Guyanese Heritage

15 Jul: She Rocks Her Guyanese Heritage! Jennifer Bisram – Emmy Nominated Journalist

Jennifer Bisram is a TV Reporter for WSVN, CH7 in Miami, Fl.  Before her move to Miami, she worked at WOFL, the FOX affiliate in Orlando, Fl. At FOX Orlando, the relatable reporter was one of the station’s main journalists who covered the controversial Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case. Her extensive and exclusive reporting, earned her a segment there, called, “The 10 P.M. Interview.” During her stint at WOFL, Jennifer also covered sports, politics, featured events,…

15 Jul: She Rocks! Deborah Misir, Former Ethics Attorney at the White House Counsel’s Office, Bush Administration

Deborah Nirmala Misir is a Guyanese/American attorney and founding partner of Lally & Misir, LLP. She is the daughter of New Amsterdam, Guyana-based attorney Jorawar Misir. A leading federal litigator and expert on administrative, constitutional and government regulatory law, she has over fifteen years of experience in both government and private practice, including briefing over seventy federal appeals cases up to and including the U.S. Supreme Court, and making seventeen federal appellate oral arguments. She…

AlysonCambridge

11 Jul: She Rocks Her Guyanese Heritage: Alyson Cambridge – International Soprano Singer/Actress

Alyson Cambridge is an accomplished soprano opera singer, born in 1980 to a Guyanese father (Richard Cambridge) and Danish-American mother. At age 23, while a first-year student at the Curtis Institute of Music, she was the Grand Prize Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Nine months later she debuted at the MET as Frasquita in Carmen under renowned music conductor/director James Levine; a performance that earned her praises from many news outlets including…

09 Jul: She Rocks! Cindy A. Johnson, University of Delaware Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee

Cindy A. Johnson is a professional basketball player who played for the University of Delaware and several European teams.   In 1998 and 2000, she was captain of the Guyana’s National Women’s Basketball Team during the Caricom games. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Cindy played a pivotal role in the rise of UD women’s basketball in the late 1990’s under coach Tina Martin.  She finished her career as the schools all-time leading scorer and…

23 May: Guyanese Heritage: Joy-Ann (“Joy”) Reid – TV Personality/Managing Editor/Political Commentator

Joy-Ann (“Joy”) Reid is the former managing editor of TheGrio.com and host of the AM Joy show on MSNBC.  She is also a political columnist for the Miami Herald and editor of the political blog The Reid Report and is known for her very insightful and liberal political views.  Joy was born to an African father from the Congo, and her late mother was from Guyana. Joy has also worked as an Internet news editor…

02 Apr: She Rocks Her Guyanese Heritage: Kim A. Clarke – Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Bassist

New York-based Kim A. Clarke is an internationally acclaimed multifaceted bassist, composer and educator, who counts her father, Henry Clarke, and her late Guyanese-born grandfather, trombonist/bassist Henry “Hy” Clarke, Sr., as her personal jazz heroes.”  Kim plays  the Acoustic Bass, Electric Upright and four and five-stringed Electric Bass Guitar. Her electric Bass playing has been described as soulful, funky, rich & tight. For more than 20 years Kim has performed with some of the world’s…

Shirley-Chisholm

04 Feb: Shirley Chisholm: The First Black Woman to Run for President Had Guyanese Roots

Shirley Chisholm  is the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first to campaign for the Presidency. She was an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during the seven terms she served in the House. Her legacy of political and social activism laid the foundation for the rise of women and Blacks in American politics. Born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30, 1924,  she was the oldest of four girls of…

15 Jan: Guyanese Heritage: Actress Melinda Shankar – Making her Mark in the TV/Film Industry

Melinda Shankar (born February 18, 1992) is a talented young actress who is best known for her role in the Canadian teen drama television series: Degrassi – The Next Generation. She was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada to Guyanese parents and has 3 siblings. Melinda started her acting career at age 10 appearing in TV commercials, print ads and some theatre work.  She made her starring mark in 2008 in the 8th season of Degrassi as…

fighter-pilot1

04 Nov: She Rocks! Major Shawna Kimbrell – First Black Female US Air Force Fighter Pilot

Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell is a major in the United States Air Force, and the first female African-American fighter pilot in the Air Force history. She was born in Lafayette, Indiana on April 20, 1976, to Guyanese parents, Dr Norman Ng A Qui, and Eve Blackman Ng A Qui after they migrated to the US.  Their hard work and dedication paid off in her father earning a degree from Howard University and a doctorate from Purdue University. That focus on…

Melanie Fiona

25 Oct: Guyanese Heritage: Melanie Fiona, Two-Time Grammy Winning Artist

R&B songstress Melanie Fiona broke out as a rising star in 2009 with her debut album “The Bridge” and Billboard-topping single “It Kills Me”.  She was born Melanie Fiona Hallim on born on July 4, 1983, in Toronto, Canada, to Guyanese parents who immigrated to Canada in the late 1970s. Melanie began writing songs at the young age of 16.  Her father was a guitarist in a band and would allow her to sit on…