Bajans treat Downstate nurses
By George Alleyne
A special tribute for medical
workers was the homage paid
on Nurses Day at SUNY Downstate
Medical Center University
Hospital.
The nurses, among those,
working in the frontline of the
COVID-19 epicenter in New
York were treated to lunch and
received donations of masks and
face shields, all thanks to a joint
effort of the Barbados Consulate
at New York and three Barbadian
school associations.
The participating associations
were alumni of three Barbados
schools, St. George Secondary
Old Scholars Association International;
Daryll Jordan Secondary
School New York Chapter Alumni;
and Combermere Alumni
Association, New York.
According to the Barbados
consulate, the presentation was a
salute to the work of nurses during
the COVID-19 pandemic and
particularly the effort in saving
the life of Barbadian, Jasper ‘Bop’
Hewitt, who was at Downstate for
more than a month before emerging
to a fanfare two weeks ago.
Incidentally, Hewitt is now
in his 32nd year of employment
at the same hospital that saved
him.
Nurses and presenters pose outside Downstate Hospital.
Third from left is Barbados Consul General, Mackie Holder.
Consul General of Barbados at
New York, Mackie Holder, lauded
the nurses for their superlative
work during the pandemic.
Holder singled out for special
mention Nurse Marlene Cooper, a
Jamaican, who went way beyond
the call of duty in looking after
Hewitt.
“One of the best … things to
come out of the present coronavirus
Caribbean L 18 ife, June 5-11, 2020
situation was that the
everyday heroes, notably nurses,
were finally being acclaimed for
the work they do daily, pandemic
or not, and he hoped that the
focus on them would continue
and they be accorded the conditions
they deserve,” Holder commented.
Letters were also delivered to
the Interim CEO of Downstate,
Patricia Winston acknowledging
the contributions of all health
care workers at the hospital.
Barbados school alumni presidents
also spoke at the presentation.
Caribbean American Heritage Month
opens with live performances
By Nelson A. King
The Washington, D.C.-based
Institute of Caribbean Studies
(ICS), the architect of the
Campaign to Celebrate June
as National Caribbean American
Heritage Month (NCAHM),
said on Monday that a special
live performance by Jamaican
Andrew “Braata” Clarke,
performing a rendition of the
American national anthem,
heralded the beginning of
Caribbean American Heritage
Month.
ICS, which was founded
and headed by Jamaican Dr.
Claire Nelson, said the National
Caribbean American Heritage
Month opening event was
hosted virtually on the Zoom
platform and featured keynote
speaker, Cynthia “Cindy”
Kierscht, Deputy Assistant Secretary
in the US Department
of State’s Bureau of Western
Hemisphere Affairs.
Other speakers included
Assistant Secretary-General
of the Organization of American
States (OAS) Belizean
Amb. Nestor Mendez, and Noel
Lynch, Barbados’ ambassador
to the United States.
ICS said that Keirscht
charged the audience “not to
focus on the distance between
us but on what brings us
together,” describing how “our
histories were so interwoven
that it is inevitable that our
futures would be, too.”
Clarke, the featured vocalist,
credited his success to his
father “who wanted the best for
me, so he planted me where I
could bloom.”
ICS said Clarke had a passion
for the arts and participated in
music, theatre and speech.
“Andrew (Clarke), indeed,
bloomed into a thespian, entrepreneur
and philanthropist
who has the furtherance of
Caribbean Culture as the pillar
of all his endeavors,” ICS said.
It said Michael Wilson, a selftaught
violinist, was the second
feature performer at the opening
ceremony.
ICS said Wilson is an entrepreneur
who owns “Springspired”
and played his violin to
“a sound-bed of Caribbean
songs.”
Since 2006, ICS said June
was designated as National
Caribbean American Heritage
Month by Presidential Proclamation.
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