FREE www.caribbeanlifenews.com QUEENS/LONG ISLAND/BRONX/MANHATTAN Jan. 19–Jan. 25, 2018 CARICOM TRASHES TRUMP Caribbean countries express outrage over US prez’s insults By Bert Wilkinson cifically. In the past week, Caribbean After all, Haiti is a full mem- community governments have ber of the group of 15 nations. been forced to grapple with two It was the last to join at a sum- major issues of international mit in Guyana in 2002, large- concern and of course one had to ly through the extra efforts of do with the outrageous remarks then Jamaican Prime Minister by President Trump about Haiti, P. J Patterson African immigrants and a pref- The leaders said in their erence for the lily white peo- angry narrative on Trump’s ple from Norway settling in the remarks that he has “this pat- United States. tern of denigrating Haiti and When Trump had made the its citizens in what seems to racist statements to a biparti- be a concerted attempt to per- Many demonstrators paralleled the head of state’s comments with white surpremacist san group of congress men and petuate a negative narrative of language. Community News Group / Alexandra Simon women at a White House meet- the country. We are especially ing, many in the Caribbean saddened that such narrative began listening for some form emerged around the time of the of formal and official reaction anniversary of the devastating Haitians rally in Times Square against Trump from leaders in the region. They 2010 earthquake which took so reasoned that they should be so many lives of citizens in that By Alexandra Simon with the President’s com- Johnson. Councilman Brad offended by Trump’s remarks country. Hundreds of demonstra- ments, including some elect- Lander (Cobble Hill), Con- that the White House should at Several people of influence tors rallied at Times Square ed officials. gresswoman Nydia Velazquez least be told how both govern- in the region, including the to protest against President “I was looking for the shit- (D–Sunset Park), Assembly- ments and people in the region man these very leaders have Trump’s derogatory com- hole, and I found it and the woman Rodneyse Bichotte feel about Mr. Trump’s mindset. appointed to make former Euro- ments on Jan. 15. Last week shithole was Donald Trump’s (D– Congresswoman Yvette By Saturday they were not pean slave trading nations pay the president allegedly made mouth,” said Brooklyn Coun- Clarke (D–Flatbush), Assem- disappointed. The Guyana-based reparations for the transatlantic derogatory remarks disap- cilman Jumaane Williams blyman Nick S. Perry CARICOM Secretariat dumped slave trade chimed in with pow- proving immigration from El (D–Flatbush), who represents (D–Canarsie), Lieutenant a statement on its website con- erful words of condemnation. Salvador, Haiti, and Africa a district with one of the Governor Kathy Hochul, and demning Trump’s “derogatory Sir Hilary Beckles, vice- and referenced those nations city’s biggest Haitian popula- many more were in attend- and repulsive language” and chancellor of the University of and the continent as “shit- tions. ance to show their support. even though the statement the West Indies argues that for hole.” The crowd of mostly Dozens of elected officials DeBlasio praised the city’s focused on his remarks in gen- Trump to define Haiti as a shit- Haitian protesters came out including Mayor DeBlasio, Haitian community, and also eral, they also zoomed in on hole country not only exposes to voice their displeasure City Council Speaker Corey Continued on Page 8 what he said at about Haiti spe- Continued on Page 8 $ % && ' ! "! #$ % ! ! " " # $# % ! " ! # & ! " ! # '())) $ * $ * & ' ( ) * ' ( !" # + * ! ! , - . 1 2 / 3 ! / ! 3 4 ! 5 #$ " ,/ 0 2 Caribbean Life, Jan. 19–Jan. 25, 2018 BQ St. Vincent ex-teachers group honors NYU Langone Health By Nelson A. King The Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Teachers Association of New York on Sunday, Jan. 14 honored Brooklyn Borough President Eric one of the nation’s premier academic Adams co-hosted the event and medical centers. blasted Trump’s recent remarks NYU Langone Health was the lone about Haiti and Haitian immi- honoree at the group’s 35th Anniversary grants. Photo by Tequila Minsky Gala Luncheon at Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. “Institutions, unlike individuals, can Haitian last forever. Over the last year or so, the members of SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) Ex-Teachers Association, NY have recognized the role institutions community play in our lives,” said the group in its souvenir journal. “We celebrate the work of NYU Longone and the individuals honors quake whose life’s work make the difference for people every day. “Our tradition for over two decades victims, blasts has been to recognize individuals who have made a difference,” added the group at the event that is celebrated the Sun- Trump day before the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Holiday in the United States. Dr. Ann Sutherland accepts award from Ex-SVG Teachers of New York ex- “We have been moved and are forever ecutive, L-R: Al Phillips (treasurer), Dr. Herman Ambris (trustee) and Jack- By Alexandra Simon grateful to the Tish Hospital of NYU for son Farrell (president). Photo by Nelson A. King More than 100 Haitian-Ameri- the level of care provided to one of our cans marked the eighth anniver- members over the last year.” sary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake at The group’s president, Jackson Far- The St. Vincent and the Grenadines and liver transplantation.” Borough Hall on Jan. 12. Guests at rell, a retired public school teacher in Ex-Teachers Association of New York He said the Transplant Institute now the eighth annual Interfaith Memo- Brooklyn, told patrons that the group particularly singled out NYU Langone offers heart transplantation. rial for Haiti’s Earthquake Victims, was pleased with the level of care extend- Health’s Drs. Bonnie Lonze and Bruce “As leaders in the field, NYU Langone observed a moment of silence at ed to its vice president, Francis Frank, Gelb, vice chair of Transplant Research physicians are committed to developing 4:53 pm — the exact time a devas- who underwent a kidney transplant at and surgical director of Kidney Trans- new treatment strategies in transplant tating 7.0 magnitude quake rocked the hospital. plantation, respectively, for recognition. medicine, driving clinical research, and the island nation, and many had Although NYU Langone Health was Neal Gorman, director of public rela- creating innovative techniques to care some words for President Trump singled out for the care and dedica- tions, NYU Langone Health, NYU Lang- for people with life threatening heart, in light of his comments deriding tion that the ex-teachers witnessed, the one Hospital, Brooklyn, said, for several liver, or kidney disease,” Gorman said. immigrants from Haiti and the group said its intention was “to bring decades, the specialists at NYU Langone He said NYU Langone Health is a African continent, said one organ- attention to institutions like this that Health’s Transplant Institute “have pro- world-class, patient-centered, integrated izer. make our world a truly better place for vided patients with exceptional care that academic medical center, known for its “It was upsetting, it was very so many and to offer reason for hope to incorporates the latest technological excellence in clinical care, research and hurtful, but not surprising,” said many more.” advancements in kidney transplantation education. Cynthia Bryan, director of opera- tions at International Humanitar- ian Outreach Ministries, Inc. “Our current president speaks off the cuff all the time regardless of whether it’s politically correct or appropriate — and it speaks to his knowledge of Haiti or any country for that matter.” Earlier this month, Trump was under fire for comments he made about Haitians and Nigerian immi- grants having AIDS and living in huts, which he allegedly said in a meeting in June. Last week, he allegedly bemoaned immigration from El Salvador, Haiti, and Africa, calling those countries and the continent “shitholes,” and citing Norway as an ideal country for pre- ferred newcomers. Borough President Adams who also attended the event had some sharp words for the country’s lead- er. He said that the President’s words were racism in disguise. Members of the ex-teachers group pose for our camera after the event. Photo by Nelson A. King BQ Caribbean Life, Jan. 19–Jan. 25, 2018 3 Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME Antigua The Antigua government is set to begin the US$90 million St. John’s port modernization project this month as it moves to increase employment oppor- tunities on the island. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the project was one of several multi- million investments in the hotel and tourism sectors that should generate employment for nationals in the com- ing months. He said the St. John modernization project will be the single largest public sector investment undertak- en by any government past or present and will facilitate the transformation of the facility into a regional transship- ment port. Browne said a further $80 million will be invested in 2018 to construct a fifth berth to accommodate the Oasis class ships in time for the next tourism cruise season. The prime minister said his admin- istration will invest EC$250 million to Haitians mark earthquake anniversary repair and expand the road network In this Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 photo, Mona Leger, a 39-year-old charcoal vendor and mother of six stands outside her tent as she throughout the two islands during hands out labapen, or breadfruit in Creole, to her children, in the Caradeux refugee camp set up nearly eight years ago for people the year.