The Annual Interfaith Service held on Sunday 24th September, was a resounding success  Special thanks to all of the contributors who al presented very meaningful messages, A refreshment period was shared at the Trinity Episcopal parish hall following the event. You can see the video of the service                    HERE

Thanks to  Ms. Grace Walker for sharing her album of photos.

 PHOTOS 

Today marks the 112th anniversary of the birth of our Founding Father, Dr. the Honourable Eric Eustace Williams. His, is a rich legacy of service, vision, leadership and patriotism.

Dr Williams has been credited as an instrumental figure in leading the country to political Independence from Britain.

Williams formed the People's National Movement in 1956, and then won the national election, and became the chief minister of the country from 1956 to 1959, premier from 1959 to 1962, and prime minister from 1962 to 1981.

During his term as leader, he led Trinidad and Tobago into the Federation of the West Indies, to Independence in 1962, and to republican status in 1976.

As prime minister, Williams practiced what was called “pragmatic socialism,” which stressed the delivery of social services and public goods. He managed to improve education, and fostered unrivalled economic development in his 25 years as leader.

Dr Williams was also an author of great acclaim, and left behind a volume of Works which are still referenced today by academics and students alike. The Negro in the Caribbean (1942), Capitalism and Slavery (1944), History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago (1962), British Historians and the West Indies (1964), Inward Hunger: The Education of a Prime Minister (1969), and From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean, 1492–1969 (1970).

It was Capitalism and Slavery which was instrumental to the development of the Plantation Economic Model, and which helped shift the narrative on the reasons why slavery was ended, from one of humanitarian ambitions to an economic argument that the system was financially unsustainable.

Dr. Eric Williams remains one of the most significant leaders in the history of modern Trinidad and Tobago.

Born Sept. 25, 1911, he died March 29, 1981, at the Prime Minister's Residence in St. Ann's.

Dr. Eric Eustace Williams (September 25, 1911 - March 29, 1981)

#WeRemember #celebratingEricWilliams #wearethePeoplesNationalMovement

The Diaspora Arts Council. invites the DMV to join them in the Nation's Capital for DIASPORA FEST 2023, a one day festival of Caribbean-American Arts, Culture & Heritage.

FREETOWN COLLECTIVE is the headline act which comes to the DMV for the first time. Hot off their recent performances for SXSW, Nottinghill Carnival and UB40.

HOST: G NICE

EVENT DJ: MAJESTIC

DATE: Saturday 30th September 2023

TIME: 4:00 PM till 10:00 PM

LOCATION: FRANKLIN PARK, 1332 I St, NW Washington, DC

FESTIVAL CAST

• Freetown Collective
• RAE
• Eclipse Band
• DC Casineros
• Riddim is Life
• I & I Riddim Band
• DJ Majestic
• DJ Mystic Vibes
• DJ Fyah Oats
• DJ Trigga Half Krazy

PROGRAM CONSISTS OF:

• Live Music
• Craft Village
• Food Court
• Fashion
• Visual Arts
• Film
• Dance Performances

Get Tickets: www.diasporasfest.com

Former Trinidad & Tobago star soccer legend,  Jan Steadman shown left in his youth, is in need of our assistance. Jan Steadman is one of Trinidad and Tobago's first professional footballers paving the ways for others like Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy and every other professional footballer that has since followed in his footsteps. Jan successfully represented the NY Generals and NY Cosmos between 1967 and 1971. He was part of the NY Cosmos team that beat a Pele led Santos in 1971 which also included many players from Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning team. Jan moved to Brooklyn in 1973 and attended Brooklyn College where he obtained his bachelor's degree.

His coaching career began at Medgar Evers College in 1975 and continued to when he moved back to Trinidad and Tobago to coach St. Benedicts College, Caripichima Senior Comprehensive, San Fernando Government Secondary W. Connection youth teams and Naparima College. Jan has a passion for developing youth footballers and his crowning achievement was leading Naparima College to back-to-back national titles during the SSFL 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 season which included winning the domestic treble.

Shown here recently, Jan is a retired St. Benedicts teacher and a father of two daughters. He taught St. Benedicts from 1989-2007 and helped shape and transform the lives of many young footballers who came from socio-economic challenging backgrounds. He helped them to see football as a tool to help them get out of a life of poverty in environments surrounded by crime. He gave them hope and a father figure to look up to when no one else did. He believed in them and supported them emotionally, spiritually, financially and physically. 

For those who know him personally you can testify that he is an excellent human being with a big heart. He has been there for thousands when they needed him and now, we are asking others to be there for him in his time of need. He is currently diagnosed with heart failure, kidney failure, hypertension (high blood pressure) and sever plaque in his feet that affects his ability to walk independent of a cane.

If you know Jan, you know he is a fighter and will continue to defy the odds and he has done himself and taught so many others to do. 

We are appealing to the community of fand to assist to pay off medical bills, buy medication, facilitate continued medical visits while in Trinidad, follow up visits to the US to see his doctors and help him with day-to-day living including transportation. His recovery will not be a sprint, but a marathon so his needs will continue to grow past 2023. We appreciate and thank you for any assistance you can afford. You can do so by clicking on the button to take you directly to the GoFundMe page.

DONATE

Ambassador Dennis Francis took the oath of office as the President of the 78th Session of the 2023-2024 term of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday 5th September at 10:33am.

Ambassador Francis has had a career spanning approximately forty years in the diplomatic service and has been the longest serving Ambassador of his country. He has served a Trinidad & Tobago's Principal representative in Jamaica and Geneva and is highly respected and admired, not only within the Diplomatic Community, but also at the highest levels of major international organizations,

This was the first time in the history of the UN that a national of Trinidad & Tobago has held such a position, and it represents an historic achievement for our national profile and diplomacy.

The Trinbago diaspora extends its congratulations and expresses its pride in this accomplishment.

The CAFE BACK TO SCHOOL ORIENTATION has been postponed until Saturday 16th September due to building accessability.

CAFE is a youth based program which uses the visual and performing arts as a catalyst to develop passion and discipline for learning, leadership and academic achievement. 

Based in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, CAFE, which has been in existence for over 25 years has had a DIRECT IMPACT in music literacy especially in the development of young steelband players in the area, many of which, under the age of  30 have been directly or indirectly impacted by the program. 

The program has been impacted by the likes of Leon 'Smooth 'Edwards, Maureen Clement, Marc Anatol, Francis Richards, Patrice Francis, Malika Green, Adam Grise  and Josanne Francis, just to name a few.

Founded because one child wanted to give up piano in favor of the steelband, after attending a steelband class during a summer vacation trip to her parent's homeland in Trinidad, the program has strived and stayed focused on developing the youth, taking its kids around the US, to Trinidad and to Senegal and maintains the focus of using the steelpan to teach discipline, and to encourage academic achievement. The program also features academic tutoring, robotics, history, and health & Wellness.

Suffice it to say that the result has been that most of its graduates are proficient in reading and many of them in the Washington DC pan fraternity can stand toe to toe with the best, performing in panorama competitions around the US and Trinidad & Tobago. Many of the players of the  leading DC steelband, Panmasters Steel Orchestra continue to be comprised mostly of CAFE graduates, all of whom are musically literate. 

If you are looking for a safe space for your child between the ages of 5 to 17  to learn to play and to be supported academically contact CAFE for their back to school orientation. See more at www.cafeyouth.org

• Event Name: Trinity-Bishops Alumni Associations Day Party 2023
• Category: Soca Event
• Event Venue: Juste Lounge (formerly Mix Bar & Grill)
• Event Start Date & Time: October 14, 2023 04:00 PM
• Event End Date & Time: October 14, 2023 09:00 PM
• Timezone: America / Eastern Daylight Time