Caribbean-Americans honored at People Profile Awards
It was a night of Caribbean achievement and excellence at this past weekend’s inaugural People Profile Awards, held at the Sunrise Civic Center. Inspired by popular interview series, People Profile, this red carpet affair launched by Dr. Allan Cunningham shined the spotlight on the many individuals among the Caribbean-American community who inspire, motivate and educate.
As the recipient of the Business Figure/Public Person award, Jamaica’s Consul General in Miami, Franz Hall, praised his dedicated staff, recognizing them as the real winners. Meanwhile, Eddy Edwards – founder of the Jamaican Jerk Festival, received his award for the Entertainment event of the year. He expressed shock and jubilation upon receiving his award, as he too attributed his success to others in his organization. Jephtah Thomas, the winner of the Courage Award, also expressed how happy he was at the quality of the show and that it had exceeded his expectations.
The night also gave way to a host of entertainment from accomplished artistes. The evening spirit was kept light thanks to the guidance of MCs Paul Johnson a.k.a. “Mr. Flavors” and Kelly Smith, who both delighted the audience with comical and political satire. The stage show also included stellar performance from Mia Rahm, Mical Russell, King Bantan, Twiggi, Suzanne Sultry, Michael Schloss, and Kidson Barnes. Papa Michigan was magical and was a crowd favorite, while dancehall icon Yellowman took down the house, taking patrons down memory lane with a slew of his popular hits. While Yellowman received the Lifetime Achievement Award, he never shy away from his fans. He did a masterpiece performance and chants of “more, more, more” became like a theme song from the energetic audience.
The 2016 People Profile Awards team include: stage director Roy Campbell Chester Bishop, Anthony D’Oley, Mark Cameron, Judith Cunningham, Sophia Allen Hendricks, Horace Cox, Tricia Chung Foster, Jannice Davis, Claudine Forester, Andrea Hall, and Sonjahtu Martin. In addition to honoring members of the community, the event also raised funds for charities such as the Coalition of Jamaican alumni Associations, the Jamaican Diaspora Legacy Foundation, the Opal Davis Lunch Project and the Tom Joyner foundation.
