I WAS invited for the second year to attend the TNJ 40 UNDER 40 Awards in Manhattan. I was a special guest of  Rosalind McLymont, Executive Editor for The Network Journal.
The Network Journal was launched in June 1998. The Network Journal’s 40 Under-Forty Achievement Awards honour men and women under 40 years old whose professional accomplishments have significantly impacted an industry or profession, and who also have made important contributions to their communities.

A “TNJ 40 Under-Forty” honoree typically is a business owner, or a management executive with significant decision-making authority in the corporate, non-profit (including academia and medicine), or government sector.
I was a proud Guyanese in that audience cheering for all the honorees, but more so, for the Guyanese- Americans; Jermaine , National Basketball Association; Damien Hooper-Campbell, eBay Inc. (his father is Guyanese) and Attorney ? Aubreana Stephenson Holder.JD?, Federal Management Systems Inc.

I am so proud of my friend Rosalind McLymont, who is also a Guyanese and is one of the main persons at TNJ, New York’s premier Black Professionals and Small Business Magazine and is also CEO and Publisher of AfricaStrictlyBusiness.com. She is such an inspiration to many women and we are trusting to have her join us for INSPIRE YOU next year for Women’s Month.

I also attended an Art exhibition called  LIMINAL SPACE at the Caribbean Cultural Centre African Diaspora Institute in Harlem curated by  Guyanese Grace Aneiza Ali and featuring Guyanese artist based throughout the diaspora including Kwesi Abbensetts,  Damali Abrams, Khadija Benn, Victor Davson, Stanley Greaves, Carl Hazlewood, Dominique Hunter, Michael Lam, Donald Locke, Andrew Lyght, Suchitra Mattai, Christie Neptune ,Karran Sahadeo, Keisha Scarville Arlington Weithers and the talented film maker Mason Richard.

We have talented Guyanese all over the world and it is a great feeling when they are acknowledged.
Walking through the exhibition and looking at those artistic expressions told so many stories. Arts and culture are super important to any society, but most times are overlooked. Imagine a society without the influence of the arts and you will envision a sad society, because art is about crossing boundaries and seeing things in different ways. It can be a vehicle for understanding social issues and building social cohesion. These activities can fuel community and economic development given the opportunity. I am optimistic, even in the midst of the many challenges the creative sector encounters. We need more people with vision to believe we can do amazing things.

I love this quote from the bible: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” I also love this Myles Munroe Quote: “I think that the greatest gift God ever gave man is not the gift of sight, but the gift of vision. Sight is a function of the eyes, but vision is a function of the heart.”

I believe you need to genuinely have appreciation and LOVE from the heart to have a desire to elevate this sector.

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