Adams, Barbados PM named Persons of the Year
By Nelson A. King
The Brooklyn-based Everybody’s
Magazine has named
New York City Mayor Eric
Adams and Barbados Prime
Minister Mia Mottley as Persons
of the Year for 2021.
“Although we did not
count nominations sent to us
between January and October
2021, readers suggested
Prime Minister Mia Mottley
for the 2021 Person of the
Year almost every month,”
said Everybody’s Grenadianborn
publisher Herman Hall.
“However, as soon as nominations
became official, the
prime minister and Brooklyn’s
Borough President Eric
Adams received the lion’s
share.
“Gone are the days when
readers nominated their parents,
Caribbean L 30 ife, January 7-13, 2022
siblings, countryperson,
and prime minister,” he
added. “Judging from emails
received, Prime Minister
Mottley was the unanimous
choice from people of various
Caribbean heritage and from
different nations.
“No nominations came in
for any other Caribbean head
of government, which could
indicate that the region needs
more leaders like Mottley,”
Hall continued.
He said that, on Feb. 6,
2019, at a reception hosted by
Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams, Roy Hastick, the
late founder of the Brooklyn
based Caribbean-American
Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, suggested that
guests get acquainted with
Adams.
“Hastick told them that
after Jan. 1, 2022, they ‘will
have to cross the river or
Brooklyn Bridge to see Adams
at City Hall,’” Hall said.
“Hastick predicted correctly,
but COVID-19 took him away
from seeing his dream come
true.
“As a police officer, Adams
held peaceful rallies during
summer in Bedford Stuyvesant/
Crown Heights (Brooklyn)
to invigorate and elevate
young people,” he added.
“Everybody’s Magazine followed
his gatherings.
“His deep connection and
working with grassroots communities
resulted in his winning
a New York State Senate
seat, which propelled him to
serve later as Brooklyn’s Borough
President,” Hall continued.
He said other personalities
nominated for Person of the
Year 2021 included the three
Jamaican Olympians who
swept the women’s 100m at
Tokyo 2020 – Elaine Thompson
Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser
Pryce (Everybody’s Person
of the Year for 2019), and
Shericka Jackson.
In addition, Hall said Aisha
Braveboy, Prince George’s
County State Attorney, a rising
star in Maryland politics,
received many nominations.
He said two famous Caribbean
entertainers, Barbadian
Rihanna Fenty and Trinidadian
Nicki Minaj, “also obtained
significant votes.”
Overall, 35 persons were
nominated, including two unidentified
children, Hall said.
The magazine’s Person of
the Year, then called Man and
Woman of the Year, started in
1978, following its launch on
Jan. 2, 1977.
The first year’s accolades
went to the late Manhattan
Borough President Percy Sutton
and Janelle Commissiong
of Trinidad & Tobago. In 1977,
Commissiong became the first
Black woman to be crowned
Miss Universe.
“A cardinal advantage for
inviting readers to send their
suggestions is they inform
us of people we never heard
about residing across the US,
Canada, UK and the Caribbean,
who are excelling in
their respective profession,”
Hall said. “As a result, some
are featured in Everybody’s
editions.”