Tag Archives: Jamaica

Afrika’s Struggle Meets the Jamaican Minister of Tourism and other Notables at NYU

April 9, 2025 - Events

The Jamaican Consulate in New York invited me to an Exclusive Fireside Chat with Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

The Jamaica Tourist Board sponsored the fireside chat with Jamaica’s Minister in partnership with NYU’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality.

Moderated by NYU Professor Dr. Donna Kelly, the conversation spotlighted tourism resilience and the future of global travel, drawing on insights from Minister Bartlett’s latest book, Decoding the Future of Tourism Resilience.

The Minister convincingly illustrated the positive direction Jamaican tourism is taking despite the current interesting times and challenges on the horizon.

The Hon. Edmund Bartlett even deftly and gingerly navigated challenging questions (e.g., the living wages of the tourism sector’s rank-and-file workers, public access [i.e., monetized or not] to Jamaican beaches, and others).

As a self-proclaimed Jamaica-firster, I argued that Jamaican tourism will be fantastic in the short and long run.

Alas, when do we bring back our beloved Air Jamaica? I kid!

Please see the pictures below:

Karl A. Mitchell is with the Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Karl A. Mitchell is with the illustrious Starkist Tuna Heir and Reggae Mogul American-born Joseph Bogdanovich. He is currently the manager/partner of arguably the King of Dancehall, Vybz Kartel, who is currently touring in NYC. Mr. Bogdanovich plans to write a review of my book.

Karl A. Mitchell is with the legendary, multi-talented Jamaican artist, Althea Stephanie Hewitt.

 

 

 

Afrika’s Struggle in Jamaica for a Funeral

March 27, 2025 - Events

Meeting a Schoolmate

The Head of the Economics Department at UWI, with a print copy of the book, Afrika’s Struggle: His Experiential Journey.

The above picture shows the Hon. Dr. Una Clarke, OD, and her husband, Leslie Clarke. Mr. Clarke is a retired architect and planner, and the Hon. Dr. Clarke is a retired NYC politician on the CUNY Board of Trustees. They are the parents of US Congresswoman Dr. Yvette Clarke, OD, who holds a senior leadership position in Congress. They welcomed me into their palatial home after the funeral. I received excellent hospitality with pomp and circumstance. Believe it or not, this upstanding couple is in their nineties. The Hon. Dr. Clarke is a distant relative of Jamaican Heroine Nanny of the Maroons. I am a Maroon via my father’s father.

It’s a small world: I ran into a retired colleague and close friend who divides his time between Jamaica and New York.

Even if you visit Jamaica for only two days, you must make time for the beach on the north coast.

Outside my hotel sits a VW van that Bob Marley and his band owned. The Bond car featured in the first James Bond film, which was written and filmed in Jamaica.

In my hotel room lies an album by the legendary Bob Marley.