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D.Smith

Top 5 Chart Toppers: Jamaica

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As people, though we may come from far and wide, our ability to express ourselves through music always remains the same. Everyone loves to groove to a rocking beat. It is the highlight of any party. Other than the food, people will always remember a gathering for its good rhythms that had (or didn’t have) the guests moving. This summer, we were blessed with some tunes that rocked the charts week after week. Now, we travel to Jamaica for this month’s rendition of “Top 5 Chart Toppers.” 1. Toast by Koffee This vibrant new face of Jamaica has remained #1 on the charts all summer long. Her single, “Toast”, celebrates all of life’s blessings. Thanking God for the journey, its ups and downs and reminding those listening to remain humble once the success finally comes. It is a feel-good song that is very hard to not “buss a toast” to no matter where you are when it is heard. 2. Contra La Pared by J. Balvin, Sean Paul We all know Sean Paul from his biggest hits “Get Busy”, “Temperature” and “I’m Still In Love With You”. The new face, J. Balvin, is a Colombian reggaeton recording artist. Along with “Contra La Paeed”, he has been featured on other popular songs such as Cardi B’s “I Like It”. Though the song may be a little hard to understand, because of his parts being in Spanish, the beat takes over your body almost forcing you to tap a toe, bop a head or rock a shoulder … and that Is at the very least. 3. Medication by Damian Marley, Stephen Marley Imagine an old school beat with a new age feel and you have the formula to this hit. Damian Marley’s third album, “Stony Hill”, was released in 2017 and still holds a spot in Jamaica’s top 5 charted this summer. That alone should make you eager to tune in. In case you were unaware, Damian and Stephen are the children of the late Bob Marley. Some say Damian is the one who sounds most like his father. If you haven’t…

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Richard E. Myers II, of Kingston, JA, Recently Nominated for US Federal Judge

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Richard E. Myers was born in Kingston, Jamaica and lived there for several years before migrating to Miami (at 10 years old) and later to North Carolina (at 14). Myers received his education (Bachelors, Masters and Law Degrees) from the University of North Carolina. It wasn’t until the events of 9/11 that he decided to pursue becoming a Prosecutor. Throughout his career, he has worked in several positions including Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, Journalist and now a Law Professor at his alma mater. On August 14, Trump nominated the professor to be a federal judge in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The post has been vacant since January 2006, making it the longest federal judge vacancy in America. The position has been vacant for 13 years due to the habit of US Senators in blocking the confirmation of nominees (this is done by a simple majority vote that is required to confirm or reject a nominee). Myers is seemingly a good pick. North Carolina’s two senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis have both voiced their support for Myers as the new federal judge. In a statement, Tills said, “Myers’ prosecutorial work, as well as his well-deserved reputation as one of our state’s best legal scholars provide him with the background and qualifications required to serve the Eastern District with distinction”. If Senate accepts Myers’ nomination, even though blacks account for 30 percent of the district’s population, he will be the Eastern District of North Carolina’s first black federal judge. As a race, it is always heartwarming to see a black man do great things such as these, but it is particularly great to see it being done by a man who once used to be known as just an immigrant. We are never able to forget that one point in time, we were all just descendants of immigrants. We sure have evolved, haven’t we? Now we move mountains as political figures, preachers, teachers, doctors, CEOs and the list goes on and on. Because of one brave decision made by the head of a household to pack up and move their…

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You Know You Are Caribbean When…

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In our community, we have some very special ways of expressing ourselves. Growing up, you probably have rolled your eyes at your elders on more than one of these occasions we are calling “you know you are Caribbean when…”: [vc_tta_pageable no_fill_content_area=”1″ autoplay=”10″ active_section=”1″ pagination_style=”flat-square” pagination_color=”orange” tab_position=”top” css=”.vc_custom_1566370165817{background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}”] #1 1. Labels on a container don’t mean anything Have you ever seen a container of your favorite snack on a shelf and ran over to open it, only to find none other than sewing materials inside? Ever thought you hit the jackpot by finding that last bit of butter you needed in the fridge but, surprise, it’s some type of curried meat? Congratulations! You are a chosen one. You are Caribbean. #2 2. The family is always growing One may think a growing family is only due to newborns, but a true Caribbean knows not to exclude the fully grown from this equation. How many times has someone brought around a new aunt or uncle for you to meet that you have never seen before in your life? You probably have run out of fingers.  It becomes second nature to accept the new addition, give a big hug like your life depended on it and make that person feel loved. It is something we all should cherish about our upbringing, no matter how random it tends to be, because we love hard and we extend it to all of those in need without ever thinking twice. #3 3. You have perfected the art of stealing from the pot without making a sound The best meals always take the longest time to cook. Don’t they? We all have that one story of trying to steal from the pot before dinner was “ready” and getting caught, some might have the scars to go along with the tale. It is always at the last second, those last couple of inches before you get the lid fully closed, that the sweat from your hand or gravity or (in our caretaker’s minds) the evil spirits turn on us and cause a commotion. Then…

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Haitian Family Reunification Parole Programme in Jeopardy

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In this new age, thoughts and actions pertaining to immigration are ever-changing. We hear about raids in neighborhoods where people are encouraged to stay inside, lock all doors and do not open for anyone under any circumstances. We hear about children coming home from school to find an empty home as a direct effect of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid. We hear a new update about the harsh realities families of immigrants living in this country are facing every single day. We sympathize with these families but never stop to think that one day, it could be us. This is not meant to scare, but to inform. The Trump Administration recently announced that the United States is ending the “Haitian Family Reunification Parole Programme”. To break it down: the programme was originally launched in 2016, under the Obama Administration, which allowed thousands of Haitians who had already obtained an immigrant visa based on family reunification to wait in the country with their family for their green card to be available. Family reunification meant that the presence of one or more family members in a certain country enabled the rest of the divided family or only specific members of the family to immigrate to that country as well. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said that the decision is in line with the 2017 Decree 13767 on improvements to border security and immigration enforcement. In a quick summary, the order limits access to asylum (the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee), expands the use of detention, enhances enforcement along the U.S. – Mexico border, and ensures that parole into the U.S. is exercised on a case-by-case basis. “Family reunification must be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. USCIS is committed to exercising this limited power in a manner that preserves the integrity of our immigration system and does not encourage foreigners to enter the United States illegally,” said Acting Director of USCIS, Ken Cuccinelli. Many public and political figures,…

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