Barbados 38th Anniversary of Independence

Nov 26, 2004

Antuns, Queens, NY

For a nation as small as it is, Barbados has certainly made a name for itself.  The 38^th Anniversary Independence Celebration of Barbados, thus, was more than a mere dinner dance.  It was an event designed to highlight the triumph of a nation which, due to its limited size and exportable resources, has still managed to effectively sustain a democratic system of government in such an effective way that it has literally become the envy of just about any other nation in the world.

The festivities began with a delightful cocktail hour amidst an ambience of traditional Caribbean steel drum music.  Then, everyone stood up to the American and Barbados National Anthems, beautifully sung in an operatic style.  After the National Anthems, everyone listened to the invocation and then made a toast to, what else but, Barbados—One Voice, One People, One Nation—this year’s Barbadian theme.

The Honorable Jessica C. Odle, JP, Barbados’ Consulate General at New York, took the podium and greeted everyone warmly, reinforcing the message for the night, about Barbados’ democratic triumph.  The President of the Council of Barbadian Organizations, Inc. then gave his opening remarks.  Commissioner James Conolly, of the HRA, spoke on behalf of NYC Mayor Bloomberg, thanking the Barbadian community for their generous contribution and great culture in New York.

The awards were then given out to the honorees. The Pride and Industry Award was presented to Douglas Mayers, the President of the Freeport Roosevelt NAACP.  Mr. Mayers is now serving his second term as President.  The President’s award, which was not mentioned ahead of time, was awarded to Annette Heyward, of the Handicapped Association of Barbados, for her outstanding contribution and dedication to the cause.

The was also a raffle drawing for some nice prizes, including a trip to round trip for two to Barbados, $1,000 in cash and more.  The gourmet dinner was exceptionally well prepared, and the brass band complimented everything else with their beautiful, traditional, Caribbean melodies and rhythms.

This event, as I mentioned, was more than just a dinner dance—it was a commemorative celebration, one which does not come along all too often.

We at the staff of Liberty News Online Magazine would like to thank the Honorable Jessica Odle, Consulate General of Barbados to New York, for her kind invitation to us.  If anyone is interested in learning more about the Council of Barbadian Organizations, Inc, they may visit their website at http://www.cbony.org

The African American and Caribbean Section is headed by assistant editor Annette Johnson, and Liberty News Online Staff Writers contributing articles. It will cover articles about the African American and Caribbean communities throughout the U.S.A. For more information, feel free to email us at lncarib@hadofnyc.org. If you are interested in having us cover one of your events, feel free to notify us one week in advance, so we can add you to our master calendar, and have our Liberty News Staff come and write an article about your event. Feel free to email us at lnevents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616 between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm, and ask to speak to Annette or Steve