Celebrating Jamaican Independence Day

The New York City Council hosted its annual Jamaican Independence Day Celebration on Wednesday, August 19 in the Council Chambers of City Hall. This year’s celebration —co-sponsored by Councilmembers Leroy Comrie, Dr. Kendall Stewart, Larry Seabrook, Letitia James and Mathieu Eugene — observed the Caribbean nation’s 47th anniversary of independence by paying tribute to the contributions of immigrants to this nation and by honoring local Jamaican-Americans. The Consul General of Jamaica, the Honorable Geneive Brown Metzger, was on hand to deliver remarks.
This year’s ceremony was dedicated to the memory of several Jamaican-American New Yorkers whose recent passing affected their community deeply, including the late Evelyn Coke, a Queens’ resident and homecare worker who brought a lawsuit to the Supreme Court on behalf of homecare workers nationally, who are routinely denied fair wages and benefits.
This cultural gala, attended by over 500 enthusiastic Jamaican American city residents and their guests, featured presentations of City Council proclamations to several distinguished women and men of Jamaican heritage who have achieved success in various professional and artistic fields. This year’s honorees were:
• Lloyd Chung – for more than 20 years, he has been the director of music for the annual religious celebration of independence, sponsored by the Jamaican Consulate, at many major churches in the New York Metropolitan area;
• Sophia Cohall is the “First Lady” of the Lenox Road Baptist Church, Brooklyn, where her husband, the Reverend Dr. Kirkpatrick G. Cohall is the Senior Pastor.
• Charissa Fernandez has been Chief Operating Officer at The After-School Corporation (TASC) since 2005.
• Marilyn Freemantile is the owner of Flowers By Marilyn in Cambria Heights. She is a member of numerous civic organizations and regularly provides after-school jobs to local youth and contributes free floral donations to funerals of indigent families;
• Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Today, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill operates a chain of over 115 stores in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Maryland and North Carolina with several other stores under construction;
• Leonie Logan serves as Block President of the East 40th Street Progressive Block Association in the Flatbush-Midwood section of Brooklyn;
• Patricia Reddock – the East Flatbush resident is the president of the 67th Precinct Community Council and chairperson of Community Board #17’s youth services planning committee;
• Michele Rodney, a practicing attorney and Dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Monroe College in the Bronx;
• Major Vincent Terrelonge is a proud member of the historic Tuskegee Airmen and served with honor and distinction in World War II. He also enjoyed a successful career in the New York City Transit Authority; and
• Dr. Keith Elijah Thompson is the founder and Pastor of Bronx Miracle Gospel Tabernacle Inc.
Consul General Brown Metzger also was on hand to bestow honorary Jamaican citizenship upon Queens’ businessman Kenny Lewis, who was honored for his philanthropic activities in the community. Lewis is the owner of two Subway franchises in the Jamaica area. He is a board member of the Southern Queens Park Association (SQPA) and, along with his wife and business partner Lorraine, have made philanthropic contributions to numerous causes.
“The celebration of Jamaican heritage by the City Council is the recognition of our city’s great mosaic,” said Comrie, the son of Jamaican immigrants himself. “In every sector, whether it is the arts, business, education or politics, Jamaican Americans have worked for the betterment of our community. These honorees are representative of the diverse and distinctive contributions Jamaican Americans are making to our city and nation.”