Caribbean Corner

The fashion-forward spirit of Brooklyn came alive once more as A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show returned to Industry City on Tuesday, Oct.15, bringing together some of the borough’s most vibrant design talent. Presented by the Brooklyn Made Store and co-produced by Fashion Week Brooklyn and Runway the Real Way, the event was held at bkONE Productions , celebrating Brooklyn’s unique cultural edge. Gabrielle Napolitano, director of Partnerships and Communications at Brooklyn Made Store, proudly presents a designer piece. Photo by Tracey Khan “This is our second year,” said Gabrielle Napolitano, director of Partnerships and Communications at the Brooklyn Made Store under the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “We’re here to support Brooklyn businesses; this show is another creative avenue to showcase the borough’s designers.” She added, “The goal is to help build brands and let businesses thrive. We’re watching the creative process ...

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James on Monday provided an update on nonpartisan efforts to protect voting rights and public safety across New York State during the 2024 elections. Hochul said those efforts include statewide, multi-agency resources to combat misinformation and respond to any impediments to voting. “As New Yorkers cast their ballots, we are taking every measure necessary to ensure the sanctity of the democratic process so that everyone can have their voice heard,” Gov. Hochul said. “In partnership with Attorney General James and law enforcement across the state, we have established tools and protections to secure the right of all citizens to participate in this election — and we will always stand up to defend those rights against those who threaten them.” James said, “New York has a long history of free and fair elections, and this year is no different. My office has been preparing for months for a safe and smooth election process, and we will conti...

Dominica’s rising dancehall artist Supalyne is back with an exciting new release that’s sure to turn heads. Teaming up with the fierce and unapologetic $hyanne, their latest track, “Bounce,” is set to take the airwaves by storm. Born Shain Alexander in Fond Cole, Dominica, Supalyne has been carving out a name for himself on the island and beyond with his unique blend of dancehall, reggae, hip hop and bouyon music. Growing up in Dominica, Supalyne developed a deep love for music from a young age, watching Chris Brown’s “Run It” on BET, and eventually shaping his style by fusing elements of Caribbean rhythms with modern urban beats. “’Bounce’ is more than just a party anthem; it’s an infectious, high-energy track that highlights Supalyne’s versatility and lyrical prowess,” Dominican entertainment promoter Jael Joseph, of ACEM, told Caribbean Life . “Featuring a commanding performance by $hyanne, the song brings a dynamic and empowering vibe that’s bound to resonate with fans,” sh...

“The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance” by Jemar Tisby c.2024, Zondervan Reflective                  $29.99                               262 pages   You have all the tools you need. You have a level, so you’re always even-keeled. A hammer, to nail down your ideals. A saw to cut through nonsense and pliers to pull out the truth. You have almost everything you need for equality; now you need “The Spirit of Justice” by Jemar Tisby for the right blueprint. In early December of 2017, Myrlie Evers-Williams “granted a private audience” with a group of journalists on the day that the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened. Jemar Tisby was in that group, and Evans-Williams’ remarks stunned him. She said that “the spirit of justice raises up like a war horse… that stands with its back sunk in” until it “hears that… ‘bell of freedom.’ And all of a sudden, it beco...

Puneet Singh Singhal grew up in a slum in New Delhi, India, with his chronically ill mother, according to a blog post that he published almost a year ago.   Singhal also shared in this blog post that he battled dyslexia (a learning disorder affecting a person’s ability to read and write), dyspraxia (neurodevelopmental disorder affecting movement and coordination), and a stutter as a child, and both he and his mother are survivors of domestic violence. He then shared what it’s like to live through heat waves and how he, his mother, and other residents in his neighborhood were affected by one during the past summer.  “Living through a Delhi heatwave, in a ramshackle home with no respite from the sweltering heat, feels like being trapped in an oven.  During one unbearable summer, our neighborhood faced an acute water crisis,” he said. “My mother’s existing health issues were aggravated terribly. Dehydration ravaged her body while her chronic ailmen...

In the Climate Justice course Professor Shelly Eversley taught at Baruch College last spring, her students created documentaries exploring how climate issues affect them person- ally. When three students in the class realized they all had asthma, they decided to collaborate and produced a powerful short film about their experiences living in a place they call “Asthma Alley.” Eversley isn’t teaching science or health. She’s a professor of English and the interim chair of Baruch’s Black and Latino Studies program. She is also a faculty leader of CUNY’s on- going commitment to strengthening humanities education. She developed the unique approach of her Climate Justice course as a way to engage students in a subject that can seem far removed from their everyday experiences. “They do research and collect data,” Eversley says. “But fundamentally, it’s about storytelling.” Sixteen of the 22 students in the class landed internships with climate justice organi- zations after the course. ...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Public Library (QPL) President Dennis M. Walcott, and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley on Friday broke ground on a $7.4 million project that will completely modernize the interior of the Hollis Library QPL branch with new reading rooms, more space for computers, and additional features for visitors and staff. Adams also celebrated three years of significant investments in the city’s libraries, with total investment in the city’s libraries approaching $900 million in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to FY 2028 capital plan. “I am proud to be here to break ground on this major renovation of the Hollis Library, a $7 million project that will improve the library experience for this entire community,” said Mayor Adams. “New York City’s libraries are so much more than just a place to check out a book, particularly for low-income New Yorkers. “From looking for a job, to staying cool in a heat wave, to gett...

Women from a wide cross-section of Brooklyn, Queens, and others who zoomed in, also with their husbands and mates supporting them, were all a part of the unequivocal, spellbinding experience of the 10th Annual Mother Wit Conference held at the Downstate Health Education Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, Oct. 19. The highly decorative and educational event was organized by Shawnee Benton-Gibson, CEO of the company, Spiritual Healer, and host and co-founder of ARIAH (Advancement of Reproductive Innovation through Artistry and Healing), an organization that focuses on the well-being of women’s reproduction. The all-day event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., was titled WOMB WISDOM UNBOUND. Women from varying backgrounds engaged in the educational and healing aspects of the conference with host Shawnee Benton-Gibson. Over the years, the Mother Wit Conference masterfully provided ways for the women attending the conference to demonstrate their virtues despite the catastrophic maternal ex...

Brooklyn Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman and the 58 th Assembly District Safety and Mental Health Taskforce have joined the Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU), stakeholders and leaders in rallying for stronger safety measures for Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) workers following the recent stabbing of train conductor Myran Pollack who was critically injured and currently remains in critical care. Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, who represents the 58 th Assembly District in Brooklyn, said on Tuesday that this incident occurred along the #3 and #4 lines at the Utica Avenue Station in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. “This incident highlighted the need to continue activating for continued mental health programming and measures to support impacted individuals and deeper implementation of enhanced safety actions, designed to create safer working environments and protective measures of all of New York’s public service workers every day,”...

“Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion” by Anne Chow c.2024, Simon & Schuster                                          $28.99                                  272 pages   The last kid picked . If you were ever in that position, you probably remember what it was like. Being out of the loop, the last person tapped, the one left out, none of this feels good – whether you’re a kid or an adult and an employee. So, how do you ensure that your team belongs? Read the new book “Lead Bigger” by Anne Chow, and choose it. When Anne Chow started working at AT&T years ago, she was often the only woman in the room, the only woman in the department, and the only Asian-American in the building. As she moved up the ladder to a better position, she decided that the old ways of business leadership didn’t work anymore. “Lead Bigger” author, Anne Chow. Photo by Austin Wilder She expanded her outlook into what she calls “leading...

Halloween revelers will be in full feline fashion flair on Oct. 31 when the 51st annual Greenwich Village Halloween parade invites creative puppeteers, and costumiers to the biggest ghoul show in the nation. Meow is the theme of the carnival which begins at 7 p.m. from Manhattan’s Spring St. along Sixth Ave. to 16th St. offering a bewitching, spooky, jaw-dropping, spontaneous, masquerade of satirical perspectives. Actor Andre DeShields was recently named to bring drama to the head turning, rain or shine spectacle. He will likely add theatrical antics to his role as grand marshal. Usually presented live on television via New York One at 8 p.m. reporters and anchors from the station customarily dress to characterize recognizable images. At numerous points along the route the scribes often spotlight individuals and groups who have created a world revered pageantry of ghoulish troubadours. Among the usual skeletons, headless vampires, comic book characters, coffins, cob webs, ...

The Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester (BMW) Chapter of the Caribbean-American Nurses Association (CANA) on Saturday, Oct. 12, honored Barbadian-born Aston Greenidge with its Community Service Award and bestowed its surprise BMW/CANA Award on African-American Lloyd Griffin during its 28th Annual Vernese Weekes Scholarship Luncheon at Eastwood Manor on Eastchester Road in the Bronx. BMW/CANA Chapter also conveyed its Scholarship Award to Jamaican-born nursing student Kenya Simms.  Jamaican-born nursing student Kenya Simms receives a scholarship award from RN Malvin Groce, left, and RN Wendy Lake-Ricke. Photo by Nelson A. King In addition, the group presented a posthumous proclamation from New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to the late former president, Hopina Samuel, a Vincentian-born registered nurse, who died in June this year.  Samuel’s elder daughter, Dahniel Samuel, who has just passed the New York State Board Examination to become a registered nurse, received ...

The late Peter Simon ‘s new reggae photo exhibition, which will showcase some of his most iconic work shot in Jamaica, will be displayed at the VP Records gallery space at 170-21 Jamaica Ave., in Jamaica, Queens. This exhibition will be on display every Saturday until Dec. 21, after opening on Oct. 5. Aaron Talbert is the record label’s vice president of Sales and Marketing. He is most familiar with Peter Simon, brother of singer Carly Simon, and his work, and he was almost solely responsible for the curation and organization of the exhibition. Talbert shared some details on Simon’s life experiences, which shaped his work as a music photojournalist. “Simon was a music photojournalist who covered The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, The Grateful Dead, and others before and during his forays into reggae music. He was among the first to cover the Jamaican reggae scene in a style typically associated with rock music journalism,” he said. The record label has...

Patrons came out in their finest attire last Friday to support the 16th Annual Calvary’s Mission Food Pantry Gala Dinner, whose undertaking was to raise much-needed cash to end food insecurity through a pantry-forward initiative. The charitable cause, very close to the hearts of the sold-out crowd, was the first to attract so many supporters since its inception. The Dyker Beach Golf Club in Brooklyn served delicious food while popular DJ music entertained patrons. All in the spirit of giving to the less fortunate, thousands stand in long lines every Saturday at 102-16 89th Ave., Richmond Hill, pantry for groceries to feed their families. The grand evening, guided by lovely Caribbean Life contributor Tracey Khan, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies, exuded elegance during its hour-long presentation, including a silent auction. Designer FeNoel donated items showcased by models Stacey Godchild and Tony Hylton. The items raised hundreds of dollars for the charitable cause. A Lou...