2 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK: J AMAICAN WOMEN in the diaspora have expressed shock at a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion which could end the constitutional right to an abortion in about half of American states. The Supreme Court ruling was due to be released in summer, with many Americans anticipating that it would have reversed the landmark Roe vWade ruling made in 1973 making abortions legal across the country. But the leak of the draft opinion on Monday sent ripples across the globe. CongresswomanYvette Clarke, who is of Jamaican heritage, said that the leaked draft amounts to an all-out assault on women’s reproductive rights and freedoms. “ ... It is a political act by an extreme and hostile Supreme Court. Fifty years ago, it was established that every woman has the right to the control of her body, a right that already existed for every man. And yet, here we are again, facing another egregious wrong with this draft opinion from Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr, seeking to make an argument for stripping away women’s reproductive rights,” she said. “ ... It’s clear [that] we must strengthen our resolve to fiercely protect every woman’s right to choose their healthcare andmake reproductive decisions.” The congresswoman said it is critical that Congress ends the filibuster and make the Women’s Health Protection Act law. The Reverend Dr Karen R. Green, a Democratic candidate for the 7th Shock, outrage over leaked J’can women in US reject move as ‘political act by an extreme and hostile Supreme Court’’ CLARKE Abortion rights activist protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, May 3, 2022 inWashington. A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report releasedMonday. Whatever the outcome, the Politico report represents an extremely rare breach of the court’s secretivedeliberationprocess, andona caseof surpassing importance. (MICHELLE PEMBERTON/THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR VIA AP) NEW YORK: NEW YORK City mayor Eric Adams has announced a $5 million commitment to the New York City Racial Justice Commission (RJC) to educate New Yorkers about the three ballot proposals they will see during the November general election. RJC outreach plans prioritise equity, accessibility, and language justice while making a special effort to reach groups protected by the Voting Rights Act. “EQUITY and justice go hand in hand and are key to building a prosperous city that serves all NewYorkers. And while our city has come a long way, we have more work to do,” said mayor Adams. “I am proud to support the Racial Justice Commission’s efforts to ensure NewYorkers can fully participate in our democracy with full transparency. These three ballot initiatives intend to place racial equity at the heart of New York City government.” “After hearing from BIPOC New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs about the persistent racial injustices and disparities they face as they pursue opportunities and a better way of life, the Racial Justice Commission developed three ballot measures to begin the work of both preventing and reducing such inequities as we recover from COVID and move forward as a multicultural city,” said Jennifer Jones Austin, chair, RJC. “With generous funding provided byMayor Adams, the commission will be able to reach and educate New Yorkers about how these measures would begin to dismantle structural racism in our city and ensure equity as a core government f unc t i on and responsibility.” The RJC is seek ing ci tycertified minority and womenowned businesses (M/WBE) for thecontractingsations will have the opportunity to receive funding to support civic education efforts through November 2022. Application details will be available soon and interested organisations can sign up to receive updates online. New Yorkers are encouraged to visit the RJC’s website to read more about each proposal and view how each of the questions will appear on the back of New Yorkers’ballots as well as findmore details about the legislative changes that would go into effect if the proposals are adopted. NYC mayor pledges $5m commitment for voter education initiative New York City Mayor Eric Adams. AP THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
Congressional District in Florida and vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party, called on Congress to codify the right of a woman to choose, and affirm the “settled law of the land”. “It is with a sense of alarm that I, like many others, am being made aware that the conservative majority on the present Supreme Court no longer regards this as settled law and no longer adhere to precedents,”she said. Green added that the reversal could take the United States back to a time when abortions were performed by unprofessional people in back alleys, leading to the deaths of many poor women who could not afford to travel abroad for the procedure. She questioned whether this could be the start of a wide-scale reversal of other rulings considered settled law. Dr Millicent Comrie, an ob-gyn and head of a women’s centre in Brooklyn, New York, decried the opinion. She argued that those who oppose abortion are not seeing the bigger picture and spoke of the psychological impact carrying an unwanted child into the world could have on mothers and children. “A child that is conceived through incest or rape will not be able to get the love of a mother who is traumatised every time she sees that child. She is unable to give the required love to that child and it has an ongoing effect on both the mother and the child,” said Comrie. She expressed fear that women could return to the days of using hangers and other unsafe means to abort a foetus, leading to other medical complications and death. “For us to go back to those days would be devastating,” said Comrie. Jamaica-born Georgia State Representative, Donna McLeod who is also a candidate for Congress in her state, said that the right to choose should be available to every woman. “Unfortunately, women’s bodies have become a spectacle of political propaganda. A woman’s body is not a piece of property that should be auctioned off to the highest governing body,”she said, arguing that the judicial system does not need activist judges on the Bench who are willing to violate women’s rights. “We must do everything in our power to defend reproductive rights. ... Women have fought for way too long to have the same equal rights under the law as men. This is sacred,”she said. editorial@gleanerjm.com Supporters of abortion rights and anti-abortion rights protesters gather for a protest at the Indiana Federal Courthouse in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in response to the news that the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. (MICHELLE PEMBERTON/THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR VIA AP) Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer ERIC ADAMS, mayor of NewYork City, wants to partner with Jamaica to help stem the flow of guns and drugs to the country. The mayor’s offer of help came Sunday night when he spoke at a function in Queens to launch activities to mark Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence. The former NewYork police captain pointed to the fact that the flow of guns and drugs to Jamaica and New York is having a negative effect on both places. Like Jamaica, NewYork City has seen an increase in the number of murders and shootings within the past 18 months. The New York Police Department reported that so far this year, there has been a 38 per cent increase in major crimes in the city, although there has been a dip in the number of murders compared with the corresponding period last year. Last year, the city recorded some 485 murders. Adams said that as mayor of the city which is home to nearly one million Jamaicans, he was concerned about the flow of guns and drugs that continues to create mayhem both in New York and Jamaica. “I am concerned about the impact such flows are having on the country as it relates to the loss of lives. Some of the guns causing deaths in Jamaica are manufactured in the United States and shipped to Jamaica and the region. We will partner with Jamaica, together, to change the culture of gun flows that is destroying the public safety in both our countries in a real way,”he declared. Calling New York City the heart and soul of the Jamaican diaspora, Adams said that the city boasts the largest Jamaican population in the United States. Hepointed to themajor contributions that Jamaicans have made to the life of New York and said that having Jamaicans in NewYork will strengthen the bonds that exist between Jamaica and New York. He further said that expanding cooperation in education, trade and business opportunities with Jamaica would benefit both the city and Jamaica. Also in attendance at the launch ceremony were Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Minister of Culture Olivia ‘Babsy’Grange, Industry Minister Senator Aubyn Hill, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and state senator, Leroy Comrie, among others. NYC mayor offers to help stem flow of guns to Jamaica Will Mr. Winston Doig, 2012 companion of Ms. Tamara Lawrence of Independence City, Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica or anyone knowing his whereabouts, kindly contact The Child Protection and Family Services Agency, 10 Hanover Street, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica at 1-876-301-4983. NOTICE JOIN THE INTERCRUISE TEAM HIRING NOW Interviews By Appointment only! New York & New Jersey draft opinion on abortion law 3 THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
Maldives in Kamina’s corner for Commonwealth vote THE REPUBLIC of Maldives is backing Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith’s bid to become Commonwealth secretary general. Johnson Smith is seeking to unseat the incumbent, Baroness Patricia Scotland. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih indicated his support for her candidacy during a phone call with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness Wednesday. In a statement, Solih charged that Johnson Smith was the most qualified candidate because of her extensive experience and background. “In his conversation, the president noted that Maldives affirms our support for Johnson’s candidacy without hesitation.” The 54-member Commonwealth will have the final say when it meets in June in Rwanda. Central bank mum on cost of contract award for new currency notes THE BANK of Jamaica (BOJ) has refused to disclose the cost of financing the controversial upgrade of banknotes scheduled for release later this year. An Access to Information (ATI) request submitted by The Gleaner for the cost to revamp the notes, first announced in Parliament by Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke, was denied by the central bank. “The contract relating to the cost of upgrading the banknotes is exempt from disclosure under the Access to Information Act,” the BOJ’s Deputy General Counsel Alvana Johnson said on April 22 in response to the request. Concern over cost of royal visit THE GOVERNMENT last week sought to rectify aspects of a budget released by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) which inaccurately itemised an $8-million spend on the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last month. The detailed budget was offered in response to an Access to Information (ATI) request by representatives of the civil society coalition, Advocates Network, days after the royals visited Jamaica in March, as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. Upon close inspection of the response that went viral online over the weekend, the expenses listed totalled just over $5.9 million; a $2-million shortfall from the total outlined by the OPM. Call for CRH security beef-up after ward stormed THE STORMING of a medical ward by men demanding the release of a patient last week has sparked calls for the ramping up of security at Cornwall Regional Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department. Anxiety heightened after approximately 15 people pressed clinical staff to discharge 25-yearold diabetic patient Tyrone Bromfield into their care “because he does not have a medical condition but was infected with demons”. Hospital staff reportedly received threats. Businessman linked to coke, cash seizure charged THE BUSINESSMAN whose arrest led cops to a cash seizure valued at almost J$600 million has been charged with several drug-related crimes, according to police sources. Oral Johnson, 43, of Garden district in Westmoreland, was charged Wednesday with possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export, and trafficking cocaine. The charges were laid after he was interviewed by detectives in the presence of his attorneys. A spokesperson for the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporation Communications Unit said they could not immediately confirm the development. Johnson was taken into custody on April 26 after 24lb of cocaine was allegedly found in a car he was driving in Coral Gardens, St James. The drug seizure led cops to a house in the same community where US$3.8 million and CDN$30,000 were seized. A female bartender was also arrested after she was allegedly held with a quantity of ganja during a secondary operation in St Elizabeth. Rage at KC as students barred over hairstyles A PARENT has threatened legal action against Kingston College (KC) and the Government if her son performs below par in upcoming external exams following the lockout of students in a grooming firestorm last Tuesday. Her child was among scores of students who were turned away in the morning after their hairstyles were deemed inappropriate for the classroom. Grooming rules are a recurrent cultural flashpoint in Jamaican schools, but hairstyles, in particular, are the source of greatest contention. The educationministry has issued broad guidelines but schools have leeway for their own scope. CXC bows to lobby for exam delay THE CARIBBEAN Examinations Council (CXC) will be formulating a policy to allow for continued assessment and flexibility in the administration of its examinations. That declaration was made as the organisation yielded to pressure from Jamaica and other Caribbean governments to push back regional exams by three weeks, a compromise forged through robust negotiations after earlier resisting appeals. Examinations will now commence on May 23 and end on July 1. Results will be released between late August and early September. Funeral appeal page launched for Bermondsey stab victims A GOFUNDME page to raise money to assist with funeral arrangements has been set up by the family of the four persons, including a Jamaican, who were stabbed to death in their home in Bermondsey, southeast London, on April 25. As tributes poured in for SamanthaDrummonds, 27, her mother, Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Hill’s partner, Denton Burke, 68, all of whom were found stabbed to death at Hill’s home in Delaford Road, a 28-year-old man, Joshua Jacques, was arrested and charged with their murder. 4 [News You May Have Missed] Members of the Edwin Allen High School team celebrate with their plaque after a record run to capture the Championship of America 4x100 metres at the Penn Relays. From left: Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall, Tia Clayton and Serena Cole. Edwin Allen clocked a fast 43.18 seconds to win the event. PHOTO BY ROBERT BAILEY The Kingston College 4x400-metre relay team celebrate winning the Championship of America event at the Penn Relays last week. COURTESY OF PENN RELAYS MEDIA THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
5 Dr. GeorgeWille – AFUWI Deputy Chair & Chair of The Fund and Friend Raising Committee addresses attendees at the AFUWI 25th annual awards gala. CONTRIBUTED GK AND GNA AT AFUWI GALA: From left; Omar Hawthorne, director of franchising operations/ Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill; Normadelle Rose, Office Manager/Gleaner USA; Aubrey Campbell, Advertising Coordinator/GleanerUSA and Lorna Hawthorne, President-Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation, at the 25th Annual Legacy Awards Gala put on by the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI), on April 21, in Manhattan. PHOTO BY LEONARD MCKENZIE From left: Hoshane Langley (AFUWI scholarship recipient), Maria Browne (first lady of Antigua and Barbuda), Prince Browne, Gaston A. Browne (Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda), Devi Seitaram (AFUWI scholarship recipient), Sir Hilary Beckles (vice chancellor – The University of the West Indies), Beverly Hunter (SNR. Administrative officer – UWI), Vernique Miller (AFUWI scholarship recipient) and Dr. Cyrus McCalla (AFUWI board chair) at The AFUWI 25th anniversary gala held on April 21 at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. PHOTO BY MARGOT JORDAN THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | PICTORIAL THE AMERICAN Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) held its 25th Anniversary Gala in New York City on Thursday. Among the award recipients were Jamaican business executive and GraceKennedy CEO Don Wehby who received its Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in global business leadership, and the GraceKennedy Group the AFUWI Corporate Award for Global Business Excellence. Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston A. Browne and St Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy J. Harris were presented with the AFUWI Legacy Awards, while the Vice-Chancellor’s Award went to Premier of Nevis Dr Mark A. Brantley. See highlights. AFUWI gala 2022
Chris Ramsaroop/ Contributor “WHILE JEFF Bezos was up in space, we were down here organising,” thundered Christian Smalls, leader of the Amazon Labor Union (AWU) whose recent victory to form a union in Staten island has reverberated with workers across the world. The impossible was accomplished. After decades of attempts in the US to organise an Amazon warehouse failed, the workers at the Staten Island fulfilment centre won an extremely significant victory. While many mainstream commentators continue to play out tired talking points that the death knell has sounded for the labour movement, Small and the thousands of workers who own this victory argue otherwise. HOW DID THEY DO IT? There is no winning formula to forming a union; however, there are a few lessons that need to be repeated. First, workers organised to fight racism. Their organising was premised on building a multiracial coalition, where workers came together to fight for their common interests. This includes fighting for better occupational health and safety in the workplace. During the pandemic, while workers were deemed essential workers, in their workplaces they were treated anything but. As COVID-19 numbers increased, organisers were able to bring people together to identify their concerns regarding lack of protective gear, social distancing, and how the company prioritised profits over people’s lives. Forming a union was seen as one solution to strengthen workers’ decision-making within the same place. Fighting racial divisions was also critical to why the union won. Organisers prioritised fighting racism as one of the main goals of their union, and forming a collective voice for workers was seen as one tool in their arsenal to take away employer’s ability to pit workers against each other. Organisers turned anti-union talking points on their head. While union busters claimed that outside agitators were trying to disrupt the workplace, the ALU were able to articulate to their co-workers that the leaders of this effort were fellow workers who worked side by side with them on the shop floor. When organisers felt that their efforts to organise did not resonate with specific communities, they turned to providing food as a means to bring people together. Let’s never underestimate the role of food in building community, breaking down divisions, and as a starting point for conversations for change. The ALU studied history. They turned to the writings of William Z. Foster, specifically his Organizing Methods in the Steel Industry, to learn the nuts and bolts of organising. The ALU used social media tools such as TikTok to reach members, adapting their organising tools to fit their specific circumstances. Organised labour has its work cut out in the US. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 6.1 per cent of private-sector workers belong to a union; bosses are spending millions to lobby politicians and ensure laws continue to be wielded to prevent an uptake in unionisation. However, as Montreal-based organiser Mostafa Henaway recently wrote in his expos’e on Amazon and its anti- union efforts (it) “doesn’t mean we can’t organise and win, because workers organise every day despite their fatigue and enormous odds. As I exited bleary-eyed from the warehouse on the morning of my last shift, I envisioned an army of Amazombians, arising from slumber and lurching together in great numbers towards labour rights and better working conditions.” This May Day, we celebrate the efforts of Amazon workers, andmillions of others who struggle for decency, fairness and workplace democracy. 7 THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS Winning the fight for workplace democracy Christian Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union, speaks at a rally outside an Amazon facility on Staten Island, New York, on Sunday, April 24. Amazon and the nascent group that successfully organised the company’s first-ever US union are headed for a rematch on Monday, May 2, when a federal labour board will tally votes cast by warehouse workers in yet another election on Staten Island. FILE Members and supporters of the Amazon Labor Union stand outside an office of the National Labor Relations Board after a count of votes for unionisation was concluded in New York on Monday, May 2. AP RAMSAROOP
A LAUNCH reception for Jamaica 60th independence anniversary events was held on Sunday, May 1, at the Hyatt Regency JFK at Resorts World New York. See highlights. social LONDON: J AMAICA’S MINISTER of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, who is also the co-chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), recently made London his second stop on a global book tour. The book, titled TourismResilience, Recovery and Sustainability for Global Development: Navigating COVID-19 and the Future, is edited by executive director, GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller, and Bartlett. It was launched in February as part of an international summit on tourism resilience. Written in comfortable vernacular, both for consumer and trade, the book includes case studies, best practices and lessons learned during the pandemic, as well as experiences of different destinations in working towards resilience. INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS Minster Bartlett convened with Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the UK, Seth George Ramocan, and former UNWTO Secretary General TalebRifai, to speak about tourism resilience while he was in the UK to launch Jamaica’s 60th Independence celebrations along with Minister of Entertainment and Culture, Gender and Sport Olivia Grange. At the UK launch – attended by diplomats, academia, industry leaders and media – Minister Bartlett presented a copy of the book to High Commissioner Ramocan. He said: “Resilience planning and preparation are crucial for the future success of nations and communities, and this new academic resource will provide a truly valuable framework for understanding and building the role of tourism resilience, and its value for building global sustainability and faster economic recovery.” GTRCMC board member Lee Miles, professor of crisis/disaster management at Bournemouth University), explained the importance and relevance of the new publication: “The impact of COVID-19 has demonstrated a pressing need to revisit many of the underlying assumptions that we have traditionally made about the durability and strengths of tourism, and to connect debates between tourism and resilience more clearly.” Professor Waller said: “The book includes reviews of activity that countries trialled in the pandemic. For example, Jamaica had the resilience corridors and Las Vegas had resilience bubbles. We did a comparative analysis of those destinations to review the value and impact of different strategies to support future decision-making.” He confirmed the book also features emerging challenges that the tourism space will have to contend with in the future, including cybersecurity and crime, the dark web, and cryptocurrencies. Emerging options is another key area of focus in the book. “We looked at how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be used as a mechanism to advertise destinations, especially among millennials and Generation COVID (Gen C),” he said. Tourism Resilience, Recovery and Sustainability for Global Development: Navigating COVID19 and the Future is available for purchase on Amazon, as well as Barnes and Noble. Bartlett launches tourism resilience book in UK JN representatives, from left: Nahomi Hyde Swazey, branch operations supervior, NE, Harry Bhoorasingh, country manager, and Lisa Reynolds, regional sales representative, NE. DERRICK SCOTT From left: Carol Taylor Allen, Jacqueline Lightbody and Sharon Taylor. From left: Professor LloydWaller and tourismminister, Edmund Bartlett present Dr. Gervan Fearon, president of George Brown College with a copy of the book, which was edited by both men. PHOTO BY SOPHIA FINDLAY Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism (second left), presents a copy of his book ‘Tourism Resilience, Recovery and Sustainability’ to High Commissioner Seth George Ramocan, during a recent trip to London. At left is Dr Taleb Rifai, former secretary general, UNWTO and co-chair of the Resilience Council, while at right is Prof Lee Miles, GTRCMC board member and professor of crisis/disaster management at Bournemouth University. CONTRIBUTED Global tour to include NewYork, Washington DC, Dubai Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness (center), is flanked by US senator Charles E. ‘Chuck’ Schumer, D-NY; (right) and newly-appointed US ambassador to Jamaica, N. Nick Perry (left) at the May 1, launch reception in celebration of Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence, held at the Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World - New York, Queens. LEONARD MCKENZIE THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 8
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11 think through life and athletics after school. They decided there and then that a track club, the first of its kind in the resort capital, was a good option. “It is safe to say (that) there is not a substantial discussion on track and field athletics in Jamaica without some mention of the names Donald Quarrie and Veronica Campbell Brown, and so we are delighted that they have accepted our invitation to be recognised at this time,”offered Michael Campbell, a former manager/coach of the running club in Montego Bay and now the international president, based out of Atlanta, Georgia. The event falls on the big Memorial Day holiday weekend in the USA, and Nova Perrin, planning committee chair, is excited that past and present members, their families, close associates and friends of the Comets Club organisation will have a fun time at Antun’s. “All things considered, our two honourees are trailblazers in every sense of the word, and the Comets Club organisation is delighted that they have accepted our invitation to be recognised for their body of work at this stage,” noted Perrin The awards ceremony aside, patrons will be treated to a full course Caribbean entrée and entertainment by True Tribute All-Stars, a five-member ensemble led by musicologist and saxophonist LeRoy Graham. Popular DJ Binghy (Ayon Kellier) of KillaStar Sound will entertain at dance time. Tickets for the event are on sale at www.cometsathleticsinternationalclub.org, or by calling 302-339-0786, and must be purchased on or before Friday, May 13. The True Tribute All Stars ensemble, with LeRoy Graham, Jr (right) on saxophone, will perform at the event. THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS Donald Quarrie
THE STEVE Higgins concert series, a performing arts event commemorating Jamaica’s diamond jubilee, was officially launched on Monday, April 19, at the Robbin’s Lodge in Davie, Florida. The series, ‘The Love & Nostalgia Tour’, is endorsed by the Government of Jamaica, and will be held under the patronage of Jamaica’s consul general to the southern USA, R. Oliver Mair. The musical team includes tenor Steve Higgins, and sopranos Dahlia Wynter and April Marr, who will also be conducting workshops, and will participate in multicultural festivals and concerts hosted by various consulates, high commissions and community organisations. The concert series is expected to attract a diverse audience, including Caribbean nationals, Americans, cultural enthusiasts, scholars and music lovers. Steve Higgins concert series to celebrate Jamaica 60th From left: Consul General of Jamaica in Miami, Oliver Mair; Jamaican tenor Steve Higgins and Philip Rose, regional manager, Jamaica Tourist Board USA/NE, at the launch of the Steve Higgins Concert Series “Love and Nostalgia” celebrating Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence across the diaspora. CONTRIBUTED UJAA launches online store has launched the UJAA online store and announced its grand opening on May 1. They are now open for business on their website www.ujaausa.org. “UJAA has now found a product and an opportunity to reach out to the community to continue to support the students in Jamaica. After many meetings and lessons learned, UJAA believes that the next steps are forward and upward for our diaspora and Jamaica,” President Lesleyann Samuel said. Current inventory consists of Hibiscus Bliss scented candles in two sizes. To order visit www. ujaausa.org/store. For assistance with the store, contact store@ ujaausa.org/Lesleyann Samuel: president@ujaausa. org or 347-926-3606 The Jamaica Independence Foundation, Inc, invites all communitymembers and friends of Jamaica to attend the island’s 60th Grand Independence Diamond Jubilee Ball, under the themes ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’ and‘Unmasking 60 Years of Jamaica’s Excellence’. The black-tie event is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, 6:00-11:30 p.m. at the Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury (Long Island), New York 11797. The gala is held under the distinguished patronage of the Consulate General of Jamaica to New York, with Consul General Alsion Wilson. Tickets available at www.Jifinyc.org. For sponsorship, advertising, media, and more information, email info@Jifinyc.org The Nursing and Allied Outreach of St Luke’s Annual Health Fair will take place on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Services include prostate screening, COVID-19 vaccinations – Pfizer and Moderna – ages 12 and up, HIV testing and Hepatitis C screening. There will be presentations on topics including ‘Exercise for Health’, ‘Self-care’ and‘Psychosocial aspects of COVID-19 on Children’. Venue – 777 East 222nd Street – entrance on Barnes Avenue. The Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation invites you to join themon Sunday, May 22 at 8:30 a.m., for The Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation SPRING INTO EDUCATION 3K Walk/Run promoting educational advancement for minority students in the United States and the Caribbean – Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Parkway Road, Valhalla, NY. Proceeds will go towards the foundation’s Scholarship Fund. Braata Productions will host its second annual 5K fundraiser event on Saturday, May 14 at Brookville Park, Brookville Blvd, Rosedale NY 11422 (entrance betweenWeller Ave & Caney Rd). Registration opens at 9 AM EST. Join runners and walkers along Braata Productions for a fun socially distanced walk/run. Entrance fee for the 5K is a $35 donation that includes a Braata 5K shirt and swag bag. Come join Braata Productions in this family fun event to raise funds to support the remainder of our season. All proceeds benefit Braata’s Arts and Education programmes for NYC schools, senior centres, and community engagement projects. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to donate to Braata Productions, visit www.braataproductions.org/ events THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 5 - 31, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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