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."
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.
None were brighter than the wildly popular Usain Bolt's world record sprint double, and the Jamaican's three gold medals overall. Bolt shattered his own 100 meters mark of 9.69 seconds, set at last year's Olympic Games in China, with a stunning 9.58 on the second night of the WCA. Tyson Gay of the United States finished "second in an American record 9.71, and Jamaica's Asaf a Powell third in 9.84. The 6' 5'' sprint star, who celebrated his 23rd birthday during the WCA, returned days later to the Olympic Stadium track to clock 19.19 in the 200 meters and break his other individual world mark set at the '08 Olympics. That result took [Bolt] more by surprise. In the women's 4x400 relay, Jamaica's team of Rosemarie White, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shereefa Lloyd and Shericka [Gordon Williams] finished second to the U.S. A silver was also earned by Cuba's Yarelis Barrios in the women's discus, while T&T's Renny Quow won bronze in the 400 meters. His country's team of Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callander and Richard Thompson, captured silver in the 4x100.
Why? Because there is not a shred of doubt, as acknowledged by President George W. Bush's proclamation to mark the occasion last year, about the immense contributions made to the U.S. by people of Caribbean background. Not so long ago, former military General Colin Powell, a son of Caribbean-born parents, was Bush's secretary of state, one of the most powerful political posts in the U.S. Powell was even touted as a presidential contender. "But in communities (in the U.S.), where there are large concentrations of Caribbean people, for example in the South Florida area and in the New York metropolitan area, the Caribbean communities have all come together to do different things, sometimes collectively, sometimes individually, meaning individual associations..." Already some activists, who advocate on behalf of Caribbean interests in the U.S., have frowned on clauses of the proposed new immigration bill which they claim is a backward step for those wishing to see immigrant families united in the U.S. Also on the table for the leaders will be the issue of security in the Caribbean and the sensitive subject of deportations.
From the United States' perspective, it is very, very important for the (President George W) Bush administration to understand the location and the reality of the Caribbean's small economies. You cannot ignore them or you will have problems. You have somebody like (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez in the (Caribbean) region that is giving them (the U.S.) a headache. The (U.S.) better fortify the small countries or they will go over to whoever is helping them. People must survive and people must live. For the Caribbean in particular, it is a historical event. We are meeting as a Caribbean people. We seem to be sharing the same concerns every other CARICOMmember shares. From the U.S. standpoint, I really don't know because a lot of the feedback that we've had from our heads of state, we've heard this before... over the years and I'm not sure this is any different. The only thing that might be a little different now is the deportation of criminals to our shores and I don't believe that the U.S. does not know what the implication of that is. We are always seeking financial support from them, so to send us people who have been convicted for crimes that we don't have in the islands, somebody, somewhere, must know.
Talk to Richard Lue and it becomes clear that not nearly enough Caribbean people are heading `home'. Neither are enough African Americans trying to discover the Caribbean, although their connection with the culture has long been established in the U.S. That's why Lue was appointed Air Jamaica's regional manager for special markets in the southern U.S. Another Air Jamaica representative has been given similar responsibilities for the northern states. "It wasn't neglect," said Lue. "It just wasn't accountability. We've always been there. The problem was internally. We feel we can get more out of that (Caribbean) market." "To me it's no big deal," he said. "The problems in Jamaica are serious, but Jamaica has never been an easy sell. But it is a challenge. It is because of 9/11 that we realized we had to diversify our markets and give importance to all the markets. The challenge is there, but we just have to deliver."
"It is important because we are black first," said Joseph, a U.S. resident since 1970 and a registered Democrat, "then we are Caribbean or American." "As a black man walking down the street (in the U.S.), no one knows if he is Caribbean or not," [Irwint Claire] added. "Plus Caribbean people have played important roles in advancement of African Americans. "It is a very significant time for Caribbean Americans," he said. "Caribbean nationals should look at it as a good time to be in the U.S...One ([Barack Obama]) from the ranks is moving forth."
Jamaica's other medal winners included Veronica Campbell and Michael Frater, who earned a silver in the women's and men's 100 meters, respectively. St. Kitts and Nevis's Kim Collins won a bronze in the men's event as well. The Bahamas finished second and Jamaica third in the men's 4x400 meters relay to earn silver and bronze, respectively. Jamaica's women won a silver medal in that event, while Trinidad and Tobago won its only medal of the meet, a silver in the 4x100 meters for men. Cuba's Osleidys Menendez set a new world record in the women's javelin on her way to the gold medal. Cuba also won gold in the 800 meters for women, and silver medals in the men's and women's triple jump, men's high jump and women's hammer throw.
"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.
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.
