A number of high-profile posts were to follow and Guyana's independence in 1966 brought fresh demands on his time. First he became Attorney-General and then, after a series of ministerial positions during the late '60s and early '70s, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. It has been speculated that his relentless pursuit for just international relations, and for trade based on justice, ultimately hindered his chances of being appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations. But to this day, Sir Shridath presses on. Sir Arthur Lewis IN 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis became a standard-bearer for Black intellectuals. He became the first person from the Caribbean ever to gain a Nobel Prize, winning the award for economics in 1979.
"Currently the districts only dilute the voting strength of Haitian-Americans," he said. "If the county does not increase the number of seats, the chances are that within the next 10 years you will see a Haitian American and an African American fighting for the same seat," he said. "This would cause deep ethnic division. And we already have enough ethnic division." "In the past Commissioner Gwen Margolis has supported the idea in principal. And Commissioner Dorrin Rolle has questioned the timing of it," he said.
We must continue to support one another for the future of our community. We need to see more African American leaders coming into the Haitian community, not just during election time but throughout the year. We need to see more solid commitment on the part of the Haitian community also to join different causes in the African American community. These are the only ways we can overcome in this struggle for equality. If we continue to treat our political interests as separate entities, we will never get to partake of the ftuits of democracy. Concerned citizens and political officials in both communities need to let people know that we don't have a Haitian/African American problem. I would hope that the Haitian community can realize that just because Mr. Duke, an African American, was defeated by Mr. [Joe Celestin], a Haitian, that Haitians are not "better" or "tougher" or "stronger" than the African American community. Likewise, the African American community needs the growing Haitian vote in the future. Haitian and African American people are one race, living through different cultural lifestyles. It's okay to have different lifestyles, as long as we respect each others' differences, without animosity or violence. For instance, the Latin community is comprised of Spanish-speaking people from different countries: Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, etc. Does anyone think that these groups are in complete harmony with one another? The answer is no. The different Spanish-speaking groups do not like one another that much but, in reality, when it comes to standing up for a common cause you see them marching side by side, taking pictures with each other and voting for each other.
"It is a new day," [Phillip J. Brutus] told Caribbean Today. "No longer will Haitian Americans be taken for granted. We are demanding our place at the table." "We need to get Haitians involved in the process," Joseph "Billy" Louis, a spokesperson for the group, told Caribbean Today. "We need numbers in order to be taken seriously." Damian P. Gregory is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Caribbean Today's special focus on Haiti begins with Nick Carter's call for the nation to "re-invent" itself on page 9 and continues on page 29 with highlights of events there and in the U.S. marking Haiti's 200th Independence.
Needless to say, it would take more than this short column to list all her accomplishments and all the legislative activities she had been involved in. Suffice it to say, however, she fought very hard, not only for her constituencies, but also for what was right. And this is the point that requires a reflective pause for the Haitian community. The Haitian community, along with some non-Haitian observers, has always felt that it has been discriminated against by U.S. immigration policies. Back in the 1980's and the early 1990's, there were many Haitian activists who took to the streets and to the airwaves to decry these discriminatory policies. However, none of the Haitian activists were elected officials. Certainly, the efforts of these activists were very important and sometimes fruitful in the context of exposing the inequality of these policies to the larger American public.
With many of our local elections already gone and the presidential election fast-approaching, I sat back and took a long look at the candidates that ran for the various seats. I noticed something that truly startled me. There was not one candidate of Caribbean descent in any of the many elections that took place on September 3. Although it's a sad commentary on what's happening in the Caribbean community, it is also a chance for the community to make changes for the future. So many of us are American citizens of Caribbean heritage and have all right to run for election. Caribbean-Americans could be a very influential enclave in this town, not only economically, but politically as well. Hispanic candidates turned out in droves. In practically every race there was at least one Hispanic candidate. Black Americans also managed a strong showing. Most notable, with Arthur E.
