Bon Voyage Miss World Guyana!

Submitted by daughter, Florence James My mom is an ambitious, strong black woman and a one of a kind person. She taught me how to respect myself and how to detect right from wrong without her around. She showed me that a woman can be a woman without a man in her life. She provided for me and my other 5 siblings and she did a great job at it because today two of my…

Ira Leona Lewis is known throughout the Caribbean and American community as “Lady Ira”. Born in British Guiana to the late Omar Converty and Elaine Pile, Lady Ira has been an essential figure in spearheading efforts that promote the Cultural awareness and well being of New Jersey’s Guyanese American community for over 20 years. Supporting her vision of a united and informed Guyanese community, Lady Ira is dedicated to the development of organizations and events that benefit Guyanese…

Guyanese born Catherine Pollard has a new top position at the United Nations.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Catherine Pollard of Guyana as the next Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.  She will succeed Jan Beagle of New Zealand to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for her extraordinary work in management reform in the United Nations system and 40 years of dedicated service to the Organization. Ms. Pollard brings to the position…

Three women, Janet Jagan, Jane Phillips Gay and Jessica Burnham, were the first females elected as Members of British Guiana Parliament in May 1953 after  the first universal adult suffrage elections were held in the same year. Former first lady Janet Jagan became the first female Deputy Speaker of the Legislature in 1953; the first female Prime Minister in March 1997 and the first female President of Guyana in December 1997.  Jane Phillips-Gay was a…

On Friday, May 26th, 2016,  Guyana will celebrate it’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. Guyana achieved its independence on May 26th, 1966 and thousands of Guyanese living all around the world have traveled home to take part in the festivities which includes a series of activities titled “Guyana Jubilee”.  Anniversary events are also planned for various locations in US, Canada, UK and a few Caribbean Islands.   Please join us a we wish our beloved Nation…

Ingrid Pollard is an artist and photographer who uses portraiture and traditional landscape imagery to explore social constructs such as Britishness and racial difference. She was born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1953 and moved to England when she was four years old. Ingrid became interested in photography when she took her father’s box camera on a camping trip. Some of her first photographs were of the sewage works and wood yards along the Lee Valley…

Two female pioneer aviators were recently presented with their own commemorative stamps, which were launched by the Guyana Post Office. Cheryl Moore was the country’s first female military pilot in 1977 and Beverley Drake, the first female commercial pilot in the same year.

IT was no surprise recently when the dazzling Onesha Hutson outclassed a field of other talented competitors to whisk away the coveted Miss Guyana Global International 2014 crown. In a ‘chit-chat’ with Entertainment Bombshell, the bubbly lass related that while she was not intimidated by her competition, she however had to bring her ‘A’ game to outrun the other beauties who were all intelligent and gifted in one way or the other. Expressing her pleasure…

Recent medical school graduate, Topaz Sampson, is very close to accomplishing her dream of practicing Medicine. A New Amsterdam native, Topaz was part of the graduating Class of 2015 at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, and is scheduled to begin residency training at Baylor College of Medicine. While in medical school Topaz was appointed 2014 President of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the oldest and largest student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns…

“Winner are not people who never fail, but people who never quit” and Lisa Punch keeps on winning.  The model/singer/songwriter who represented Guyana at the 2015 Miss World Pageant in Sanya, China beat out her fellow contestants earlier this week and made history for Guyana when she performed one of her original songs and won the Talent category of the Competition. Per missworld.com,  “Miss Guyana received a standing ovation from her fellow contestants and the…

Marian Joan Burnett (born 22 February 1976 in Linden) is a Guyanese middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 and 1500 metres. She competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games, reaching the second heat of the 800 metres on both occasions. She won the first of her three national Sportswoman of the Year awards in 1998 including being a national champion in two sports – track & field and bodybuilding & fitness. In…

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of watching the young women of St. Albans Episcopal Church perform the Maypole dance at the annual Guyana Folk Festival held in Brooklyn, NY.   I remember doing this as a little girl growing up in Guyana dressed up in frilly dresses and socks with colorful hair bows, as we danced and weaved the ribbons to the sound of music. Watching this recreated many, many years later brought back sweet memories. A maypole is a tall…

Toronto-based Caterer Shaunna Marto never thought she could have a career doing what she loves.  Trained in culinary arts, Shaunna founded Party’s By Shaunna in 2006; a full service catering and party business. Born in Georgetown, Guyana to a middle class family, Shaunna started cooking at the of 11; much to the horror of her parents who were concerned that she would hurt herself at the stove. They soon realize she had a talent for…

As the Executive Director of the Guyanese & American Business & Professional Council (GABPC), Shanie Persaud works tirelessly to develop stronger ties between Guyana and the United States in an effort to forge a closer relationship between the business and professional communities of both nations. GABPC is the first and leading Guyanese-American business organization that provides a vast array of services aimed at promoting and advancing business relations between Guyanese and Americans. Persaud move to…

Olivia Dope started out as a dancer, but music was always her passion which eventually led her to her true calling as a DJ. Olivia is now one of NYC’s most sought after DJs in the fashion industry. Her passion and her ability to reinvent herself makes her pretty, powerful, and provocative. With humble beginnings as a classically trained dancer & later performing with artists such as Shaggy, Mac Miller & Chris Brown, music has…