She’s Mad Real by Dr. Oneka LaBennett

Christine King, 55, is an attorney and serves as President and CEO of the nonprofit Martin Luther King Jr. Economic Development Corporation for more than a decade. The organization has run an array of social programs ranging from delivering food to seniors to funding home improvements. Christine  was born in Guyana. She grew up in the City of Miami, attending Allapattah Elementary School, Westview Middle School, and Miami Central Sr. High School. She has proudly…

On Sept. 9 in a lavish ceremony in Temple Hills, Maryland, Guyanese Ariana Austin married Prince Joel Makonnen who is the great-grandson of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Mr. Makonnen, known as Prince Yoel, is the 35-year-old great-grandson of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Ms. Austin, 33, is of African-American and Guyanese descent; her maternal grandfather was a lord mayor of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. · Their marriage had been…

Originally reported by Jerry Bembry – The Undefeated As Sachia Vickery prepares for Wimbledon in this, the breakthrough year of her career, she’s asked about the lowest moment she faced to get here. She’s silent for a moment, reflecting. For Vickery, the 23-year-old from Miramar, Florida, there are many from which to choose. Maybe it’s the hotel room she stayed at during an International Tennis Federation (ITF) stop early in her career in Europe, where…

Last Saturday evening the The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale in Florida hosted the  “Translation of Art” Fashion Event showcasing designs from 10 countries, including Guyana, Africa and many Caribbean Islands.  Guyanese Designer, Sonia Noel, presented her “First Resort” collection to a very impressed crowd of fashion enthusiasts.   This is what event coordinator, Ruth Michel Dupoux, had to say about Sonia and her collection “The museum of art of Lauderdale was illuminated last Saturday by…

Saskia Christian is an accomplished Trauma Healing and Global Resilience Expert born in Georgetown, Guyana, and resided in Antigua and Barbuda in her early adulthood. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at The University of The West Indies in Trinidad. With over 17 years of corporate visionary engineering leadership experience in the high-tech sector, Saskia has a track record of success and a passion for empowering others. Little did she know that her…

Today children across the country engaged in many activities in celebration of National STEM/STEAM Day.  The focus of this designated day is to encourage students to explore and pursue interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, and D’Arcy Ortiz provides the perfect inspiration especially for young women. D’Arcy was born in Georgetown, Guyana and was raised by her mother, Yvette Irving, a Medical Laboratory Scientist, who worked with the Ministry of Health Guyana and later years…

Sunday’s Child by Anne Lyken-Garner is the remarkably inspirational true story of a little girl struggling to rise above poverty, appalling living conditions, food lines, violence, abuse, mental anguish and political hardships. It shows how she picks out little glimmers of hope and love and uses them as positive anchors in her life. She draws on everything she has – just to survive. Readers, all of the events I’ve recorded in this book have happened…

With Easter Monday only a few days away, I thought it would be quite fitting to share this book and it’s author with you. Here’s an overview of the book and the author’s story … Overview: 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…

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…

Nyack College’s 2015 Valedictorian: From Guyana to Morgan Stanley Nyack College’s 2015 Valedictorian: From Guyana to Morgan Stanley

Twenty five year old Rafieya Aasieya Husain was crowned Miss Universe-Guyana 2017 at the end of the first ever National Pageant to be held in the home of the Miss Universe Pageant. The former Miss World 2014 top eleven finishers and Queen of the Caribbean also romped of with the Most Elegant, Best Interview and Popularity side awards during the event held at York College Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York. Rafieya has been…

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Dr. Alisha Griffith, affectionately referred to as “Dr. Alisha”, is a compassionate professionally trained educator, speech language pathologist, and audiologist.  Over a span of nearly two decades, she has assisted countless people from all walks of life to overcome various challenges, empowering them to live their lives to the fullest. Dr. Alisha was born in Stillwater Oklahoma after both of her parent left Guyana on scholarship awards to study abroad.  Her mother, Ismay Griffith and father, Charles Griffith; returned to Guyana…

Three women, Janet Jagan, Jane Phillips Gay and Jessica Burnham, were the first females elected as Members of British Guiana Parliament in May 1953 after  the first universal adult suffrage elections were held in the same year. Former first lady Janet Jagan became the first female Deputy Speaker of the Legislature in 1953; the first female Prime Minister in March 1997 and the first female President of Guyana in December 1997.  Jane Phillips-Gay was a…

Congratulations to the newly crowned Miss Universe Guyana 2014, Niketa Barker She Rocks! The 23-year-old beauty was crowned this past week at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, and will represent Guyana at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant to be held on January 25, in Florida, USA. Photo by:  Keron Bruce