3) Spanish and other European immigrants that were encouraged to settle in Cuba as per attempts to "bleach" the island. This was the first time anything like this was seriously proposed since Haiti earned its independence. This is important to note because the "spectre" of Haiti loomed ominously over Spanish and Cuban whites for a century and most of their policies towards Cuba's Blacks were reflective of it. The following year, the Cuban Ward Connerly of his day, Martin Morúa Delgado was elected Speaker in Cuba's Senate. The year after that, Morúa introduced legislation that became known as the Morúa Amendment and it outlaws the PIC because is was based on race and racism was supposedly eradicated in Cuba. Just before the vote was taken to enact this bill into law, Estonez and other PIC leaders were imprisoned and were kept in jail until after the law was passed.
Commenting on the sanctity of the family, the president delivers a clear message in the song, "Pap Divoce," for which his cabinet has already delivered an entertaining video. [Mickey] has taken note of the disposition of the nation's young in regard to Haiti's current state and delivered a very club friendly response in the melodious "Non, non, non". Presidential advisor Wyclef Jean makes a bullet-riddled entrance in "Men nou" that should have dedicated supporters either rushing for shelter or the nearest ballot box. Djazz La Vol. 5 is probably the very best effort this talented drummer/producer has ever released.
Traditional drumming, choreography and songs by legendary singer/dancer, La Sosso and Trass' La" will give the night an Afro-Caribbean flan. Also appearing will be the upbeat and energetic "Jeff Joseph & Gramacks New Generation," who is a favorite at festivals in Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint-Martin and Martinique with his mix of reggae, meringue, calypso and soca. Mayer Morisset and Decibel will bring their island spirit to the crowd as well as Christiane Valejo, the internationally known singer/songwriter and zouk sensation from Martinique.
"The voice of Miss Lou, the honourable [Louise Bennett-Coverley], helped to shape the psyche of the resilient people in Jamaica. People are conscious of the diverse roots of our heritage, but mindful that the African presence was as valued as any other. And people must come to realise that the linguistic roots of that melding of cultures in Jamaica, our patwa, however we write it or spell it, is a worthy and necessary instrument of self expression". "She [Miss Lou] made me understand what it really means to be a Jamaican and how to appreciate and embrace all the various facets of our culture and heritage... No longer is it shameful to express the way we feel in the true Jamaican way... There that you cannot translate into english to give the same impact. Miss Lou made it OK not to nice it up".
-, Jamaica, in 2007, led the call for the UN to erect a permanent memorial, which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said would acknowledge the struggles of the millions of Africans who, over more than three centuries, 'were violently removed from their homelands, ruthlessly abused and robbed of their dignity'. As was the case in 2007, Jamaica took centre stage on Day One of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. The country's permanent representative to the UN and chair of the Permanent Memorial Committee, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, was the one who announced the Ark of No Return', done by Roger Leon, as the winning design.
Spectacular and devastating were the two words being used in abundance last Saturday night, as fans described the fourth-round knockout victory scored by World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion, Jamaica's Nicholas 'The Axeman' Walters, over Mexico's Alberto Garza at the American Bank Center, in Corpus Christi,Texas.
"It's different because there is nothing like it," she said. "Hollywood wants the high drama, the fight, the ridiculous conflicts, shock behavior. We bring none of that to the production.
The benefit features Dr. Raul Ruiz Miyares, a professor of Afro-Cuban culture and history at Casa del Caribe, Santiago de Cuba. His lecture, "Cuba & Africanismo: The Making of Revolutionary Culture", will include slides and a video. The benefit also includes: spoken word, an Afro-Cuban folkloric performance, a Caribbean dinner, and a Latin, World Beat dance party, all on Friday, May 2.6 p.m.
The dramatic vision and delicate balance of composition found in Adona's photographic works were developed while working with painter Rozzell Sykes. Her vision was literally changed. The awareness of light, shadows, colors, textures, tones and balance had changed. Soon she began creating with paint, stark images with the feel of Japanese simplicity. [Alisa Adona]'s paintings showed a freshly textured view and an exciting new eye in the Los Angeles art world. Over time, she was compelled to capture what she saw through the lens of a camera, ultimately making photography her new love.
The annual cultural gala featured presentations of City Council proclamations to several persons of Jamaican heritage who have achieved success in various fields. Tribute paid to the national heroes who started the march for freedom and independence, as well as the heroics of the athletes at the Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China.
[Jason Morgan], 30, who broke the national record twice this season, and who along with Traves Smikle became the first two Jamaicans to ever represent the country at the Olympics by achieving the Olympic 'A' standard of 65 metres, went into the Games with a season best of 67.15m. However, at the Games he was a shadow of himself, failing to throw beyond 60 metres and was subsequently eliminated during the preliminary round. "Yes, I should have competed better at the Games but I think I became too relaxed, too complacent," he conceded.
Professor [Wayne McLaughlin], a biochemist, responded saying that while the stimulant was of a higher concentration in the athlete s sample - 720 nanograms per millilitre - it would be difficult to say since the effects of the stimulant on an athlete vary depending on the individual. He did acknowledge, however, that the stimulant could have had a direct effect on the athlete s neurotransmitters, which could mean that the athlete may have been aware of the effects on his body.
Waterhouse had the better of the champions on the previous occasions they met, and as Harbour View's closest rivals, a win over them would have given Waterhouse something to hold on to. [Nicholas Beckett] was adamant that they would not be beaten, and especially not at their home ground. Amid celebrations of players, club officials and spectators, Harbour View Football Club's captain, Montrose Phinn (left), is presented the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) trophy by (from second left) Edward Seaga, chairman, Premier League Clubs Association, Erin Mitchell, brand manager, Red Stripe and Captain Horace Burrell, president, Jamaica Football Federation, following the Monday Night R5PL match between the east Kingston team and Waterhouse at Harbour View Stadium. Harbour View won 2-0. "One of the Waterhouse defenders was saying to watch me because I am good in the air. I turned back, giving the impression that I was not interested and then peeled off and headed back in to score," said Beckett of his fourth goal of the season.
In her exciting presentation entitled "Stuck in Traffic: Jamaican Culture Outa Road," Dr. Cooper explained that "Jamaican culture, like Jamaican traffic has special challenges." Addressing an overflow audience at the Embassy, she surveyed aspects of Jamaican Culture through a metaphorical review of the traffic situation in the country from the time of Independence.
"It's hard to explain," [Bolt] said. "I don't really know what went wrong." "I was looking to come here for a good time. I guess it's one of those days," he said. "I just never got going." "I did some starts and I was flying from the blocks so I said, "Yeah, this is good". I can't tell you what happened."
"It's the training of PE teachers, and if they don't have a PE teacher, then another that's interested in physical activity and getting children healthy! its not only about getting them involved in a formal sport, there are many children with abilities and we iust want our children to know now important it is for them to be physical and see the emotional and health benefits of getting that habit from an early age, [Heidi Clarke] added. "It helps to foster leadership, friendships and all of those things to exert energy positively."
"Haiti's New Bad Boy President," "Carnival King is New Leader of Haiti" are just two of the headlines in local and national news. Many Haitians here in the U.S. feel that the newspapers are making a spectacle of the election of Michael "Sweet Mickey" [Michael Martelly] to the highest political office in Haiti, the Presidency. Martelly beat his opponent Lady Mirlande Manigat, 67.57 percent to 31.74 percent but in accordance with the electoral process complaints can be filed up until April 16 when the votes will be closed. His flamboyant attire and sometimes raucous performances endeared him to some but distanced him from others. At first, his notoriety as an entertainer made it almost impossible for him to be accepted into a party to declare his political aspirations and to be thought of as a viable candidate.
It may take a while to determine if the region's tour de force at the U.S. capital during the June 19-21 "Conference on the Caribbean - A 20/20 Vision" - which also attracted non-CARICOM member representatives such as Haiti's President Rene Preval, Belize's Prime Minister Said Musa and top representatives of institutions including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and the Organization of American States (OAS) - was merely an extravagant "talk shop" or, in fact, laid the groundwork to achieve tangible benefits from Caribbean-U.S. relations on thorny matters, including trade, security, economic development and immigration. What the Caribbean publicly said it hoped to accomplish at the three-day conference was to tell the U.S. of its new-found evolution and plans to bond more closely as a region in pursuit of prosperity. At the end of the conference a joint US.-Caribbean communiqué acknowledged the region's requests and expressed "unequivocal commitment to a secure and prosperous region and future benefits for all our citizens." "I don't believe it will just be a 'talk shop'," said Dr. Basil K. Bryan, Jamaica's consul general to New York. "I think thing will happen, but at a policy level I think it will take a little time for things to germinate. But we're all looking forward, positively, for something to happen out of this conference."
"Usain (Bolt) and I said let's go to Australia and play some cricket; let's check out the Big Bash and see what it is all about," he noted. "With this hard training in track and field and I know that cricket training is not that hard and I can make the team and it is my first love, I would go to play cricket," he declared. "I want to finish this (athletics) as early as possible, so I can play my cricket: like somewhere around 30, 29, 28. in that region," he added. [Yohan Blake] was last month given the honour of being the first noncricketer to ring the bell at the 'home of cricket', Lord's, in England. He did so ahead of the start of the third Test match between England and South Africa.
Who are they? [Raoul Peck] works primarily with an ensemble made up of [Sarah]'s family and members of the infamous TonTon Macoute. It's these men operating outside civilian and military law, who imbue "The Man By The Shore" with its thick taste of dread and fear. For it quickly becomes obvious that they can threaten, maim, even kill anyone at anytime for the least of slights. Janvier (Jean Michel Martial), the chief of the Macoutes here, wields unbridled power, making him one of the most fearsome screen villians in recent times. "The Man By The shore" combines the terror of the Duvalier regime and Haiti's natural beauty in a gripping story. Audiences may leave questioning whether it's better to remember or to forget!
His season-opener, which is just six centimetres off the A standard mark of 66 metres, saw [Jason Morgan] being ranked number one in the world at the time. He has since been supplanted by Australia's 22-year-old phenom, Julian Wruk, who since March 30 has recorded throws of 66.0lm, 66.05m and 66.32m. Morgan's mark now ranks him the second-best thrower in the world this year.
'It wasn't easy," said Jamaica coach Winfried Schäfer. "Costa Rica are a very good team. At 1-0 down, I change team. The goalkeeper did well in the first half and not too well in the second half. We still have [a] chance. Next game is against US in US in a month's time. We thank 'Tuffy'." Striker [Jermaine] 'Tuffy' [Anderson] hails the Jamaican crowd following the 1-1 draw against Costa Rica in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying action at the National Stadium. Anderson scored for Jamaica.
This is a narrative of Jamaica told on a musical crescendo, no 'bungar.ung'. Just the words of Jah. `Equal Rights: Reggae and Social Change' is seeking to transform the bare walls of the Jamaica Music Museum, stringing together notes of this truly Jamaican genre. "Since reggae is Jamaican, we have used it to convey the message," said Herbie Miller, director/curator of the Jamaica Music Museum. "It is a journey highlighting socio-political and spiritual sensibility." The realm of the `happy go lucky' Jamaica transitions to Ska depicting plain and modern art building the crescendo of social change as the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers resonate 'Get Up Stand Up', evolution of musicians on the frontline of social change.
Among the big talking points of the current immigration debate in the United States is the type of labor that should be admitted into the country. Many believe the entry of "unskilled" laborers should be severely restricted. Jamaican-born Eleanor Brown, a Reginald Lewis Fellow at Harvard Law School, is not one of them. Shortly after addressing the "Conference on the Caribbean: A 20/20 Vision " last month, Brown explained to Caribbean Today's Managing Editor Gordon Williams why more of the Caribbean's labor force should allowed to go overseas.
A graduate of Howard University and the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, Crenshaw currently serves as vice president for economic development of the Washington, D.C.-based Organization of Africans in the Americas (OAA). Founded nearly six years ago as a support group, OAA functions as a resource and referral center of data, service and empowerment of Africans in the Americas. Nevertheless, Franklin is eager to point an emerging Black movement across Latin America that is battling to become a part of the political and economic process of the region. "We are now working very hard to ensure that genuine changes are brought about, especially as they affect the lives of the millions of Blacks in Latin America," the OAA executive director said. Some of those changes include linking Black Latin students and other aspiring small entrepreneurs with the Howard University Small Business Center in northwest Washington, D.C. "We are working to develop sustainable linkages between Blacks in America and Blacks in Latin America," said Crenshaw, who noted that Howard already has a growing number of Black Latin American students.
"I think it's a joke," Miami-based Haitian business woman and [Jean-Bertrand Aristide] supporter Lucie Tondreau told The Times. "These same people talking about they are representing the industrial class are the ones that are paying people 68 U.S. cents a day for 17 hours of work. These are the same people who have just fired over 300 poor people without indemnity. These are the same people who over the years in Haiti have refused to pay taxes, electricity, who have not invested in the infrastructure, in the schools of Haiti, and today they are coming here talking about democracy?," Tondreau wondered. "He" (Aristide) "was at the basis of reinforcement of polarization," said [Apaid]. "He was prone to keep our country divided. He knew our mentality and rather than try to correct it he was accentuating it while making deals behind the palace door with the very people he was attacking. So there was a hypocrisy in it and it's just traditional political behavior. We want to go beyond that." While Apaid described the current situation in Haiti as slow with a lot of problems but moving in the right direction, Tondreau described Haiti as a place where people have no right to demonstrate without being killed. "We need the duly elected president back in Haiti," said Tondreau.
State Rep. Marie St. Fleur, lauded by Haitians across the U.S. for her pioneering role as the nation's first Haitian-American lawmaker, gained further strides in the Massachusetts Legislature in 2003. A key lieutenant to powerful House Speaker Tom Finneran, St. Fleur was once again elevated to a leadership position, this time as chairwoman of the Legislature's Committee on Education.
(NNPA) - Brazil has long been the best kept secret of the Black Diaspora. Its population of more than 100 million Blacks (51 percent of the total population) makes it at least the second largest Black population in the world. This nation has been a sleeping giant in the global arena but is taking big steps to enter into the distinction of a First World Nation. Right now it is a leader of the emerging Second World nations and takes the leadership role with India at all global and United Nations conferences and summits. Brazil's President Lula da Silva proudly considers himself the leader of "People of Color". On the other hand, Brazil's bid via Rio de Janeiro was a super winner. It vowed to rebuild the slums of Rio and empower the masses. The infrastructure, job opportunities and contractual bidding would be thoroughly diverse and would make the Olympics Committee proud. It was a slam dunk! In the end it was Rio de Janeiro in first place, Madrid in second, Tokyo is third and the stinky Chicago bid dead last.
The concert was held in order to raise funds for Howard 'Goddy Goddy' Reynolds' surgery to remove a painful tumour behind his ears. The 'night to remember' began with five-year-old Oshine Levy, the daughter of 2004 Gospel Song winner Lubert Levy. Oshine gave a splendid rendition of My Redeemer Lives. Her pint-sized body belied her voice control. She lifted the place to a spiritual high which found hundreds of mostly young attendees dancing, waving flags and singing along. The command of her performance was highlighted by MC Garfield, who reminded the audience that 'a child shall lead them'.
One of the things attracting tourists has taught us is to value the habit of preservation. We have to depend on devoted scholars and archeology diggers and always, tenacious individuals like Dr. Walter Roth. He was a medical man of German stock who moved to Guyana by way of Australia and was the moving spirit in the rise of Georgetown's museum of natural history. As a youth I made many trips to this museum and was fascinated by its presentation and displays; for instance the diorama of gold-digging operations in the far interior, the lighted fish tanks with fish such as the blood-thirsty pirai, a lifelike representation on the wall of the world's biggest freshwater fish, the arapaima, caught in Guyana. A huge live anaconda pans have all but vanished.
Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture, is the fastest growing holiday in the U.S. An estimated 18 million Africans celebrate KWANZAA each year around the world, including celebrants in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, especially Brazil, Canada, India, Britain and numerous European countries. Kwanzaa as an African-American holiday belongs to the most ancient tradition in the world, the African tradition. Drawing from and building on this rich and ancient tradition, Kwanzaa makes its own unique contribution to the enrichment and expansion of African tradition by reaffirming the importance of family, community, and culture. The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. The central reason Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days is to pay homage to The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa which in Swahili are: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, and Imani. The principles are also known as The Seven Principles of African American community development and serve as a fundamental value system.
Palherino sits right above the main docks where ships brought Africans into the country for slavery. The area was given the name Palherino because it was the place where African people were punished. When you walk into Palherino you are greeted by four large Catholic churches that rope off a section of Palherino where a main stage is usually built for free concerts. During the festivities, barbeque pits with seasoned chicken grilling are set up everywhere. And families sell fruit, foods, drinks and beer, all the while dancing to Rhumba or Merengue. Walking through Palherino you will see women of all sizes, shades and colors dressed in big, elaborate head wraps with full white skirts or dresses. This is the traditional Brazilian dress for black women, most of whom earn their living by assisting tourists to restaurants or around Palherino.
On the fourteenth of July, the French Bastille Day, Ms. [Jacqueline Damour] will celebrate her 68th birthday. A vibrantly energetic widow, Jacqueline is proud of her Haitian heritage. She is the mother of six children whos-names are: Ossleine, Vaneek, Judith, Jacqueline, Amsden and James.
"The children were killed so that they wouldn't grow up and become criminals, that's the philosophy of the people in power here. Being Black is as negative as it gets - it's a lot different from living here in England. I was really surprised when I came to Britain, to see Black people on TV, driving nice cars and dressing in fine clothes - it was a real surprise. In Brazil that would not happen. The only people you would see doing well would be the people with blue eyes and blonde hair." Earlier this year the Brazilian Centre for Expression of Marginalised Populations (CEAPM) planned to sue Transport Minister Eliseu Padilha after ahe made a racist remark about one of Brazil's national heroes, footballer Pele. A Brazilian Embassy spokesman told The Voice that it's not racism but rather the distribution of wealth that puts Blacks on the bottom of the pile. The spokeswoman said: "I am not denying that racism exists in Brazil but racism is a universal thing. The UK is more racist than Brazil. The main problem with my country is an economic/class one - the Black people do not have the economic muscle to climb to the top. The roots of this are deep in our history.
It is therefore in keeping with this understanding and resolve that we are hereby calling upon the black Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart, the black Opposition leader of Barbados, Mia Mottley, the black Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxine Mc Clean, the black Anglican bishop of Barbados, John Holder, the Black bishop of the Roman Catholic church, Charles Gordon, the black leader of the labor movement, Sir Roy Trotman, and the black leader of the women's movement of Barbados, Marilyn Rice- Bowen, to issue strong and forthright official statements denouncing the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic.
It's only after Jean-Bertrand was airborne - on a U.S government aircraft - and the genocide had just about run its course, that Mr. Global Panacea himself, George Bush, announced that he was sending marines "...to help bring order to Haiti." He's the same person who, early in the crisis stated that any Haitian refugees who attempted to enter the US would be returned to Haiti. Here in North America it's `tribalism' of another kind; the police call the players "gangs," their issues... "gang violence." [Ooops! I would be remiss if I didn't thank the Bush-Blair tandem, but especially President George Bush, on the first anniversary of that stupendous victory over Iraq - what with it's ominous repertoire of weapons of mass destruction and all. It brought an end to Saddam Hussein's decades-old reign of terror and, more importantly, the "liberation of the Iraqi people..."
AFRICANDO Arts and Culture Festival, a collaboration between the Foundation for Democracy in Africa and Miami-Dade County, is a one-day event that will feature contemporary African, Afro-American, Caribbean & Afro-Latino cultures. MDCC and the Black Heritage Museum will display masks, statues and murals from the Caribbean, South America, Brazil and Cuba. A special "Children's Activities Village" will feature traditional African and Caribbean folk tales, puppet shows, African mask and instrument making, African textile weaving, Miami Metrozoo's exotic animal show and more. The festival, which is the closing event for AFRICANDO 2001, will be promoted in Africa, AFRICANDO organizers say. A trade delegation from Miami and Washington, D.C., will conduct trade seminars promoting the conference and festival in Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.
[Assata Shakur]'s comments highlight the long and continuing relationship between African Americans and Cuba. Black abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Henry Highland Garnet had actively supported Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain over a century ago. After the revolutionaries seized power in 1959, [Fidel Castro] made a powerful impression among African Americans by staying in Harlem during his first visit to the United Nations. Castro's famous September, 1960 meeting with Malcolm X, to the great consternation of the U.S. government, reinforced the solidarity felt by progressive black Americans toward the revolutionary government.
Very few people have ever heard of the war between the Blacks and Mulattoes in Haiti. This was a war between light-skinned Blacks and dark skinned Blacks. Interestingly, outsiders who had a stake in dividing Haiti's victorious army engineered this war. The old adage of divide and conquer that was used and is still used. If the students at Howard University who devised the paper bag test had only read of the war between mulattoes and black in Haiti they would have been ashamed of their actions. Other African Americans immigrated to Haiti, stayed, and became prominent members of Haitian society. Hezekiah Grice was an Afro American leader, and a supporter of emigration by Blacks to Haiti. He was convinced that there would never be full emancipation for Blacks in this country. Outraged at the treatment of his people in America, he immigrated to Haiti, and became the director of Public Works in Port-Au-Prince.
"Pregnant and afraid? Can't afford it? Not sure of the father? Don't put your future in Umbo ... Get rid of it ... Abortion pills available ... $6,000 one-time cost," reads a section of a broadcast message he sent out as he asked contacts to spread the word. "With the illegal use of Misoprostol by people, they are terminating pregnancies on their own and not going to unscrupulous persons who would insert all kinds of unclean objects in them which results in sepsis and puts them in danger," Dr [Horace Fletcher] said. "It is used every single day by doctors to induce labour, postpartum haemorrhage (bleeding a lot after delivery) for people who have missed abortions, and it is also used for incomplete abortions," he explained, even as he noted the danger that users face by using the pill without medical supervision.
She said that, these are the harsh realities which result in significant measure from pervasive and systemic injustice and discrimination, for which the international community needs a "wake up call" in order to accelerate regional and international cooperation, "to ensure people of African descent have full enjoyment of their rights to participate in all the political, economic, social and cultural facets of society". The Acting CARICOM Secretary General said that the region's "highly respected international reputation' as being intolerant of inequality and discrimination' was built partly on the foundation of the unrelenting resistance of enslaved Africane, embodied in martyrs and leaders of the slave revolts such as Toussaint L'Overture in Haiti; Nanny and Tacky in Jamaica; Codjo, Mentor and Present in Suriname; Bussa in Barbados and Cuffy and Damon in Guyana. [Lolita Applewhaite] said the Rastafarian movement that "revolutionised the consciousness of the Caribbean people and many others outside of the region", pointing also to the strong influence of people of African descent in the creation of a "distinctive Caribbean brand".
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - As the despair and devastation caused by the 7.0 seismic earthquake that rocked Haiti in January threatens to shift to the periphery of America's consciousness, many of the nation's most respected celebrities, activists and businessmen recently joined forces to secure long-term relief for the ravaged country. Actoractivist Danny Glover and Haitian-born actor Jimmy Jean-Louis were honored at the To Haiti with Love benefit, Sun., March 21, a gathering of Black business leaders and entertainers designed to streamline both strategic and financial relief efforts.
While some forget that the United States does not have a monopoly over the title "America," the term, with some exceptions, encompasses most of the Western Hemisphere. As such, many of the communities of African descent that reside within this range possess equal claim to the name "African Americans." The event commemorated "Black Consciousness Day," an annual holiday that is celebrated in Brazil on November 20. The public holiday pays tribute to an African ancestor, Zumbi dos Palmares, revered by Blacks in the country for his fierce resistance to slavery in the 17th century. The day was consciously chosen to symbolize the ongoing struggles of Blacks to achieve social and economic equality in Brazil.
"These talented writers are about to embark on 14 wholly different and fascinating itineraries, from exploring ancient scrolls in Timbuktu, to the Anglican Church in Uganda, to Somaliland's elections, to name a few," says Tom Burke, the Achebe Center program manager. "It is a landmark project, and our partners - large and small - across the continent have lent enthusiasm and support. It's an exciting time to watch these pilgrimages unfold, and it will be quite something to read these books once their pages are written."
"We're trying to work in compliance with the principles of Durban," Judge [Graciela Dixon], the current president of Panama's Supreme Court, said. "There's an emphasis on establishing the precise policies our countries need to assure inclusion for African descendants in Latin America." Late last year, Congresswoman Campbell hosted some 75 delegates from 20 countries who came to Costa Rica to attend the third Conference of Afro-Descendant Legislators in the Americas and the Caribbean. "I don't come from the activist Afro tradition," [Edgard Ortuno Silva] confesses, "but from the militant tradition of change. I admit that what has happened to me is that I overcame the problems of Blacks in Uruguay, of people of my skin color. And most people who have overcome no longer have a consciousness of being Black. But in my case, the political process I have been a part of made me aware of the African activist movement and I have talked with them and they have made me conscious."
The Web site will also feature facts on Afro-Brazilians; Brazilian events taking place in the United States and Brazil; updates on Brazilian politics; and the upcoming World Cup and the Olympic Games. Afro-Brazilian.com will also feature articles from noted Brazilian and African American reporters across the United States. According to MercoPress, an independent online news agency, Afro-Brazilians represent the largest ethnic group in Brazil, making up more than 49 percent of the population. Afro-Brazilians have a cultural influence on Brazil that spans from cuisine, literature, sports and art, among others. Some of the little known facts on Afro-Brazilians include: * African culture has been instrumental in the development of Brazilian cuisine. Feijoada, Brazil's staple dish, was developed by African slaves * Blacks and pardos have a low representation on Brazilian television. In 1996 Taís Araujo was the first and only Black actress to be featured as a protagonist in a telenovela
According to MercoPress, an independent online news agency, Afro-Brazilians represent the largest ethnic group in Brazil, making up more than 49 percent of the population.
Dos Santos and Joaquim Barbosa Gomes, a constitutional law professor and lecturer at Columbia University, say racism is more easily detected in the United States than Brazil and is thus harder to combat. Affirmative action's advocates chide dos Santos Silva and other cautious Afro Brazilians, noting that blacks have been "feeling different" since an estimated 3.6 million slaves toiled throughout the country from 1532 to 1850. That estimate does not include the captured Africans who did not survive the brutal journey to Brazil by ship.
Enrique Patterson, a columnist at Miami's El Nuevo Herald, recently spoke at Baruch College in New York City about racial discrimination in Cuba. Patterson, who is Cuban-American, said Cuban culture has a tradition of racism that developed before Fidel Castro and has not ended under Castro's reign. Patterson said racism is preventing a transition to democracy.
"I think we will do fairly well," said [Aiken]. "I think we have a good set of girls going over there that will do us very proud. We know the task ahead, and we know what we are going to come up against, and so we just need to put it together as a team," added Aiken, who plays for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championships in Australia and New Zealand.
Davis' recipe of curried lamb and rice and peas proved to whet the most appetites and now supermarket giant Sainsbury's is preparing to sell it as a ready-made meal in its stores nationwide. "I don't know what will happen next, if something comes out of this it will be great and if it nothing does, then that will be my 15 minutes of fame. But I would love to be a full-time TV chef - I'm in a different world when I am there," he grinned. Check out the follow-up programme which sees Garfield's TV Dinner being created for Sainsbury's supermarket on BBC1 on June 3.
We have never been able to hold a proper debate about Black genetics because the subject was hijacked by mad White nationalists to promote their ideas of how `inferior' Black people are - `great bodies but small minds'. On the other hand, it is also used by Black nationalists to argue the case for supposed Black genetic superiority.
IATI is a New York-based, nonprofit performing arts organisation, established in 1968, dedicated to serving both English and Spanish-speaking audiences of all ages. Its productions aim to be both play and provocateur, combining the prose of Gabriel Garc'a Marquez with the intrigue of Borges and Cortázar.
The celebration officially started with a combination press conference and job fair at FIU's Biscayne Campus. Co-sponsored by Miami-Dade County and the South Florida Workforce, the FIU event featured a luncheon hosted by Emiline Alexis of the County Mayor's office. The job fair was held in honor of Haitian Labor Day and was held in the lobby and patio of FIU's Wolfe Center. Sunday was an especially busy day with a book reading at the Mapou Bookstore in Little Haiti, a complimentary buffet featuring foods (and music) from all nine of Haiti's Departments (provinces), and an infectious and intoxicating display of Haitian drumming and vocal performances called "Zaka" in the Design Destrict.
The news media showed pictures of the immediate family and family friends. What I found amazing is that it appears that only light-skinned Cubans are trying to escape from their homeland. I saw the Cuban basketball team in the late Olympics. I have also seen pictures of Cubans in a television special one by Harry Belafonte. What I saw were dark-skinned Cubans having the time of their lives. It made me wonder, in light of what I have been told by African people living in Florida, that the light-skinned Cubans are more racist that some southerners. What is really going on in Cuba, and what is this Elian Gonzales issue about? The more I got into thinking this way, the more questions were raised. Why are most of the people trying to escape from Cuba light-skinned? Why are the majority of the athletics in the Olympics dark-skinned? The women's basketball team and the volleyballs teams were the bomb. They were some big, pretty sisters. I also thought of the Haitians. Why are Haitians sent back to Haiti and Cubans allowed to stay in America? They are both supposedly oppressed people. The Haitians are dark and the Cubans, who are trying to escape, light. Is there something more than meets the eye?
The last week of January 2005, the Fifth Annual World Social Forum was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, bringing together 150,000 grassroots leaders, intellectuals and activists to discuss how the world can be made more free and more just. The conference's theme was "Another World Is Possible," and the speakers and participants showed that another, more fair treatment of Haiti is possible. The conference's keynote speaker, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, discussed the debt that the world owes Haiti in a press conference. He acknowledged that Haiti's Constitutional President had been kidnapped, and declared that he and other Latin American Presidents understood that there could be no solution to Haiti's crisis without President Aristide. At a workshop in Porto Alegre, called "Haiti, the International Community's Dictatorship," speakers from Haiti, the U.S. and the Caribbean led a discussion of the human rights crisis in Haiti, and explored ways that people from outside Haiti could promote the country's sovereignty and the return of its democracy.
The letter expresses gratitude to the South African government, and people of South Africa, for hosting the Airistides. "We also heartily support the efforts of the South African government to assist President [Jean-Bertrand Aristide] and his family in quickly returning home," the signers state, noting that "Any delays to the Airistides' prompt travel to Haiti would be yet another disappointment to a people that have already experienced a long list of tragedies, disasters, and heartbreak."
Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer on Saturday. August 1 urged citizens to ensure that the horrible and dehumanising system of slavery is never allowed to happen again while encouraging closerunity between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Africa. "Therefore celebrating our Emancipation should inspire us to unite as citistens of the Caribbean to ensure that we never allow ourselves to be subjected to any form of slavery^'Spencer said in a message marking the 175th anniversary of the end of slavery.
[Campbell-Brown] has been under scrutiny with Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson also testing positive for banned substances, which also forced them to miss the 2013 World Championships. She was suspended pending a Jamaican disciplinary committee review, which deemed a reprimand sufficient because the banned substance was not used for performance enhancement. "Yes, I lost out on the opportunity to compete for most of 2013 and the chance to defend my World 200m title, however, I press on," noted Campbell-Brown, who missed the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Moscow Russia last August.
Blacks have accused Cubans of taking advantage of their White complexions while simultaneoulsy being "minorities" when it is convenient for them. When opportunities for government contracts and grants for "minorities" are created, Cuban's apply as "minorities." When affirmative action policies are enacted for "minorities," Cuban's are also the beneficiaries. But somewhere down the line these police officers forgot they were "minorities." It took the two retired white officers, who cooperated fully with the FBI, to remind them.
As the CBC turns up the heat on the [Bush] administration, rebel leader Guy Philippe, who said his troops are ready to attack the Haitian capital, decided to "give a chance to peace" that is, to see if [Jean-Bertrand Aristide] will resign. "Given the fact that Haiti is so close to us, they have been treated very shabbily by our government and we have not exercised the kind of moral authority that we talk about and attempt to exercise even in other places when it comes to Haiti. That is unfortunate...," [Danny K. Davis] stated. "The current unrest may result in an exodus of refugees fleeing to our shores, thus placing the lives of many Haitians in danger. The political violence in Haiti is intolerable, and the U.S. cannot afford to allow a country in our own hemisphere to spiral further downward into a state of turmoil," said [Bobby L. Rush].
Collectively, these works, done in a burned-looking technique called 'soleil brulé', spell out Haiti. While visiting his daughters, who live in Inverrary, TIGA proudly displayed stacks of the paintings - each different and haunting, each either spiritual or personal portrayals of Haitian vodou gods and goddesses or his beloved relatives. Haiti through the lens of a camera is portrayed in "Haiti: Land of Contrasts," from May 7 to 29, at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale. It features the images of Roberto Stephenson, author of Les Interiors d'Haiti, and Daniel Kedar, whose books include Reflections, Haiti from Above, and Portrait of a Country. The final event of the month takes place at 7 p.m. on May 22 at the Broward County Main Library, when Dr. Alex Stepick will speak on "Perception of the Haitian Profile." He'll be followed by another lecturer, Terry Rey of Florida International University, who'll discuss "Religion and Politics in Haitian History."
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. According to the World Factbook, Aruba exports live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment and transport equipment to the Netherlands, Columbia, Panama, the United States, Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles.
"I don't know, I really hope that I am there though. I will be working hard and hopefully I can improve my times and start to run some really fast times again," [Asafa Powell] said. "But if I keep doing that, then I will be there (2016 Olympic Games)." "I would love to be in Brazil," said Powell Thursday, August 23 during an interactive online question and answer session with his fans through his sponsor LIME. A very light-hearted Powell, while joking about his age, says he will be working hard to give himself a chance of making the trip to Rio and he is hopeful that he will still be active by the time the next instalment of the Olympic Games comes around.
JAMAICA'S PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller says athletes who represented the country in last month's Olympic Games in London will be rewarded for their efforts. Earlier this month, Sports Minister Natalie Neita-Headley announced plans to stage celebrations in honour of the athletes on the weekend of National Heroes' Day, around the middle of October.
[Rosa Guy]'s personal life odyssey has been a major influence on the scope and tone of her writing. Upon arriving in the United States with her parents in the early 1930's and moving to Harlem at the age of eight, Rosa became a prolific observer of African-American culture and the forces that shape its existence in American society. Guy's novels have explored the stifling consequences of poverty in settings as far away as the Caribbean, or as near as New York's Harlem. Once it is published, her newest novel from Dutton Press, The Sun, The Sea, A Touch of the Wind will join an impressive body of literary material authored by Ms. Guy that include: Bird At My Window; A Measure of Time; And Then She Heard A Bird Sing; Edith Jackson; Ruby; Children of the Longing; and Music of Summer.
Biographer Delia Jarrett-Macauley stumbled across Marson's name while doing research for another book. The book has been well-received throughout Britain. Copies have sold out during every one of Jarrett-Macauley's book-signings and scheduled talks. "I saw this clipping that said, `Una Marson, the well-known BBC producer is now on holiday in Jamaica.' And I said: `What! You mean we had a black woman producer at the BBC as early as 1945 and we don't know about it.' I decided her story must be known," she said. Marson joined the BBC in 1936 and made an immediate impact, rising rapidly through the ranks. In 1942 she became the West Indies producer and created the Caribbean Voices programme, which won exposure and respectability for Caribbean writers and poets.
Presented by RBC Royal Bank, the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards are recognized as the premier national awards gala in the African-Canadian community and a coveted symbol of achievement. The winners receive awards in sixteen categories: Academics, Athletics, Arts, Business, Community Service, Diversity, Entertainment, Health Sciences, Leadership, Lifetime Achievement, Media, the President's Award, Professional Excellence, Technology & Innovation, Trailblazer, and the Young Entrepreneur Award.
Randall Robinson, founder and president of TransAfrica will speak at 12:30 p.m. at the Black Business and Professional Association's (BBPA) 4th Annual African American Economic Summit to be held Saturday, May 20 at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Robinson is a noted activist and author of Defending the Spirit: A Black Life in America. He is best known for his leadership in spearheading the movement to influence United States policies toward Africa and the Caribbean. Robinson played a significant role in the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s and the restoration of Democracy in Haiti.
With the rainy season creating additional strife in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, BET founder and business mogul Bob Johnson is bringing new hope to the Caribbean nation. Johnson's investment company, RLJ Companies, partnered with Global Building Solutions following the January natural disaster to develop mass housing and now has new plans to bring work and financial assistance to Haiti.
[Alberto Figueiredo Machado], who is on a working visit to Jamaica, told The Gleaner ahead of Thursday's signing of three other agreements, that Jamaica's tourist product also stands to benefit significantly from the pending non-visa arrangement. He said that Brazil was one of the first countries to have recognised Jamaica's attainment of Independence in 1962, with his compatriots remaining great admirers of Jamaica's athletes and musicians, among other things. Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and îbreign Trade Minister A. J. Nicholson said attention was paid to the greater role of cooperation in the field of energy, with particular emphasis on the role of biofuels as a key instrument of sustainable development, as well as the strengthening of and support to Jamaica's Sickle Cell Programme.
The Philadelphia region was the site of a rare, artistic treat when Balé Folclórico, Brazil's premiere professional folk dance company made a special Black History Month visit. Formed in 1988, the 33-member troupe of dancers, musicians, and singers perform a repertory based on various Bahian folkloric dances of African origin, including: capoeira (a form of martial arts), samba and other cultural traditions celebrated during Carnival. Hailing from Salvador, in the northeastern state of Bahia, Balé Folclòrico represents Bahia's most important cultural manifestations under a contemporary theatrical vision that reflects its popular origins.
Haitian konpa groups have developed a reputation as one of the liveliest facets of the West Indian celebrations. "Everybody agreed to bring costumes, which could mean that they will be all in uniformity and coordinated with the leader of the group of whichever band it is," said Jean Alexander, spokeswoman for the Carnival Association. "They are going to be visited by some of the members, to see what it is they are portraying." Haitian konpa groups have developed a reputation as one of the liveliest facets of the West Indian celebrations. "Everybody agreed to bring costumes, which could mean that they will be all in uniformity and coordinated with the leader of the group of whichever band it is," said Jean Alexander, spokeswoman for the Carnival Association. "They are going to be visited by some of the members, to see what it is they are portraying."
Beneficiaries thus far include: West Yorkshire's Cosmos, assigned L30,000 to stage a year-long exhibition for local ethnic communities; Liverpool's Nigerian Community Development Project, given L90,000 to refurbish its Grade II listed building; Wales's Gateway historic parks and gardens access project, granted L113,000; Brixton's National Museum and Archive of Black History, handed L302,000; and central London's Coram's Fields play area for children, awarded £1m for a complete restoration. [Helen Jackson] says there are many ways in which HLF can benefit the black community and that it is particularly keen to address issues such as social exclusion, depravation and young people's concerns. "We want to ensure lottery funding goes to all groups," she says. "We are aware we have more to do in really promoting equality of access to our funding.
Holmwood Technical's Shanieke Watson and Munro College's Herbert Thomas were the best junior female and male athletes in their respective categories. Competing in the four-kilometre event for females, Watson recorded 15 minutes 52 seconds for the win, getting the better of the St Jago High duo of Monique McPherson (16:09) and Roshae Burrell (16:11).
[Mireille Durocher Bertin], 24, was crowned Miss Haiti after Magali Febles, former director of Miss Puerto Rico, organized a modest Miss Haiti contest as a way to promote the beauty of the Haitian people. Bertin, who speaks four languages, lost her luggage on the way to Las Vegas, along with all her pageant gowns, shoes, accessories, but fellow contestants and supporters have loaned her replacement items.
Jamaican [James Beckford], a two-time World Championship medallist, posted a long jump victory at 8.09 metres, while Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Modibo and the U.S. Virgin Islands' Láveme Jones logged victories on the track. Jones clocked a wind-assisted 22.67 seconds to land the women's 200 metres, chased by American Wyllesheia Myrick (23.05) and Britain's Emily Freeman (23.15). In the women's 400 metres, Guyana's 2002 Commonwealth Games champion Aliann Pompey clocked 52.41 seconds for the runner-up spot behind Ireland's Joanne Cuddihy (52.26).
Prime minister Musa Said and his delegation highlighted the annual `Day in the Park' program sponsored by the Concerned Belizean Association at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Sunday afternoon. "You should register to and vote in the United States," he said. "Your being active improves our capabilities in relations between the governments of the United States and the government of Belize. You can be an American, but you'll always be a Belizean!" In their comments, members spoke of progress toward their election goals of 15,000 thousand new jobs, 10,000 new homes and 1,000 new classrooms" to meet the needs of the Belizean people.
Benedita da Silva, the first black vice-governor of Rio de Janeiro, is profiled. Through her efforts to keep hope alive for impoverished Brazilians, laws were recently enacted to protect the rights of Rio's street children and domestic employees.
We appreciate that in Mrs [Campbell-Brown]'s case, JADCO operated merely as an agent for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), under whose auspices she performed last year when she returned a positive drug test. It is also noted that JADCO was not the agency responsible for the adjudication of Mrs Campbell-Brown's case.
Brazil was discovered and, claimed by the Portuguese in 1500. By 1525, the first slave ships started to arrive. It was the first Western Hemisphere nation with slavery and it was the last (ending in 1888) to have this vile practice cease. The memories are bitter and hang over the head of this nation's history. This nation has been a sleeping giant in the global arena but is taking big steps to enter into the distinction of a First World Nation. Brazil's President Lula da Silva proudly considers himself the leader of "People of Color". He has even chastised President Barack Obama for not having enough concentration in this area. On the other hand, Brazil's bid via Rio de Janeiro was a super winner. It vowed to rebuild the slums of Rio and empower the masses. The infrastructure, job opportunities and contractual bidding would be thoroughly diverse and would make the Olympics Committee proud.
"I know he's looking down now on [President Obama] saying, 'Good job Barack, but you've got a lot more to do,'" said [Joseph Biden], who was introduced by the university's interim president, Sandra T. Thompson. "It's not merely the news reel, this is zeal," he said of the earthquake's impact on Haitian-Americans. "It's about their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers." Of his visit to Miami's Haitian community, the vice president said his attempt to participate in an "off-the-record" visit to a church so that he could attend a Catholic Mass in Little Haiti resulted in Haitian-Americans demonstrating tremendous generosity, "even in the midst of their grief."
"I'm really surprised. I did not expect the OD, but I'm delighted to be awarded." "Some of us seem to see 'Yard' as a place where we go and have a good party and walk away to return to our centrally heated houses in other lands. Why, I don't know, but what I do know is that there is a growing number of Jamaicans in the diaspora who are swinging toward my way of thinking." 'And that is in the first year after the start of the fund." [PHILIP MASCOLL] added: "This would free the tax base to raise the salaries of teachers, police officers, firefighters, soldiers and civil servants."
"The launch event in March was really successful. Everything came together for a totally perfect night," Laura Quinla, Rhythm Foundation Director said. "What was especially cool was that it was a lot of different kinds of people of all backgrounds and ages having a great time together." "It is important to focus on the wealth of culture that Haiti has great music, art, dance. The culture is so rich. Little Haiti also has a lot of nice experiences to offer the general public," Quinla said. "We are hoping our night grows and encompasses all the artist studios, cultural venues, shops and restaurants in the area. I think it will be something people throughout South Florida will look forward to every month."
Jamaica's veronica Campbell-Brown waves after winning the Women's 100 meters at the Diamond League Athletics meeting on Sunday May 15. in Shanghai, China. American Lashinda Demus. the meet's record holder, finished runner up in a season's best time of 54.58 seconds, with Olympic and World champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica coming third, also in an SB 54.96. The best of the other Caribbean performances came from Jamaican Dwight Thomas. He also finished fourth in the men's 110 hurdles, clocking a season's best 13.31.
The first Africans came to America in August, so obviously, it's our entire history - in so far as the celebration or acknowledgement was. It has to do with [Jonathan Jackson], George Jackson and prisons. I believe in a time when the United States has more people in prison than any other industrialized nation, the prediction that if the current rate of incarceration stays the way it is now, one in three men will be incarcerated or on parole in 2020, which is not very far. I think it is contingent on us to look at that - the re-enslavement of African Americans continuing. I think this benefit for Haiti is important, because of what Haiti represents - a nearby island that had a successful slave rebellion, it has always suffered from intrusions from America from as far back as the 1800s, so I think joining together the national and international struggles is important. It is important for African Americans to look at themselves locally, nationally and internationally - to see ourselves in the world. Black August 2003 offers an opportunity to do that.
At the recent Summit of the Americas, President [Barack Obama] suggested that the U.S. could learn a lesson of goodwill from Cuba. In 1998, Cuba's government began programs to send large-scale medical assistance to poor populations affected by natural disasters. Each year some 2,000 young people enroll at the school, which operates from a former naval base in a suburb of Havana. Cuba's 21 medical faculties all train young people of poor families from throughout the Americas, as well as hundreds of African, Arab, Asian and European students. The country sends teams of doctors all over the world to respond to natural disasters. Cuban doctors have provided medical services to the underserved in Africa for over a decade. Blacks' views of relations with Cuba differ vastly from those of most Cuban immigrants and Cuban-Americans. The former lily-white upper crust of Cuban society wield political clout in Florida and are dead set against normalizing relations with Cuba's government. Consequently most politicians have chosen to adopt Cuban-American views. From 1960 to 1979, hundreds of thousands of Cubans began new lives in the US. Most of these Cuban Americans came were from educated upper and middle classes and form the backbone of the anti-[Fidel Castro] movement. Cuban Americans are America's fifth-largest Hispanic group and the largest Spanish-speaking group of white descent.
A Congressional Black Caucus delegation, led by the CBC Chairwoman Carolyn C. KiIpatrick (D-Mich.), traveled to Haiti recently for a one-day visit as part of the group's ongoing effort to bring attention to the plight of starving Haitians.
Congressman Gregory Meeks who represents the Sixth Congressional District of South East Queens, home to a large Haitian migrant population, also expressed his concern about [Jean-Bertrand Aristide]'s removal from office and the role the United States, might have had in the affair. "I'm one who thinks that Aristide had some problems in the country. However, I believe in the institution of democracy and that we needed both sides to sit down pursuant to the CARICOM agreement," he told the Gleaner. Other members of the delegation who called on Secretary General [Kofi Annan] were Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California; Kendrick Meek from Florida; Donald Payne - New Jersey; Major Owen - New York; John Conyers - Michigan and actor and human rights activist, Danny Glover.
"You must understand that we are very different in Cuba," insisted Gabriel Molina Franchossi, director of Gramma newspaper, the official organ of the communist party in Cuba. "To Afro-Cubans, big lips and big backsides are objects of beauty. To us, such images represent the feminine ideal." Afro Cubans also seem naive. Cubans are fond of saying that Fidel Castro abolished racism when he came into power 40 years ago, as though this can be accomplished by a simple decree. What they really mean, of course, is that Castro outlawed discrimination And again, who am I to say he hasn't? In the United States, discrimination didn't become illegal until the mid-60s when Congress passed a series of civil rights laws effecting voting rights, equal employment, and fair housing. By 1968, Richard Nixon was ending a wave of white backlash into power and the process of undermining those gains began. Blacks appear to have had a different experience in Cuba, where better than 40 percent of the population is either Black or mestizo (mixed) and where a fair percentage of those who are considered "white" acknowledge some degree of African or mestizo blood in their heritage. "We in Cuba are not so easily categorized as in the United States," said Reynaldo Calviac Lafferte, director of the International Press Center. He pointed to a wall in his office. "In the same family, there are some who are as white as that wall." Then he slapped his patent leathers. "And there are some who are as black as my shoes. For us, race is not an issue like it is for you."
"There are tens of thousands of roofless or windowless homes, schools, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, daycares and cultural centers that were partially or totally destroyed," Jones added.
