As a Hilarian, she was taught to be of service to her community while achieving and sustaining academic excellence. And, as a member of the enlisted corps in the US Air Force, Ayana Simone Hodges has been able to live those ideals.
With the Air Force’s core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do, Hodges has found a mirror to the ideals and principles she was introduced to as a child.
“I have been grateful to have had numerous opportunities to build partnerships within communities in the States and abroad, mainly through outreach efforts focusing on disadvantaged children and youth and events aimed at strengthening relations with our host nation,” she told WMN.
Now, after 21 years of service, Hodges has been promoted to senior master sergeant (SMSgt), a rank which by law, is only granted to two per cent of the Air Force.
But going into military service was not her intention when she left TT at age 16. Back then, she had planned to study business and entrepreneurship, and be with her father and older sister who worked and studied in Long Island, New York.
She graduated from Bishop Anstey High School in 1999 and did the SAT exams (for US college admission). She was looking forward to starting her tertiary-level education at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as to spending time with her father, Anthony Stewart-Gilkes, who had moved there two years before in order to advance his career opportunities, and sister who was studying there.
Things did not work out as she had planned because circumstances changed. Instead, she found herself drawn to the idea of travelling, adventure, health benefits, education, and camaraderie, while making a positive impact. Her cousin, retired Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa Matthews-Grant was a captain in the Air Force at the time and, after doing some research, she decided to join thinking she could ask Matthews-Grant for any advice if necessary.
“I’ve always been someone who loves adventure and trying different things. Anything to do with travel, meeting different people, seeing new cultures, that has always been my thing thanks to my mother, Kathleen Stewart-Gilkes, who, from a very young age, exposed my sister and myself to different countries and being very open-minded to people in general.”
So, in 2000 at age 17, Hodges, who is a US citizen, joined the Air Force.
She told WMN she thought herself fit and did not think the Air Force would be as physically demanding as the army or marines. In TT, first in St James, Belmont and then Chaguanas as her family moved, she played tennis, danced, and was generally very active.
At five years old she started playing the piano and fell in love with classical music. She began classical training and continued until age 16. At age seven, while attending Sacred Heart Girls RC, she started taking ballet and modern jazz classes with Heather Henderson Gordon and continued dancing with Carol La Chapelle. In addition to the piano, she studied the steelpan and voice at Pan Piper’s Music School in St Augustine under the tutelage of Louise MacIntosh.


“I’m not somebody to shy away from a challenge or meeting people or immersing myself into something different. So, I said to myself, ‘okay, I’ve done all these things. Even though this will be something new, I think I’ll be okay.’ But I wasn’t ready for it. It was pressure!”
She said basic training taught her how to follow instructions while paying attention to details. But most importantly, it taught her and her fellow recruits to work as a team.
“You as an individual are not going to be good at everything. You might be good at one thing but your teammate might be good at another. If you come together and identify everyone’s strengths and help each other out, then you spend less time getting your things organised. It’s about getting you to see yourself as an airman and not as a civilian and to operate as a unit.”
She described the time as different and challenging but rewarding, and that feeling has continued throughout her career. Some of those challenges stemmed from her being a woman, a West Indian, or a person of colour. They caused “major setbacks” in her career and had a negative impact on her, but she was able to stay positive and continue to grow individually and professionally thanks to her faith, family and a strong network of extended family.
“I was able to remain positive, maintain a firm belief in myself, and turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. While difficult at the time, I believe these unfortunate experiences helped prepare me to be a positive role model for others who might find themselves in similar situations.
“I am happy to say the Air Force as an organisation has identified its shortcomings and is making great strides to build a strong diversity and inclusion initiative across the enterprise; something I am very passionate about and proud to be a part of.”
Another unexpected but positive turn was meeting the father of her two children in the military. Her son, Jaylen Hodges, 13, is “a wizard” with animals and science, and daughter, Jayla Hodges, ten, is also highly intelligent and interested in the arts.
Hodges said at times military life can be difficult for her and her children, particularly when they are separated due to deployment or being stationed in another country. Over her career, she has had deployments and assignments to Kansas, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Pakistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea where she is currently stationed.


“Without a doubt, as a mother, it has been challenging to be away from my children for months at a time, or in some cases over a year. Technology has assisted in easing that burden, but navigating time differences in an effort to communicate on a consistent basis is an ongoing challenge.”
The children’s father is a contractor in Kuwait and cannot assist, so when she is deployed or has remote assignments where family is not permitted, her relatives step in. They either stay with her sister, Nneka Green, in Virginia or in Trinidad with her family. And when stationed in the US, or whenever family is allowed, they moved with her.
“Everything that I do, I do for my kids. At the end of the day I know I’m doing this, making sacrifices, for their best interest and it has and will continue to benefit them.” They have had many opportunities many children have not. They have travelled and been educated in other countries, attended the best schools, and experienced many different cultures.
“I am extremely blessed and extremely grateful to have the type of family support that I do. It’s not often that a military member’s mother retires to support you when you have your first child, leaves their home country and flies to a different country to spend up to six months at a time every time their child needs support. And my mother has done that for me throughout my entire career.”
Hodges’s records went to the Air Force board in January; she was selected for the position of SMSgt on March 16. She has no intention of transferring from the enlisted corps to being an officer because she has a passion for people and prefers to deal with them in a more “hands on” capacity.


“While I have to say I am filled with nothing but utter admiration and respect for our senior leaders and policy makers, my strength lies within my abilities to train, mentor, motivate and develop our airmen. As an enlisted leader I have the ability to directly contribute to the growth of the younger airmen regardless of their career field.”
She said the Air Force provides her with the space and resources to develop and uplift airmen and help them reach their full potential while cultivating essential resiliency skills.
“That brings me tremendous joy and satisfaction. The fact that I am able to work with people from varied backgrounds and cultures as well as different agencies and organisations has enlightened my experiences and broadened my perspective on team dynamics and team building.”
She is a wing inspections team member, master resilience trainer, and diversity and inclusion facilitator for the wing, helping to promote, educate and ensure a culture of respect and dignity throughout the organisation.
She is also a sustainment services flight superintendent who oversees the logistics and day-to-to operations of three dining facilities, two hotels, a post office and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. This has allowed her to pursue her interest in business, as the position allows her the freedom to be creative and expressive while providing products and services which satisfy consumer needs and enhance overall purchasing power.
“Additionally, nothing excites me more than analysing, solving problems and seeing a process successfully completed from start to finish. And multiple leadership and management courses have been afforded to me as a benefit of being a member of the US Air Force.”
Hodges would love to be a United Nations ambassador when she retires. She also intends to continue working in her community, developing young people, while being an active Hilarian alumni supporting Old Hilarian Association endeavours and projects.
“It is important for us all to recognise no matter where folks may come from, or what they might look like, their value is immeasurable, and we were all created for a higher purpose. So never judge a book by its cover, but rather strive to see how someone’s gifts and talents can be utilised for the greater good. This will require that we aspire to see beyond the surface or beyond that exterior layer.
“Additionally, keep faith in whatever you believe, for anything is possible with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Dare yourself to see each obstacle as an opportunity to grow in that moment for what is yet to come. Essentially, learn to embrace all forms of adversity. Lastly, be fearless in the pursuit of that which sets your soul on fire and unapologetically, spread your wings and fly!”
Source:  Newsday  April 4, 2021

​Trinidad-born scientist Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted was awarded the World Food Prize 2021 on Tuesday 11 May, 2021.
The announcement was made by US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken and Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture.
The World Food Prize is the most prominent global award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development and confronted global hunger through improving the quality, quantity or availability of food for all.
Thilsted, who was born in Reform Village, attended Naparima Girls’ High School before going on to earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Tropical Agriculture in 1971, from the University of West Indies, St Augustine.
After graduating, she worked as the first female agricultural officer at the Ministry of Agriculture in Tobago. While in Tobago she met her husband Finn Thilsted, a Danish citizen, and would migrate to Denmark with him.
In 1980 she received her Ph.D. in Physiology of Nutrition from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, where she worked for many years.
Her research focused on food and nutrition security in many developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa.
Since 2010, she has been a researcher at WorldFish, headquartered in Penang, Malaysia.
WorldFish is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
Thilsted's husband Finn is a former Danish ambassador to Bangladesh, Kenya and Nepal.
Source: World Food Prize Foundation

An Indigenous author's children’s book has found an unexpected audience after landing on the New York Times bestsellers list.
Manitoba’s Tasha Spillett-Sumner told CTV News she was stunned when she found out her book had landed a spot on the coveted list.
"I was so surprised to find out that our book had launched right to No. 3 on the New York Times bestsellers list," Spillett-Sumner said. 
Her book, "I Sang You Down from the Stars," spent a week on the bestsellers list, which Spillett-Sumner said is an honour not given to many authors, let alone ones who are Indigenous, make the list.
However, that appears to be changing as more Indigenous voices continue to gain international recognition.
Children’s book "We Are Water Protectors," written by Indigenous author Carole Lindstrom, has been on the prestigious New York Times list for the past 11 weeks.

Spillett-Sumner's book tells the story of the universal experience of motherhood through the eyes of an Indigenous mother-to-be in what can be considered a love song to the main character's unborn child.
The picture book tells the teachings of seasons and traditional medicines that make up the sacred medicine bundle in preparing to welcome her first child into the world.
"That's how I was raised -- immersed in our cultures and our traditions. It's really important to me. It's formed who I am," she explained.
The book's illustrator, award-winning Michaela Goade, is also Indigenous.
Spillett-Sumner is a mix of Cree and Trinidadian heritage, which she said is reflected in the way she crafted the book's story.
"I come from two identities, one of which people were stolen from land and one of which land was stolen from the people," she said.
Growing up in Winnipeg, Spillett-Sumner said she faced adversity in getting to where she is today and was doubted in the past.
She recalled an experience when she was in Grade 7 and was told by a teacher that she would not succeed in a career in writing, despite her passion for it.
"I have a very specific memory of being a young person in public school… and having the teacher call me to her desk side, and sitting me down and telling me, 'Tasha, you're never going to be good at writing. So you should focus your attention else where'," Spillett-Sumner said.
Now, Spillett-Sumner said she plans to continue writing children’s books while she finishes her PhD.
Source:  CTV news, April 23, 2021

​If you were a child of the 80s and stumbled into adulthood in the 90s, you will recall the lone television station TTT, the Panorama newscast, and its weatherman for our two seasons – Robin Maharaj.
Maharaj was the one who educated us about the evil Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (the ITCZ), the approaching storms, and that the waves were probably going to be two metres high in open waters, and one in sheltered areas.
Even the worst weather news, Maharaj, dapper in shirt jack or suit, delivered with an engaging smile and perfectly groomed sideburns and pompadour.
His most memorable moment on TV for us, of course, would be his 'Rain in dey muda$$ tonight!', comment that accidentally went live, a line so perfect in its Trinidadianess that it lived on…long after TTT died.
Around the time State-owned TTT went out of business, Maharaj vanished from public view.
And when CNMG went on air, there were new weathermen and women to tell us about how hot or rainy it was going to be tomorrow. And we would hear nothing much of Maharaj, until earlier this month, when the rains of biblical proportions began the night before Divali and lasted for six days.
Maharaj became a meme, and middle-aged Trinis demanded his return, with long discussions about his forecasting ability and the need for people with expertise to share reliable information before we were all washed into the sea with the fridges and car parts. We found Robin Maharaj. He lives thousands of miles away. But he has been following local events for decades. And his life has been epic. This is his story:

Dades Trace is tiny agricultural-based village near Rio Claro that was once connected to Port of Spain by the railway lines of the Trinidad Government Railway. When the railway system closed in 1968, the village suddenly became a distant place. (You can read about this place in the Express story titled “Defending the Bridges”).
This is the birthplace of Maharaj, born October 1942, educated in Rio Claro and academically gifted enough to make it into the Naparima College in San Fernando. Maharaj would go on to get his credentials at the Caribbean Meteorological Institute in Barbados and Pennsylvania State University in the United States.
He told us: “I joined The TT Met service in 1964 as a Meteorological Assistant; then trained at the US Naval Base in Chaguaramas to man and operate the US upper air weather station when the US Navy left in 1966. Became a meteorologist in 1972 following a two year training course in Barbados, at the Caribbean Meteorological Institute.
My job in the TT Met Office was mainly weather forecasting for aviation and maritime services, as well as making local public weather forecasts. Importantly, I first did the TV weathercast on TTT on Sept 5, 1972. My last was on December 17, 1999. In between,
I completed around 4,000 on-air forecasts, comprised of individual local, international and special occasion forecasts and interviews. In 1999, I left the TnT Met Service where I was Chief Meteorologist, and also the TTT Chief Meteorologist, to take up a job as a Senior Meteorological Scientific Professional at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), at its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. WMO is a UN Agency.
This posting was feather in the cap of Trinidad and Tobago, as the job was advertised globally. The government of the day showed appreciation by awarding me the Medal of Merit for my local career in meteorology, at the 2000 Independence Day Ceremony. At the WMO, my experience, research and expertise in both meteorology and weather broadcasting were utilized in coordinating and organizing global activities and training in weather forecasting, weather broadcasting, and devising/designing and packaging weather office products for a wide spectrum of public users.
And most importantly, I was tasked with assisting Met Services in the developing countries to boost their capabilities in severe weather forecasting and warning, with a view to promoting the safety and security of populations and property. This entailed direct training, preparation of training manuals and use of whatever scientific, professional experts/expertise we could garner from member countries, on projects. It was a great experience and my wife Grace and I enjoyed our stay in Switzerland. The job entailed lots of travel and that was a bonus.
I retired in 2005 and we migrated to Minnesota, USA, since our only two children, (two boys, the older - Gary - being a highly respected, veteran CEO of biomedical engineering device companies; and the second - Glenn - is a biomedical engineering expert working in research and development), and grandchildren, reside there. Our grandson is a cardiologist and one granddaughter, also a physician.
Residing near the core family in the USA was merely a decision to be with our family and see our grandchildren grow, not just to not return to Trinidad. In retirement, I continued by being very active in the meteorological and environmental sciences, and did produce work and advice in these areas. In addition, over the years I have also written articles and letters to media in different countries, including TT, on pertinent topics and issues, not only weather-related. I am a strong defender of things meteorological, and that includes the Trinidad and Tobago Met Service.
My advice has been sought by a few meteorological services in consultative capacity. You may recall the energy accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, initiated primarily by the tsunami following the Tōhoku earthquake on 11 March 2011.
After the nuclear event, my opinion was sought on Fox News TV here in the USA about the prospects of the spread of radiation in the USA. Excerpts of the interview were played for two days following.
While my interest in meteorology remains high, I have pursued another interest that is more in line with health and lifestyle plans. When I did my first weathercast on TTT in 1972 I weighed 135 lb. When I completed my last weather report 27 years after, I was 165 lb.
The TV screen was challenged for space and by age 61 in 2003, I was hitting the scale at over 185 lb. The UN Medical Staff in Geneva, Switzerland, began predicting a range of possible health issues if I did not lose the excess avoir du pois. My wife, Grace, who kept active and controlled her weight since we met in High School, began insisting I allow her to take control, which she did. She designed a rigid regime of exercise and diet to preempt the dismal forecasts of the UN Doctors and carve a path to my good health. My exercise was primarily walking fast, and long distances on outdoor trails. Under her guidance,
I lost 30lb before I retired in 2005. When we migrated to live in Minnesota, USA in 2005, I took personal charge of my exercise regime and walked through all seasons, up to 340 days yearly, completing up to 2,500 miles annually, and my weight dropped to 140lb by 2007. During the winters in MinneSNOWta I faced temperatures down to minus 35C, with wind chills below minus 50C. It took true grit and gumption. Then I fell on the ice a few times during the winter of 2011 and the family decided I must not walk outdoors when it is icy. So, I joined a nearby gym in my 70th year.
I changed to walking three days weekly between April and October (warmer) and doing gym on the other days. Grace is with me always at the gym, and several times on the walking trails. At the gym my weight increased a bit as I am getting a bit muscular. I weigh 145lb today and I feel strong, healthy and positive. News of my distance walking have spread to several colleagues, friends and relatives.
Some call me Mahal, after the famous Trini walker of yester years. But there was a difference over the past 5 years since I started walking between 3am and 4am, in predawn dark, giving me free reign in our safe and well-lit community, and at a rate of 4 mph. When it dawns, I hit the trails around the lakes here and I would complete between 12 and 20 miles, up to three times weekly, before breakfast. On occasion, and for special reasons, I have completed walking marathons in the past few years.
How long can I keep this up I have no way of predicting but I see no way that I will give up my current lifestyle. We no longer diet – we eat sensibly. Just say we eat with moderation in moderation. Over the years I used to cook occasionally for the family. In retirement, I do all the cooking. Grace cleans, does laundry and instructs me. We limit oil, fat and carbohydrates. We burn lots of calories daily through exercise and maintaining a high metabolism. We do not eat out, not at McDonalds or in restaurants.
​I do not eat it if it is in a pack. I drink only water, not even coffee. Of course, we cook versions of TRINI MEALS but we eat based on the saying, IN THE MORNING EAT LIKE A KING, FOR LUNCH EAT LIKE A PRINCE, BUT FOR SUPPER EAT LIKE BEGGAR. Earlier this year our gym chose Grace and me as the Valentine's Day couple.
I keep active around the house as a handyman, landscaper, fixer of anything, so call me a Jackofalltrades. I remain alert and physically strong, lifting heavy things and taking them up the stairs. I am pushing the envelope and trying to show that being 75 is not as limiting as many think. It has been a wonderful life, one that has been rewarding in many ways. The one I wish to mention is the public recognition of my work in weather; that approval helped me improve and to fine-tune my talent.
There were times when I might have invited opprobrium, but the kind people stressed my strengths, abilities and talent, and led me to believe in myself. This went on for the period 1972-1999, when I was the public face of the TT Met Service, and I definitely appreciate the public esteem and kindness over that time. To find that some people remember me on TTT, or from having met me in my public role, is most touching.
The internet is a wonderful means of communication and from time to time I am regaled with funny stories or pictures reminding me of my weathercasting days. The one that keeps recurring carries the headline RAIN IN DEY MUDDA ASS TONITE.
Did I say that?
Let me tell you what the true story is.
While standing by to get the Floor Manager's cue to go ON AIR, and waiting for a commercial to finish, I was asked by the crew leader to give a final test on the microphone.
We were always joking and kicksing during breaks so I tested the mic by speaking and summarized the forecast by saying IS RAIN IN DEY MUDDA ASS TONITE.
It was a test, not on air. But the Director had the channel ON AIR.
Blooper? Not really. This was in July 1994, if I recall well. DJs and Calypsonians made mincemeat of that and I got news from several people over the years, of the line becoming mostly famous, rather than infamous.
But I know I am not remembered for that only. I keep reading of Trinidad's excessive floods resulting for heavy and persistent rainfall, and causing havoc and suffering. Rainfall is an act of nature. I also venture to say that some floods due to heavy rain are unavoidable eventualities.
The sheer volume of water is way too much for the natural drainage systems. But the latter are modified by man, his public works, engineering, construction of buildings, roads and pavements. In the process the ground component of the water cycle is severely corrupted and even annulled in places, causing general incapability of the landscape to cope with heavy rainfall, and leaving many people quite vulnerable to property damage and loss of life.
I am certain everybody knows the cause of the problem; I am also certain that the solution is known to authorities with the appropriate responsibility. However, it takes care and understanding of the related issues, and a will and intent to solve the flooding problem.
Posturing in government, among officials and regulators prevents flood mitigation. Evidently, there is need for a comprehensive analysis of every square foot of ground to create a data system to help analyze the related hydrological issues peculiar to localities. It means measuring and documenting everything from land shape and form, geology, tree and shrub cover, drainage, human dwelling and agriculture etc.
With that in hand, and with a knowledge of the historical behavior of heavy rainfall in locations, planners can then define what public and environmental works are required to prepare the area from severe flooding. And too, what regulators must insist residents do to prevent and/or cope with dangerous flooding. I am certain that no such comprehensive endeavor has ever been made in Trinidad.
Indiscriminate and unchecked land development, along river basins and on the hill slopes have aggravated flooding. Any action leading to changing of the behavior of surface water flow needs to be regulated and controlled. There are regulations in the books but inadequate regulators to enforce the rules and laws. Even so, bribe-taking corrupts the system allowing for rampant disfiguration of the landscape and flooding.
Ordinary people need to take action to force the authorities to do their work and ensure flood attenuation and diminishment.   Source:  Daily Express, March 29, 2021

“Growing up my grandmother – God rest her soul – used to say that ‘You feel you’s an actor or wah?’ So I like to think she always knew. Now as she looks down, she sees where I am and is smiling,” Chad said.
The Trinidad-born New Yorker has appeared in several US television series and may be on his way to becoming the small screen’s next leading man.
Usually, he plays colourful villains and supporting characters, but while the main protagonists get more screen time, his edgy bravado keeps the audience engaged and wanting more.
Chad has had roles in some of the most popular shows in modern television including Power, The Get Down, Orange is the New Black and The Punisher, and insisted he’s just getting started.
In an online interview with Sunday Newsday, Chad, born Quincy Chad Francis, spoke about his Trinidadian roots, acting career and goals for the future.
His parents were Morvant natives but migrated to Canada before landing in Brooklyn, New York.
“The area in Brooklyn, Flatbush, where we lived is like a mini-West Indies. The neighbourhood was full of Caribbean people so the culture was quite present. Backyard cookouts and fetes were quite prevalent growing up. The Caribbean culture travelled pretty well, besides the weather of course.”
Despite the biting cold of the US east coast, Chad said the weather made him appreciate visits to Trinidad for Carnival with his mother, something he enjoyed growing up.
Eventually the family would move again from their multi-cultural neighbourhood in New York to Connecticut where Chad would have his first encounter with racism.
“The schools I attended were predominantly white.
“I was one of maybe two students of colour in my classes. None of the other students ever heard of Trinidad. ‘Is that the same as Jamaica?’, ‘So you’re like Jamaican?’ Those kinds of silly questions were common.
“Unfortunately, in high school there were other instances of ignorance to my culture and racism, but my brother and I were able to adapt and excel in both academics and athletics, as the great equalisers.” 
As a multi-sport athlete in high school, he competed in basketball, (American) football and track and field taking his athletic prowess to Wesleyan University, Connecticut, where he served as captain for the school’s football team.
His skill made him look towards a professional career in the National Football League (NFL) until an injury derailed his plans.
This twist of fate while disappointing was a watershed moment in Chad’s life as it introduced him to acting when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who nurtured his talents.
In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
His life took a different direction when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who took an interest in him and nurtured his acting talents. In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
Chad played the part well, garnering praise from Pittsburgh theatre critics who commented on his convincing portrayal.
“Jim Brown was an activist, a football Hall of Famer, who also was an artist at heart and he later became an actor. The parallels were truly art imitating life in a sense,” he said.
Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 220 pounds, Chad’s imposing figure has led him to be cast as crime lords, construction workers and soldiers.
He appeared in a 2016 episode of the Punisher where he played ruthless mercenary Spencer Geiger.


In his most recent role Chad plays Big Deon, an intimidating Crips gang-member on FX’s crime-drama Snowfall, a critically acclaimed series currently in its fourth season detailing the spread of crack cocaine in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Even with a number of acting notches on his belt, Chad, while grateful for the opportunities, said he still has a lot of work ahead of him before he can feel as if he has “made it” as an actor.
“Being recognised for my work is something I am extremely grateful for. I liken it to building a house, the foundation is being set right now. Let’s see how it ends up.”
Despite his impressive physique, Chad is more than just muscle as he holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and intends to continue his studies even as he pursues his acting career.
The road to fame has not been an easy one, as Chad recalls times where he had to juggle the responsibilities of having a nine-to-five job while trying to get roles in plays to build his catalogue and reputation.
He also admits while most Caribbean parents tend to encourage their children to pursue more traditional professions, his family eventually warmed up to his acting career.
“They are all very proud, which isn’t exactly how it started. We as a culture tend to look at more conventional careers as the path to success. Doctor, lawyer, finance, etcetera but it’s all love now.
“I think once they saw my talent and how hard I was working to make things happen the respect and support flowed abundantly.”
These days Chad lives in Los Angeles but despite being so far away from home, he highlights his Trinidadian roots any chance he gets even getting a tattoo of the TT flag on his chest.
“I think I can thank her (his mother) especially for never letting us forget our culture.
“She made sure we wear it as a badge of honour. That is why I have the flag tattooed on my chest. I couldn’t be any more proud of where we come from. I try to make it back for at least every Carnival if I can.”
If Chad represents what a Trinidadian can accomplish with hard work and perseverance then the enthusiasm he gives his characters represent what audiences around the world have to come to love about his brand of acting: athleticism, boldness and a
sense that you know him.  Source: Newsday, April 2021

Trinidadian-born Dr. Anthony Kalloo has become the new chair of the Department of Medicine at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center, effective April 1.
Born and raised in Woodbrook, Trinidad, Kalloo attended Woodbrook Presbyterian before moving on to Fatima College. He then entered the teaching service and taught science, physics, and chemistry for one year at St. Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain.
However, his heart was in medicine and he went on to graduate from UWI with a medical degree and later completed his residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC.
Today, Kalloo, 68, is a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He has also directed of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital for the past nine years. In his career which spans near 35 years, Kalloo has also been the recipient of many awards and accolades for his contribution to medicine. Among them were the distinguished educator of the year award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Caribbean American Heritage Award (CARAH), which he received in 2009 for excellence in medicine.
He has multiple patents and ideas that are now in practice in gastroenterology and endoscopy, but to date he records his proudest accomplishment as his breakthrough discovery called Notes (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery).
Dr. Kalloo is the Department of Medicine’s 39th chair since the founding of Maimonides Medical Center in 1911. Source:  The New York Carivibes, April 13, 2021

An interesting podcast about Growing up Caribbean   Click here 
or copy this link and paste it into your browser: ​https://anchor.fm/shona-bramble?fbclid=IwAR2_7XF15st-HuX6lmZpKiJYi80rgS6U6DAKNwJ6ciGFnwJ5ta3lthTQwzw

Abby Phillip, CNN's senior political correspondent and the new anchor of Inside Politics, is among TIME's 100 Next, a list of emerging leaders who are shaping the future.
Phillip, a first-generation American born to Trinidadian parents, June and Carlos Phillip, was listed among the Phenoms alongside the likes of Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, actor Rege Jean-Page and Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido. 
In a brief statement on Phillip, her colleague April Ryan, CNN's political analyst, described her as a fresh face, but not new to this game.
"She has learned that covering the White House is very D.C.-focused. However, she is keenly aware that in covering any beat, you need input from the rest of the country and the world. She understands you have to hear and see the people to hear and see the story as it is really happening.
Speaking to Lisa Wickham, co-host of the TT Now Morning Show today, Phillip said she fell in love with journalism while at college where she wrote for the campus newspaper. 
After graduation, she worked at a news organisation called Politico.
"I think the way that I moved forward in my career is saying to myself I am just going to do this for as long as I can and if I hit a dead-end then I can't go any further but I will try to do this for as long as I can. I have been very lucky that people have given me jobs and that the industry has survived and thrived since I left college," she said.
Phillip said she was born in the United States but lived in Trinidad until the age of eight with her parents.
"Trinidad has always been home for me, that's where most of my family has been for most of my life," she said, noting that she has returned in the past few years to see her relatives.
Phillip said she misses the food the most especially being able to pick mangoes off a tree to eat. 
Talking about her entry into Harvard University where she studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Government, Phillip said her application essay was about growing up in Trinidad and being raised in a multicultural family. 
Source: The Loop, Feb 2021

If you have seen Firefly Lane on Netflix, chances are you would have seen Brandon Jay Mclaren in action.
The 40-year-old actor was born in Canada to a Grenadian father and Trinidadian mother.
Mclaren plays Travis on the new Netflix series which was the number one trending show in Trinidad and Tobago and across the world. The series is based on the bestselling novel by Kristin Hannah.
Mclaren’s character is not featured in the novel but was written in the Netflix series.
As Travis, Mclaren plays an earnest love interest to Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) one of the stars of the series along with Katherine Heigl (Gray’s Anatomy).
This is his first Netflix series and has garnered him a lot of attention. 
He told Loop News that even though he appeared on a show called The Killing which was nominated for six Emmys, the buzz around this show is different from anything else he has experienced.
“There is something different about Netflix because it is sort of like a shared viewing experience. Everyone could watch it one time and everyone talks about it one time so there is a certain energy around a Netflix show more than anything else I have experienced,” he said.
Speaking about the experience on the series, Mclaren said he has worked a lot with Chalke in the past who he described as one of the funniest people he met.
“I used to watch her on Scrubs before my career really started to take off and I was such a fan and to be able to work opposite her I find myself pinching myself in the middle of a scene,” he said.
He said both Chalke and Heigl are fantastic actors.
Confessing that he is yet to watch the series, Mclaren said they had a lot of fun and laughter during the filming which wrapped last February.
Despite his busy schedule, Mclaren finds time to visit his family in the Caribbean and hopes to travel to the region soon. 
Mclaren was last in T&T during Carifesta in 2019 where he conducted an acting workshop.
It was his first trip back since 1999 but Mclaren visits Grenada annually where he is part of a charity there called Reach Within. 
He helped to raise US$20,000 for the charity when he ran the New York marathon in 2019.
Mclaren has been acting since the age of 12.
“My mum put me in commercials when I was 12 in Canada and in the first year I got in five commercials and when I got braces they said to call back when the braces came off,” he recalled.
He took a break from acting when he won a full soccer scholarship to play football in New York at the University of Albany.
He said he wanted to act again but his mother told him to forget about it and finish his degree in Human Biology.
“In his in last year, I got a role in a play and I said maybe I will take a year off after University and I went back to Vancouver. After the first year, I got commercials and that turned into one-liners and two liners, I have been lucky. “
Mclaren has had roles on television shows such as Chicago Fire (NBC), Slasher (Chiller Network), Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (Bravo), Falling Skies (TNT), Harper's Island (CBS) and The Killing (AMC), for which he was nominated for a 2012 Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series.
He did three seasons as Oliver Yates on CBS’ Ransom and starred as undercover agent Dale Jakes on USA’s Graceland which was his favourite role.
“I loved the cast, the creator Jeff wrote for my character in such a way that it was a full human being,” he said.
Mclaren won a Best Actor Maple Ward in 2015 for that role.
The actor is currently in Vancouver filming a reboot of Turner and Hooch which will air on Disney+ later this year.
He said he has plans to tell Caribbean stories and currently has a project in development that he described as a Caribbean forward story.
He said: “Now more than ever people are open to diverse stories from people that look different with different experiences. I am trying to take whatever momentum I can and parlay that into doing some more behind the scenes in producing and developing stories that empower people like us.”  Source:  T&T News, Feb 2021

Garvey in new movieLOOP ENTERTAINMENT CREATED : 27 FEBRUARY 2021ENTERTAINMENTWinston Duke

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedInShare to WhatsAppShare to MessengerShare to EmailShare to TelegramShare to More18Winston Duke will portray Marcus Garvey in an upcoming movie.
The Tobago-born actor, who broke into global fame playing M’baku in The Black Panther film, will portray the Pan-Africanist in the Amazon movie Marked Man.
The movie will be directed by Andrew Dosunmu.
According to Deadline, the film is said to be partly inspired by the Colin Grant biography Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey. 
Set in the 1920s, Marked Man follows a young black man who joins J. Edgar Hoover’s Federal Bureau of Investigation and then infiltrates Garvey’s UNIA organisation, testing his loyalty to both race and country as he grows weary of both men’s actions.
The script is by acclaimed playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah.
Marcus Moziah Garvey was born on August 17, 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica.
He was the leader of the Pan-Africanism movement, which sought to unify and connect people of African descent worldwide.
He was the founder of the Negro World newspaper, the Black Star Line shipping company, and the Universal Negro Improvement Association, or UNIA, a fraternal organisation of black nationalists.
Garvey died at the age of 52 in London in 1940 from complications brought on by two strokes.
Commenting on the role, Duke said on Instagram that he was honoured as a Caribbean man to portray Garvey.
He wrote: “Man, where do I begin. As a Caribbean immigrant, activist, and global citizen, one of the most seminal stories in my development has been the words and works of Marcus Garvey. Today I am blessed to announce that I have the opportunity to bring his story to life, along with a kick-ass crew of collaborators. It’s not lost on me how important and meaningful this is, not only for the generations that already know his contributions to the Black liberation landscape but for those who have yet to know and embrace him and what he stood for. Can’t wait to step into this one and bring you all along for the amazing journey. Source: T&T News, Feb 27, 2021