Happy Birthday to Our Beautiful Guyana!

Meet Vanessa Lee Chester, television and film actress, born on July 2, 1984 to Guyanese parents.  She is the oldest child, and the first member of her family to be born in the United States.  She has a younger brother named Kevin. Vanessa began acting at the tender age of 3 when her mother signed her up for an audition with a New York agency.  She spent her early years in Brooklyn before heading to…

The much anticipated Marvel Studios’ Black Panther movie is just 2 weeks away from hitting theatres on February 16th, and we’re so proud see one of our very own light up the big screen.  Last night stars turned out for the Black Panther world premiere at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre and Letitia Wright was a red carpet favorite. The 24 year old actress, who was born in Guyana and raised in London,  plays the role of Shuri the technologically proficient…

Congratulations to Kristie Ranchurejee,  a Levermore Global Scholars junior, on recently being awarded the 2013 Sue Levering Social Justice Award! Kristie’s involvement on the Alephi University campus and dedication to improving the lives of others through activism is truly inspiring, from her work with Amnesty International to representing the LGS Program as one of its delegates to the United Nations Youth Assembly. The Sue Levering Social Justice Award is bestowed each academic year to an…

Reproduced from Okay Africa.  bright beads to bold prints and beautiful colors, African fashion continues to inspire the world. No one knows this better than seasoned fashion editor, Janelle Tomeko Grimmond. The Guyanese-born, New York-bred editor has spent the last decade working for major brands in fashion and media as diverse as Ralph Lauren, Vibe Magazine and Nylon. To celebrate her stylish perspective on African fashion. Grimmond has hand selected ten special pieces that pay…

Buxton Spice (Bluestreak) ABOUT  THE BOOK:  Told in the voice of a girl as she moves from childhood into adolescence, Buxton Spice is the story the town of Tamarind Grove: its eccentric families, its sweeping joys, and its sudden tragedies. The novel brings to life 1970s Guyana-a world at a cultural and political crossroads-and perfectly captures a child’s keen observations, sense of wonder, and the growing complexity of consciousness that marks the passage from innocence…

Anjali is the breath of fresh air that the world of music is waiting for. A woman of gentile strength and passion, her innovative style, powerful sultry vocals and haunting melodies ensure that she will touch the heart of one and all. Her influences span several continents, cultures and musical genres therefore it is only natural for her music to fuse both classical and contemporary urban sounds. Born in Brooklyn, with roots in Guyana and…

Eliza Smith is 9 years old. Born on October 8, 2005 she is a mix of Guyanese and Turkish. He mother was born in #58 village in Berbice. She currently resides in Queens, NY. Eliza will be starting the 5th grade for the upcoming school year, and has been awarded student of the month on numerous occasions. Eliza is a model, dancer and actress. She currently attends the Ghungaroos Dance Academy where she is being…

Elizabeth Jaikaran is a New York-based author and lawyer who has  published work across a spectrum of print and digital media.   She began writing at a very young age and published her first article to Stardust Magazine when she was only eight years old.  Elizabeth has since published fiction, nonfiction, comedy, poetry and legal commentary. She is a proud child of Guyanese immigrants, born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Queens. Elizabeth is most…

Windee Algernon will go down in history as Guyana’s first female army Colonel and the first full-serving female member of any of the Caribbean’s armed forces to hold such a rank.  Colonel Algernon was promoted in the Guyana Defense Force from Substantive Lieutenant Colonel to this male dominated rank in January 20, 2012. Reflecting on this milestone, Colonel Algernon told reporters that she has been in the army since 1980, served in a number of appointments and underwent several training…

I always had childhood dreams of ensuring that I make a difference in the world; that a day would come when I would be able to do better for my family. And it became clear that law was the answer…like doctors, lawyers have the ability to shape lives, to change lives, to save lives. They bring life to society through various procedures which they use to secure justice.” ~ Latoya Andrea Roberts. From being a…

Rochelle Porter has never met a blank surface she didn’t want to draw on. A lifelong lover of global design traditions, the Atlanta-based artist takes cues from the breezy hues of her Caribbean roots, the stark simplicity of Scandinavian prints and the bold geometrics of West African weaves to create vibrant, eye-catching textiles for the home décor and apparel markets. Her travel-inspired patterns feature joyful, unexpected burst of color and classic motifs with a fresh,…

The Sacred Bombshell Handbook of Self-Love: The 11 Secrets of Feminine Power The Sacred Bombshell Handbook of Self-Love is your passport to become the woman you were born to be. If you’ve been looking for a sign, this is it. Love-Body-Spirit coach, advice columnist, and motivational speaker Abiola Abrams reveals 11 self-worth secrets with assignments to awaken your feminine energy, reclaiming the word bombshell to mean a woman who deliciously embodies her mind, body, spirit…

Congratulations to Rukia Henry who recently graduated at the top of her class with dual degree and high honors.  The soon-to-be Virologist earn a B.S in Biology and Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa at Howard University, and a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Pharmacology at Rutgers University. Born in Guyana,  Rukia has experienced a long history of breast cancer in her immediate family and is determined to continue the fight against this terrible disease. …

Born in Georgetown, Guyana on March 23, 1963, Restaurateur Doris Rodney is a woman living out her dreams.  Not growing up with a silver spoon upbringing, Doris knew from a very young age that she wanted much more than life had to offer her at that time, so she set out to find ways of providing a better future for herself and her family. Doris loves to cook and soon realized that the key to…

Maureen Bunyan is an Emmy Award winning Anchor at WJLA TV 7, ABC Affiliate in Washington D.C.  She is of  Guyanese and Aruban heritage.  Her parents moved from Guyana to Aruba in the 1930s, where Maureen was born.  The eldest of three daughters,  immigrated with her family to the United States when she was just eleven years old, after her father, Arthur Bunyan, accepted a job with a company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her mother Wilhelmina was…