Vanessa Gidden and Simone Edwards were in impressive form as Jamaica's female basketbailers romped to a historic 69-58 victory over the Virgin Islands, to claim the team's first ever medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
10 p., In analyzing Jamaica's Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, Amnesty International raises concerns about the new Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, a series of "anti-crime" bills, the death penalty, the restrictive definition of "rape" in the new Sexual Offences Act, legislation which criminalizes sexual acts in private between consenting male adults, and outstanding ratifications. The organization also describes concerns in relation to human rights violations by the police; violence against women and girls; attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons; children in custody; and violence in inner-city communities.
Guided by the theme 'Jamaican Women Shaping Our Culture' the occasion was marked by a display of colourful and lively performances from guest performers and the 13 parish queens. The contestants, all queens in their own right, made the first of three appearances in long dresses, depicting aspects of their individual parishes. Before they made their entrance, a moat door was lowered unto the recreated courtyard of one of Jamaica's premier historical sites, Fort Charles.' and through the door they emerged, to tumultuous applause from a partisan audience.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
188 p., Explores Jamaican masculinity through the male-dominated dancehall space that is at once a celebration of the marginalized poor and also a challenge to social inequality. Using the major masculine debates that are articulated in dancehall music and culture, Donna Hope explores the transition of Jamaican masculinity in the 21st century.
Examines the prevalence of disorders and associated risk factors in a sample of sexual minority men and women in Jamaica, a country that is widely known for its high societal rejection of homosexuality. Poor relationships with family, negative or abusive experiences related to one's sexual orientation, and greater openness about one's sexual orientation were independent risk factors.
Connecting media workers and the hospitality industry of the Caribbean with communications professionals in the African-American community is expected to generate powerful synergies, as two productive, professional cultures enrich journalism and public relations in both geographic areas while simultaneously increasing African-American travel to the Caribbean region.
Where did the team get the idea in their heads to enter the sport? According to Wikipedia.com, it was "George Fitch and William Maloney, Americans with family and business ties to Jamaica, who were responsible for founding the Jamaican bobsled team. While vacationing in Jamaica, the two witnessed a pushcart derby race and saw the similarities to bobsledding." The story of the Jamaican bobsledders not only inspired future entries of the Jamaican bobsled team (in 1992, 1994, 2000, 2006 and 2010) but it also sparked the filming of a major Disney motion picture called "Cool Runnings". Even though the Jamaican bobsled team did not qualify, Caribbean people must never forget the pioneers who dared to mink outside of the box.
She said Jamaica is determined to become the model for economic revitalization of the hemisphere and for securing the country's well-being. During the ceremony, [Audrey Marks] was recognized by Martin O'Malley, governor of Maryland, with a citation honoring her as Jamaica's first female ambassador to Washington. The citation was presented by Jamaican-born Shirley Natham-Pulliam, the Maryland House of Assembly delegate.
113 p., Jamaican folk songs have become a definitive characteristic of Jamaican culture. They are exemplars of a culture whose music reflects the lifestyle of most of its citizens. In modern times, their beauty has been show cased in local and foreign performances which exposes an element of the country to the world. Additionally, the arrangements of songs by Jamaican composers like Noel Dexter and Peter Ashbourne have aided in their renaissance in modern times. This research analyzes the arrangements by Noel Dexter and Peter Ashbourne. It explores the transition of Jamaican folk songs from the slave fields to the art music stage.
Benfield,Warren (Author) and Panadeiros,Monica (Author)
Format:
Book, Whole
Publication Date:
March 2010
Published:
Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
80 p., Jamaica seems to be a puzzling case for economic growth: despite the structural reforms implemented in the last three decades and adequate investment levels, real GDP per capita is roughly the same as in 1970. The disappointing performance of this economy suggests that productive development policies (PDPs), including first-generation reforms, have not been enough to create a better environment for productivity growth. This paper examines the PDPs in Jamaica and concludes that behind the paradox of high investment and low growth of this economy are the "public debt trap" and a highly distortive tax incentive structure to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and promote exports. Although industrial policy is moving towards a more modern conceptual design, the old schemes seem politically difficult to dismantle.
