13 Sep Upcoming Think-Tank Addresses the State of the Southern Jamaica Diaspora
SOUTH FLORIDA – High-profile members from the Jamaican Diaspora will attend State of The Southern Jamaica Diaspora 2022, a reception/dinner scheduled for September 17 at Chateau De Thierry in Hollywood. The event is open to all Jamaicans in the Diaspora. RSVP only by texting name, email, phone number to 954-546-1494.
The event will hear from speakers including Dr. Allan Cunningham, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council Representative for the Southern USA. He is scheduled to give the keynote address.
State of The Southern Jamaica Diaspora 2022 is organized by Peter Gracey. Gracey is a Kingston-born real estate broker and literary advocate who is based in Central Florida. Concerned “there is a dis-connect within our Jamaican Diaspora”, he organized the think-tank. The think-tank also has Lauderdale Lakes mayor Hazelle Rogers and Dr. Rosemarie Lewis, president of the Jamaica Diaspora Southern Region, as speaker.
Guest Speakers
Others expected to speak are: Judges Jackie Powell and Norman Hemming, publisher Xavier Murphy, attorney Marlon Hill, Dr. Rupert Francis, president of Jamaican Men of Florida and Dr. Monique Blake-Roswell, president for Jamaican Women of Florida, as speakers.
“Diasporas are not easy to manage as the demographics are far and wide, but if we can get an idea of where we were three years ago, and where we are today, based on the findings of the current Global Jamaica Diaspora Representative, Dr. Allan Cunningham, and it can be measured, then we can create somewhat of a centralized strategic plan moving forward,” said Gracey.
He hopes the inaugural State of The Southern Diaspora will attract influencers from the private and public sectors.
“Based on the information from our keynote speaker Dr. Cunningham, initiatives will be developed. Dr. Cunningham’s report will set a foundation for some initiatives going forward. We have to know where we came from and where we are, in order to know where we’re going and these findings must be measurable,” he said.
Blake-Roswell has been president of JWOF since 2019. Formed 10 years ago, the non-profit is involved in a number of activities that support children, provide scholarships to Jamaican-American women in college, and encourage personal development of women.
The organization will present its mission statement at next week’s conference.
“We host and/or participate in culturally-related events including but not limited to the Jamaican Jerk Festival and actively engage in many other Jamaican Diaspora initiatives. Examples of other JWOF events include the Health Summit and our High School Forum; these events assist us in building the awareness for our scholarship and mentoring program,” said Blake-Roswell.
The Jamaica Diaspora Southern Region includes Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Plus, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
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