THE MONTHLY GLEANER | AUGUST 15 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 2 SEVERAL MEMBERS of the overseas Jamaican communities were named in this year’s list to receive Jamaican national honours and awards. HEADING THE list is Jamaica’s Ambassador to Washington, Audrey Marks, who has been awarded membership in the Order of Jamaica. Also receiving national honours are Dr Karren Dunkley, who joins the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer (OD); Dr Novlet Davis-Bucknor, who has also been made a member of the OD; Mary Bishop, who will receive the Badge of Honour, and Marie Ruth Gill, who will also receive the Badge of Honour. Marks receives the OJ for her outstanding service to the government and people of Jamaica in her contribution to economic development, promotion of social development enterprises and to nation-building. Dunkley receives her honour for service to the Jamaican diaspora in the United States. Davis-Bucknor has been recognised for her contributions to community development and philanthropy. Davis-Bucknor leads a medical mission yearly to Clarendon in Jamaica. Gill receives the Badge of Honour (Meritorious Service) for contributions to the economic and technical development of Jamaican business owners in the United States. Bishop gets the Badge of Honour (Meritorious Service) for services in the field of philanthropy and contributions to the development of the diaspora in Canada. PREVIOUS ROLE Dunkley previously served as Global Jamaica Diaspora Council member for the United States Northeast region. Reacting to the news of her national honour, Dunkley said in a statement, “It is with profound humility and immense gratitude that I accept the Order of Distinction for service to the Jamaican diaspora. This honour is not just a personal achievement but a testament to our community’s collective efforts and unwavering dedication to advancing Jamaica’s national development.” She said she would dedicate the honour to her beloved mother, Barbara Carmeta-Dunkley, “whose support and love have been my guiding light. I also share this recognition with the many deserving sons and daughters of our soil”. Dunkley said Jamaica’s greatest asset is its people and she was honoured to continue this collaborative work of upliftment and unity for our community and country. “As we celebrate the gift of life during this 62nd Emancipendence season, let’s remain steadfast in putting God and country first and fulfilling the promise of Jamaica Land We Love,” she said. editorial@ gleanerjm. com Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer AS THE Kamala Harris campaign rolls towards the Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention in Chicago next week, where she will formally accept the nomination for president of the United States (US), many Jamaicans in the diaspora have adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards supporting her bid. WHILE THERE has been a groundswell of support from Jamaicans in the US for the Harris campaign, with community leaders saying they have not seen such enthusiasm for a candidate since the candidacy of former president Barack Obama, others are awaiting her speech at the DNC convention, which takes place August 19 to August 22, before giving their full support Dr Michael Duncan told The Gleaner that, although he is leaning towards supporting her campaign, he wants to see the policies she will lay out during her convention speech. “I have not committed fully to supporting her campaign. For me, I want to hear what she has to say about some issues that I deem important. Immigration, support for the middle class, economic programmes to lift up those at the bottom of the economic ladder and resources for schools in our communities,”he said. Duncan further stated that he would like her to address, in her convention speech, ways to lift up young black men so that they can move into the middle class, create wealth and support a family. “Too often we hear elected politicians pay lip service to our community and do not follow through on their promises,” he said. Duncan, who indicated he was a registered Democratic, said no one should take his vote for granted. “It is time that issues confronting our communities are addressed in a concrete way and that is what I want to hear from her during her convention acceptance speech,” he said. Chris Daley, who is a patent examiner and lives in Maryland, told The Gleaner he wants to hear policy positions from Harris, the current US vice president, during her convention speech. “I am a registered independent and I have not made a decision on whether or not I am voting for her because I want to hear her policy positions during her acceptance speech,” he said. Daley said the fact that the vice president is a woman with Jamaican roots was not enough to make him go out and vote for Harris. “You have to earn my vote. Voting, that I take very seriously and policy positions matter to me,” he said. “I vote more than on persona.” Blane Studdart, businessman and community activist in the Philadelphia area, said he also has not made a decision on whether he would vote for Harris. “I am leaning towards voting for her, but I want to hear her policy positions on several areas,”he said. He listed such areas as immigration, job training for young black men, education and security. “There are more than half a million jobs available right now in the construction industry which are going unfulfilled because our young men are not being educated and trained for these jobs,”he said. According to Studdart, in her convention speech he wants to hear Harris set out policy positions that will benefit the middle class, create jobs, focus on education for young people and lift up those at the bottom of the economic ladder. He said everyone has to go to college but education is necessary to fill several jobs in the marketplace right now. Studdart also said he was hoping to see her move more towards the political centre where the majority of Americans reside. Sunvil Mitchell said he too has not made up his mind on Harris and he is awaiting her convention address. “I would like to hear specific policy proposals that are going to lift up the middle class and allow them to earn a decent living,” he said. He said, even though she has Jamaicans roots like himself, he wants to hear how she proposes to move the country forward, if she becomes president. editorial@gleanerjm.com National honours for several persons in the diaspora Ambassador Audrey Marks. CONTIBUTED J’cans in diaspora await convention speech to decide on Harris Daniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer PARIS, FRANCE WHILE JAMAICA’S Paris Olympic campaign was filled with challenges and misfortune, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda said that there is still much to celebrate, reflect on, and learn from when the Olympic Games returns to Los Angeles in 2028. THE GAMES of the 33rd Olympiad ended on Sunday, August 11 at the Stade with fanfare as two weeks of performances concluded and Paris handed the reins to Los Angeles, who take over hosting duties in 2028. It will be the second time that the city of Los Angeles will host the Games and the fifth time that the United States will be responsible for organising them. Jamaica leaves Paris with six medals: one gold, three silver, and two bronze. While it has been a standout Games for Jamaica in the field events, they only accumulated two medals in the sprints. Jamaica’s athletics team was marred by injuries to five-time World 100 metres champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as World 200m champion Shericka Jackson, who were forced to withdraw from the Games. While there have been problems on and off the field, Samuda believes that Jamaica should be proud of what the athletes achieved in Paris. “I think that it has gone relatively well for Jamaica. There have been, of course, challenges in terms of injuries, and certainly, that has not marred, really, the performances of persons like (Roje), Stona who has done exceptionally well,” Samuda said. “I feel that what we have to do is go back to the drawing board and see how best we can prepare our athletes. This is part of the territory, and we can’t really dwell on that.” The field events were history-making achievements, led by Stona, who won Jamaica’s first Olympic title in the discus; Rajindra Campbell, Jamaica’s first Olympic medal in the shot put; Shanieka Ricketts, who won Jamaica’s first Olympic medal in the triple jump; and Wayne Pinnock, who won Jamaica’s first men’s long jump Olympic medal in 28 years. Romaine Beckford, who was the country’s first Olympic finalist in the men’s high jump since 1956, said this was the Olympics that the field events finally got their stage to shine. “I don’t think Jamaica looks at field events that much, and it is not because they don’t see field events. It’s just that we had good athletes coming from the sprints that it overlooked the field events. But now, the field events are coming up and showing that we are not just good sprinters,” Beckford said. Jamaica’s six medals saw them finish seventh in track and field and 44th overall. It is their second lowest total since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Jamaica collected five medals at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, but two of those were gold. Veronica Campbell-Brown won the 200m, and the women captured the 4x100m. There is still much to celebrate - Jamaica Olympic Association President
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