Caribbean American Weekly - Issue 116

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ISSUE 116 VOLUME 20

February 11, 2021

SERVING THE CARIBBEAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES!

An Exclusive Conversation with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke

BY VICTORIA FALK, SPECIAL TO CAW

D

uring the unprecedented and epic year of 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the troubles that have long plagued the United States – systemic racism, injustice, inequality, and disparities amongst our communities of color. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean American Weekly, the United States Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who represents Brooklyn's 9th Congressional District, shared her thoughts on the problems that plague our society. They included the January 6 insurrection and her commitment to leading her community to recovery during this global COVID – 19 pandemic and economic crises and the Roadmap to Freedom, a bold proposal immigration proposal co-sponsored by herself and continued on page 8

What You Need to Know About Biden’s Deportation Moratorium

BY AARON REICHLIN-MELNICK

I

n a blow to the Biden administration, a federal judge in Texas has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) not to enforce its moratorium on deportations. President Biden had instructed DHS to halt deportations for 100 days while undergoing a com-

Grenada Celebrates Its 47th Independence Anniversary ....12

Congresswoman Clarke. Photo: House.gov

Guyana’s Opposition Leader Harmon Laments Foreign Policy ....2

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Call 855-768-8845 Barbados PM Mottley to Receive AFUWI’s Legacy Award ....2

continued on page 15

Biden Must End ICE’s Mass Deportation of Haitians ....14

Brian Figeroux, Esq., Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association

UN Guterres: A Champion to the Caribbean ....30

Khadijah Halliday: Raising Mental Health Awareness ....23

Convincing Your Loved One to Write Their Last Will ....19

Is Your Career Stuck in the Middle Seat? ....6

Does Money Harmony Equal Marriage Harmony?....17

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CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP Caribbean Consulates Anguilla 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street, Suite 6A New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel: 212-541-4117 The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-421-6420 Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-551-4325 Belize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-593-0999 Dominica 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-949-0853 Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-599-8478 Grenada 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1101 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-599-0301 Guyana 308 West 38th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: 212-947-5119 Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-697-9767 Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-935-9000 Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-838-6887 Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-840-2450 St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 Tel: 212-535-5521 St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 Tel: 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 800-786-2278 St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-687-4981 Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10038 Tel: 212-682-7272 For more Consulate information go to www.cawnyc.com/directory

2

PM Mia Mottley Amongst Seven AFUWI 2021 Awardees

N

ew York, NY: Barbadian Prime Minister Hon. Mia Mottley and Cedella Marley, OD, CEO of TUFF Gong International, are among seven distinguished recipients to receive awards at the 24th annual “The Legacy Continues” Gala Awards of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI).

The stellar virtual event scheduled for February 21, 2021, is the Foundation’s premier annual fund raiser which provides scholarships for students of the five campuses of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Antigua and the Open Campus.

Prime Minister Mottley will receive “The Legacy Award” and Ms. Marley “The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Global Leadership.”

Among the other awardees are: Arlene Isaacs- Lowe, Global Head of CSR, President, Moody’s Foundation – “The Vice Chancellor’s Achievement Award”; Dr. Jermaine Omar McCalpin, Chair, African and African American Studies Research Interests, New Jersey City University –“The Pelican Award”; David Mullings, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Blue Major Capital Partners- “The Chancellor’s Award For Excellence in Business Leadership”; Amanda Seales, Actress, Activist, Artist and Media Personality – “The Caribbean Luminary Award”; and WBLS and Dahved Levy “The Trailblazer Award For Excellence in Community Engagement”.

The awardees celebrate Caribbean heritage and their individual contributions in varied sectors including politics and nation building, music, acting, media,

PM Mottley. Photo Barbados Gov’t

entrepreneurship, business, academia and education.

For the past 23 years the AFUWI awards have been hosted in New York City where the AFUWI is headquartered.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be a completely virtual production. Visit www.afuwi.org to make a donation and more information on AFUWI.l

Statement from the OAS General Secretariat on the Situation in Haiti

T

he OAS General Secretariat is closely monitoring the current situation in Haiti. We are concerned with the respect for human rights and the independence of powers.

The OAS General Secretariat has an essential interest in the protection of democratic institutions and the political

rights of its citizens. It is fundamental that state institutions work together to resolve the problems afflicting Haiti.

We call for democratic structural changes in Haiti through the discussion of a new Constitution and an effective participation in general elections this year.

The OAS General Secretariat renews its support for the electoral process as the only option consistent with the Democratic Charter to replace the current constitutional President with another President on February 7, 2022.l

Opposition Laments Guyana's Surrender of Its Non-aligned Foreign Policy

G

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana’s APNU/AFC Coalition Opposition is of the opinion that Guyana has to rebuild its independent and principled foreign policy positions on the regional and world stage which it feels has been damaged by the PPP government.

In a statement Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon said, “the PPP government has allowed the country’s diplomatic and foreign policy to be guided by issues related more to that party’s narrow political interests with little or no regard to Guyana’s legacy in conducting a principled foreign policy and also demonstrating little concern for the interest of the Guyanese people as a whole for now or the future.”

Outlining the country’s achievements over the years as a result of its nonaligned position, Harmon pointed out that “even in the worst of times over the past four decades there has been little argument within Guyana on our foreign relations.”

“The same cannot be said in recent times,” Harmon pointed out noting that “we confuse even ourselves as in recent days with the embarrassing and shameful behavior on the issue of Taiwan seeming-

Hon Joseph Harmon. Photo Guyana Parliament

ly in a callous manner to abandon the long standing One China Policy. The government has also remained silent on any matter pertaining to Haiti and the manner in which it dealt with the free movement of peoples within CARICOM was fully exposed with its recent handling of the Haitian refugee matter,” he observed.

Harmon pointed out that “the PPP government had made several agreements with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, yet the Guyanese people have not been informed about any agreements and/or commitments which were made.”

He said “in sharp contrast to the APNU+AFC administration the Irfaan Ali regime has supported interference in

Venezuela’s electoral affairs, de-recognized the Polisario Front and so withdrew support from the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination thus giving comfort to Morocco’s territorial ambitions on Western Sahara. This claim has been recognized by the United States but never by the United Nations.”

Harmon questioned whether “the real motive the development of economic relations with Taiwan or a response to wishes of the United States,” noting that “one would have thought that the chairing of the Group of 77 at the United Nations and the legacy of Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan would have informed a higher consciousness and prompted ethical responses on the diplomatic front.”

The Opposition leader lamented that “there was a time in this country where it was axiomatic that there would be general agreement on significant foreign policy issues. This is particularly true for any position on Venezuela.”

“So far, there has been no attempt to engage relevant stakeholder views in any timely or structured way,” Harmon concluded.l —wiredja.com

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3

THOUGHTS

Anti-Blackness in Immigration: Team Biden Must Address It

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

A

mid the mostly positive news from the Biden Administration regarding immigration, the deportation of Black migrants stands out as an immediate area where White House intervention is needed. ICE continues to aggressively enforce Trump-era policies that target Black asylum seekers and immigrants for exclusion, detention and deportation. If we are serious about addressing racial justice and immigrant justice, there needs to be an immediate and a sustained effort to root out the harsh treatment directed at Black migrants.

In the wake of a court injunction temporarily halting the Biden administration’s 100 day pause in deportations, several deportation flights have left the U.S. bound for Jamaica, Haiti, Cameroon and various other countries in Africa. The message is unmistakable: the deportation of Black people is a high priority for DHS. Today, Miami Herald carries a story about a deportation flight to Haiti with 63 individuals aboard, including a man who has never visited or lived in Haiti.

The gentleman was born to Haitian parents who brought him up elsewhere in the Caribbean. His lawyer, Nicole Philips told the Herald, “They knew he was stateless. They knew he didn’t have a Haitian passport. It’s our understanding that he did not have travel documents to return to Haiti and yet they deported him there anyway.”

On Monday, the Haitian Bridge Alliance and UndocuBlack Network released a statement condemning the deportation flights. Guerline Jozef, CoFounder and Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance said, “This immigration deportation system is cruel and inhumane. It’s callous but not surprising that ICE kicked off Black History Month today by deporting Black immigrants.”

Patrice Lawrence of UndocuBlack Network added: ICE jumped at the opportunity to deport Black immigrants to the Caribbean, Central America and Sub-Saharan countries almost immediately after the

“President Trump’s animus towards all immigrants is perhaps only surpassed by his particular animus towards Black migrants.”

TEAM My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6 Publisher I.Q. INC. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief

Pearl Phillip Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Anvaar Sabirov

issuance of the unjust, baseless, and legally unsound TRO on the 100-Day Deportation Moratorium. We know that at the top of the list, individuals from Cameroon, Mauritania, Angola, Congo, Haiti and Jamaica are immediately at risk.

According to Todd Schulte of the immigration advocacy group FWD.us: It is important to be clear: the decision by a Federal Judge to place a temporary restraining order on the Biden administration’s 100 day pause on certain deportations absolutely in no way means that the Biden admin must—or should—be deporting Black asylum seekers to Haiti and elsewhere.

Even yesterday’s announcement of new executive actions regarding asylum and immigration matters are not be enough to address how migrants have been pushed into Mexico and excluded from the asylum process because of Trump measures to block asylum avenues, use the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to expel people or how these and other measures at the border and in the interior fall heavily on Black migrants.

According to Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communication for America’s Voice: President Trump’s animus towards all immigrants is perhaps only surpassed by his particular animus towards Black migrants. Trump and Stephen Miller not only recoiled against people the former President described as coming from ‘shithole’ countries, a disproportionate toll of the Trump and Miller cruelty, exclusion and deportation efforts targeted Black people, as the Black Alliance

for Just Immigration and NYU Law Immigration Clinic cataloged in their recent report, The State of Black Immigrants.

Undoing the egregiousness of Trump’s policies will not happen overnight, but there are immediate steps needed to address the treatment of Black immigrants today. The deportation flights can be halted and should be a top priority for the newly confirmed DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his team.

Eliminating the policies that force asylum seeking individuals and families to languish in Mexico and ending the blanket use of COVID-19 as an excuse to exclude migrants must be top priorities as well. Both of these Trump-era policies exact a particular toll on Black migrants and must be part of an immediate effort to root out racism in U.S. enforcement, detention and deportation policies.

Addressing anti-Blackness in immigration would clearly align with the President’s own values and expressed interest in healing racial divisions. The first step can be to stop the deportation flights and then working diligently to reimagine our immigration policies and priorities to erase the worst racially-driven excesses of Trump’s presidency.l

Released February 4, 2021. The mission of America’s Voice (AV) and America’s Voice Education Fund (AVEF) is to build the public support and the political will needed to enact policy changes that secure freedom and opportunity for immigrants in America.

Contributors Jennine Estes Erin Telesford Janet Howard Mary Campbell Tarsha Gibbons Travis Morales Email info@myiqinc.com Telephone 718-771-0988 Website www.cawnyc.com

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CIVIL RIGHTS

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To Dismantle White Supremacy, We Need to Fix Our Judiciary

BY LENA ZWARENSTEYN CIVILRIGHTS.ORG

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n his first day in office, President Joe Biden reiterated his commitment to racial justice and to overturning systemic racism and the long-standing inequities in our society.

One of his first acts after taking the oath of office was to sign an executive order outlining his “ambitious whole-ofgovernment equity agenda” to advance racial and social justice for all – including historically underserved communities, such as people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and those living in poverty. The order rightly recognized diversity as “one of our country’s greatest strengths.”

The past four years of the Trump administration — and the white supremacy that fueled it to power — have tested many of us. And on January 6, we experienced what many feared and foresaw: a white supremacist, anti-Semitic attack against the U.S. Capitol incited by the president of the United States. This has shaken the very core of our democracy and exposed the flaws in our system of justice. Far too

Editorial credit: Johnny Silvercloud / Shutterstock.com

many Black and Brown people have been killed and abused by law enforcement for mere suspicion of law violations. Yet violent insurrectionists who attempted to overturn the will of the voters, invaded the center of our government, and threatened the lives of lawmakers received gentle treatment at the hands of police.

This system of justice, founded predominantly by white men who enslaved Black people, was constructed to protect white supremacy and the wealthy and powerful. The Constitution and many of our laws were written to defend these

same interests. And our judiciary, which interprets these laws and the Constitution, was founded on and far too often perpetuates these same interests at the expense of everyone else.

That is why the civil rights community is focused on building a fair and just federal judiciary that gives real meaning to the phrase “equal justice under law.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights coalition and our Fair Courts Task Force is calling on the Biden-Harris administration and the Senate to urgently prioritize making our

federal judiciary more fair and just for all of us, including and especially for Black and Brown communities.

The start of the Biden-Harris administration and the 117th Congress presents an opportunity to build better institutions and improve our democracy and the lives of people in this country. We need a holistic approach to fixing our democracy, which includes federal courts and the judges who make decisions every day that impact some of the most important parts of our lives — including access to health care, economic justice, voting rights, and so much more.

People have fought and organized for decades to push our laws and institutions to reflect, represent, include, and serve everyone in this country, including Black, Brown, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, people of faith and no faith, and other people our systems have marginalized.

And because of these tireless efforts, the civil and human rights movement has achieved significant progress. This movement led to landmark civil rights continued on page 5

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5

CIVIL RIGHTS Dismantle White Supremacy/ continued from page 4 achievements such as Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legal apartheid in public education thanks to the efforts of civil rights advocates and the incredible work of Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley at the NAACP LDF; the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which expanded the right to vote and access to voting for Black citizens thanks to the tireless work of civil rights leaders despite constant private and state-sanctioned violence; and the recognition of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges thanks to the LGBTQ people and organizations who challenged these laws in courtrooms across the country. None of these victories was easily won. They are the result of people working to make America a more perfect union.

But we also know that as more people have seen their rights finally recognized, progress has stoked backlash. When the power of people grows, those whose interests are served by white supremacy, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, and other forces that marginalize people lash out. For the past few decades, the conservative right has intentionally and deliberately planned to roll back and prevent future progress. This is painfully clear from the efforts that Trump was able to seize on in transforming the federal judiciary. For years, small, ultra-conservative legal circles built inroads to powerful Republicans like Senator Mitch McConnell. They saw an opportunity for

Editorial credit: VDB Photos / Shutterstock.com

the ultimate power grab when Trump was campaigning for president and needed to shore up his conservative “bona fides.”

Trump relied on a Supreme Court shortlist compiled by the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation, and he filled the judiciary with individuals whose records reflect their hostility to our most basic civil and human rights.

When it comes to the Trump administration’s transformation of our judicial system, it can seem far removed from the white supremacist violence we have witnessed. But 25 percent of our federal judges were selected by Trump and confirmed by the McConnell-controlled Senate; for circuit court judges, it’s 30 percent. Unsurprising but appalling nonetheless, more than 85 percent of these judges are white and approximately 75 percent are male. By virtue of who they have selected precisely because of their anti-civil rights work, Trump and

his allies have tried to entrench the power that serves white supremacy, the wealthy, and the powerful. And today, the impact Trump’s three Supreme Court justices and additional 231 lifetime federal judges have had will have on our courts and our rights will reverberate for decades.

That’s why judicial nominations must be an immediate and enduring priority of the 117th Congress. President Biden must select and the Senate must confirm judicial nominees who have a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights and a progressive vision of the law and the Constitution, and who are fairminded and reflective and representative of the vast and rich diversity of our country. This diversity includes race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, national origin, socio-economic status, and experiential and professional background.

There are already immediate judicial vacancies to fill. These seats must be filled with judges who will work to protect and recognize the rights of everyday people over corporations and wealthy special interests. Our federal courts must recognize and uphold all of our rights, including workers’ rights, immigrant rights, voting rights, disability rights, health care access, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, separation of church and state, freedom from discrimination based on religion, and more. Our courts have perpetuated white supremacy for too many generations. By putting diverse civil rights champions in the judiciary, we can work toward the promise of equal justice under law.l Lena Zwarensteyn is the senior director of the fair courts campaign at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

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6

JOBS & RECESSION

Does The Pandemic Have You Feeling Like Your Career Is Stuck In The Middle Seat?

M

aybe you weren’t an entrepreneurial wunderkind, one of those young prodigies who could launch a multi-million-dollar enterprise in between final exams.

Instead, you dedicated yourself to working for someone else, moving up in the organization as you honed leadership skills and business acumen.

That more methodical approach may be about to pay off if you have reached the midpoint of your career and, finally, feel ready to start your own business, says Stephen E. Gerard, an entrepreneur and the Forbes Books author of Stuck in the Middle Seat: The Five Phases to Becoming a Midcareer Entrepreneur.

“That time in the corporate world gives you the opportunity to build on your knowledge and abilities,” says Gerard, who started his first company when he was in his 40s. “I like to say that you learn in your 20s, you lead in your 30s, and in your 40s you can leverage all that to start your own business.”

Different factors may cause you to consider branching out on your own. Maybe your company downsized, leaving you jobless. Perhaps the mid-career doldrums set in and you need to feel energized

thing to everybody, Gerard says. Bad approach. “If the idea is too broad or too vague, you run the risk of having no differentiated appeal,” he says. “The more you narrow and crystallize your business’s focus, the more you will actually broaden your appeal. By being very sharp about what your business does and does not do, you’ll succeed more quickly.” So, whittle away at your idea. Adjust and tweak it so that potential customers and clients will be clear about what you offer and how you differ from competitors.

again, or you have stumbled into your big idea.

Regardless, once you decide to start a business, a question arises: How do you determine what that business should be?

Gerard has a few tips for how to settle on a business idea and make it succeed: Figure out what it is you love to do.

You could launch a business based on what’s trendy or where the most money seems to be. But Gerard recommends the business connect to something you love doing. “Reflect on what gets you excited

and think about how that could be turned into a business,” he says. “Is there an activity you get so caught up in that you lose track of time? What’s an example of something you do that you would get angry if someone interrupted you while you were doing it?” As you play with such thoughts, what you love to do and potential ideas for your business will emerge.

Refine the idea. After you settle on your idea and begin working out the details, you may be tempted to try to be every-

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Be precise in describing your business.

How would you explain to others, quickly and simply, what your business does?

Too often, businesses develop “about us” descriptions filled with jargon and fuzzy language. The more precise and direct you are, the better. “Look for three or four key words that describe your business, and then link them together,” Gerard says. “Be clear in your own mind what your business is and what it is not.”

Develop an elevator pitch, a quick summary about your business that could be stated in the brief time it takes to go up or down a few floors. “If you have trouble doing this, you’re probably too close to it and overcomplicating it,” he says.

“That’s natural, so ask for help, either from a professional consultant or a colleague.”

Be ready to adapt. Times will change, the market will change, and customer habits will change. That means the original idea for your business could need an adjustment at some point. “When necessary, you must be ready to pivot so that your idea fits into the vision and market you are trying to create or compete in,” Gerard says. “Some pivots can be small tweaks, while others can be profound.

But if the business goes too far afield from what you love doing, you may need to rethink whether you want to continue.”

“By midcareer you will have achieved the 3 L’s (learn, lead and leverage) and hopefully developed a good network in your industry and market,” Gerard says.

“That’s another sign you have reached the point where you are ready. There is nothing like taking full charge of your future and making it happen.”l

About Stephen E. Gerard Stephen E. Gerard an entrepreneur and the ForbesBooks author of Stuck in the Middle Seat, worked in the corporate world for nearly 20 years before launching his first business, TGaS Advisors, in 2004. TGaS Advisors became an Inc 500/5000 winner for five years in a row and is still a thriving business. Since that time, Gerard has launched and invested in numerous other global businesses and remains active as an entrepreneur, investor and author.

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CARIBBEAN STAR

8

Yvette Clarke/ continued from page 1 other progressive Democrats.

Congressional

Issues Congresswoman Clarke agreed that the issues outlined by the Caribbean American Weekly, "…the pandemic, police murders, social justice activism, the insurrection, and economic hardship…" are the main issues that have impacted the community. While no group of people was left untouched by the troubles of these times, immigrants, particularly those of color, suffered at a disproportionately higher rate than others. Congresswoman Clarke reported that her community of District 9 was one of the hardest-hit communities during this pandemic. She expressed her commitment to making sure they are at the center of COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Public records showed that immigrants make up the largest number of the essential workers, who have been at the front lines during this health and economic crises, as doctors, nurses, home health aides, teachers, and more. However, they were repeatedly left out of recovery efforts under the former President Trump's administration.

Vaccination Many persons are concerned and apprehensive about taking the vaccine for COVID-19. Clarke shared her thoughts and offered encouragement: “Well, I have always said that if there is a group of accustomed people, being vaccinated is folks from the Caribbean, whether for malaria or chikungunya. We are more susceptible and have been in our homes of origin to tropical diseases and have had to be vaccinated. What I'm saying to our folks is a couple of things.

One, this vaccine was developed with our communities in mind. Many of the scientists who worked on the development were from communities of color.

Persons in the clinical trials were from our community. The first person in the United States of America will receive the vaccine was a frontline worker, a Jamaican nurse. I have been vaccinated myself, and I am proud to have received this vaccine to demonstrate to my constituents, which may be apprehensive, that there are no adverse effects to being vaccinated. What I would say is, the most adverse thing that can occur is to have this level of protection, not use it, and then have our families subjected to the virus. That, I understand, is extremely painful to struggle through. That we know in many instances, particularly in

Editorial credit: Chad Zuber / Shutterstock.com

black and brown communities, has been lethal, and it has taken so many lives. So, I would say that we have to demonstrate discipline. We have to demonstrate common sense and do our part three of our and save our families in our community.”

Immigration Congresswoman Yvette Clarke stressed that it is "critical that we have another COVID-19 relief package…" It puts stimulus checks in the hands of people who may not have qualified for previous checks and addresses the need to get vaccines to undocumented people.

The Biden-Harris administration's start signified hope for immigrants and immigration activists, who long-awaited comprehensive immigration reform. Before the election, current President Biden was seen on various television news programs, speaking strongly in favor of comprehensive immigration reform and verbally acknowledging that immigrants make a valuable contribution to America.

Furthermore, the first-ever female VicePresident, Kamala Harris, spoke proudly of her immigrant parents: a Jamaican father and a South Asian mother.

Therefore, it was not far-fetched to believe a Biden-Harris administration would mean tremendous respect, humanity, inclusion, and pathways to citizenship for immigrants.

During his first few days in office, President Biden signed executive orders ending the travel ban for Muslims, ending funding for Trump's border wall between the United States and Mexico, and indicating support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. However, this was a far cry from the comprehensive immigration reform that immigrants and immigration activists were waiting on.

Long-time immigration advocate, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, expressed dissatisfaction with immigration reform.

"We recognize, a number of us in Washington, D.C., who are leading on the Roadmap to Freedom, that reversing

the policies of the last four years is insufficient. It's just not enough," stated Clarke. During the exclusive interview, Clarke outlined the ideals of the Roadmap's to Freedom proposal and indicated that she is working to "…make sure Roadmap to Freedom passes into law." President Biden has opened the door for positive conversation regarding immigration. Clarke and other legislators are hopeful that they will see changes in the right direction under the BidenHarris administration.

Congresswoman Clarke stated emphatically, "For the first time in over a decade, Democrats have control over the House, the Senate, and the White House.

This is the moment we must use to be as progressive in our immigration policies as we can."

During Trump's four years as President, he heightened anti-immigration sentiment and promoted cruel and inhumane immigration policies. Immigrant communities were threatened by U. S Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and traumatized by painful deportations. Therefore, immigration advocates have reportedly reacted to the proposed Roadmap to Freedom in a positive way.

The Roadmap to Freedom "ensures a fair immigration process that establishes a roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million people who are currently undocumented or in-between status. It centers on family unity and promoting and preserving the diversity of our nation." Congresswoman Clarke stated that "we have to reimagine a 21st-century immigration system in a manner that is humane, just, and fair."

Roadmap to Freedom Reportedly immigration advocates call the Roadmap to Freedom "one of the most progressive immigration reform plans in history." While there are some similarities between the Roadmap to Freedom and the Biden-Harris administration's immigration plan, the Roadmap to Freedom is said to go much further in reopening access to immigrants to critical public services. According to Clarke,

the Roadmap to Freedom "…welcomes immigrants by supporting integration and securing access to critical public services. It creates a just and humane way."

Among the many components of the Roadmap are: •Creating a pathway to citizenship for the nation's 10.5 million undocumented immigrants.

•Clearing the existing backlog of naturalization applications •Prioritizing family unity by eliminating barriers to family reunification and creating a process "for eligible individuals who are deported, detained, or in sanctuary" to reunite with their families and return to the United States.

•Establishing a system of "scalable civil consequences to immigration violations" so that detention and deportation are not the default punishment for almost every infraction of immigration law.

•Eliminating for-profit immigration detention facilities.

•Ending the use of state and local prisons and jails for immigration detention.

•Promoting alternatives to detention and ending the detention of "vulnerable populations" such as families and children.

•Ensuring that "no person is removed, expelled, or denied admission [to the United States] without guaranteed and meaningful access to legal defense."

•Creating an "independent Immigration Court system" in which judges can exercise discretion.

•Reinventing border policies by "reversing the flow of money into harmful border walls, barriers, and 'virtual walls'" that militarize the border and violate civil rights and liberties.

•Ending Border Patrol checkpoints in the interior of the country.

•Ensuring that "all people who are recruited to meet verifiable labor market needs are able to change employers, bring and live with their families, and earn a roadmap to citizenship."

•Ensuring "immigrants' access to health care and housing."

•Creating "a truth and reconciliation process to provide justice to those who have suffered under an inequitable and inhumane system for decades."

Priorities Clarke expressed that "making sure that the Roadmap to Freedom passes into law" is one of her main priorities. Other priorities for the 9th Congressional district outlined by her include: "the rent moratorium, dealing with the mortgage crises, and making sure people are protected with utilities." She also reported continued on page 9

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9

CARIBBEAN STAR Yvette Clarke/ continued from page 8 being focused on climate change, being in support of Medicare for all, and is a "proud co-sponsor of the Green New Deal…" Clarke is also Co-chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Racial Disparities Task Force.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke remains busy fighting to make sure the needs of her community, District 9, are met. "It's imperative that we address the COVID19 crisis head-on. The implications for our health, our livelihood, and in the life of the community can't be overstated," stated Clarke.

During this time that Congresswoman Yvette Clarke spoke openly and candidly about her community's needs and priorities, Caribbean American Weekly could not end this exclusive interview without getting her thoughts on the insurrection.

Impeachment On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, America and the world witnessed domestic terrorism on the Capitol, incited by a sitting president, Donald Trump, who has since left office. Some are thinking. Let it be. Clarke, who voted for Trump's impeachment, gives a powerful message on the significance of impeaching Donald Trump.

She stated, "My vision of our democracy is one that is inclusive and supports and elevates the voices of all people of

“Well, I have always said that if there is a group of accustomed people, being vaccinated is folks from the Caribbean, whether for malaria or chikungunya....So, I would say that we have to demonstrate discipline.

We have to demonstrate common sense and do our part three of our and save our families in our community.” color. We are Americans, and the American voice is meaningless if it doesn't represent the country's diverse experiences of the country we live in and love.

And my vision of democracy is one that respects and honors the voting process.

Without that, our democracy goes in a downward spiral to authoritarianism. So, we have to restore Americans' faith in our democracy and national security.

There is no act of terrorism by whitewing, white supremacists that should stop the evolution of our democracy.

What we saw on January 6 was a convulsive and violent reaction to the reality of what democracy in America looks like

and what it means. And this act of domestic terrorism was promoted, instigated, and advanced by the man in the White House, Donald Trump.

Many of us know had this been a demonstration facilitated by black or brown people, by Black Lives Matter, they would have been met by an unprecedented amount of deadly force.

But these folks presumably, because they were white and supported by the White House's deranged occupant, were and facilitated in their insurrection, and that cannot be tolerated. Some say, "Let it be." What do we say when the next insurrection occurs? And more lives were

taken? We have five people who died on January 6. What do we say when the next authoritarian president is elected or installed in place? That then takes us down this road of cruelty and injustice once again. If we don't set this example now, we are setting a very bad precedent for the subvert of our democracy. Not only that, we leave ourselves open to more insurrection. We leave ourselves open to the possibility that Donald Trump could actually run for office again and stoke the fires of hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. Even if he worked to win the seat, his ability to run again will create a climate that would be extremely harmful to our democracy.

So that's why I voted to impeach Donald Trump. That's why it's important that we continue to have his trial in the Senate make it very transparent to the American people so that we value the democracy that we live in, that we understand our role and responsibility as citizens to uphold our democracy and to recognize that democracy and our votes are sacred. As my colleague the late, honorable John Lewis would say, that has been a guiding light, a guiding principle: And while our nation is not perfect, democracy enables us to reach for perfection, to be inclusive through our franchise, in shaping the future for ourselves, our children and our descendants."

The Congresswoman stressed, "That behavior simply cannot be tolerated." l

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EDUCATION

10

NYC Middle School Students Set to Head Back to Buildings in Late February

BY AMY ZIMMER, CHALKBEAT & CHRISTINA VEIGA, CHALKBEAT VIA THECITY

N

ew York City’s middle school students will return to their campuses on Feb. 25, education department officials told principals on Monday.

Middle school teachers will return the day before to ready their classrooms, and they will be prioritized to receive coronavirus vaccinations during the mid-winter recess, from Feb. 12 - 21, according to education department officials.

“Those families who choose to have kids in school, our kids really benefit emotionally, intellectually, and even in terms of their physical health,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday at a press conference. “A lot of kids have not done well with the isolation and need a chance to be back in a school community. We’re convinced we can do it safely.”

Roughly 62,000 middle school students are expected to return to in-person classes, according to education department data based on the number of children attending before their buildings shut down.

The mayor did not say when high school students might return to campuses. Still, the majority of the city’s roughly 960,000 public school students will continue to learn remotely full time, as roughly 70% of children opted to learn from home.

Middle and high school students have been learning online exclusively for about three months, after de Blasio shut down all school buildings on Nov. 19, when the city surpassed a 3% weekly coronavirus positivity rate.

Two weeks later, he reopened buildings for elementary school students and those

in District 75, which serve children of all ages with the most complex disabilities, prioritizing those likeliest to struggle with remote learning.

A ‘Situation Room’ Boost De Blasio had said previously he would announce a plan this month for reopening middle schools, but some of the limiting factors included school-based COVID19 testing capacity as well as vaccine access.

To that end, the education department will increase staffing in the “Situation Room,” which is charged with helping

principals respond to coronavirus detected among students and staff. Dr. Ted Long, who oversees the city’s test and trace corps, said an additional 35 contact contact tracers will be in place by the time middle school buildings reopen along with more testing teams.

“We’ve been building up capacity, and we will get the number of teams needed to be in each school in order to do the weekly testing,” Long said. “We’re very confident we can do it.”

After the mayor reopened elementary school and District 75 schools in December, he removed a systemwide shutdown trigger, but assured improved safety precautions at reopened schools by increasing random coronavirus testing of students and staff from monthly to weekly.

As testing has expanded and cases have gone up in schools — just as they have citywide — the increase in testing has taxed the Situation Room.

Many educators and families have a litany of concerns about how it’s handling positive cases, including long waits for test results, failure to let “close contacts” know that they may have been continued on page 11

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11

EDUCATION Middle Schools/ continued from page 10 exposed, conflicting guidance for principals, and confusing letters to families.

More than a month ago, the mayor had pledged he would staff up the Situation Room after winter break. Education department officials did not immediately say how many people in total are currently staffing the situation room, but spokesperson Miranda Barbot said the city was prepared to fill up to 580 fulland part-time positions.

“We will hire as many staff as are needed,” she said.

Concern About Virus Variants Contact tracing is seen as a critical component of school safety plans (along with measures like social distancing, mask wearing and good ventilation). A number of studies have found that, while rare, spread within schools can happen. These studies generally rely on the accuracy of contact tracing.

When previously discussing bringing middle school students back, the mayor had also expressed concern about the coronavirus variant from Britain, which is more highly transmissible, alarming many public health officials.

Dr. Jay Varma, the mayor’s senior health advisor, said the variants mean the city has to stay vigilant. But he said that New York City has put in place more rigorous mitigation measures than many European countries, where the new strains forced a wave of school shutdowns.

He pointed to the city’s universal masking requirements, social distancing, focus on ventilation, COVID-19 testing in schools, and rising vaccination rates.

“When you combine all those things together, there really isn’t a comparison to what’s going on in other places,” Varma said.

One positive coronavirus case forces a classroom to quarantine for 10 days, and two cases at a school trigger a 24-hour buildings closure. If those cases are found to be “unlinked,” the building will remain closed for 10 days (down from 14 earlier in the school year).

Many school communities have been frustrated by the lack of consistency because of the closures, with more than 700 buildings closing down for at least 10 days in the month since winter break, according to public data.

Roughly 53% of the 1,052 school buildings that reopened in December have experienced closures of two to 10 days, according to education department officials.

being used as vaccination sites.

Teachers started getting vaccinated about a month ago. Even with a priority for middle school teachers, those getting their first doses won’t be fully vaccinated by the time classrooms reopen.

It takes about 10 to 14 days after the second dose to acquire immunity, Varma said. The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has said that teachers do not have to be vaccinated to reopen safely.

Many families have been urging the mayor to reopen buildings for middle and high school students, concerned about the isolation and mental health stress children are experiencing as well as the challenges that come with online learning.

But it’s unclear how many of these students will return. The education department had said, for instance, that roughly 290,000 elementary school and District 75 students were eligible to go back when their buildings reopened. But the department has yet to release figures on how many children ultimately returned.

Officials are asking middle schools to offer five days a week to as many students as possible instead of the blended model that mixes in-person and remote learning. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said about half of the city’s 471 middle schools will reopen full-time for students who have opted in.

Others will serve a subset of students full-time, according to the education department, with an emphasis on bringing back those most at risk of falling behind — including those who have disabilities, are learning English as a new language, or lack stable housing.

“The other middle schools will program and reprogram to get to the goal of having five days a week,” Carranza said.

“In the rare occasions where perhaps space is just not available, we will continue to prioritize vulnerable groups of students.”l

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This story was published on February 8, 2021 by THE CITY. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

How Many Kids Will Return?

While some families see the frequent closures as a reason to close all schools until coronavirus rates go down in the community, others see it as a reason to change the threshold for building shutdowns.The mayor said he is now “reevaluating” the two-case threshold.

Though de Blasio set no date for the return of high schools students, he reemphasized on Monday his goal to offer them in-person instruction this school year. Some high school campuses are VISIT WWW.CAWNYC.COM FOR THE LATEST CARIBBEAN NEWS, IMMIGRATION UPDATES, VIEWPOINTS, ENTERTAINMENT & MORE!LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @CAWNYC!

ISLAND FOCUS: GRENADA

12

OECS Congratulates Government and People of Grenada on 47th Anniversary of Independence

T

he Commission of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) extends to the Government and people of Grenada warmest congratulations on the occasion of the nation’s 47th Anniversary of Independence on Sunday, February 7th 2021.

As Grenada celebrates this milestone under the theme "Rebuilding Together a Safer, More Resilient Nation in These Challenging Times", the Commission extends very best wishes for continued good health, peace, stability and progress.

A virtual flag-raising ceremony was held at the OECS headquarters in Saint Lucia on Friday, February 5, 2021 to commemorate the event. The ceremony featured a recorded message from the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. the Rt. Honorable Keith Mitchell; and an address by the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules. The national pledge was delivered by Dr. Carlene Radix, Head of the Human and Social

Cluster at the OECS Commission and national of Grenada. The national prayer was delivered by Rev. Father John Wilson Fernando MSFS. Prime Minister Mitchell, in an address recorded for the momentous occasion, stated: The celebration of Grenada’s 47th Anniversary of Independence comes in the midst of a very challenging period for the global community. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be the predominant focus of our time and energy.

This dreaded disease has had an unprecedented impact on life as we know it. It has decimated the tourism industry and slowed the pace of world trade. It has halted and, in many cases, reversed economic growth – but most of all, it has claimed the lives of so many around the world.

COVID-19 is not only a health issue that has the potential to overwhelm healthcare systems, it presents economic challenges and at the same time it embodies an attack on the mental wellbe-

Available at Amazon.com

Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell. Photo: OECS Press

ing of citizens and disrupts the social fabric of all our societies. People everywhere are struggling to cope with the loss of jobs, reduced income and the resulting inability to meet some of their basic needs.

Dr. Mitchell also highlighted the need to maintain a connection with loved ones, while respecting the Covid-19 protocols of physical distancing.

In addition to the obvious medical, economic, and psychosocial interventions that are necessary, winning the war against Covid-19 requires us to be our brother’s keeper.

We thank you our Caribbean brothers and sisters for standing in solidarity with us on this memorable occasion, even as you face your own challenges.

He added: As you join in the celebration of this milestone today, let it serve as a reminder that good things are still happening despite Covid-19. It dominates our attention, but we are still forging ahead with our developmental agenda. We use this occasion to pause momentarily to reflect on Grenada’s achievements, harnessing them as motivation to continue that journey.

Addressing the virtual audience from the OECS Commission, Dr. Jules reflected on the aptness of the theme in commemoration of Grenada's 47th Anniversary of Independence, "Rebuilding Together a Safer, More Resilient Nation in These Challenging Times", and reiterated the Commission's commitment to assisting Grenada and all Member States in their continuing efforts to navigate and to address the innumerable challenges of this unprecedented global crisis.

He stated: The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic last year brought Grenada and all of our small vulnerable economies to a standstill. Our region’s attention was focused entirely on matters related to managing and mitigating the pandemic and the economic distress it wrought.

Across the OECS our priority then was working hand in hand with our governments in saving lives and safeguarding

livelihoods.

Currently our region is experiencing the predicted second wave, which has left some Member States reeling. At this time, when Grenada and other Member States were beginning to navigate, though cautiously, the intricate balance between health and the economy amidst a pandemic; and to evaluate policy options to aid the implementation of strategies to protect the health of citizens, while simultaneously promoting economic recovery in this unprecedented global climate.

Dr. Jules added: Compounding the impacts of this health crisis on Member State economies is the behaviour that has been coined 'vaccine nationalism' – the race by countries to get first access to Covid-19 vaccines. This action by particularly wealthy nations could not only slow global health recovery but economic recovery as well and could potentially impact the region’s ability to secure the timely delivery of vaccines at affordable rates for OECS citizens via the global coalition COVAX – which was precisely formed to ensure that vaccine doses are secured for the world’s poor and vulnerable nations.

These disturbing trends by a group of rich countries point to the urgent need – more than ever – for concrete actions by the OECS to address the vulnerability of our small states through resilience building and other special support measures.

If ever there was a need for a coordinated, collaborative approach for a recovery plan following any major event – it is now. An OECS recovery plan, taking into account Member States’ special health systems and their respective economies, is necessary to further save our region from the catastrophic consequences of Covid-19 and similar events in the future.

The Commission acknowledges the profound contribution of Grenada toward the growth and development of the OECS family and looks forward to continuing in the service of the Government and people of Grenada in the ongoing quest for the realization of their development aspirations.l

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FAMILY MATTERS

13

Building Children’s Emotional Resilience Amid Uncertainty

F

or parents facing uncertain school schedules, new ways of working and concerns about the health and safety of their families, life in a pandemic is stressful enough. Add in the potential for children to feel overwhelmed or unable to cope with the unfamiliar and many families feel they are in no-win situations.

Keeping children home can help minimize potential exposure to COVID-19 but limits their contact with friends and teachers. On the other hand, sending kids to a center or school to learn and socialize with others can lead to concerns about exposure to COVID-19.

Parents can breathe easier knowing that child care programs with proper safety practices in place do not spread COVID19, according to a Yale University study that surveyed 57,000 providers nationwide.

“Families have much to consider when it comes to making a decision about what is best for them,” said Dr. Elanna Yalow, chief academic officer of KinderCare Learning Centers. “Fortunately, their fears quickly turn to relief once they see our health and safety protocols, the success we have had keeping our children and staff safe and how excited their chil-

“When COVID first started, my sweet, carefree child was upset and frustrated with life,” said Kristine Hall, a parent of an 8-year-old who attends KinderCare.

“As we prepared for third grade, it became clear we needed an ally in navigating this new abnormal. After enrolling in a KinderCare center, Connor now has friends to talk about and activities and crafts to show me.

He feels normal again.” dren are to be with friends and classmates.

Once you move past the difficult decision, the rewards are profound.”

When it comes to selecting the best option for your family, keep these considerations in mind: Putting safety first. When considering a center or school, make sure it’s not only following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health department guidelines when it comes to masks and social distancing, but look for additional safety measures such as restricted access to classrooms, health screenings upon entry, handwashing throughout the day and frequent cleaning and sanitizing.

Knowing the steps teachers and staff take to keep children safe can help confirm

you’re making the best choice for your family.

The social and emotional benefits to returning to school or child care.

According to a ParentsTogether study, nearly half of parents surveyed said their child is struggling with mental health or behavioral problems because of the pandemic. Children typically thrive with social stimulation and outlets for strong emotions, two things that are challenging for many families to offer right now.

School can provide children with a safe place to continue their social, emotional and academic development, enhanced by the opportunity for social interaction with people outside of their immediate families.

Making the transition easier. “Routines can be comforting to children,” Dr. Yalow said. “Just think about how excited they are to rejoin their friends and teachers after a typical summer break. We have seen that enthusiasm magnified this year as children have returned to our programs.”

Once children settle into a more typical routine, parents can feel a sense of relief seeing them engaged in learning and interacting with their peers and teachers.

When it comes to sending your child to school or a child care program during the pandemic, every family has to make the decision that feels best for it. When you’re ready, there are safe and engaging programs available for your child.l (FamilyFeatures)

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IMMIGRATION

14

Biden Admin Must End ICE’s Mass Deportation of Haitians

N

ew York, NY: Since February 1st, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported roughly 300 Haitians, with another shameful 1800 deportations expected in the next two weeks. ICE’s aggressive approach is in line with the Trump-era policy of targeting Black migrants.

Advocates are demanding the immediate intervention from the Biden White House.

“It’s no surprise that ICE kicked off Black History Month by terrorizing Black immigrants and tearing apart their families,” said Murad Awawdeh and Rovika Rajkishun, Interim Co-Executive Directors of the New York Immigration Coalition. “After all, this is the same agency that recklessly opened fire on a Brooklyn street and snatched up immigrant New Yorkers outside courthouses, schools, and off the street. Taking their cue from Trump’s contempt for Black and immigrant communities, this week’s actions prove that ICE is thumbing its nose at President Biden’s executive orders and directives by continuing its

mass deportation agenda. But the Trumpera is over, and the Biden administration must rein in this rogue agency. As the organization representing the state with one of the oldest and largest Haitian communities in the country, the New York Immigration Coalition demands that President Biden immediately end these deportation flights to keep New York families together, especially during a public health crisis.”

"We at Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees are outraged by the discriminatory deportations that continue to be carried out by ICE amid a global pandemic, a serious political crisis in Haiti, and a surge in kidnapping terrorism by government-backed gangs,” said Ninaj Raoul,

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Executive Director, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees. “In the same week that President Biden signed an executive order to launch a task force to reunite families separated by the Trump administration, this White House is deporting Haitians including children and infants in record numbers. This is a cruel contradiction that will further separate many families. It is simply careless and inhumane to deport individuals to Haiti, knowingly putting innocent people who have migrated to survive in harm’s way. These deportations are wrongheaded, and current plans to deport 1800 more Haitians to Haiti in the next two weeks must be stopped now."l

Calls for Immediate Halt to ICE Flights Containing Black Asylum Seekers

W

ASHINGTON, DC: FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today calling for ICE to halt deportation flights containing Black people seeking asylum, despite a moratorium on deportations issued by the Biden Administration: “It is important to be clear: the decision by a Federal Judge to place a temporary restraining order on the Biden administration’s 100 day pause on certain deportations absolutely in no way means that the Biden admin must—or should—be deporting Black asylum seekers to Haiti and elsewhere. As there appears to be some confusion around this, we want to be very clear: the flights can and must end immediately.

“The Trump administration did all it could to aim to wreck the ability of people surviving terrible conditions to apply for asylum at the US border. These efforts—like the Remain in Mexico policy, Title 42 expulsions and other efforts to eliminate the asylum system—are a stain on our country. The new administration must work tirelessly to repair these harms and stop future harm such as these deportation flights, as they work to build a humane and working asylum, migration and refugee system.”l FWD.us is a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential. For too long, our broken immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out of the American dream. Founded by leaders in the technology and business communities, we seek to grow and galvanize political support to break through partisan gridlock and achieve meaningful reforms. Together, we can move America forward.

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IMMIGRATION

15

Biden’s Deportation Moratium/ continued from page 1 plete review of all immigration enforcement policies.

The temporary restraining order will remain in place for the next 14 days while Judge Drew B. Tipton considers a broader motion for a preliminary injunction.

Importantly, the decision leaves in place other changes to immigration enforcement made on Biden’s first day in office, including new enforcement priorities due to go into effect on February 1.

This decision flies in the face of over a century of precedent making clear that the ultimate decision about whether to deport someone from the United States lies with the executive branch.

One of Biden’s first actions as president was to formally revoke a 2017 executive order that had made all undocumented immigrants a priority for enforcement. Biden’s new executive order also called for a review of “any agency actions developed” under that previous executive order.

In response, the Acting DHS Secretary issued a memorandum the same night calling on DHS to take 100 days to “coordinate a Department-wide review of policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement.”

Interim Enforcement Guidelines That memorandum also contained three significant changes to immigration enforcement. First, because the Trump

administration had effectively eliminated all previous “enforcement priorities,” the new memorandum instituted a set of “interim guidelines” for immigration enforcement.

Under the guidelines, which are set to go into effect on Monday, February 1, only three groups are considered a “priority” for enforcement: •Individuals who are suspected of terrorism or espionage.

•Individuals who entered the United States after November 1, 2020.

•Individuals convicted of an “aggravated felony” who are released from criminal custody after January 20 and who ICE believes are a threat to public safety.

In addition, the memorandum called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately halt all deportations for 100 days while DHS was carrying out its review, beginning on January 22.

The only people who ICE is permitted

to deport during this moratorium are national security threats, those who entered the United States after November 1, those who voluntarily choose to seek deportation, and those who the agency is required by law to deport.

Finally, the memorandum revoked a series of Trump-era policies that were the result of the 2017 executive order.

This includes a policy that required U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to put people whose applications for humanitarian visas were denied into removal proceedings.

Texas Challenge to the Deportation Moratorium On January 22, the day the deportation moratorium went into place, the State of Texas sued the Biden administration.

Texas’s attorney general claimed that a contract it had signed with outgoing Trump officials just days earlier required DHS to give Texas notice and an opportunity to comment at least 180 days before making any chances to immigration enforcement policies.

The lawsuit also claimed that the Biden administration was violating the Administrative Procedure Act by refusing to deport anyone during the next 100 days, and that the state would be “irreparably harmed” if ICE suspended deportations because Texas might have to spend money on emergency rooms or schools for people who would otherwise have been deported.

Despite serious legal problems with Texas’s theory that were raised by both the Department of Justice and the ACLU, a federal judge granted the emergency request on Tuesday to halt the deportation moratorium.

However, the judge did not rule that DHS was bound by the contract that the Trump administration had signed with Texas, acknowledging that Texas’s request to enforce the contract implicated issues “of such gravity and constitutional import” that it would be premature to rule on them.

Importantly, the judge did not restrict any portion of the DHS memorandum other than the deportation moratorium.

That means the new enforcement priorities set to go into effect on February 1 and the portion of the memo revoking prior Trump administration policies were not set aside. That raises serious questions as to whether DHS could simply choose not to deport some individuals on the grounds that they are not an enforcement priority.

The Biden administration will likely seek to get an appeals court to step in and halt this new order. If the Fifth Circuit court of appeals chooses not to intervene, the Biden administration could then go straight to the Supreme Court. And while the Supreme Court exercised extreme deference to the immigration policies of the Trump administration, it remains to be seen whether they will be similarly deferential to the Biden administration.l

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We Speak NYC Conversation Classes are now online!

We Speak NYC (WSNYC), developed by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, is an Emmy Award-winning English language learning program for intermediate level learners.

WSNYC provides civic-focused instruction through videos, education materials, community conversation classes, an interactive website, and now, in response to COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, We Speak NYC is offering online conversation classes!

Participants can register to be a part of an online community and safely meet people, learn about NYC services, and practice their English conversation skills with peers. Each class covers information on important topics such as workers' rights, healthcare, and workforce development.

Want to participate? Visit nyc.gov/learnenglish to find a class at a time that works for you!

https://wespeaknyc.cityofnewyork.us/wsnyc-online-classes/

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MONEY MATTERS

17

Does Money Harmony Equal Marriage Harmony?

BY CANDACE BAHR & GINITA WALL, CPA, CFP® WIFE.ORG

Being a couple means forming a bond that stretches way beyond the sweet romantic love that started it all. It’s building a future together, creating a new family unit, and making a commitment to help one another learn, grow, and prosper. Disagreements about money will come.

W

ith romance in the air, what couple could imagine that they would ever fight about money? Yet disagreements over money are a couple’s most common source of conflict. Finance is as fundamental to married life as the birds and the bees— but nothing can be more damaging to marital bliss.

What’s a couple to do? Check out these ideas for banishing money battles right from the start.

Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. For a marriage to succeed, both partners must work together financially and emotionally rather than competing. The key is communication, communication—and more communication. Talk openly and frequently about money matters.

Married partners are a financial team.

Open and honest communication helps

ward off conflict by keeping both partners on the same page. Both must share the information needed to manage the business of life. How much money is coming in? How much is going out?

What plans are in place for saving and investing? What future goals are both partners firmly committed to?

Once the lines of communication are open, it’s time to talk about control.

Having a plan for managing money—a budget, a savings plan, an investment

strategy—comes next. Of course, both partners will agree on the plan and both will share the tasks that make the plan work. One spouse might write the checks and the other might plan the investments, but each understands what the other is doing. Life brings plenty of financial shocks—from medical bills to job loss.

At least for a couple in control of their money, those shocks don’t have to come from inside the family. “Honey, I spent our savings on a motorcycle.”

Couples argue about finances more than anything else. Feelings about money can be hard to unravel and hard to talk about.

But once we begin talking, the door opens and we can walk through together.

Be polite, be kind, be humble, be forgiving, be able to laugh. The rules for financial harmony sound a lot like marriage vows, don’t you think?l

Candace Bahr, co-founder of WIFE.org.

With a career that spans more than three decades, Candace is known nationally as an advocate for women’s financial independence. Co-founder of WIFE.org, Ginita Wall is a financial expert, columnist and a nationally recognized expert on the subject of women and money.

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High blood pressure, diabetes & your heart Type 2 diabetes puts you at higher risk for heart disease, but there are steps you can take to lower your risk. Managing your blood pressure is one way to lower your risk of heart disease.

High blood pressure is anything above 120/80 mmHg.

What can you do?

Start simple

What’s the connection?

Ask your doctor to check your kidney function and blood pressure.

Adults with diabetes are

Know your numbers

MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE THAN PEOPLE WITHOUT DIABETES.

The combination of high blood pressure and diabetes drastically increases your risks. That’s why it’s vital to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

If you have diabetes, there is a lot you can do to manage your high blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor about your next steps.

Keeping your blood pressure and blood glucose in your target ranges is vital for your overall health.

Keep it up Take care of yourself with exercise, healthy diet and taking your medications as prescribed.

You’re not in this alone. Find answers to your questions and join the initiative at: https://KnowDiabetesbyHeart.org/join © 2020 American Heart Association, Inc. and American Diabetes Association, 501(c)(3) not-for-profits. All rights reserved. Know Diabetes by Heart is a trademark of the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. Unauthorized use prohibited. Citations available upon request.

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GENERATIONS

19

How to Convince Your Loved One Write Their Last Will & Testament to better address them if you know about them.

If you can get them to open up to you about it, then they may become more comfortable with the subject. It could also make it easier to get them to speak with an attorney who can address any issues.

BY CHRIS TOBIAS WILLSANDESTATES.NYC

H

ave you been trying to convince a family member to do their estate planning? If so, you know exactly how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be to discuss this issue with someone who keeps procrastinating.

Nobody wants to discuss anything having to do with their deaths.

Unfortunately, passing away without an estate plan can cause much stress on the family. This article will give you some practical steps you can take to broach the subject in a way that makes them feel more comfortable.

It's Not About Their Stuff When you bring up the subject of estate planning, it could be helpful to refrain from discussing their last will and testament. One of the reasons people procrastinate on estate planning is because they don't believe it has an immediate application to their situation. Nobody thinks they are going to die soon (and hopefully they're right).

Instead of bringing up the last will and testament, talk about other estate planning documents. These can include power of attorney and a living will. These

Bring It Up Often You don't have to have one long, drawnout conversation on estate planning. It might be a good idea to bring it up casually at different times. Here's an example.

At lunch one day, you casually mention how easy it was to get your own affairs in order. Or maybe you could talk about someone else you know who died without an estate plan and the impact it had on the family. are both documents that deal with being incapacitated.

You could bring up a news story that you heard about where someone was unable to make financial or health care decisions but didn't have a power of attorney or living will.

If your loved one doesn't have any of these documents in place, it may be easier to get them to consult with an attorney.

While the attorney is taking care of these

documents for them, they can actually persuade them to take care of their final wishes.

Ask Them What They Think Don't just tell them why they need to take care of their estate planning. It might be more helpful to listen to what they have to say about it.

Invite them to share their feelings about it. If they have concerns, you will be able

There are several ways you can bring up the topic without applying pressure. The more you do this, the more comfortable they may become with actually having a conversation about it.

Estate planning is not the easiest subject to discuss. If you are having trouble talking about this with your loved one, try using the tips in this article. l

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20

DISAPORA CONCERNS

Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Work as Well in Patients with Obesity? whether this altered immune response is also present after a COVID-19 infection.

And because of this, we want to know whether the vaccine will be as effective in patients with obesity for as long as other patients who do not suffer from this disease.

BY CATE VARNEY THE CONVERSATION

W

hen researchers began to develop what they hoped would be an effective COVID-19 vaccine, they already knew that H1N1 influenza – a novel virus, like COVID-19 – more severely affected patients with overweight or obesity.

Patients with a body mass index of 30 or above had a higher risk of hospitalization and death from H1N1.

This is not the first time such a link has been found. A 2017 study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered the flu shot was less effective in patients who had excess weight or obesity. This study included only 1,022 participants, but other small studies show similar results.

Flash forward to today, when the COVID-19 vaccine has been created, tested on more than 40,000 patients and is now being distributed across the nation. The data is promising; the two authorized vaccines offer more than 90% protection from the virus.

But doctors and researchers are mindful

of the H1N1 and UNC findings. As a physician who specializes in obesity medicine, I’m one of them. Now all of us want to know this: Will the COVID-19 vaccines be equally effective in patients who have excess weight or obesity?

Initial data shows this to be the case, but additional data will need to be collected after many more patients are vaccinated.

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What the research says The answer to this question is crucial.

Adult patients who have excess weight or obesity are among the most impacted

by COVID-19, and they make up more than 70% of the U.S. population. Indeed, as I read through the Pfizer vaccine trial data, I saw that very familiar group: 70% of the Pfizer COVID-19 trial participants, like the U.S. demographic, had overweight or obesity. A collective cheer from obesity specialists could be heard around the world for creating a group that best represented our current U.S. population.

COVID-19 has been devastating here in the U.S. for those with overweight and obesity, particularly younger patients.

Initially, doctors thought younger patients as a whole had less risk of severe complications due to their age. But for people younger than 50 who have obesity, the obesity negated the protective effect of age.

The COVID-19 vaccine is promising because it activates B and T immune cells, critical for long-term protection against viruses. B cell activity and levels have been shown to be lower in both mice and human subjects that have obesity following infections.

These immune cells can quickly produce new antibodies even if antibody levels fall over time and there are few left from previous vaccinations. Antibodies block the virus from getting into a cell and infecting it, but B and T cells destroy the virus-infected cells and prevent further replication of the virus and spread to other cells. But this may not be true for people with obesity. Researchers believe that obesity negatively impacts the function of the immune system.

Although patients with obesity can produce adequate antibodies, multiple studies show they have a lower level of those B and T cells following an infection with the H1N1 influenza. This can alter the typical immune response, leaving the body one step behind after the virus invades. An important question is

Vaccine still a must Even with this concern, patients with overweight or obesity should still get the COVID-19 vaccine. Even for those patients with obesity who receive the flu vaccine but still get the flu, there’s almost a 40% reduction in hospitalization and 82% reduction in ICU admissions.

In short, the data released from Pfizer and the FDA show the vaccine is not only effective in participants as a whole, but in particular, patients with obesity.

It is encouraging that Pfizer wanted to show the vaccine was just as effective in those who have excess weight or obesity.

Researchers are recognizing these patients are more at risk and now design studies to reflect that.

Behaviors that will help Two things might encourage people with excess weight or obesity to exercise and improve their dietary habits: Previous studies show a positive association between regular exercise before receiving a vaccine and your response to the vaccine, producing up to four times as more antibodies after being exposed to a virus or bacteria. This means that antibodies are higher in those who exercised prior to vaccine administration versus those who did not engage in exercise.

Also, it seems the type and amount of your gut bacteria may impact the vaccine response. Foods containing prebiotics and probiotics may assist with this and other disease prevention and treatment.

Prebiotics can be found in barley and garlic, while yogurt, sauerkraut and some cheeses contain probiotics.

More data is needed before we know precisely how patients with excess weight and obesity respond to vaccines when compared to the rest of the population. But that data is coming quickly.

Even just one year from now, we will look back and be amazed at all we have learned about COVID-19. From that research will come the knowledge we need to create a better way to deliver health care to all of us.l Cate Varney is a Clinical Physician, University of Virginia

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NYC, masks and social distancing are working!

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IN THE COVID-19 FIGHT? NOW, WE ALL NEED TO GET TESTED OFTEN, even with no symptoms, to keep reducing the spread.

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nHEALTH

nENTERTAINMENT

nRELATIONSHIPS

nRECIPES

Khadijah Halliday: Using Her Gifts to Raise Awareness on Mental Health

nSPORTS

Kitchen Corner

Family-Friendly Foods Fit for Lent

A Khadijah Halliday. Photo Source: OECS Pressroom

T

his month, OECS YES In Action caught up with Khadijah Halliday, a 19-year-old Spoken Word Artist and Writer tackling the stigma of mental illness in the Caribbean through empowering videos, poetry and prose!

Tell us a little about yourself.

My love affair with words began at a really early age. My childhood years were spent going to school for eight hours and then coming home to read for another eight. After devouring book after book, I had the epiphany that I didn’t need to always be the one being inspired—I could be the one doing the inspiring.

Via my own personal experiences, it became overt to me that words harbor infinite power. My notebooks— embroidered with threads of words painstakingly stitched together —are like treasures to me, in light of my knowledge of the miraculous, medicinal properties of words.

To keep a universal cure like this to myself would have been unforgivably selfish. This was the realization that propelled the creation of my online persona: AshSpeaks.

AshSpeaks is the virtual space in which I combine my two passions: 1) Mental health advocacy; and 2) Creative writing, particularly spoken word poetry. For me, Ash is the raw, unencumbered form of my human condition. Her Instagram page @ashspeaksagain, is essentially my diary. Ash bares the inner workings of her mind to the public. Her primary aim is to reach those who feel similarly so that less persons believe they are struggling alone.

People often ask me how is it that I can easily share such intimate parts of myself. I can easily answer, “Quite comfortably”. Once the vulnerability is contained in a quote or a poem or a spoken word piece, I have no reservations about sharing with the world. Apart from healing, words can also protect. Words protect me.

Ash or AshSpeaks is the product of unmatched vulnerability, naked emotion and phenomenal amounts of courage. I like to say that she is the unmasked version of Khadijah Halliday.l

Read the full story at www.cawnyc.com

nHOROSCOPE

s families ponder Lenten recipes fit for the season with flavorful seafood as a filling protein, one important aspect to take into account is the kid-friendliness of the dish. Offer up a dinnertime delight the whole family can enjoy with shrimp-based options that provide familiar flavors in appetizing ways.

For example, you can take your taste buds on an international trip with tasty Cuban Shrimp and Rice Tacos for an easy-to-prepare meal bursting with the flavors of citrus and herbs for a winning weeknight dinner. You can even increase the fun by serving with toppings like salsa, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and shredded lettuce to allow kids to garnish their tacos however they’d like.

Lime-Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice is an Asian-inspired option with additions of bok choy, lime juice, fresh ginger root and mango for zesty flavor. Both dishes require half an hour or less in the kitchen, leaving more time for family fun in the evenings.

Plus, you can add to the convenience of these meals by incorporating an option like Success Rice with its taste, texture and quality that help make mealtime a cinch. With its “Boil-in-Bag” cooking process that provides a satisfying shortcut, simply add water to a saucepan, drop the BPA-free bag into the water, boil for 10 minutes and remove with a fork for a

no measure, no mess timesaver that pairs perfectly with sauteed shrimp for Lentinspired dinners.

Lime-Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice 2 bags Success Jasmine Rice 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed 8 baby bok choy, trimmed and quartered 1/2 cup diced fresh mango 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice Prepare rice according to package directions. Let cool completely.

In wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook shrimp, bok choy, mango, ginger and salt, stirring, 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp start to curl and bok choy starts to wilt.

Stir in rice. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until well coated. Stir in soy sauce and lime juice. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until rice is heated through. (FamilyFeatures) l Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 4

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24

HEALTH

Ideas For a Safe, Healthy Valentine's Day Everyone Can Love

BY MICHAEL MERSCHEL AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS

F

ebruary is American Heart Month.

"Valentine's Day in a Pandemic" sounds like the title of a terrible album, or maybe the least-romantic date night movie ever. Unfortunately, it's also reality in 2021.

That doesn't mean the day can't be fun, said experts who suggested ways to stay safe while celebrating.

Dr. Alson Inaba, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, knows more than a little about matters of the heart: He was the first to teach CPR to the rhythm of "Stayin' Alive," an idea that spread worldwide.

For the sake of staying alive, nobody should forget the dangers of the coronavirus, he said. Even as people get vaccinated, they still need to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask, keeping a safe distance from people outside their household, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands and not sharing food and drinks.

But don't despair, romantics.

Inaba, who also has a knack for speaking in phrases that would be right at home on a Valentine's Day card, added, "It is still OK to share your heart, but be smart."

This is the year to get creative, said Maya Vadiveloo, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island.

Start with the way you think about that romantic dinner for two.

"It seems like now's a good time to revamp the stay-at-home date nights with

cooking a meal together, rather than going out to a restaurant, where you're potentially exposed to more people," she said. "If normally you would have gone to some exclusive restaurant, you can potentially cook one of those meals together at home and still set the mood" with a fancy table setting, candles and flowers.

Top chefs have been releasing recipes to try, Vadiveloo said. For those less confident in the kitchen, there's always takeout.

And yes, you can enjoy such a meal in

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Stacy Young Board Certified Holistic Health Coach Tel: 917-459-8431

a healthy way. People have an unfortunate tendency to go all-or-nothing on decadent foods, she said, but the key is finding balance.

Most of the time, you should have a heart-healthy diet – "primarily fruits and vegetables, heart-healthy oils, whole grains, legumes and other healthier sources of protein," she said.

But that doesn't mean you have to say no if your partner presents you with the traditional Valentine's fare.

"If you really enjoy, for example, a good French baguette, and that's what you're planning to have for Valentine's Day, perhaps starting with some (vegetables) first so that you're not starving once it comes time for the bread and the cheese and the wine," Vadiveloo said.

"And make sure you're having a reasonable portion."

That thinking applies to Valentine's sweets as well. "We see people getting these monster boxes of chocolates, and that's where the problem is," she said.

Consider getting a smaller box of a really good chocolate instead. Or maybe serve fondue with dark chocolate, "where you're also having fresh fruit with it."

The coronavirus remains a widespread problem, so this isn't the year to be out and about with your love, Inaba said.

"After your special dinner, relax at home," he said. His rhyme to encourage that: "Just chill – don't get ill."

Vadiveloo suggested an online cooking class or dance lessons for couples. For kids and families, it can be a good time to do something for other people.

"It doesn't always have to be food-related," or even focused on romance, she said. Families can try making their own valentines or other crafty projects, and surprising neighbors with them.

If people can find creative ways to celebrate that stay within Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, "we're going to bounce back more quickly and not have a Valentine's Day like this again next year," she said.

And, of course, Inaba has a rhyme for that, too: "Chocolates and flowers, dinner and wine, follow these tips, and you will be fine."l

Stacy@HealthCoachStacyNYC.com

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26

BOOKS & MUSIC

We Are Better Than This

K

nown for his poise, intellect, and influence until his death in October 2019, Elijah Cummings was one of the most respected figures in contemporary politics, a politician who held fast to his beliefs but was not afraid to reach across the aisle in the name of friendship and progress. Since his earliest days in government through his time as a representative and chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he proved his abilities as a politician who could operate at the highest levels of democracy, serving the people of Baltimore and illustrating the importance of working with—and for— the underdog.

Yet in his final years of life, Cummings recognized that democracy was the underdog. We’re Better Than This draws from Cummings’s own life to show the formative moments that prepared him for the disturbing first years of the Trump presidency and spurred him to hold the administration accountable for their actions. Weaving together the urgent drama of modern-day politics and character-defining stories from his past, Cummings offers a never-before-told perspective on how his personal history, coming of age in South Baltimore, laid the foundation of a life spent fighting for justice. He goes behind the scenes with the House Democratic leadership, offering an eye-opening chronicle of the grim realities of holding the Trump administration to account. Detailing this moment

“There was no greater friend to the poor, to the lost, to the left out, and to the left behind. If you want

Jamaican Chris Gayle Plans Serious Dancehall Career

to understand this great man, read his historic, important book and learn the lessons and values from his ‘moral voice crying in the wilderness’ on behalf of our American democracy.”

Gayle. Photo: Facebook

—Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) of unprecedented obstructionism by both the president and Republicans, Cummings presents a vital defense of how government oversight defines our collective trust, examining the dangerous precedent for both parties that exists if the executive branch remains above public scrutiny.

Part memoir, part call to action, We’re Better Than This is the story of our modern-day democracy and the threatsthat we all must face together, as well as a retro-

spective onthe life and career of one of our country’s most inspirationalpoliticians. As we approach another test of our democracy, the next race for the White House [Nov 2020], We’re Better Than This reminds people that in this country we don’t elect kings, and we cannot afford four more years of this false one.[Trump] The book goes on sale Sept 21, 2021.l —HarperCollins.com

J

amaican cricketer Chris Gayle is planning a serious Dancehall music career with the announcement of a new single and the launch of his ‘Triple Century Records’ label.

What began as a joke in 2020 with Dancehall artist Stylo G, has turned into a serious venture for Gayle, who is on the tail-end of a career as one of the world’s best batsmen in all three formats of cricket. ‘Triple Century’, which is also the name of Gayle’s Sports Bar in Kingston, is a play on the cricketer’s record-holder status among Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag as the only batsmen to hit 300 runs more than once in a Test match.

“I said Stylo-G I should be on that remix and eventually he turned up at my house and said he was ready. I said ‘what, it was a joke,’ Gayle recalled. “So anyway, we went to the movie theatre room (at his house) and he started to show me the ropes and eventually I delivered the music and it turned out to be a hit.”

Gayle took to Twitter earlier this week to announce his new single, Blessings, which set to be released on February 15, 2021, under the new label. l —dancehallmag.com

26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

27

Keeping a Balanced Life: The Ingredients to Emotional Health and care for you as well.

BY JENNINE ESTES ESTES THERAPY

E

motional health is influenced by our body, our mind, our actions, and our relationships. Social media is a strong presence in many of our lives. As I’ve scrolled through Instagram or built boards on Pinterest I’ve noticed that “health” boards and tags are more targeted towards our physical health – diets, exercise, recipes for lower calorie options or “tricks” to get rid of that “stubborn x, y, z.” Though I’ve seen some change (thankfully!) – mental health posts are harder to come by when you are searching “health” than physical health posts.

This got me thinking – especially as a therapist who focuses on relationship dynamics and emotional well-being – have we forgotten that emotional health is key to overall health? Positive relationships and the way you present yourselves to others are key ingredients to overall health. There are many aspects to overall health. Here are some things to work on as you try to better yourself and improve the relationships in your life:

1. Physical Exercise Yes, after all that I will start by saying: physical health is important. Exercise is a key component of that. Not only will you reap physical benefits like a healthy weight and heart health, but you can enjoy the endorphins that happen after a workout. Keeping fit helps you feel good. And feeling good makes it easier to have high spirits, keeps your energy up throughout your day, and improves your self-esteem. In turn, feeling good makes it easier to be patient with others and have a better disposition in your relationships. In the words of Elle Woods: “Exercise gives you endorphins.

Endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don’t kill their husbands.”

2. Grooming and Hygiene It might sound superficial but taking a few minutes to look your best in the morning can really turn your day around.

Feeling good about how you present yourself can give you confidence and boost your emotional health. You’re giving yourself the message that you are worth it. It might also affect the way others react to you. Who doesn’t feel good when they get a compliment about looking nice? Showing you care about yourself encourages others to show respect

3. Food A healthy diet obviously contributes to your physical health, but it can also improve your emotional health. Certain healthy foods give you a natural serotonin boost. This will help you feel happy and give you a sense of well-being. Sure, sometimes it’s OK to splurge on your favorite guilty pleasure like a piece of cheesecake but making a conscious effort to a balanced died will pay off in more ways than one. Our diet effects our energy levels, our skin, ability to concentrate, sleep, emotions, and self-esteem. Have you ever been hangry? Then you can understand just how much food can play a role in our emotions!

4. Spiritual Practices Spiritual and religious practices can help your emotional health by helping you ground yourself. They also encourage you to think about what’s important in life and what’s important to you.

Spiritual endeavors often focus on an improvement of self and benevolence towards others; two things that will give continued on page 28

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28

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS Keeping a Balanced Life/ continued from page 27 you a sense of well-being and calmness.

Finding a religious or spiritual community can also give you a sense of community and an outlet in times of stress. This could be joining a church, yoga class, online group, or following a guided meditation.

5. Friendships Friendships are a key aspect to emotional health. Feeling alone in the world can lead to anxiety, sadness, and even depression. Friends give you someone to talk to in times of stress, can help you work through problems, and provide love and comfort when you most need it. Knowing that you are loved and valued is vital to emotional health, so make an effort to cultivate meaningful friendships in your life. It’s not about quantity, just quality – don’t worry about having the most friends, just ones that really care and are supportive.

6. Relationship Health Having a positive relationship with your significant other is another essential to your overall health. We all know how having a bad relationship where you fight all the time can be so draining and make you lose sleep, feel sick, and just hate life. Positive communication with a partner who supports you and loves you will

do loads towards your overall health and a happy life in general. If you notice unhealthy patterns in your relationship, couples counseling can help you rewire the way you both act in the relationship, creating a more healthy dynamic and improving your emotional health.

7. Emotional Stability Regulating your emotions will keep you emotionally stable and improve your inner peace and sense of health. When your emotions swing or get taken to extremes, it affects your blood pressure and can cause insomnia, anxiety, and overall just make you feel terrible.

Gaining a sense of balance with your emotions calms your nerves and improves your overall health. If you are feeling depressed or anxious, meeting with a professional for counseling will help you gain coping mechanisms and learn how to create more positive habits.

Negative self-talk and thoughts can create real negative health consequences!

You need all of these factors to have emotional health. Don’t beat yourself up if you are lacking in one area but make an effort to work on improvement in that area and bring yourself to a more balanced and positive place.l Reprinted with kind permission. Visit www.estestherapy.com

5 Tips on Dating Successfully During a Pandemic

W

hatever your dating life was like before the pandemic, it's most likely changed due to the circumstances at hand. Thankfully, many online dating platforms are rising to the occasion, providing secure and safe ways for people to connect. In turn, singles everywhere are getting creative, figuring out how to learn more about each other before meeting in person.

For example, Bumble, the women-first social networking app, offers the millions of people on its platform the opportunity to video chat or voice call potential dates.

Even as pandemic lockdowns first began nationwide, Bumble saw video calls on their platform increase nearly 70% just from mid-March to early May. Here are some tips for mastering the art of virtual dating and navigating in-person dating first steps.

1. Switch up your means of communication Doing one video call after another is exhausting. Break up how you regularly interact with potential dates. Suggest a voice call one day, video chat another day, or stick to texting during the week.

You can also spare your thumbs the trouble and leave an audio message, which is available on various messaging services and platforms, including Bumble.

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2. Don't treat virtual dates like job interviews While it's common to ask questions about your date's life, there are ways you can interact without making it seem like a job interview. If there's ever been a time to get creative with date ideas, it's now.

Hop on a video chat, throw on your chef's hat, cook the same meal from home, and compare the results for some friendly competition. Feeling lazy? Order takeout from the same restaurant.

You can also offer a virtual tour of your place and ask to see theirs — or for less pressure, have them show you their view out the window, or ask them to introduce you to their dog or cat.

If you have several hours on your hands, trying to fill the void with conversation can be daunting — and awkward. Instead, set expectations and boundaries by saying, "I only have a half-hour to chat today" (with no excuse required). Once the time is up, you can politely excuse yourself.

Not only does this give you an escape hatch if things aren't going well, but it also gives you a break — and a chance to mull things over before you divulge every secret you've had since 6th grade if things are going great.

4. Have "the COVID talk" At some point, especially if you want to meet in person, it's necessary to discuss your level of comfort with social distancing. To avoid making the other person feel defensive, put it in terms of your lifestyle. Explain what health precautions you take, such as mask-wearing and avoiding crowds.

Everyone is going to have a different comfort zone. You don't need to apologize — you just need to be a good communicator! Make sure you're on the same page as your date before deciding to meet in-real-life.

5. Plan a socially distant first date (or two, or more) If you've ever seen a Jane Austen adaptation, you know that dating in the 19th century was all about taking walks. It seems like a good time to revive that fad!

Too cold for a walk? Maybe you can go ice skating or skiing. If you'd prefer to connect over a conversation during a more low-key date, bundle up or meet at a semi-sheltered location like an outdoor market. Just keep your distance from crowds — and keep that mask on!

At the end of the day, don't take dating too seriously! Dating is a form of exploration — it's supposed to be something that adds to your life. Take a break if you need it. And when you get back to swiping, you'll be able to bring a more confident self to the table.(BPT) l

3. Set time limits

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CARIBBEAN SPECIAL REPORT

30

A Second UN Term for a Champion of Causes Crucial to the Caribbean

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

U

nited Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has announced his availability to serve a second term when his current term ends on December 31.

Arguably, Guterres is the UN SecretaryGeneral that has paid the greatest attention to the concerns and challenges of the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Over the last four years, the policies and priorities he has vigorously pursued and tirelessly advocated have aligned with the interests of the people of the region.

When three Caribbean countries experienced grave destruction in 2017 and 2019, Guterres made it his business to fly to them, not only to witness the devastation but to make the world aware of the catastrophes, and to formulate plans to help.

Visiting Barbuda in 2017, weeks after the ravages of hurricane Irma, he walked with the people who had suffered in the disaster that left no inhabitable house and no functional building. Guterres told the world, “I have been in areas torn by con-

flict. In my own country, I have seen earthquakes, I’ve seen storms […] I have never seen such a high-level of devastation like the one that I witnessed in Barbuda.” Moving from Barbuda to Dominica, which was worst affected because its population was much larger, the UN chief declared, “the link between climate change and the devastation we are witnessing is clear, and there is a collective responsibility of the international community to stop this suicidal development.”

He immediately launched an agenda on the theme of connecting climate change to natural disasters. Justification for his campaigning and advocacy was bolstered two years later, in 2019, when hurricane Dorian demolished islands of The Bahamas chain. Again, turning up to focus world attention on the catastrophe, Guterres told global audiences, “hurricane Dorian has been classified as Category 5. I think it’s Category Hell.”

The secretary-general recognized the links between natural disasters caused by climate change, the accumulation of unsustainable debt by countries struggling to rebuild infrastructure and

effectiveness of vaccines for all, immediate fiscal and monetary support in both developed and developing countries, and transformative longer-term stimulus measures”.

Declaring that “Vaccines must be seen as global public goods – people’s vaccines”, Guterres told the world’s leading economic and financial leaders, “If developed countries think they will be safe UN Secretary-General Guterres. UN Photo/Evan Schneider if they vaccinate their own people while neglecting the developing world, they are wrong”. economies, and the crucial need for betHe argued that what is required is “full ter debt forgiveness; debt rescheduling; funding for the Access to COVID-19 and access to concessional financing Tools Accelerator and its COVAX facilifrom the International Financial ty led by the World Health Organization Institutions. He has championed this (WHO)”. stance relentlessly.

Countries in CARICOM, which now As recently as January 25, he told a have no vaccines and little prospect of Climate Adaptation Summit meeting in getting sufficient, under the existing The Netherlands, “We are facing a cliCOVAX program of the WTO to inocumate emergency. We are already witnesslate their populations, strongly agree ing unprecedented climate extremes and with Guterres’ position. volatility, affecting lives and livelihoods It is significant that he attended CARIon all continents. According to the World COM heads of government meetings in Meteorological Organization, there have 2019 and 2020 to hear their concerns been more than 11,000 disasters due to first-hand. weather, climate and water-related hazOn January 28, the secretary-general ards over the past 50 years at a cost of outlined his priorities. They reflect consome US$3.6 trillion. cerns expressed by CARICOM leaders, Extreme weather and climate-related including promoting vaccine equity, prohazards have also killed more than viding access for the world’s poorest 410,000 people in the past decade, the countries; combatting climate change vast majority in low and lower-middleand biodiversity loss; conquering the income countries”. grave impacts of poverty and inequality; And, he added, “We must expand the and strengthening multilateralism to provision of liquidity and debt relief ensure delivery of public health, peace instruments to developing and middleand a healthy environment. income countries that lack the resources Undoubtedly, there’s good reason for to relaunch their economies in a sustainall CARICOM leaders to take leaves able and inclusive way”. Guterres was from the books of Antigua and Barbuda’s commanding world attention to issues prime minister, Gaston Browne, who confronting the Caribbean region with pledged his support by letter to Guterres the authority that Caribbean countries on January 12, and British prime minisalone cannot muster. ter, Boris Johnson, who on the same day, He has also stressed that “The share for “warmly welcomed the secretary-generLeast Developed Countries and Small al’s decision to run for a second term and Island Developing States in total climate congratulated him on a successful first finance remains small, representing only term”.

14 percent and 2 percent of flows respecAntónio Guterres, by just doing his job tively”. In that context, he has argued for with fidelity to the countries he repre“support for regional adaptation and sents – including small states – has resilience initiatives, that would allow, proven himself very worthy of the debt-for-adaptation swaps for the unequivocal support of CARICOM Caribbean or the Pacific Islands and procountries. l vide much-needed liquidity to vulnerable countries in dire need”.

Similarly, since the middle of 2020, he Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an has been warring for developing counAntiguan Barbudan academic, diplomat tries, particularly small states, over the and former broadcast-journalist who is devastating effects of the COVID-19 the Ambassador Extraordinary and pandemic. In his unflagging champiPlenipotentiary to the United States and onship, on January 25, he told the World to the Organization of American States; Economic Forum in Davos, “Inclusive he is also non-resident High and sustainable recovery around the Commissioner to Canada. globe will depend on the availability and

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Your work is essential!

Protect yourself & others from flu and COVID-19 this fall and winter:

MASK UP

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Wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth.

And keep your distance (at least 6 feet) from others when you can.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever.

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season.

A flu vaccine can protect you, your loved ones, and your co-workers from flu.

You can also protect those around you by staying home if you are sick.

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