My Guyanese Mom Rock Contest Winner – Yvette Irving

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…

This past weekend the people of Guyana felt a sense of pride as Rafieya Aasieya Husain became the first Guyanese in over 40 years to place at the Miss World Pageant. The 22-year-old beauty queen, who is a native of Essequibo County, was one of the top 10 Finalists named at the Miss World competition finale held on Sunday at the Excel London ICC Auditorium. Rafieya also won the ‘Beauty With a Purpose Title’, which…

Kite Flying in the Village: A Guyanese Girl’s Story A Guyanese Girl’s Story is a series of short stories from my childhood. One of my favorite is “Kite Flying in the Village”. Kite flying is a family outing for many in Guyana, South America. Easter is a very special holiday in my village of Vreedenhoop in which the children of many ages make and decorate kites to fly in celebration of Easter. Another part of…

Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 10, 2015 in the 29th AD, encompassing the neighborhoods of Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, Addisleigh Park, Hollis, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica. The daughter of Guyanese  immigrants, Assemblywoman Hyndman emigrated to the U.S. from London, England as a young child. She spent her formative years growing up in Hollis & South Ozone Park attending public schools, PS 34, IS 109, JHS 226 & John…

The Honourable Madam Justice Désirée Bernard, a citizen of Guyana, was born on 2 March 1939. A lawyer by profession, she began her career in 1963 when she attained a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of London.  Qualifying as a solicitor in 1964, Justice Bernard engaged in private practice in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Guyana from 1965 to 1980. During that period, she was appointed a Magistrate (1970), Commissioner of…

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…

Soulful.  Divine.  Spellbinding.  Simone Denny is…a legend in the making.  Born and raised in Toronto, this powerhouse diva is of Guyanese heritage.  Simone’s Caribbean Canadian environment exposed her to a wide and eclectic mixed bag of musical influences. She grew up listening to calypso, reggae, Brazilian music, and of course, R&B. Simone knew in her heart that music would always be a major part of her life. Singing at a talent show in the 6th grade…

www.ajc.com Democrat Lisa Cupid has ousted incumbent Cobb Commission Chair Mike Boyce, a Republican, in a major victory for her party that signals the county’s demographic and political transformation. Cupid has represented South Cobb, a suburban county of Atlanta, as a commissioner on the board for the past eight years. She will be the first African American woman to serve as chair, and the first Democrat in many years. Cupid was born to Guyanese parents…

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….

Cindy Rajkuma, a dual-enrollment student who graduated from Valencia College and Ocoee High School in Orlando, is determined to get into medical school. “Becoming a doctor has always been my career path,” says Cindy, who will begin classes at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in January 2016, right after she completes an internship in Washington, D.C., with the National Institutes of Health. She doesn’t have to worry about paying for college because Cindy has been named…

Writing poetry and short stories since the tender age of 7 years old, aspiring music artist Danielle BlaiQ opens her private collection of heartfelt expression to the world in Based On A Love Story. Best described as ‘love at first sight for the heart and mind’, this collection of poetry unfolds revealing the beautiful imperfections found in a young woman on her journey to defining womanhood. Honored for her lyrical illustrations, bold reflections, and vulnerable…

Keisha Scarville is an accomplished and talented fine arts photographer.  Born in 1975 to a Guyanese father and mother,  she self-defines as Guyanese-American. Keisha spent her childhood in Brooklyn after her parent migrated to the United States in the late 1960s. She will be the first to admit that within the walls of her childhood home, her experience was still a Guyanese-centered one. Keisha earned a B.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in…

Since 2015, Anaya Lee Willabus has been known for being the youngest author in the USA to publish the first chapter book at eight years old. Today, Anaya is twelve years old and has released her fourth book. The fourth book is part of a series called- ‘Make it Happen’- Anaya Willabus by Lightswitch Learning. The book talks about the many challenges Anaya faced and how she overcame them. Anaya hopes that other children would…

Fifteen year old Table Tennis Star, Chelsea Edghill, was introduced to the sport at the tender age of 9, and she has served up quite an impressive career record. The Bishop’s High School student first got her start at the Teach Them Young training Summer Camp and later at Mae’s where she regularly competed for the school. In 2006,  Edghill made her first regional appearance at the inaugural tournament of the annual Caribbean Pre-Cadet Table…

“A queen is wise. She has earned her serenity, not having had it bestowed on her but having passer her tests. She has suffered and grown more beautiful because of it. She has proved she can hold her kingdom together. She has become its vision. She cares deeply about something bigger than herself. She rules with authentic power.” ― Marianne Williamson .