For Candacy Benjamin, the path to success has been paved with determination, challenges, and unwavering dedication. Originally hailing from Guyana, Benjamin’s journey as a hairstylist began with humble beginnings but has since blossomed into a thriving career in the bustling city of New York. With a career spanning over a decade, her journey into the hair styling world started in her homeland before she ventured to the Bahamas to hone her skills further. Upon arriving in New York, she pursued other avenues to support her daughter. She soon realized her passion for doing hair could be her tick ..read more

The 30-year-old Caribbean American Nurses Association/Bronx Manhattan Westchester Chapter (CANA/BMW) is appealing to nurses to join the Bronx-based organization. “We encourage nurses of Caribbean descent to join this organization to make it stronger and more efficient,” Recording Secretary, Jamaican-born Registered Nurse Elaine Mills-Ford told Caribbean Life on Sunday. She said CANA/BMW chapter was founded in 1994 in memory of a Barbadian-born registered nurse Vernese Weeks who died in same year. “For her dedication and outstanding service to others, she demonstrated a great love, and passion ..read more

Chimere L. Smith Sweeney has been living with Long COVID for four years now. In New York, COVID was not addressed until the middle of February 2020. Sweeney was a teacher for several years in Baltimore at that time. She now lives in Poughkeepsie, NY. “Teaching my students before COVID was exhilarating and exciting. After five years, I finally felt as if I was teaching my beautiful, brilliant students about tools for wise observation and using what they see to curate their own liberation,” she said. Her very last day as a teacher in the classroom was March 13, 2020, and it is a day that will al ..read more

Sunil Narine produced a magnificent maiden T20 hundred but was overshadowed by Jos Buttler eighth century in the format, to help Rajasthan Royals reel in 224 and equal the highest successful chase in Indian Premier League history. Narine blasted 109 off 56 balls at the top of the order, taking Kolkata Knight Riders to 223 for six off their 20 overs after being sent in to bat at Eden Gardens. KKR lost Phil Salt for ten in the fourth over with 21 on the board but Narine produced  an 85-run, second-wicket partnership with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (30) and a 51-run fourth wicket partnership with ..read more

Jacques Yves “Jeanba” Jean-Baptiste, of the East 25th Street Block Association and original NYPD 67th Precint Block coordinator — both in Brooklyn — and one of the founding members of the legendary Shleur Shleur Haitian Kompa bands, died on Friday, March 22, his daughter, Christina Jean-Baptiste said. He was 77. Christina told Caribbean Life on Sunday that her father was “surrounded by family until having taken his last breath.” She said Jean-Baptiste was also one of the percussionists in the Shleu Shleu band, one of the more influential Haitian Konpa bands. “To equate it to American culture ..read more

Public pressure has pushed Barbados’ government to back away from plans to seize a portion of an existing estate of a former British planter who had owned slaves and switch to a negotiated settlement even as locals are objecting to the Drax family being paid a single cent given the fact that their vast wealth came from slavery. Prime Minister Mia Mottley late on Tuesday announced plans to pause the compulsory acquisition of 50 acres from the Drax Hall plantation in the central parish of St. George for public housing, saying that any eminent domain move has to be properly and legally done or it ..read more

Twelve distinguished individuals on April 14, were recognized for their stellar services during a reception that celebrated the 28th Anniversary of the Action Performance Commitment (APC) Community Services, and the 35th Anniversary of Trinbago Progressive Association, (TPA) held at the exquisite El Carib County Club in Brooklyn. They are: Tania Kinsella,  first deputy commissioner NYPD;  Pastor Gilford Monrose, director of Faith Based Clergy Initiatives – NYC Mayor’s Office; Dr. Kern Tobias, president of The Caribbean Union; Dr. Jean Leon, retired executive director HHC Kings County ..read more

Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar recently declared victory as the SMOKEOUT Act passed in the State budget after weeks of negotiations. The law, which is effective immediately, allows localities across New York to quickly close the approximately 36,000 illegal smoke shops that have ballooned across the state. “On the first day of the legislative session, I pledged to all New Yorkers that I was going to close down all 36,000 illegal smoke shops ballooning across our state with my SMOKEOUT Act,” said Rajkumar, who represents the 38th Assembly District. “It’s time to smoke ‘em out and shut th ..read more

Antigua’s government says it is leaning strongly towards the absence of jurors in many trial cases including felonies, arguing that it is fairer when a single judge is in charge. Government spokesman Lionel Hurst said recently that experiments of trials without juries were successful and the cabinet of Prime Minister Gaston Browne has already been sold on the idea of judges being solely in charge of criminal and other trials. They are moving to make this system permanent. Authorities had run trials with judges in charge back in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of clearing a backlog ..read more

Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), on Tuesday led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti. “We urge the administration to redes ..read more