Social Impact with Emma » United States : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Debating in Jamaica: Style Over Substance?

October 11th, 2016

OK, so there are two sides to a debate. Can you really set down rules for an argument between two people? What, really is a “win”? Don’t we each decide who won for ourselves? I pondered over this while sitting on the rooftop of Phoenix Central – the smart, angular building on Phoenix Avenue that […]

Brexit Bytes

June 27th, 2016

This morning I was a guest on Television Jamaica’s Smile Jamaica with Dr. Jermaine McCalpin of the University of the West Indies. We attempted to make some sense out of the conundrum that is “Brexit” – last week’s referendum on whether to leave the European Union – despite the early hour. I fell back on one […]

Women in Business and Politics: Finding a Safe Space

May 20th, 2016

The room was packed. In the end, we were squeezing chairs into small spaces, and it grew rather warm. The occasion was a discussion on Promoting Women in Business and Politics: Pros and Cons, organized by the 51% Coalition and Women Business Owners, in Kingston. Perhaps there more “cons” than “pros” arose during the conversation, which was […]

Freedom is a Process, Says Farmer and Cafe Owner Anne Bailey

December 23rd, 2015

“I know it’s hard for Jamaicans to change their eating habits,” says Anne Bailey, smoothing down her apron. “It takes time.” Dr. Bailey has just opened a café in Kingston’s busy Half Way Tree area. It’s a café with a powerful message, as its name, Forever Free suggests. Tucked away upstairs in a small plaza, it offers a […]

Is Sports Intended to Unite Us?

August 25th, 2015

Watching the World Athletics Championships in Beijing over the weekend, I started philosophizing to myself about sports in general – and athletics, in particular, as it relates to Jamaica. What is the point of sports, actually, in today’s world of doping and company endorsements and social media, with every sports personality tweeting about him/herself? What […]

Watergate, CARIMAC and the Pursuit of Truth

May 12th, 2015

I arrived early and made my way around rows of still empty seats. As I sat down, I noticed the evening sun was still shining on the tops of the hills surrounding the Mona Campus, which was already in shadow. I took a photograph of the hillside with my new camera – my very first […]

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