Caribbean nationals fired up for White House change
Expelled board members: WIADCA took ‘position of hostility’ against them
Caribbean Life, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2020 3
By Nelson A. King
Four recently suspended, then terminated,
board members of the West
Indian American Day Carnival Association
(WIADCA) have claimed that
the board of directors of the Brooklynbased
carnival group has taken “a position
of hostility” against them, “albeit
illegally.”
In a joint statement, issued exclusively
to Caribbean Life earlier this week,
the four former members — Deborah
Benjamin, Leah Clark-Brisard, Patricia
Warwick and Valerie Mcleod-Katz
– alleged that they were “permanently
removed from the organization for
exercising their fiduciary responsibilities
as board members.”
“The suspension, and then expulsion,
of the four members for questioning
financial irregularities says a
lot about the agenda of WIADCA’s
sitting board,” said the former board
members.
In her resignation letter, dated Sept.
25, but made available only two weeks
ago to Caribbean Life, former WIADCA
President, Dominican Jean Joseph,
a certified public accountant (CPA),
claimed that, among other things, she
was “unable to act in my capacity
as president, regardless of whatever
efforts I have made.
“The internal disputes would result
in ridiculous arguments as to the powers
of the president,” she charged,
claiming, for example, that the Board
removed four members “without following
any protocol or process.
“They gave these members no say
or opportunity to defend themselves,”
alleged Joseph without identifying, at
the time, the four members. “This
outrageous act has been vigorously
opposed by me to no avail.”
But WIADCA spokesman, Dr. Hank
Sheinkopf, retorted, at the time, that
the charges raised by those former
board members were “inaccurate.”
“It was an honest discussion attended
by counsel,” he told Caribbean Life,
adding that “it would be inappropriate
to disclose the content of the meetings
held while those individuals were in
attendance.”
He also did not identify the four
members.
But, in their statement, the four
former board members said that “per
Dr. Sheinkopf’s statement, he erroneously
states that the ‘charges raised
by the former members were inaccurate’”.
They claimed that they were “not
given an opportunity to defend themselves
against the ridiculous claims
rigged up by the board.”
The former board members also
charged that Joseph was “attacked
physically early in her tenure as president,
but no charges were brought
against the board member who initiated
the attack.”
They also alleged that Joseph was
“unable to act in her capacity as president,
regardless of whatever efforts she
made.”
But Sheinkopf described as “just
silly” the ex-members’ allegation that
WIADCA made attempts to silence
members with opposing views.
“All members are encouraged to and
are given the opportunity to express
their concerns,” he said. “There are
several mechanisms within the organization
for voicing concerns. Those
include a complaint mailbox, grievance
committee, quarterly member’s
forum, etc.”
The former members said that, in
November 2019, Joseph brought to
the executive board’s attention “certain
financial irregularities within the
organization’s finances.”
They said that, when this was presented
to the board, “she received
pushback from certain members.
“She was unable to act in her role as
the president because of the internal
ongoing disputes within the leadership,”
the ex-members charged, claim-
By Tangerine Clarke
Caribbean nationals on the first day of
early voting in New York, Oct. 24, lined
up for hours at Intermediate School 68
on 81nd Street in Canarsie, Brooklyn,
determined to cast their ballots during
a historic voter-turnout for a presidential
election.
Some, who said they had been on
line for more than seven hours, others,
longer, were fired up to speak to this
reporter about why they were prepared
to wait for as long as possible to get into
a voting booth.
Wearing a mask emblazed with the
words, “I am a voter,” 28-year-old Crystal
Angeleeburell, an activist, said she
was determined to stand on line for how
long it took to vote.
“I will leave after I vote. This election
is about the soul and integrity of
America, that is why I am standing on
line, and I am voting, Biden, Harris,
she said.
Brooklyn-born, Angeleeburell, with
her Jamaican mother, said this election
means more than ever for the generations
to come. “I have been protesting,
I have donated funds to elect people
who align with my values, I mentor,
and I think primarily, we must vote,
she urged.
Marcia Beckford, Crystal’s mother
who is inspired by her daughter’s activism,
noted that the first day of voting
was a proud moment for her, and an
opportunity to vote, not only as a Democrat,
but because a black woman, and
a woman of Jamaican heritage, could
create history as the first female vice
pPresident of America.
The line was wrapped around Avenue
J, 81st Street, Flatlands Avenue
and 82nd Street, where everyone was
socially distant, and wearing masks,
like Dahlia Slater, another Jamaicanborn,
who wants to get rid of President
Trump.
“He is making all of these changes
that are not fair to us, whatever he is
doing will affect my kids, and my grand
kids,” she said, insisting. “We have to
vote. If you are a citizen, you should
exercise that right,” she urged.
First time voter, Dean Harty, said “we
have to get rid of President Trump, he
has no respect, and he is not for us. He
says he is not racist, but he is racist. I
think Biden will do a better job, not for
just Democrats, but for America. Whatever
I have to do, I am going to wait and
vote.”
Lorraine, a Guyanese native, who
stood on line with her daughter Dale for
more than seven hours, said. “I am not
moving until I vote. I am tired of Donald
Trump. I want peace, security, and reasonableness,
she said.
Reverend Althea Bailey, of St Ann’s
Jamaica, who sat on a beach chair, was
eager to cast her ballot. She reminded,
that it is a privilege to vote.
“We stand on the shoulders of people
who paved the way before us. It is an
opportunity to make the change that we
want to happen. I consider early voting
an opportunity to come out in “live and
in living color” to cast my vote, to be the
change we want to see.”
From Carmen Craig-Lawrence, a
Jamaican-American who said waiting
on a long line to vote was worth it, to
Bylene Hendrickson of Nevis, who wants
her voice to be counted for change in
America, to a Haitian voter who has
four children and wants America to help
them, and future generations to have a
brighter future, to African Americans
from South Carolina, who are looking
for a sense of decency from government,
and the next generation to be treated
fairly, all were committed to casting
their ballots.
Finally, after a five-hour wait, Judy, a
Barbadian-American, stepped out of the
voting site wearing a sticker that said,
I voted Early. With a smile on her face,
she shared, “it was all worth it. “I did it
for my American-born grandson. I am
happy, I voted for Joe Biden,” she added.
According to the Board of Election,
more than 93,000 voted on the first
day of early voting. Early voting ends
on Nov. 1.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Get out and
vote!
Caribbean national voters wait on line to get into Intermediate School 68 in
Canarsie to cast their ballots on the fi rst day of voting in New York. Among
them are Marcia Beckford, Dean Harty, Crystal-Angeleeburrell Beckford,
and others. Photo by Tangerine Clarke
Former WIADCA President, Jean
Joseph. Photo by Nelson A. King
Continued on Page 18