World

Caribbean Heritage Month: A Worthy Tribute to People Who Made Their Presence Felt

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, accompanied by Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N,Y, walks down the steps during their arrival on Air Force One, Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

President Barack Obama Hails Their Outstanding Contribution

by Tony Best
Special to the NNPA from the New York Amsterdam News

Caribbean Heritage Month began with a pledge to help young entrepreneurs in the Caribbean break into the business mainstream; a commitment to boost clean energy across the Caribbean; and an acceleration of the pace of harmonizing Washington-Havana diplomatic and economic relations.

Just as important is continuing the fight with the Republican controlled Congress in Washington to reform America’s immigration laws so that the eligible youthful immigrants among the 11 million undocumented foreign-born can realize the American dream.

Those goals were underlined by President Barack Obama in his annual proclamation that commends Caribbean Heritage Month in June to Americans while saluting the contributions of millions of people from the island-nations and coastal states who in his words “have enriched out nation and strengthened the deep bonds between our peoples.”

Caribbean Heritage Month, whose history can be traced to a strong desire, articulated by members of the U.S. House of Representative a decade ago at the annual Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference sponsored by the New York Carib News is now a fixture on the U.S. annual calendar. It is observed around the country, especially in cities with large Caribbean immigrant populations. Poetry, music, dance, panel discussions that assess the economic and social challenges and opportunities confronting Caribbean nations and the region’s Diaspora in the U.S. fill the programs arranged by colleges and universities, drama, churches, community institutions, libraries, schools, neighborhood organizations, municipal bodies and cultural groups.

In New York, the City’s Comptroller, Scott Stringer, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Macy’s, Carib News, and the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic are among the various institutions and organizations staging special events that draw attention to the contributions of Caribbean-Americans to the country’s prosperity.

In his proclamation, President Obama reiterated his administration’s intention to “lifting up hardworking individuals throughout the Caribbean and partnering with governments to build the foundation for the next century of progress and prosperity.”

On the White House’s list of goals for the Caribbean and its Diaspora were:

Working alongside Caribbean’s young business leaders and civil society to open up new opportunities for the Caribbean region.
Giving a boost to student exchanges.
Helping to move the region towards cleaner and more efficient energy.
Ending the legacy of mistrust between Cuba and the U.S. by dismantling the economic and diplomatic embargo imposed at least half a century ago.
Opening up the immigration doors so that “more high skilled immigrants, graduates, entrepreneurs and families can enter the country and “contribute to our economy. At the same time push Congress into approving comprehensive immigration reform.

In a statement, U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke, whose Ninth Congressional District of Brooklyn is the home for tens of thousands of Caribbean immigrants, said that she would “continue to work in support” of the president’s initiatives and “the continued achievement of Caribbean Americans in the United States.”

The federal lawmaker said that there were nearly three million Americans of Caribbean descent in the country and they have “contributed to every part of our society.”

Karl Rodney, Carib News publisher, said that the month-long celebrations “were a fitting tribute to the millions of people from the Caribbean region who “have helped in diverse ways to make the U.S. a prosperous country. We are grateful to the lawmakers who led the campaign for the Month’s introduction.”

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Activism

Oakland Ambassadors Strengthen Ties and Aid Efforts in Ghana

Oakland natives and esteemed members of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), Jonathan P. Jones and Dr. Maritony Efua Jones, recently embarked on a significant journey to Ghana as guests of the World Martial Authority Ghana. This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Elder Jorg Klebingat, Flint Mensah, Richard Burton, H.E. Dr. Maritony Jones, Amb. Jonathan Jones, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Elder Alfred Kyungu. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Upon their arrival at Katota Airport in Accra, Ghana, the Joneses were warmly received by His Royal Majesty Okatakyie Asafo Boakye III, the distinguished king of Sanzule Kingdom in the Eastern Nzema, and Etse Nyamedi of World Martial Authority, Ghana.

Nyamedi accompanied the Joneses to the city of Mepe, which had recently experienced flooding, to assess damages and engage with local leaders, elders, and youth regarding the city’s urgent needs after major floods last fall.

Key concerns and priorities identified by the community include comprehensive flood mitigation measures, agricultural support, housing initiatives, educational enhancements, improved healthcare access, and the development of communal recreational spaces.

The Joneses were also graciously invited to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at their headquarters in Accra. This meeting provided insights into ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ghana and explored avenues for collaboration to further assist Ghanaian communities.

The LDS leaders shared their prompt response to the recent flood, demonstrating their commitment to humanitarian aid by dispatching substantial supplies including medical provisions, sanitation items, blankets, and food to assist flood victims just four days after the disaster.

Additionally, Boakye extended a special invitation to the Joneses to his palace, where they were pleasantly surprised with a heartfelt recognition ceremony. Maritony Jones was honored as the Queen Mother of the Sanzule Kingdom in acknowledgment of her dedicated work, while Jonathan Jones was lauded and welcomed as the ambassador of the Sanzule Kingdom, symbolizing a meaningful homecoming to their ancestral land.

The visit not only strengthens ties between Oakland and Ghana but also underscores the collaborative spirit and commitment to meaningful progress and humanitarian endeavors shared by all involved parties.

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.

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Bay Area

Nigerian Bank Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash on Way to Superbowl XVIII

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., the crash occurred near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The poor weather conditions — rain, wind and snow showers—may have contributed to the accident, although the investigation is not complete. All six aboard were killed. Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Herbert Wigwe with his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, left, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.

By Post Staff

The co-founder of one of Nigeria’s largest banks died with his wife, son and three others when the helicopter transporting them from Palm Springs, Ca., to Boulder City, Nev. to attend the fifty-eighth SuperBowl at the stadium outside Las Vegas crashed on Feb. 9.

Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

More recently, Wigwe was planning to open a banking service in Asia this year after making successful expansions to other parts of Africa, including South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described Wigwe’s death as an ‘overwhelming tragedy.”

Oakland resident and Nigerian immigrant Kayode Gbadebo agrees with Tinubu. He met Wigwe in Nigeria but crossed paths with him in London in 2006. Wigwe, he said, “took risks.”

He was young and people thought he couldn’t do what he intended, which was not so much about money but community.

“He was more like Jesus in washing the feet of the poor– Wigwe was culturizing community,” Gbadebo said.

“There will never be another like him. This is a deep, deep loss” and he hopes everyone will eventually “be comforted.”

He was also disappointed that a replacement has already been named even before Wigwe is buried. “It is not reasonable. You don’t want a vacuum, but it’s” not fair to the family, Gbadebo observed.

Wigwe had also been working to solve the migration issues from African countries, believing that “investing in higher education was key to controlling mass migration, which “is destabilising countries across the world,” BBC News reported.

“We need to take a holistic approach to address global migration, starting with our traditional framework for international development,” Wigwe wrote.

To that end, according to BBC News, Wigwe was preparing to open Wigwe University in Niger, where he was from.

“The best place to limit migration is not in the middle of the Mediterranean or the English Channel or the Rio Grande. It is in the home countries that so many migrants are so desperate to leave,” he wrote, saying his university was an opportunity for him “to give back to society.”

Besides Wigwe and his wife, Chizoba Nwuba Wigwe, and one son, two crew members and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, were also killed in the crash.

According to Wikipedia, three other children survive Wigwe.

In his statement reported in People magazine, Tinubu described Wigwe as “a distinguished banker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur.”

“I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and ask God Almighty to comfort the multitude of Nigerians who are grieving and the families of the deceased at this deeply agonizing moment,” the president said.

He added, “Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension.”

Besides feeling the tremendous loss, Gbadebo fears the disorder and greed that will follow. “It’s a mess,” he said.

People magazine, BBC News and Wikipedia were the sources for this report.