NEW YORK, New York –Jamaica’s Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, wants Caribbean nationals to do more to leverage the “vast potential that resides in the experience, qualifications and other capacities of Caribbean Diaspora members.
Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding addressing Caribbean Research Center’s Speaker Series (CMC Photo)“I, therefore, want to stress to you this evening that the input of the Caribbean Diaspora far exceeds foreign exchange,” said Golding, as he addressed the Caribbean Research Center’s Speaker Series Thursday night, at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College, City University of New York (CUNY).
The leader of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) said that greater contributions from the Caribbean Diaspora would help in national development in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries.
Speaking on the topic, “The Caribbean Diaspora’s Influence on the United States as Jamaica Celebrates 60 Years of Independence,” Golding said “the Caribbean, and my country Jamaica, also need your skills and your talents to help us tackle our fundamental developmental challenges.
“Modalities for your engagement and participation in our national life need to be further developed, and I am committed to assisting in that process. Modern technology has greatly enhanced the possibilities for broader and deeper Diaspora engagement, so what is needed now is political will and consistency of effort,.
“And, as we seek to harness your spirit and capabilities, we must also acknowledge and celebrate all that has made you such an indomitable force in the Diaspora,” said Golding, whose delegation included Lisa Hanna, the former minister of youth and culture in Jamaica.
Golding said despite the uphill climb as immigrants to America, Caribbean people have “tremendously influenced, and, indeed, altered in positive ways, the diversity, complexity and characteristics of the American body politic.
“We are proud of the impact you have made and will continue to have on so many aspects of American life. Those of us home in the Caribbean embrace and feel empowered by your accomplishments, despite the struggle of adjustment and integration. When one of you achieves greatness, your entire Caribbean family celebrates with you.”
Golding said while the Caribbean continues to experience challenges in infrastructure, education, healthcare, domestic and transnational crime, the impacts of climate change, access to investment funding and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, among other issues, nationals are “a resilient people.”
“While Jamaica, at 60, has seen advances in many areas of social and economic life, and enjoys strong democratic governance, irrespective of which political party has formed the government since 1962, the resilient and resourceful spirit of our people remains our number one asset,” he said. “And members of the Diaspora, you are our ‘number one ambassadors.’”
The Jamaican Opposition Leader said members of the Caribbean Diaspora wear the pride for their home countries on their sleeves, no matter where in the Diaspora they reside and what spaces they occupy.
For example, he said, US Vice President Kamala Harris, the daughter of retired Jamaican economist Dr. Donald Harris, reportedly said in a national interview, before she became vice president, that she has “juicy beef” patties in her refrigerator.
“The plethora of Caribbean-American organizations that exist in the Diaspora are a testament to the commitment that members of the Caribbean Diaspora have for their homelands. From alumni associations to professional associations to groups of friends who get together to ‘form partner’ and pool their resources to support their countries, that support is invaluable.
“Know that members of the Diaspora are part and parcel of the Caribbean community, and that we are one family wherever we reside,” Golding added.
The PNP leader traced the historical foundation for the Caribbean Diaspora, which began in the 17th century, when enslaved Africans were brought from Barbados by slave-owners to work in South Carolina.
He said most of the immigrants from Jamaica and other Caribbean nations did not come to America only to benefit themselves.
“They were determined to integrate into the communities where they settled, like here in New York, and they were determined to make significant contributions to their newly-adopted home,” he said, noting that while history may not highlight the achievements of many of these early immigrants, “they placed significant emphasis on education..
“And most importantly, they ensured their offspring, born and raised in the US, were imbued with strong values, positive self-belief, the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, and a sense of civic responsibility and community engagement.”
Golding said early 20th century Caribbean migrants have, “thereby, left an indelible imprint on the American society, and they are honored by the outstanding achievements of so many of their descendants.”
He said among the notable figures from the second-generation Caribbean immigrants are Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, who was born in New York in 1933 to Sarah Mae Manning, an immigrant from St. Kitts and Nevis; Harry Belafonte, an actor, signer and entertainer, who was also born in New York City and whose father was Harold George Belafonte, Sr., a Jamaican chef; and J. Bruce Llewellyn, a businessman who was the chairman, chief executive officer and part-owner of the Coca Cola Bottling Company, and a founding member of the 100 Black Men of America, who was born in Harlem, New York to a Jamaican mother and Guyanese father.
Others, Golding noted, are the late US General Colin Powell, a former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Secretary of State, who was born in Harlem to Jamaican immigrants from the parish of St. Elizabeth; and the late US Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, “a legendary colossus of American politics, (who) was born in Brooklyn to parents who were Guyanese and Barbadian immigrants.
Chisholm served in the New York State Legislature prior to her election to the US Congress in 1964.
“She holds the historic distinction of being the first Black woman to serve in the United States Congress, and also the first woman and first Black woman to run for the presidency of the United States of America,” Golding said.
He acknowledged the milestone of Jamaica’s 60th Jubilee and “the pride all Jamaicans feel in the country’s attainment of 60 years of independence.”
“Of course, as far as nations go, Jamaica is still a youth. There is much work to be done as the country moves ahead.
“As we look forward to the future, I, from the depths of my heart, want to thank Jamaicans overseas for your unwavering support of the land of your birth, and encourage you to continue to have our backs.
“I thank the Diaspora for all the work you have done over these 60 years in helping in various areas of development in Jamaica. Your efforts are well appreciated, and the people of Jamaica thank you. We look forward to the continued engagement with the Diaspora and cementing greater linkages,” Golding said.
