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Vol. 32, Issue 52 BROOKLYN EDITION December 24-30, 2021
ADAMS’ INAUGURATION
IN HEART OF CARIBBEAN
COMMUNITY POSTPONED
AMID COVID SPIKE
By Nelson A. King
A week after Mayor-elect Eric
Adams announced that the
historic Kings Theatre in the
Flatbush section of Brooklyn
in the heart of the Caribbean
community will be the site of
his inauguration ceremony on
Jan. 1, Adams said on Tuesday
that the much-anticipated ceremony
will be postponed for a
later date.
Adams, the incumbent
Brooklyn Borough President,
said the ceremony will be held
in conjunction with those for
Comptroller-elect Brad Lander
and Public Advocate Jumaane
Williams, the son of Grenadian
immigrants.
“Dear fellow New Yorkers, it
is clear that our city is facing
a formidable opponent in the
Omicron variant of COVID-19,
and that the spike in cases
presents a serious risk to public
health,” said Adams in a
joint statement with Lander
and Williams.
“After consulting with public
health experts, we have decided
that our joint inauguration ceremony
will be postponed to a
later date in order to prioritize
the health of all who were planning
to attend, cover and work
on this major event,” the statement
added.
“We thank the Kings Theatre
for their interest in hosting
this exciting moment in
our city’s history, and everyone
who has been working hard to
plan this celebration,” it continued.
“We look forward to
getting together in person with
our loved ones, colleagues and
well-wishing New Yorkers to
honor this great democratic
tradition, and to thank all those
who have made it possible, at a
safer time, in the weeks ahead.
“Health and safety must
come first,” Adams, Lander and
Williams said. “We encourage
all New Yorkers to get vaccinated,
get boosted and get tested.
That is our pathway out of this
pandemic, and we will come
out of it together.”
Last week, Adams said the
ceremony would be held in
Brooklyn, instead of the traditional
location of City Hall in
lower Manhattan, “as a tribute
to the election of three citywide
leaders from the borough.”
“It is symbolically impactful
for me to be inaugurated as
New York City’s 110th mayor in
the heart of Flatbush, on behalf
of this working-class community
and communities like it
across the five boroughs who
have elected one of their own
to lead our recovery,” he said
then.
“Kings Theatre has made
so many wonderful memories
over its storied history; and,
on Jan. 1, we will make even
more history there together,”
added the Mayor-elect, who will
become New York City’s second
Black mayor. The first was the
late David Dinkins.
Williams said at the time
that he was “deeply humbled”
to begin his first full term as
public advocate, and “gratified
that New Yorkers have appreciated
and affirmed the work
of our office for the last two
years.
“On Jan. 1, New York begins
a new era with new citywide
leadership, and I am eager to
partner with my fellow citywide
elected officials to work
on behalf of and for the betterment
of New Yorkers,” added
Williams, who has also declared
his candidacy to oppose incum-
Christmas in the homeland
Phillipa Morrish, decorating her beautiful Christmas Tree, in her home, Guyana, after
living in America for over 50 years. She recently re-migrated. Tangerine Clarke
A year of planning for that good
old nostalgic celebration
By Tangerine Clarke
When it comes to Christmas,
Caribbean nationals go
all out to make sure they have
the most memorable celebration.
For diasporans, Christmas
in the homeland is their
biggest dream every year. They
start planning months ahead,
shipping barrels, before looking
for the cheapest airfare, to
have that nostalgic gathering
with their families and friends.
Many travel Christmas eve
to soak up the sweltering heat
in tropical countries, spending
weeks at a time to meet and
greet with neighbors, to gaff
about old times, and Christmas
traditions.
This reporter, who has been
making the trek to her homeland
of Guyana a yearly custom
to bring cheer to children
at Sophia Center, an orphanage,
in Georgetown, was this
year in awe at the long lines
at JFK airport, as vacationers,
return to air travel after
the Coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds, lined up, to present
their PCR negative test, and
Vaccination card, to be qualified
to travel home.
But what was most amusing,
but not surprising, was
the suitcases were bigger than
usual — an indication that
nationals were taking full
advantage to take extra gifts,
food items, clothing, since
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