’ traditionalcalculus that a crisis is an oppor-tunity, and we must make clearthat alleviating the suffering ofthe Haitian people is our firstpriority. Any candidate sabotag-ing the ongoing efforts by theOrganization of AmericanStates to solve the election crisisshould be disqualified.

On my most recent trav-el to the United StatesI was amazed and

amused at the new types of“bling” that the kids werewearing. I even saw boyswearing teeth with flashinglights on them.

We scoff and deride, butis bling really new? It seemsas if even in days gone bythere was bling, albeit calledby a different name. Peoplethen adorned themselves withbaubles bangles and beads,plus fancy hairstyles or wigs tocap off the ensemble. But a-ha, the new generation rolledit, skewed it, improved it andtook it to a different level.

We now are the proudowners of bling. Bling is astate of mind, an attitude, away of life that decrees. If yougot it flaunt it, and even if youhaven’t got it, flaunt it anyway.Bling is not real wealth, butthe appearance of real wealth,giving true meaning to thesaying, all that glitters is notgold - just bling.

For some people, fromthey have a child, the poor kidis subjected to bling. Frombefore the youth can walk ortalk, he or she is festoonedlike a Christmas tree with ear-rings, toe rings, finger rings,nose rings, big chains (cargo)multi-colored hairstyles,designer clothes and expen-sive track shoes to match.Bling Baby.

TO IMPRESSAs they grow older, the

bling becomes even more pro-nounced as the gold and silverchains hang from their neckslike when ships drop anchor.It’s amazing the neck strengthof those wearers, as thosechains must carry a goodweight. Or are they hollow?

The clothes must bebaggy, with the pants hangingdown way below the waist andwith the underpants, usuallyboxer shorts, showing abovethe belt line. The shirt is big,billowy, flowery like curtaincloth and always open, unlessit’s a mesh tank top that hugsthe mighty bling belly. The

boy’s hair-styles rivalthat of anywoman, as it’seither corn-rows that areso neat youcould takemetric meas-urements offthem, or theyhave all sortsof multicol-ored beads and trinkets twist-ed in.

Many times I have had totake a second look to deter-

mine whether it’s a male orfemale that’s dressed up so.

Bling does have a veneerof androgyny. Men with plait-ed hair and earrings, some-times in both ears, that’s bling.Let’s not forget the teeth, asno one has a toothy grin as aman who is truly bling. Eachtooth must have on a differentcharacter, usually from a deckof cards, with gold being themetal of choice. Sometimesit’s a gun or a bullet thatmakes the tooth the wholetooth.


VIEWPOINT

TONYROBINSON

Bling this, bling that



What Haitians can do for tohelp themselves

JOHN KERRY

Second, the donor com-munity must communicate aclear and coherent rebuildingvision and strategy with timelines and benchmarks. TheU.S. can play an importantrole by publicly articulating anoverarching development poli-cy to guide the allocation ofover $1 billion in assistanceappropriated by the Congresslast July. Haitian ownership ofany plan is key, but theobstructionism and unwilling-ness to lead cannot be tolerat-ed any longer.

Third, we must recognizeand reinforce the remarkablesuccess of the U.N. peacekeep-ing operation and the newlytrained Haitian NationalPolice, both of which havebeen critical to stability andthe rapid decline in crime.

Fourth, Haiti must takebetter advantage of the experi-ence and know-how of its high-ly skilled and wide-rangingdiaspora. The government hasmany vacancies that émigréscan fill - at a minimum through

a fellows program - to providecritical support to ministries asthey attempt to stand up andreorganize.

Finally, we must recognizethat rebuilding Haiti willrequire a sustained commit-ment and a long-term partner-ship. The U.S. and the interna-tional community have donegood work in Haiti in the past,and Haiti is better for it today,but the work was piecemealand short-term.

Partnership entails com-mitment and maturity on bothsides. Haitians across society -from the economic and politi-cal elite, to the nascent andunsteady civil society, to themasses of poor - have to real-ize that our concern for theirwelfare does not give themleverage to shun our demandsfor progress. We cannot do thetasks that only they can do.

Democrat John Kerry is aUnited States senator from thestate of Massachusetts.

Æ

But it’s the women ofbling who are the real eyecatchers. Oh for Versace,Donatelli, Ferrucci, CalvinKlein, Fubu, to pass by andcheck out our futile femmefatales. Their eyes would pop.

ON SHOWEven in the pouring rain

they’ll line up to get into night-clubs, as the bling outfit shallnot go to waste. They’ll merelycover the fancy hairdo, kick offthe boots and bling out in theclub, as it has to be shown off.Bling must also ring, as noBling outfit is complete with-out the cellphone ensemble,with multi colored instrumentsthat glow in the dark and ringto the tunes and tomes of the

classical melodies.The ultimate bling is to

have two or three cellphoneseven though no call can bemade, as it’s the old familiarrefrain, “My phone card runout.”

The choice drink of blingis champagne, preferablyDom Perrion or Moet.

To complete the uniform,to be truly bling, the vehicle ofchoice has to be an SUV,preferably the Avalanche orEscalade. The H2Hummercarries bling, and you have toreally fix it up extra, acces-sorize it with blue, purple orgreen running lights that glowunder it, 10 million watt foglamps, plus lights in theexhaust tail pipe, and rimsthat continue spinning long

after the vehicle’s parked andthe owner’s gone to bed.That’s bling.

Superior Bling is whenthere’s a television or even twoembedded in the headrest ofthe vehicle. If you check outmost of those bling guys withthe fancy wheels, they livenowhere, but those that do,really live stylishly. Theyinhabit houses that would rivalBuckingham Palace, completewith lions on the fence post,gold plate on the toilet seatand marble from Italy.

NOT SIZEA truly bling house is usu-

ally huge, palatial. But bling isnot necessarily about size. Justdrive through inner cities andyou’ll truly see some bling

boudoirs, if you dare to enterthe portals.

To be bling, you have totalk the language of bling. NoStandard English, but the bab-ble of bling. I overheard thisguy talking on his “bling-phone” and listened in marveland awe as I heard the lan-guage of bling. I could onlyhear his side of the conversa-tion, which went somethinglike this: “Yow, fi real, loopme, yu dun know, get jiggy,slam it, pon der corner, repre-sent, yu dun know, yu waansee, yu dun know, yow, busme, yu dun know.” Fi realfolks, fi real.

Bling continues even afterthe dearly bling has dearlydeparted. There is nothing asfabulous than a bling send off,the mother of all funerals. The

stretch limos, the Escalades,the fancy fandangles, finery,fashion fusion. The cacophonyof the ever-present bling-phones, the gold chains, goldteeth, gold diggers. Few tearsare shed, as the bling make-upcannot be ruined.

What is also true is thatbling is usually short lived.Bling is not real wealth, butmerely conspicuous consump-tion. Real wealth lasts for gen-erations, as the great familiesof the world have proven.Bling may last until the persondeparts, but usually he out-lives it.

“Investment? Wah dat? Isbling I bling boss, just blingingout.”

[email protected]

Æ

What Haitians can do for themselves

Bling this, bling that


VIEWPOINT

• “Duvalier has raped Haiti” –St. Kitts and Nevis PrimeMinister Dr. Denzil Douglaslast month making it clear whathe thinks of the return to Haitiof former dictator Jean Claude“Baby Doc” Duvalier.

• “We have not really focusedon whether or not whatJamaica wants going into thefuture is a situation where foryou to be a Member ofParliament, you must be a citi-zen of Jamaica only, or whether

we want to recognize our reali-ty that there are citizens ofJamaica and of other countrieswho manage their loyalty toeach country” – Jamaica’sPrime Minister Bruce Goldingweighs in on the issue of dualcitizenship.

• “I lookedaround and sawmen with guns,they looked likeruffians to me. I thought theyhad come tostop the debate”- former Trinidad and TobagoPrime Minister ANR Robinsonlast month describing his reac-tion to the storming of T&T’s

Parliament by members of theradical Jamaat-Al-Muslimeengroup during an attempted coupin July 1990. Robinson was awitness called by the five-mem-ber Commission of Inquiry intothe incident.

• “Why, you might ask, is whathappens thousands of milesaway in Arizona relevant toanyone in the Caribbean?More specifically, why is it rele-vant to us here in St. Kitts andNevis? Because of what it hasto teach us” – St. Kitts andNevis Prime Minister Dr.Denzil Douglas warnsCaribbean nationals that thereare lessons to be learnt from theattempted assassination of

United States CongresswomanGabriella Giffords last month.

• “There are major issues sur-rounding Mr. Duvalier and theconsiderable range of humanrights abuses that took place inHaiti during the 15 years thathe was in power” - RupertColville, spokesperson for theUnited Nations’ Office of theHigh Commissioner for HumanRights, voices his organization’sconcern over Jean ClaudeDuvalier’s return to Haiti lastmonth..

• “I just wanted to finish on ahigh” - West Indies batsmanChris Gayle after blasting 92runs from 40 balls in his final

innings forWestern Australiain the “Twenty20Big Bash” crickettournamentDown Under.Gayle, recentlynamed Jamaica’s“Sportsman of the Year”,smashed seven fours and eightsixes. He then left to join theWest Indies for its three-matchone-day international tour of SriLanka ahead of this month’sCricket World Cup.

Compiled from CMC andother sources.

Æ



Nova SoutheasternUniversity (NSU) willhonor the legacy of Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. through-out February and March as partof its ongoing Black HistoryMonth celebrations.

Among the highlights isthe photo documentary “AndFreedom For All”, which cap-tures King’s defining “I HaveA Dream” speech and his par-ticipation in the “March onWashington for Jobs andFreedom”. The photographswere taken by LOOK maga-zine’s Stanley Tretick, whowas John F. Kennedy’s presi-dential photographer.

The exhibit, which is freeand open to the public, is onview through Mar. 31 in theSecond Floor Gallery ofNSU’s Alvin Sherman Library.

Other highlights of NSUBlack History Month celebra-tions include talks from “The Strengths of the BlackFamily” series, including oneon “Black Love” on Feb. 14;

an African dance class on Feb15, and an urban funk work-shop on Feb. 18; plus a one-man show about LangstonHughes on Feb. 19, and ajourney toward natural hairon Feb. 20;

For more information,about the photo exhibit, call954-262-4637. For a full pro-gram of NSU’s Black HistoryMonth events, visitwww.nova.edu/blackhistory.

Æ

Historic photographic exhibit honorsMLK, highlights NSU’s celebrations

The Black History MonthCommittee at FloridaMemorial University

(FMU) will offer severalevents during February,including film screenings,workshops, panel discussions,stage readings, concerts andspiritual worship services.

Some of the activities arelisted below:

• Feb. 10, 10 a.m. –Homecoming Cultural PrideExtravaganza on the front lawn.

• Feb. 11, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. –Black Pioneers in Aviation atthe Lehman Auditorium.7 p.m. – Homecoming GreekStep Show and Concert,including performances byGyptian, Jagged Edge and

Slim at the A. ChesterRobinson Athletic Center.

• Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m. – OscarMicheaux Film and Discussionat the Lou Rawls Center forthe Performing Arts (LRCPA).

• Feb. 18, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. –Melton Mustafa Jazz FestivalWorkshops at LRCPA.

• Feb. 19, 7 p.m. – MeltonMustafa Jazz Festival Concertat LRCPA.

• Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m. – View“Contextualizing BlackEurope”, Sedat Pakay’s filmon James Baldwin: “FromAnother Place” at LRCPA.

Æ

The Caribbean communi-ty in South Florida willbe celebrating Black

History Month with a familiarflavor in February. Below area couple of activities sched-uled for the month:

• Feb. 13, 7 p.m. - CaribbeanDance Celebrationpresented by JamaicaAwareness Inc. at CoralSprings Center for The Arts,7855 Coral Springs Dr.Program to honor life andwork of Jamaican RexNettleford.

For more informationcall:305-405-2712 or visitwww.jamaware.org.

• Feb. 19 - Have A HeartGala - “A Stroll DownMemory Lane” - presented bythe National Association ofThe Bahamas at MiramarCultural Center,

2300 Civic Center Pl.,Miramar. To reserve tickets,call 954-888-1113/4 or [email protected].

Æ

FMU offers variety during BHM

Dr. Umar Abdullah-Johnsonis the scheduled keynotespeaker at a Black HistoryMonth fundraising banquet onFeb. 19 in Lauderhill, Florida.

His presentation is enti-tled “African Awareness 101”,which will focus on the detri-mental effects of special edu-cation on students of colorattending public schools andon what parents need to knowto safeguard their children.

Dr. Abdullah-Johnson is,a school psychologist fromPhiladelphia. He is a bloodrelative of FrederickDouglass, the great black abolitionist and orator.

The banquet will be in aidof the establishment of aMarcus Garvey Multi-PurposeCommunity Center in FortLauderdale. It will be held atthe Warehouse, 3500 N.W.15th St. in Lauderhill, Florida,beginning at 7 p.m.

The program will includeaudio-visual presentations,live music, an African fashionshow staged by the LiberianAssociation of South Florida,cultural performances and theLalibela Muzik sound system.

For more information, call954-981-1176 or 954-297-8593.

Æ

Spotlight on ‘African Awareness’ at Feb. 19fundraising banquet in Lauderhill

Six years ago I went toAuschwitz. I rememberbeing surprised at the

number of Israeli schoolgroups there,some literallywrapped intheir nationalflag.

Israelischool kids, itturns out,often visit thedeath campas a means ofunderstand-ing the geno-cide that dec-imated their people. Learningthis left me, not for the firsttime, impressed with the wayJews have institutionalizedHolocaust education. A sub-ject that was considered large-ly taboo into the 1970s hassince become the object ofmanifold museums, memori-als and oral histories.

As Maryla Korn, a sur-vivor from Washington, oncetold the Washington JewishWeek newspaper, “Maybe bytalking and telling our stories,

we can restrain another littlemonster from coming up.How can you not talk?”

CONTRASTHer words stand in stark

contrast to the responses Ionce received from two blackwomen when I asked them todescribe a lynching they wit-nessed in 1930.

“I try and put that behindme,” said Sarah E. Weaver-Pate. “I’d just rather forgetthat.”

“Why bring it up?”snapped Clara Jeffries. “It’snot helping anything. Peopledon’t want to hear it.”

Every January we hearMartin Luther King’s greatspeech. Every February,school kids dress up as blackinventors or social leaders.But there is in us - meaningthe African American com-munity - a marked tendencyto avoid the grit, gristle andgrime of our history. Thetelling of those stories is nei-ther institutionalized nor evenparticularly encouraged.

It is time for that to

change.I sat down intending to

write a different column. Iwas going to blast MississippiGovernor Haley Barbour forhis remarks about the so-called “Citizens Councils”,which were popular in theAmerican South beginning inthe 1950s.

“Up north they think itwas like the KKK,” he said inan interview with The WeeklyStandard. “Where I comefrom it was an organization oftown leaders. In Yazoo Citythey passed a resolution thatsaid anybody who started achapter of the Klan would gettheir a.. run out of town.”

MISLEADINGIt’s a benign, misleading

picture sharply at odds withthe historical record. TheCitizens Councils - originallythe “White” Citizens Councils- served the same purposesocial conservatism often doestoday: to give racism intellec-tual and moral cover and pro-vide a camera-friendly alter-

Blacks can learn from Jews, when it comes to history


BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Stanley Tretick photographKing leads protest march.


Caribbeancommunityjoins BHMcelebrations

LEONARD

PITTS



PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,CMC – Trinidad and Tobagohas launched the UnitedNations “International Yearfor People of AfricanDescent, pledging to developa national program compris-ing a series of activities befit-ting the importance of theoccasion.

Prime Minister KamlaPersad Bissessar said thatgiven the country’s multi-eth-nic society and historical lega-cies, the International Yearfor People of African Descentassumes even greater signifi-cance for T&T. She said thather coalition administrationintends to develop a programof activities through partner-

ship with various key stake-holders that would include anart competition reflecting thehistory of the African pres-ence.

She said there would alsobe documentation of Africanoral traditions, such as folktales as well as an exhibitionto highlight historical sitesand artifacts.

The prime minister saidthere would also be a muralto be done by young artistsfrom T&T, Ghana, Nigeria,South Africa and Uganda andpublic lectures by leadingresearchers and civil rightleaders on topics appropriateto this occasion.

In adopting the resolution

proclaiming 2011 as theInternational Year for Peopleof African Descent, the U.N.noted that it is aimed “atstrengthening national actionsand regional and internationalcooperation for the benefit ofpeople of African descent inrelation to their full enjoy-ment of economic, cultural,social, civil and politicalrights, their participation andintegration in all political,economic, social and culturalaspects of society, and thepromotion of a greater knowl-edge of and respect for theirdiverse heritage and culture.”

Æ

Adedication ceremonyfor the memorial gar-den and monument at

the site of the recently discov-ered Lemon City Cemetery inFlorida, where 523 blacks areburied, many of who wereBahamian and early foundersof Miami, will be held on Feb. 15.

The event will begin witha procession at 9:30 a.m. led

by The Progressive CornetBand, directed by DonnieBrown, and the SingingAngels directed by Dr.Richard Strachan.

In April of 2008 humanbones were discovered at theconstruction site for theYMCA of Greater Miami’saffordable housing project inMiami, Florida. It wasrevealed that the bones were

from black people, manyBahamians and early foundersof Miami.

On Feb. 16, 2010 theLemon City CemeteryCommunity Corporation, thedevelopers and the Y cele-brated the local historic desig-nation of the cemetery.

For more information,call 305-448-3425.

Æ

native to the brutish igno-rance of the Klan. But theirmission was never in doubt.

“The Citizens’ Council isthe South’s answer to themongrelizers,” crowed onepamphlet. “We will not beintegrated. We are proud ofour white blood and our whiteheritage ofsixty cen-turies...We arecertainly notashamed ofour traditions,our conserva-tive beliefs,nor our segre-gated way oflife.”

Which is hardly consonantwith the impression Barbourleaves, but let that slide. Thegovernor, after all, is hardlyunique. Like Glenn Beck say-ing conservatives authored thecivil rights movement andCivil War apologists claimingslavery did not cause that con-flict, he is part of an appalling-ly audacious conservativeeffort to rewrite AfricanAmerican history.

Jews have endured a simi-

lar experience, as seen in theirstruggle against Holocaustdeniers. African-Americansmust respond as the Jewshave.

We must bear witness.The energy spent blasting

Haley Barbour could moreproductively be spent startingan oral history project atchurch. Or bringing elder

speakers intoschools to sharesegregationmemories. Orencouragingchildren to visitand mark thecrucible placesof their ances-tors. Or...?

We mustclaim our remembered pas-sages. It is in those passagesthat a people define them-selves. And Barbour’s sugar-coating of African Americanhistory offers a starkreminder: If we don’t tell ourstories, someone else will.

Tribune Media Services.Leonard Pitts is a columnistfor the Miami Herald.

Æ

Lemon City Cemetery ceremony to honor Bahamians

Blacks can learn from Jews,when it comes to history


BLACK HISTORY MONTH

T&T launches ‘International Year for Peopleof African Descent’ pledge in 2011


Jews have endured asimilar experience, as seen intheir struggle againstHolocaust deniers. African-Americans must respond asthe Jews have.

SONIA MORGAN

When Jamaica’s NationalDance Theater Company(NDTC) performers hit thestage for “Caribbean DanceCelebration” on Feb. 13 inCoral Springs, Florida theywould have already markedthe one-year anniversary of thedeath of the group’s founderand artistic director ProfessorRex Nettleford.

Yet the evening’s proceed-ings will honor the life andwork of the cultural and aca-demic icon, who died Feb. 2,2010, and the net proceedsfrom the event will be donatedto the Rex NettlefordFoundation.

According to SydneyRoberts, president of JamaicaAwareness Inc., presenter ofthe show, the importance ofthe NDTC and Nettleford’scontribution to dance inJamaica and the Caribbeancannot be understated andshould be continued. He saidthat is why it’s important tosupport the Rex NettlefordFoundation, which aims tocontinue the work of the lateprofessor in culture, education,

research, trade unionism, dias-pora building and philanthro-py.

Although Nettleford wasknown for his cultural influ-ence, his philanthropy is prob-

ably his “best kept secret,”according to Roberts.

“Throughout his life hehas sent many studentsthrough college with his ownmoney,” he said, “because itwas important to him that theyget the opportunities he wasafforded as a young man froma humble background.”

Robertsexplained that mostof the people whodanced with theNDTC were poorerkids attending uni-versity, many ofwhom could scarcelyafford the tuition.

“For the oneswho could not affordit, he (Nettleford)used his influence toget them into differ-ent dance schoolsthroughout theworld because hevalued the totality ineducation in everygenre of dance,” headded. “He support-ed kids who weren’table to supportthemselves at thetertiary level, with-out fanfare. ManyNDTC dancers getscholarships…thecompany sponsorsthem and pays theirtuition while theyare away.”

DANCE MASTERThere is no

question as to whythe NDTC amongNettleford’s primarylegacies, and whyJamaica Awareness is dedicat-ed to its continuance.

“The importance of whatwe are doing is in an attempt

to keep the work that hedid alive,” said Roberts,highlighting Nettleford’simpact on dance inJamaica and theCaribbean.

Roberts calledNettleford “the master ofCaribbean dance.

“Most of the stepsthat are consideredCaribbean dance weredeveloped by the NDTCunder his tutelage,” he said. “Dance compa-nies in Jamaica mirrorthe NDTC and there are many other groupsthroughout theCaribbean doing thesesame dances.”

NDTC alumni havenot just branched out toform their own dancecompanies in Jamaica,they have also had suc-cess internationally. Two prime examples are Jackie Guy, one ofBritain’s leading lecturersin Afro Caribbean dance,who choreographed “TheHarder They Come”, andGarth Fagan, who chore-ographed “The LionKing”.

Roberts said one ofJamaica Awareness’sgoals for the Feb. 13


Jamaica’s NDTC to celebrate Caribbean culture, dance in Coral Springs~ Show to honor Rex Nettleford, support his foundation

NEW YORK- Two topCaribbean-born singersare among thenominees forthis year’sNAACPImageAwards.

BarbadianRihanna andNicki Minaj ofTrinidad andTobago bothmade the list,joining nota-bles such asTracy Morgan,Vanessa Williams, LLCool J, Jay-Z, Usher,Kanye West, BlackEyed Peas, TylerPerry, DenzelWashington, JustinTimberlake, JadenSmith and SelenaGomez.

Minaj is amongnominees in the“Outstanding NewArtist” category,while Rihanna joinsMary J Bilge andSade among others inthe “Outstanding FemaleArtist” category. Rihanna isalso nominated, along withEminem, in the “Outstanding

Duo, Group orCollaboration” category.

The nominationswere announced lastmonth in BeverlyHills, California bystars including 50Cent, KimberlyElise, Sanaa Lathanand SmokeyRobinson.

The ImageAwards celebratesthe accomplishmentsof people of color in

the fields oftelevision,music, litera-ture andfilm, as wellas honoringindividualsor groupswho promotesocial justicethrough creativeendeavors.

The42nd ImageAwards willbe aired liveon Fox tele-vision net-

work on Mar. 4.

- CaribWorldNews

Æ

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,CMC – Veteran calypsonianMighty Conqueror, real nameLeroy Paul, was killed a fewyards away from the calypsotent he was due to appear inas part of the 2011 calypsoseason which opened here latelast month.

Paul, 71, was hit by a car

as he tried to cross the high-way near the Calypso RevueTent that features popularcalypsonians such as SugarAloes (Michael Osuna), Crazy (Edwin Ayoung)Mighty Chalkdust (Dr. Hollis Liverpool) and Baron(Timothy Watkins Junior).

Colleagues said that Paul,

whose popular tunes include“Trinidad Dictionary” and“Fresh Water Yankee”, wason his way to rehearsal whenthe accident occurred.

The calypso season openedas Trinidadians get ready forthe annual carnival celebrationsthat end on Mar. 8

Æ

T&T calypsonian Mighty Conqueror killed

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Nicki Minaj

Rihanna

Caribbean stars among nomineesfor 2011 NAACP Image Awards

Nettleford

- ContributedNDTC’s Kerry-Ann Henry performs “Life After Death”.


event is to have “our commu-

nity come out and represent,so that people can understandthe work and know that we

give thanks to the people whoput in the work.” The NDTCwill also hold master dance

classes on Feb. 11for persons whoare interested inlearningCaribbean dances.

The show, slat-ed for the CoralSprings Center forthe Arts, will fea-ture a tribute sec-tion and a per-forming section.The NDTC wasco-founded byRex Nettlefordand Eddy Thomasin 1962, the sameyear JamaicabecameIndependent. Itpresents Jamaicanculture throughthe performingarts – focusing ondance, music andtheater.

Sonia Morgan isa freelance writer

for Caribbean Today.

Æ

across the region, includingFrench, Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean countries,as well as some SouthAmerican nations. His jobtakes him to the Caribbeanweekly, but he finds a way tobalance work and his music.

“I do believe my job isvery fulfilling, because I’m ableto point a lot of Caribbeanpeople to a very reasonablepassageway to send money totheir loved ones throughmoney transfer,” Higginsexplained. “When I go Haiti,for example and I do a Habitatfor Humanity home dedication,I end up singing there…Samething in Guyana.”

‘WOW MOMENT’Higgins’s “wow moment”

came at the International

Music Festival inDrummondville, which featured performers from allover the world.

“We did our 10 minuteroutine - singing in Jamaicanpatois - and when we finishedperforming and we froze, therewas deafening silence,” herecalled. “Then, the stadiumerupted there was a sustainedapplause for about 15 to 20minutes. It was a tear-jerkerfor me, but that was a momentin time that I will never forget.That was my wow moment.”

Higgins also gives back tothe community through per-forming solo, with the choir oremceeing for various events,without compensation. He isthe father of two, a daughter,Simone, who is a final year stu-dent at Florida InternationalUniversity, and son Jonathan,

who attends Wolmer’s BoysSchool in Jamaica.

While living in Jamaica,Higgins appeared in leadingroles in television and radiocommercials and plays stagedat places like the Ward Theatre,The Little Theater and thePhilip Sherlock Center for thePerforming Arts. He alsoappeared in musicals and theLorimar television series“Going to Extremes”.

“My mantra is if I havetwo people in the audience, I’mgoing to do my best and leavean indelible impression onthem,” Higgins said, “becauseyou’re only as good as your lastperformance.”

Sonia Morgan is a freelancewriter for Caribbean Today.

Æ

LONDON, England – Nobellaureate Derek Walcott haswon the T.S. Eliot Prize forthe best new collection ofpoems published in theUnited Kingdom or Ireland.

The St. Lucian bornWalcott, 81, took the prizeagainst competition from aneclectic group of poets, includ-ing fellow Nobel laureateSeamus Heaney, Iraq war vet-eran Brian Turner, and SamWilletts, whose debut collec-tion came after 10 years lostto addiction to and recoveryfrom heroin.

He received the £15,000(S$23,651) from Valerie Eliot,widow of T.S. Eliot, during aceremony at the WallaceCollection, London late lastmonth.

The winning collection,“White Egrets”, was describedby poet Anne Stevenson, thechair of judges, as “moving

and technically flawless.“It took us not very long todecide that this collection wasthe yardstick by which all the

others were to be measured.These are beautiful lines;beautiful poetry,” she said.

PRAISEStevenson praised

Walcott’s technical mastery,

saying: “It is a complete bookfrom first to last; each poembelongs completely.

“He is a very great poet –one of the finest poets writingin English.”

The collection – describedby the Guardian newspaperreviewer Sarah Crown as a“superb meditation on death,grief and the passage of time”- sees Walcott in elegiacmood, the egrets of the titlebecome a shifting metaphor.According to Stevenson, thecollection “sees a return to his Caribbean setting aftersojourns in England andAmerica and he is, as it were,blessing the world instead ofcomplaining about it.”

- CMC

Æ

Dominica’s carnival cel-ebrations are alreadyunderway. Here’s a

look at some of the highlightsfrom the most festive seasonin the eastern Caribbeanisland:

• Through Mar. 5 - Calypsofeaturing dozens of carnivalmusicians, or calypsonians, whocompete for the “DominicaCalypso Monarch”title. Thecompetition begins in theweeks before the grand finaleon Mar. 5.

• Feb. 12 - Opening paradefeaturing carnival queen andprincess contestants, popularbands, dancers in colorful cos-tumes, stilt walkers (alsocalled moco jumbies) andcheerleaders.

• Feb. 20 and 27, Mar. 4 -Princess Show/TeenagePageant/National QueenShow which showcases the talents and beauty ofDominica’s women and culminates with the crowningof “Miss Dominica” on Mar. 4.

• Mar. 7 and 8 – “Jump-up”featuring two days of costumebands and street dancing.In addition to events that takeplace in the capital of Roseau,several small villages acrossthe island also participate inthe local pageantry.

For information aboutDominica’s carnival, visitwww.discoverdominica.comor call Discover DominicaAuthority toll-free from theUnited States and Canada at1-866-522-4057.

Æ

Jamaica’s NDTC to celebrate Caribbeanculture, dance in Coral Springs

Steve Higgins: ‘Dat’ Jamaican tenor brings post-Valentine romance

Dominica’s ‘jump up’ blasts off St. Lucian Walcott wins top British literary prize


ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT



- Contributed “Kumina”, featuring a young Nettleford as “King”, left, andPansy Hassan as “Queen”.

Walcott


GEORGETOWN,Guyana, CMC –President BharratJagdeo hopes the recentrevelations on whistleblowing websiteWikileaks will helpreshape diplomacy of thedeveloped world, partic-ularly the United States.

“It will changeAmerican diplomacyand hopefully it willmake diplomacy fromthe developed worldmore transparent,” hetold officers of theGuyana Defence Forceat the opening of their annualconference late last month.

Jagdeo said he was hopingfor more Wikileaks revelationsthat would include Guyanabecause it would expose howpolicies are made by devel-oped nations. The Guyaneseleader said the Western worldhas been making policies fordeveloped countries based onpeople’s personal and domesticmatters and informationpicked up at cocktail recep-tions by their diplomats.

RETHINKJagdeo said the Wikileaks

revelations would force arethink of diplomacy or thecreation of secure connections

so that people like Wikileaksfounder, Julian Assange wouldnot “get their hands on it.”

Heo reiterated that cablemessages between the U.S.and United Kingdom, and thethen British governor prior toIndependence, had helped tofoment racial riots because offears that a Cheddi Jagan-ledadministration in the 1960swould have created anothercommunist country in thehemisphere, second to Cuba.

“It never originated here,”he said. “We were pawns in abigger scheme.”

Æ

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,CMC – Mara Thompson, thewife of the former BarbadosPrime Minister DavidThompson, took her seat inParliament late last month,less than 24 hours after shewas sworn in as the parliamen-tary representative for the St.John constituency which herhusband represented fordecades until his death lastOctober.

Accompanied by herdaughters Misha, Oya andOsa-Marie, as well as hermother, Monica Giraudy andsister Jeannine, the 48-year-oldlegislator was also greeted bysupporters and well-wisherscrowding the public gallery ofthe House of Assembly.

Mrs. Thompson, a St.Lucian national, last monthwhipped Hudson Griffith ofthe main Opposition BarbadosLabour Party (BLP) to main-tain the ruling DemocraticParty (DLP) hold on the seat.In her maiden address she saidshe was overwhelmed by all

the support she received fromher constituents and the coun-try as a whole.

“Mr. deputy speaker it istruly an honor and a privilegefor me to have the opportunityto represent the people of St.John here in this extremeHouse of assembly,” she said.“I wish to recognize the workof our late prime minister andmy beloved husband.”

Prime Minister FreundelStuart told reporters that hewas looking forward to work-ing with Thompson inParliament.

“She is no longer an unfet-tered politician she is now inthe thick of it…and she real-izes that,” Stuart said.

Æ

Wikileaks revelations will changeU.S. diplomacy ~ Guyana pres

Wife of late Barbados P.M. takes seat in ParliamentREGION/POLITICS

Thompson

Jagdeo

MIAMI, Florida – Sherman“The Tank” Williams feelsthat his protest of the result in his World BoxingFederation (WBF) title fightwith American EvanderHolyfield will come to nothing.

Williams, a 38-year-oldBahamian, failed in his bid tocapture the WBF heavyweightbelt owned by Holyfield lastmonth when the fight wasstopped after the third roundand called a no-contest. The48-year-old Holyfield suffereda cut over his left eye in thesecond round after an acci-dental head butt fromWilliams.

After the boxers retreatedto their corners at the conclu-sion of the third round, thefight was stopped, whenHolyfield told the referee hecould no longer see from hisleft eye. The fight was ruled ano contest because it did notreach four completed rounds

to be considered official.“We are protesting it (the

decision) with the WBF, andGod willing they will overturnit, even though, to be honestwith you, I am not to opti-mistic that they will changethe ruling,” said Williams latelast month.

“To be honest with you,my manager, and my team,they are going through theformalities.”

NO CONFIDENCEHe added: “Do I have

confidence in the WBF over-turning the no-contest deci-sion into a knockout – no. On(fight) night they could havedone that, but they didn’t.”

Williams, whose recordnow stands at 34 wins, 11 loss-es, and two draws, controlledmost of the opening roundsand shook Holyfield in thethird round a flurry of bodyshots in the closing minutes.

Æ

FLORIDA – Unity-Jamaica isone of 32 teams selected to par-ticipate in the El Nuevo HeraldCopa Latina soccer tournament,scheduled to kick off this month.

Unity-Jamaica, along withUniversitario, were the toptwo teams from a qualifyingtournament held in December.The rest of the teams for thisyear’s Copa Latina were takenfrom 75 names submitted.

“This year’s tournament,the 19th anniversary of the

Copa Latina, promises to bebigger and better than ever,”said Tom Mulroy, president ofSe Habla Futbol, the organiza-tion that runs the tournament.“These teams are all high-levelteams, meaning the tourna-ment will be very exciting.”

El Nuevo Herald CopaLatina is among the most pres-tigious amateur soccer tourna-ments in the United States,representing nearly 20 coun-tries from Latin America andthe Caribbean. Last year’sCopa Latina champion wasHonduras 5 Estrellas.

Kickoff for Copa Latina2011 is Feb. 12. All games willbe played at Ted HendricksStadium (Milander Park) inHialeah, Florida.

Æ

NEW YORK – Sprint darlingVeronica Campbell-Brown ledthe Jamaican invasion of threemarquee events at the MillroseGames late last month.

The reigning women’sWorld Indoor sprint championopened her season in reassur-ing style, when she extendedherself in the last 20 metersand clocked 7.11 seconds towin the 60 meters dash atMadison Square Garden.

“It’s early season, andthere’s lots of room forimprovement,” said Campbell-Brown, who endured a 36-hourtravel delay from her home inAtlanta.

“I believe track is 90 per-cent mental, and if you’re men-tally weak, you cannot win. I’malways mentally prepared.”

Campbell-Brown was justbehind Lauryn Williams out ofthe blocks, but overtook theAmerican by halfway andcruised to the finish. Williamstook second in 7.22 seconds,while fellow American LisaBarber ran 7.23 to take theother podium position.

Trisha-Ann Hawthorneand Vonette Dixon, two otherJamaicans, finished at the backof the field.

Earlier, Dixon coveredherself in glory when she post-ed the fastest time in the worldthis season with a surprise vic-tory in the women’s 60 metershurdles in eight seconds flat.American Danielle Carruthers,who ended the 2010 seasonranked ninth in the world, wasthe runner-up in 8.03 seconds,and Canadian star PerditaFelicien was third in 8.05.Trinidad and Tobago’s AleeshaBarber brought up the rear in atime of 8.35.

“I could see Danielle outof the corner of my eye,” saidDixon, “. . .and I wanted to getin front of her.

“It’s my first race of theseason, and I just wanted to seewhere I was. I wasn’t expectingto be this fast.”

ENHANCEMENTNesta Carter continued

to enhance his resumé with aworld-leading time of 6.52 seconds to win the men’s 60meters. Carter held off a late-race challenge from theAmerican pair of MikeRodgers and Trell Kimmons,who ran 6.56 and 6.57, respec-tively, to ensure that the U.S.won the two-way duel with theJamaicans 23-17.

Two other Jamaicans,

Lerone Clarke and OshaneBailey, were the back markerswith times of 6.67 and 6.71,respectively.

“I tend to think Jamaica is still the sprint capital of theWorld,” said Carter about losing the U.S. versus Jamaicaduel.

“I thought it was a goodrace. I stumbled at the start,and I was a bit confused at thefinish, but I’m happy to comeout with Mike and Trell, andbe ready to go.”

T&T’s Renny Quow alsodistinguished himself, when he won the rarely contested600 yards with a time of oneminute, 11.82 seconds. It wasthe second time he has won theevent at the Millrose Games.

- CMC

Æ

Williams holds little hope towin protest against Holyfield

Grenada is now thethird best team in theCaribbean Football

Union (CFU) region, follow-ing a shake-up in the worldrankings.

The Grenadians havebenefited from a strong per-formance in December’sDigicel Caribbean Cup(DCC), where the Spice Boyzfinished fourth, and the sport’sworld governing body FIFArecently moved Grenada uptwo places in the world rank-ings to 92nd.

Grenada has overtakeneight-time Caribbean champi-ons Trinidad and Tobago,which slipped seven places

and is now the region’s fourth-best team, with a world rank-ing of 94th.

DCC champions Jamaicacontinue to lead the CFU witha world ranking of 59th. Therankings have offered theReggae Boyz some breathingspace at the top, with CFUnumber two Cuba six placesbehind in the world at 65th.

Haiti clung to fifth placein the CFU, following a sixposition drop – the secondhighest behind T&T – thatplaces it 96th in the world.

There were no significantchanges in the rest of the CFUtop 10.

Æ

Grenada advances in Caribbean soccer

Trinidad and Tobago was last month crowned the newCaribbean Twenty20 cricketchampions, following aresounding 36-run victoryover Hampshire.

Playing the final withoutinjured captain Daren Ganga,the “Red Force”, as the T&Tsquad calls itself, bowled with discipline to follow-upgutsy batting, and limitedHampshire to 111 runs foreight wickets, after setting theEnglish Twenty20 champions148 for victory in the grandfinal at Kensington Oval inBarbados.

Darren Bravo had led theway for T&T with 41 runsfrom 28 balls, which earned

him the “Man-of-the-Match”award, andLendlSimmons,later namedthe “MostValuablePlayer”, sup-ported with31.

But it wasleft to stand-in captainDenesh Ramdin with anenterprising 33 from 19 ballsto beef-up T&T’s total to 147for seven from their 20 overs,after they seemed to lose theirway in the closing stages.

In the field, JasonMohammed was the pick of

the T&T bowlers with twowickets for six runs from 2.1overs, and Kevon Cooper cap-tured two for 15 from 3.5overs.

This is the second timethat T&T can call itself T20champions of the Caribbean,following its capture of the2008 Stanford T20 Cup, whichwas the forerunner for thisWest Indies Cricket Boardofficial tournament.

T&T will be the region’srepresentative in India laterthis year, when all the bestT20 sides from the leadingcricket nations meet for theChampions League Twenty20.

Æ

T&T’s ‘Red Force’ wins Caribbean 20/20 cricket title

Unity-Jamaica among entrantsin Copa Latina soccer tourney

Jamaicans dominate marquee eventsat 2011 Millrose Games in New York


SPORT

Bravo

Campbell-Brown wins the women’s 60-meter dash at the Millrose Games. AmericanLisa Barber, right, finished third.

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INSIDE - University of Floridaufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/92/85/00059/00002-2011.pdf · 2011. 6. 1. · HOUSTON, Texas – A United States federal judge has ordered disgraced

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