Events to mark the one year anniversary of Jamaican Diaspora Day got under way with a reception on Thursday, June 16 at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.
Guest speaker Professor Rex Nettleford, chairman of the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation encouraged a crowd of more than two hundred attendees to be ever proud of their heritage no matter where they live. Nettleford, vice chancellor emeritus at the University of the West Indies, reiterated the fact that Jamaicans have made significant contribution to history from the accomplishment of Marcus Garvey to that most recent of Asafa Powell.
Highlights of the evening included cultural performances of poetry, music and dance.
Dahlia Walker-Huntington, chairwoman of the Diaspora Advisory Board of the Southern United States, sees the Diaspora as a vast networking opportunity. “What we’re trying to do is bring together people from across the southern United States to galvanize ourselves as a political force within the United States and Jamaica.”
The celebration continued on Saturday, June 18, with an inaugural symposium that provided participants with a wealth of information on economic development and investment opportunities in Jamaica; how to gain U.S. business opportunities and access to capital, and immigration developments in the U.S.
Panelists included officials from the Jamaica National Building Society, the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce, Hands Across Jamaica for Righteousness, Dispute Resolution Foundation and MSI-CIV JAM, the Southeast American Financial Group and JAMPRO, Commissioner of Lauderdale Lakes Hazelle Rodgers, Access USA Attorney Sharon Brown, Dr. Marcia Magnus of Caribbean-American Political Action Committee (CAPAC), and Attorney and Barrister-at-Law, John S. Bassie.
Keynote speaker Douglas Orane, chairman of Grace Kennedy and Company pointed out that he chooses to live in Jamaica because of the concrete foundation that the country provided for him as a youth. “Grace Kennedy’s Jamaican Birthright Program is offering Jamaicans living abroad to build on the foundation they received by returning home to work at the company and reconnect with the island.”
Veniece Pottinger, JAMPRO’S vice president in charge of production and development, shared the fact that there is tremendous growth and opportunity in the aluminium, real estate and hotel and tourism industry. Pottinger pointed out that hotels in Jamaica were being re-developed by foreign nationals and encouraged Jamaicans to take advantage of the opportunity to share in this re-development.
The activities of this past week came out of the inaugural Diaspora conference that drew hundreds of participants to Jamaica, last summer, from communities in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
Walker-Huntington encouraged attendees to become involved in the Diaspora by joining any of the various committees, with the goal of mobilizing the Jamaican community in south Florida and throughout the United States.
