Sometimes, when Dionne Hammiel wants the attention of her rambunctious kindergarten class, she stands on the table. Other times, she lowers her voice to a whisper, making her instructions a very important secret that every child strains to hear. The hushed message at John Burroughs Education Campus in the District was utterly routine on a recent day: “We need to go to the bathroom, drink some water, come back, and pick out our books to…
Our Sheroes
CEO Michelle Foster of KISRA (Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action) gives a thumbs up for her pet project, an urban farm across from KISRA’s Dunbar headquarters. The huge garden with two greenhouses trains clients in farming skills and markets the locally grown produce. A Guyana native, Michelle was a chemical engineer at Carbide in West Virginia as before opting to run the highly successful KISRA nonprofit program. Born and raised in Guyana, Michelle immigrated to…
Marianna Hansen (born 17 February 1983), known professionally as Shaya, is a Danish–Greek singer of Guyanese and Indian descent. Shaya was a member of the girl band Hi-5, the result of the Greek version of the talent show Popstars. She is currently pursuing a solo career and finished fifth in Greece’s version of Dancing on Ice. Shaya was born in Denmark to a Danish father and a multiracial Guyanese mother of Greenlandic and Indian descent….
Karen Gibson, a full time choir conductor and workshop leader, is a powerhouse of inspiration and energy. One of the UK’s most noted and experienced gospel tutors and facilitator, Karen has been involved with various orchestras, bands, vocal groups, worship teams and choirs for over 25 years. She has conducted gospel workshops all over the UK, Europe, Africa and USA and was recently nominated in the categories of Best Contribution to Gospel Music for the GMA’s and…
Guyanese Singer Charmayne (Maxee) Maxwell of the 1990s R&B group Brownstone, mysteriously died Saturday, members of her family have confirmed. Maxee was born Charmayne Maxwell on January 11, 1969 in Guyana. She was best known for her work with Grammy-nominated band Brownstone and her 2000 solo single “When I Look into Your eyes.” She was 46 years old. Brownstone was popular during the mid-1990s. Their 1995 hit single “If You Love Me”, was nominated for…
Damali Abrams is a Guyanese-American video and performance artist. She is the daughter of retired journalist and “Metemgee” author, Ovid Abrams and former school teacher, Norma Abrams. Her knack for creativity and artistry led her to earn a Bachelors of Arts Degree from New York University and Master of Fine Arts Degree from Vermont College. Damali started as a little girl wanting to be a dancer and a writer. “I was on that path until…
Congratulations to Dr. Paloma Mohamed, poet, playwright & educator on being named one of four honorees for the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence (Arts & Letters). Dr. Mohamed is currently the Director of the Centre for Communication Studies at the University of Guyana. The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards is the only programme in the Caribbean which seeks out and rewards outstanding nominees in Arts & Letters, Public & Civic Contributions, and Science…
Dr. Faith Azelia Harding leaves behind a legacy of impressive political accomplishments and passionate advocacy. A former Minister and PNCR’s first female presidential candidate, Dr. Harding was one of Guyana’s leading political advocate for issues affecting women and children. Born on October 5, 1947 in Georgetown, Guyana to Egbert and Beryl Blackmore, she was the sixth child of a very closely knitted family which consist of three brothers and three sisters. Dr. Harding attended St….
Embrace people’s differences with Karen O. Roberts’s empowering debut children’s book, Look at You! You Are Beautiful. Brimming with vibrant pictures of kids from all walks of life, this charming collection stands in stark contrast to defeat the looks-obsessed culture in which children grow up today. Karen was born in 1971 in a small town in the only English speaking country in South America, Guyana. As a child, she often felt awkward, too tall, too…
Professional bodybuilder, Alana Shipp, has muscled her way to the top echelon of Women’s Body Building in just a few years. Born in 1982 in Barbados to Guyanese parents, Alana spent her early childhood in Guyana prior to moving to Queens, New York at age 11. After graduating high school, Alana enlisted in the US Marine Corps and spent almost 8 years as a non-commissioned officer, working as a logistics procurement manager in Okinawa,…