The crew of the inaugural Black History celebratory fl ight, AC914 from Toronto
to Fort Lauderdale. CNW Group/Air Canada
Caribbean Life, February 18-24, 2022 45
By Nelson A. King
Bronx-based Garifuna Afro-Latino
author and community activist, José
Francisco Ávila has released of his book,
“Pan-Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of
Pride: My Quest for Racial, Ancestral,
Ethnic and Cultural Identity.”
Ávila, chairman of the Bronx-based
Board of the Garifuna Coalition USA,
Inc. and managing member of Garifuna
Afro-Latino Entertainment, LLC,
told Caribbean Life that the book
includes, 400 pages, 113,177 words, 165
footnotes, a preface, 14 chapters and an
epilogue.
He said the essence of the book’s
plotline, are a series of events, based
on his “lived experiences, informing,
empowering, and advocating for New
York City’s Garifuna People, for the past
33 years, which led to the Modern Garifuna
and Afrodescendiente Movement
in Latin America.”
Among the stories shared by Ávila is
a chapter on reparations, based on his
participation in the Caribbean Community’s
(CARICOM) Reparations Conference,
held in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, from Sept. 15 – 17, 2013.
He said it includes St. Vincent and
the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Dr.
Ralph E. Gonsalves’ Preliminary Notes
on the Quantification of Reparation
from the British for Lands Stolen for
Genocide and Forcible Deportation of
the Garifuna People and for Enslavement
of Africans in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.
Ávila said the Garifuna are a “culturally
differentiated Afro-indigenous
peoples,” a mixture between the socalled
“Carib” (Callinago) and so-called
“Arawak” (Taino) women and African
men.
This mixture, which took place in St
Vincent and the Grenadines, produced
a new group which the British referred
to as the “Black Caribs”, Ávila said.
By Vinette K. Pryce
Canada’s national airline is soaring
to new heights for Black History Month.
Following a route American Airlines
pathed north from Kingston, Jamaica
two years ago when they introduced an
all-Jamaican crew to passengers bound
for Miami, Florida, Air Canada scheduled
an all-Black crew for a round trip flight
to the southern state.
In celebration of Blacks in aviation
and their contributions to the airline,
the Maple Leaf carrier launched Flight
AC914 from Toronto, Canada to Fort
Lauderdale with return on AC917.
Both flights were operated by two
Black pilots and a crew of eight Black
flight attendants to fly the friendly skies
on a wide-body Airbus A33-300.
Given that Canada’s sub-zero temperatures
contrasted with those of the
Sunshine State the crew seemed to float
on air following touchdowns.
From all reports, the two hours and
55 minutes trailblazing ride took off
and landed without a hitch at either
airports.
A spokesperson for the airline praised
the unprecedented effort saying:
“We are so incredibly proud of today’s
inaugural Black History celebratory
flight!” Yolanda Cornwall, customer
service training specialist — Toronto
and Claudine Martinell, concierge and
premium customer excellence — USA,
members of the Air Canada Black History
Month Committee said.
“Not only does this demonstrate
Black representation in aviation, we also
want qualified Black people to know they
have a place in our industry and especially
at Air Canada. We thank Air Canada
for supporting this historic flight and
for working together with Air Canada’s
Black employee community to further
strengthen our airline’s culture.”
Acclaimed for employing a culturally
diverse work force, this pioneering
milestone achievement for the Canadian
airline lags behind American Airlines
boastful all-Jamaican crew which took
off during the same celebratory period.
On Feb. 27, 2020, pilots born on the
island operated a Boeing aircraft with
cabin crews that serviced passengers
flying from Kingston to Miami, Florida.
Captain Robert McPherson and First
Officer Shaun Nelson made history for
the US-headquartered carrier as well
as Jamaicans Stanley Franklin, Linneth
Duhaney, Shanecia Witter and Mario
Facey.
“Being a part of the all-Jamaican crew
was exciting to say the least,” Franklin
reportedly said after the flight.
“We were shocked and excited when
all four cabin crew were all Jamaican, but
when we found out the cockpit crew both
were Jamaican as well, we realized it was
an unusual and special occasion.”
There was no guessing involved with
the Canadian crew, according to a news
release dispatched by the North American
carrier, the unprecedented flight
was initiated and supported by “387
Air Canada employees self-identified as
Black, and work in leadership, management,
specialized professional positions,
and across all work groups including
pilots, flight attendants, customer service
agents, maintenance technicians and
ground support crews.”
“We salute and acknowledge the
achievements and contributions of Air
Canada’s Black employees who brought
forward their idea of operating today’s
Black History celebratory flight. We are
very pleased to champion their identity,
pride, and enthusiasm for this special,
inaugural flight to commemorate Black
History Month at our airline,” Arielle
Meloul-Wechsler, executive vice president,
chief human resources officer and
public affairs said.
“We are a global airline that transports
customers across six continents, and our
biggest strength is our people. Air Canada
is widely recognized for its diversity,
culture and inclusiveness, and we strive
to create a workplace that employees
feel proud to belong to by leaning in and
listening, learning and working collaboratively
to continually advance shared
initiatives,” Meloul-Wechsler added.
Reportedly after a two-hour-and-sixminute
flight, AA2370 landed at Miami
International Airport to a lilting Caribbean
welcome.
Allegedly on arrival Duhaney
announced: “This all-Jamaican crew
would like to welcome you to Miami.”
Garifuna leader,Jose Francisco
Avila. Illusion Photo NYC
Air Canada flies Black to
Florida for Black History Month
Garifuna
leader
releases
memoir
The crew of the inaugural Black History celebratory fl ight, AC914 from Toronto
to Fort Lauderdale. CNW Group/Air Canada