Caribbean town hall meeting held at Miramar Cultural Center

Caribbean town hall meeting held at Miramar Cultural Center

By Jimmie Davis, Jr.

It’s important to Caribbean’s immigrating to the U.S. to retain a sense of cultural identity and eat certain dishes. They want to go to school to get an education. They want to jumpstart their career – but most importantly they want to send money back home to their loves ones.

And this is where Grace Kennedy comes into play by manufacturing and distributing food products to the U.S. that’s indigenous to the Caribbean.

Grace Kennedy does more than market a line of food products – they also own the First Global Bank in Jamaica.

Western Union’s on board with Grace Kennedy and together on May 6 they sponsored a Caribbean community town hall forum at the Miramar Cultural Center.

“We are having this forum to update the Caribbean nationals on what’s happening back home,” said Courtney O. Campbell, Chief Executive Officer Grace Kennedy Financial Group Limited. “We have a mutual interest to reach out.”

By utilizing Western Union’s money wire services individuals can send money back home to their loved ones.

The focus of the seminar was on education and help students get scholarships and intern-ships.

Nicholas Lodge and several of his classmates that attend Northern Caribbean University was on hand working in the capacity as vendors selling books.

“I’m working on my master’s degree,” said Lodge. “We are here today selling children’s story books.”

Selecting the Miramar Cultural Center for the town hall meeting was a good choice because it can accommodate various types of events such as concerts and seminars.

There are banquet halls for rental, an 800 seat theater, 2 art galleries and a botanical garden at the state of art facility located at 2400 Civic Center Pl.

The Consulate General Re-public of Trinidad & Tobago staff members attended the forum to foster trade between countries.

This is a good move on behalf of Western Union and Grace Kennedy to let everyone know this partnership is not about Jamaica – it’s about the Caribbean,” said Hazel Rogers, State Representative (D-95) “They have reached every market in the Caribbean.”

Barbara Sharief, Mayor of Broward County husband is from Jamaica. She was glad to see such a diverse culture at the forum. “This is a grand event,” said Sharief. “I’m always interested in hearing issues of importance being discussed.”

Before the seminar started there was a meet and greet session and plenty of Caribbean dishes such as curry and jerk chicken, rice and peas, and rum cake too mention a few.

Hazel Maragh, Caribbean Marketing Consultant was instrumental in bringing the event to the cultural center. “We are bringing to the Diaspora the value of an education,” Maragh said.           “Our goal is to reconnect Caribbean’s to their culture and heritage.”