Letting go….

Afuwa Granger is a visual artist, writer, and poet who uses her work to construct a visual language around intersections of identity, particularly race and gender. She was born in Guyana to current President, David Granger and First Lady, Sandra Granger.  Afuwa studied in Jamaica at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and lives and creates her artwork in Vancouver, Canada. Afuwa’s  art is based on her family photos and the idea of the immigrant…

Twenty-two year old Letitia Wright was born in Guyana and moved to Britain aged six.  The rising star got her start on TV in the British series “Doctor Who,” “Cucumber,” and “Chasing Shadows.” She recently landed a key role in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming big-budget tentpole “Ready Player One,” beating out dozens of young actresses to costar opposite Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke. Letitia also plays the role of  Irene “Rene” Watson, on season 2 of the…

Dr Dionne Patricia Duncan, whose parents, Hector and Util Duncan, are both Guyanese, recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Policy Management and Informatics. According to Dr Duncan, her Guyanese parents taught her from an early age that education was more than reading, writing and arithmetic. “It is one of the most important investments a country can make of its people and its future and is critical…

English Teacher, Shamayne Cumberbatch, was born in Guyana, South America and later moved to Irving, NJ. She first attended the local public school before enrolling at Kent Place for middle and high school. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and her master’s degree from Harvard in Education Policy and Management. Before working at the Pingry School, Ms. Cumberbatch participated in the Teach for America program, teaching eighth grade English classes at a charter…

Janice Elizabeth MacGregor is a second generation Canadian born to parents who emigrated from Guyana and became Canadian citizens. Her father, Frank Moorgen (RIP 2010), was born in Hampshire Village, Berbice and her mother, Mary Moorgen (née Deonarine) was born in Corentyne, Berbice. ‎ Janice, her brother, and her sister were born in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). She attended Millwoods Christian School where her strong commitment to academics and faith were formed. She fondly recalls visiting…

A family that braids together stays together!  The braiding technique developed by the talented Smith sisters has made them a household name in Kansas City, Missouri and earned them a well-deserved feature in the May issue of Allure Magazine.  Originally from Linden, the five sisters (Glynnis, Shelly, Rhonda, Alecia and Leslyn Smith) are the powerhouse stylists at “Braid Heaven” Hair Salon who have perfected the “bubble braiding” technique.  Here’s their story by Allure Magazine. They…

Letitia Wright is fighting for justice in the first trailer for “Mangrove.” Amazon Prime Video released the first look at the Small Axe episode on Thursday.   The Guyanese actress and Black Panther Star,  plays the role of Altheia Jones-LeCointe a Trinidadian physician and research scientist also known for her role as a leader of the British Black Panther Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. “Mangrove” tells the true story of the Mangrove Nine, a group of Black activists who clashed with London…

“The best thing that you can do in life is follow your heart. Take risks. Don’t just take the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what might happen. Don’t have any regrets and know that everything happens for a reason.” unknown

A collection of short stories which are all set in the Caribbean and London. Pauline Melville is the winner of “The Guardian” Fiction Prize and winner of the Macmillan Silver Pen Award. This book was also awarded the 1991 Commonwealth Writers Prize for best first book. Shape-shifter (Picador Books) More Books by Pauline Melville ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Pauline Melville

During Emancipation Celebrations in Guyana in August, beautiful head wraps form part of the dress of many; but did you know? African head wraps have served as a head cover since the Early 1700s. It is interesting to note that the African head wrap (also known as Dhuku, Duku or Gele) is deep rooted in tradition and history – Each African nation has its own story to tell. While some of us look at a…

Maritza Lord is a NYC-based Artist and Musician, born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana. She became a professional musician after moving to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. Marita grew up in a household filled with music. Her father sang and played guitar and her mother encouraged a career in music early on and began her education of classical piano and voice and performing publicly at a young age.   “As a kid, I loved to sing, play the…

Reported By Allison Skeete Special to NAN News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 31, 2019: A Grammy Award winner Caribbean roots singer is set to be in Brooklyn, NY this Sunday, June 2nd for the launch of the Guyana Innovation Prize Venture Fellowship. Melanie Fiona, a Canadian-Guyanese, is slated to be part of the Brooklyn, NY launch of the Fellowship, the brainchild of the Guyana Economic Development Trust CEO, Oslene Carrington. The event aims…

COVER GIRL: 22-Year-Old Guyanese model, RoseAnn Sumner, graces the cover of the current issue of Michigan’s Healthy & Fit Magazine. RoseAnn, you migrated from Guyana at the age of 5, is currently studying Diagnostic Molecular Science at Michigan State University. She Rocks! Check out her story >> here.    

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…

Farah Valentina Bates, who was recently crowned the first Miss Berbice 2017, hails from the smallest Town in Guyana, Rose Hall, but she has big dreams of making it on an international pageant stage and being her own boss someday. Born in July 1999, this tenacious 18-year-old is a second-year student at the University of Guyana pursuing her diploma in Public Management. She is the first born for her parents and has one sibling. This…