Founder and President of JCWICAC, Cheryl Murphy, dressed in her fi nest
as she prepares to celebrate the festival’s 27th anniversary. Cheryl Murphy
Caribbean Life, February 4-10, 2022 31
By Tangerine Clarke
Rear Admiral Antoinette Wemyss Gorman,
on Jan. 20, became the first woman
to lead the military, as Chief of Defence
Staff in Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), in
its 60-year history.
Wemyss Gorman, is the second woman
in command of a military force, in the
entire world, after Slovenian’s Major General
Alenka Ermenc, head of the armed
forces who served her country from 2018-
2020.
Celebrated with pomp and ceremony,
the military woman succeeds retired
Lieutenant General Rocky Meade who
served 38 years. He presented the Instrument
of Appointment to Admiral Wemyss
Gorman at King’s House, where she also
took the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath
of Office.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness,
in congratulating Admiral Wemyss
Gorman, said her selection through a
competitive process by the Defence Board
was based on that body’s conclusion that
she has the requisite leadership skills,
experience, commitment, and strategic
vision “to lead the men and women of
the JDF and drive them to achieve even
greater levels of success,” said the Jamaica
Information Service, (JIS).
“Wemyss Gorman who brings 30 years
of experience to the rank of admiral,
including her service to the Coast Guard,
allows her to treat significantly with issues
relating to maritime security and the blue
economy,” said Holness.
The PM continued, that “She will,
therefore, bring a unique perspective to
our discussions and efforts to strengthen
our borders and prevent illicit inflows,
protect the lives and livelihoods of our
coastal communities, and ensure Jamaica
can derive sustainable benefits from our
maritime resources.”
“I look forward to benefiting from
her wise counsel on matters relating to
defense and security,” adding, “as the fight
against crime continues, the JDF will continue
to play a critical role in support of
the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).”
By Tangerine Clarke
Cheryl D.B. Murphy, founder and
president of the Jersey City West Indian
Caribbean American Carnival, says she
is excited to start the 27th anniversary
with a Feb. 7, 24-hour ‘Day of Giving.’
Murphy told Caribbean Life, that
in celebration of the 27th Founders
Day Anniversary, building community
together on Monday, Feb. 7, from 7 am,
to Feb. 8, 7 am the event will help raise
funds for JCWICAC festivities, leading
up to carnival day.
As part of the day’s event, there will
be an entertainment program that will
run from 8 pm – 9 pm on virtual platforms,
Zoom, Facebook, Instagram and
YouTube, will include Technology Host:
GM’21 Jersey City Poet Laureate Susan
Justiniano, Host: GM’07 Radio Personality
Ian Eligon “De Goose”, and deejay
GM’22 DJ Spice – Team Soca.
Honorable Mayor Steven M. Fulop
City of Jersey City, NJ will perform the
Anniversary Toast.
The celebration will then come alive
with performances by AWO Baba Artist
Director RAPSO Poet, Michael Manswell,
JC Slam Winner, Sterling Sample
– Steel Pan Soloist, Artist PabloG, Soloist
Lisa Gelin, KaisoKah Moko Jumbies
USA Stilts, Artiste Rick Ramdehal, Segunda
Quimbamba-Bomba and Artiste
Gucci Boss.
Grand Marshall “11, Madam President
Councilwoman Joyce E. Watterman
City of Jersey City NJ, and Grand
Marshall “11 Councilman at Large Daniel
Rivera City of Jersey N.J, will extend
messages of support.
The mission of JCWICAC is to promote
and foster an understanding of
West Indian/Caribbean heritage and
culture, adding that the public is
connected to our heritage and culture
through fine arts, music literature,
health and wellness culinary arts,
sports, and fashion.
The Annual Carnival Parade and Festival
assists in providing college scholarships
to deserving high school seniors.
Murphy noted that the fundraising
goal was $27,000.00 and was seeking 54
volunteers to sign up to reach the goal,
in a match challenge.
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Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman
sworn in as fi rst female Chief of
Defence Staff of JDF. Jamaica
Defence Force
Day of Giving marks start of Jersey City
West Indian Caribbean American Carnival
Rihanna donates $15M to climate justice movement
Rear Admiral
Antoinette Wemyss
Gorman first female
to lead JDF
By Nelson A. King
Through her philanthropic organization,
the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF),
Barbadian singing superstar and entrepreneur
Rihanna has donated US$15 million
to the climate justice movement.
CLF said in a statement that it supports
and funds climate resilience and
justice projects in the US and the Caribbean.
“We advocate for policy and systems
change to improve the quality of life for
communities across the globe,” it said.
“We’re bridging the humanitarian and
climate sectors to alleviate poverty and
support communities of resilience.
“Climate change is resulting in an
increase in natural disasters globally,”
CLF added. “That means more people,
particularly those in vulnerable communities,
are at risk, and economic damage
in the hundreds of billions of dollars. We
believe there is a better way.”
CLF said its Climate Resilience Initiative
is focused on addressing multiple
dimensions of emergency preparedness,
while scaling solutions to the problems
of climate change.
“These projects, which range from
school and health clinic infrastructure
hardening projects to gender-integrated
emergency response planning and local
capacity building in the Caribbean, serve
as models of preparedness that can be
replicated and scaled to enable other
high-risk regions around the world to
be better prepared to withstand extreme
weather events,” it said.
“Ultimately, our goal is that the Caribbean
becomes the world’s first climate
resilient zone,” it added.
Rihanna said: “We have used and
abused our natural environment to the
point where our planet is acting out and
sending us warning signs that we are
in danger at an alarmingly accelerated
rate.”
According to Musicfeeds, the donations
are split between 18 organizations
across the US and the Caribbean.
Rihanna started the Clara Lionel Foundation
in 2012 in honor of her grandparents,
Clara and Lionel Braithwaite,
Musicfeeds said on Sunday.
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