Monthly Archives: June 2021

JetBlue Is Launching New Nonstop Flights to Antigua Caribbean Journal – Caribbean Journal

Posted: June 28, 2021 at 9:52 pm

JetBlue is kicking off a new route to Antigua and Barbuda next week, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The fast-expanding carrier is launching its first-ever service from Newark-Liberty International Airport to Antiguas VC Bird International Airport.

The new service, which begins July 3, will operate three times each week, with service on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays.

The addition complements JetBlues existing service out of the wider New York area, which already includes flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Its part of a broader Caribbean expansion first announced by JetBlue in February.

And its never been a better time to visit Antigua and Barbuda, which has seen a strong tourism rebound after being one of the first destinations to reopen amid the pandemic back in June 2020.

So what do travelers need to know?

In one of the simpler-to-execute entry protocols in the region, all travelers have to do is show proof of a negative PCR test taken and received within seven days of their flight to Antigua.

Children below the age of 12 dont need to take a test.

Visitors may be required to undergo testing on arrival or at their hotel or place of lodging as determined by health authorities.

And the wearing of face masks in public spaces is mandatory throughout Antigua and Barbuda, along with social distancing protocols.

All visitors need to complete a health declaration form on arrival.

So what will travelers find?

Theyll find a vibrant, open destination, home to some of the Caribbeans leading hotels and resorts (like the spectacular Hammock Cove). a vibrant dining scene (Sheer Rocks is a must) and the beginnings of a renaissance in Barbuda, where Robert De Niro just opened his first Caribbean restaurant.

For more, visit Antigua and Barbuda.

CJ

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Conservatives Are the Ones Attacking Free Speech at Universities – Jacobin magazine

Posted: at 9:52 pm

Australian conservatives claim that woke students and leftist academics are creating an Orwellian atmosphere, silencing honest academic debate. They present themselves as the guardians of free speech on campus. In June, education minister Alan Tudge warned universities that if they did not implement the governments preferred code of conduct, ostensibly designed to protect freedom of speech, the courts would make them do so.

The code to which Trudge was referring is the product of a 201819 review into freedom of speech and academic freedom commissioned by his predecessor and carried out by chief justice Robert French. The French review came after a right-wing culture war around freedom of speech on university campuses and a series of reports on academic freedom launched by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a right-wing libertarian think tank.

The Australian rights strategy is almost identical to that of its counterparts in Britain. Having overseen years of disastrous cuts to higher education, the Coalition is now waging a war on academic freedom. Their goal is to clamp down on left-wing speech and activism, marginalize progressive academics, and push university education to the right.

The French review found few actual cases in which activists had undermined free speech on campus. Instead, it observed that recent incidents reported in the press

do not establish a systematic pattern of action by higher education providers or student representative bodies adverse to freedom of speech or intellectual inquiry in the higher education sector.

The review did, however, conclude that even a limited number of incidents . . . may have an adverse impact on public perception of the higher education sector which can feed into the political sphere. Far from exposing censorious students and academics, the French review drew attention to the role the media has played in stoking a moral panic.

Nevertheless, the report recommended a code of conduct known as the French model code. It recommends that external parties should not restrict lawful speech by staff, students, or invited speakers. Academic staff and students, the report insists, should not have their intellectual inquiry and their ability to express their opinions or engage in public debates constrained by opponents of free speech.

The authors of the report explicitly rejected the idea of imposing the code on universities. Despite this, Australian minister Dan Tehan felt that universities werent adopting this voluntary model code with sufficient enthusiasm. In response, he commissioned a further review in August 2020, conducted by former Deakin University vice chancellor Sally Walker.

Of the forty-two universities surveyed by the Walker review, thirty-two had implemented the French model code although not all had adopted the reports full list of recommendations. Only six universities reported they had no plans to implement the Code.

In March, Parliament passed the Higher Education Support Amendment (Freedom of Speech) Act 2020, in line with this recommendation. A Sydney Morning Herald article hinted at the ulterior motives behind support for implementing the bill. The article outlined how the government negotiated its definition of academic freedom with Pauline Hansons One Nation Party. In return, the right-populist party committed to supporting other government bills, including the Job-Ready Graduates legislation that raised university fees for many courses.

The Australian right imported the claim that universities are beset by a free speech crisis from the United States and UK, where similar moral panics have come to dominate politics. As the story goes, snowflake students and left-wing academics have created an Orwellian culture. Allegedly, a mixture of cultural Marxism, identity politics, and postmodernism has inspired the anti-liberal turn in student politics. This confected crisis has focused on the tactic of no platforming, which aims to ban, disinvite, or disrupt objectionable speakers.

In the UK, the National Union of Students has had a no platform policy in place since the mid-1970s, applied mainly to openly fascist or racist groups or speakers. But conservatives have raised increasing alarms about it over the last decade. They have pointed to the 2015 attempt to disinvite Germaine Greer from speaking at Cardiff University over her transphobic views and the disinvitation of former home secretary Amber Rudd at Oxford in 2020.

The British Conservative Party has also criticized Cambridge University for revoking a fellowship given to Noah Carl, who had previously argued that the debate about race, genes, and IQ was being stifled. These, cases, they claim, prove that universities are increasingly intolerant toward conservatives and gender critical feminists.

This narrative has little basis in reality. Following renewed media coverage, in 2017, then UK universities minister Jo Johnson launched a parliamentary inquiry into freedom of speech at universities, conducted by the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR). The JCHRs final report found that although there had been some incursions on lawful free speech, there was no evidence of the wholesale censorship of debate which media coverage has suggested.

The JCHR report did, however, call for greater intervention against student unions that inhibit lawful free speech. It recommended that effective action should be taken against protestors who go beyond the law in attempts to disrupt or shut down events. The report suggested that the newly created Office for Students publish an annual report on free speech at universities.

Under the leadership of Boris Johnson, the Conservative Party have pivoted toward an increasingly right-wing, populist politics. In its 2019 manifesto, the party pledged to strengthen academic freedom and free speech in universities. Johnson modelled his approach on recommendations from right-wing think tanks such as Policy Exchange. The Guardian described the research methodology underpinning Policy Exchanges findings as laughable.

In February 2020, UK education secretary Gavin Williamson warned that the government would intervene if universities did not implement its freedom of speech reforms. By the time the Tories had introduced legislation to Parliament, they had already initiated a wider war on woke. They have targeted historical research critical of the British Empire, as well as institutions like the National Trust and the BBC.

Instead of following the JHCR report, the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2021 fell largely in line with Policy Exchanges recommendations. Most troublingly, it extended legislation applied to universities to student unions, previously accused by the government of subsidizing niche activism. The government also mandated that the Office for Students appoint a director of freedom of speech and academic freedom (colloquially known as the Free Speech Champion).

The act further empowered the right by making it possible to launch legal proceedings over alleged infringements on freedom of speech. As David Renton has shown, this has the potential to generate a multitude of court cases. These would effectively lead to campaigns led by wealthy right-wing donors intervening in university politics in the name of free speech.

During this period, the Johnson government demanded that universities adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which can be used to label all robust criticism of Israel as antisemitic. The man who first drafted that definition, Kenneth Stern, has strongly opposed its use for disciplinary purposes. Johnsons defense of the IHRA was part of his governments wider crackdown on alleged antisemitism on campus. Absurdly, at the same time, universities minister Michelle Donelan suggested that universities should permit Holocaust deniers to speak on campuses, provided they werent straying into racism.

Australian conservatives are following the same playbook. In February this year, as the senate debated the governments Higher Education Act, Liberal senator Claire Chandler claimed:

Reports into academic freedom and censorship in the UK have shown that radical activists within universities are generating and coordinating formal complaints and protests that agitate for academics to be fired or deplatformed. Too often the response by the university in question is not to support the academic freedom of its own academics but to give in to a Twitter pile-on. As a result, academics and experts are increasingly self-censoring and staying away from topics that may draw the ire of activists and may result in attempts to have them sacked. That is a hugely concerning and anti-intellectual trend that must be arrested.

Right-wing media outlets primarily the Australian have breathlessly reinforced this narrative. Figures like Janet Albrechtsen have endorsed the campaign on behalf of Toby Youngs Free Speech Union, which bills itself as GetUp for normal people. Hard-right Spiked columnists such as Brendan ONeill and Frank Furedi have added their voices to the chorus, promoting a local version of the myth of a free speech crisis on campus.

Likewise inspired by Spikeds 2015 Free Speech University Rankings, the IPA conducted three Free Speech on Campus audits between 2016 and 2018. The media covered these audits widely, but did not scrutinize the IPAs methodology and findings, which RMIT University social policy professor Rob Watts described as a mixture of anecdote and a spurious quantitative audit. Meanwhile, Brendan ONeill became a regular guest on the IPAs podcast, cohosted by Andrew Bolts son James.

This recent moral panic about free speech at universities is part of a wider attack on higher education and academic research. During the height of the pandemic, the crisis claimed seventeen thousand jobs. Despite this, the government designed the JobKeeper wage subsidy specifically to prohibit universities from claiming support.

At the same time, the Liberals raised fees for subjects in the humanities, law, and communications as part of the Job-Ready Graduates program. The moves have compounded the higher education crisis caused by years of neoliberal reforms and exceptionally high levels of casualization. As a 2019 report by the National Union of Students makes clear, cuts and job losses are a far greater threat to academic freedom of speech than woke students.

The war on higher education is ideologically motivated. The Right views the humanities in particular as an enemy because of its alleged focus on teaching critical social analysis of class, race, and gender. In parallel with their UK counterparts, Australian conservatives have attacked history courses for being dominated by identity politics and for criticizing Australias settler-colonial past.

Its part of the ongoing legacy of the History Wars, launched under John Howard, in which right-wing historians attacked the black armband view of Australians colonial history. Similarly, Howard politicized the Australian Research Councils (ARC) grant assessment process by giving the education minister a veto. Conservatives then used this veto to scupper progressive projects. Unsurprisingly, in 2018, it came to light that then Liberal education minister Simon Birmingham had also vetoed several ARC-funded projects.

Today, projects seeking ARC funding must pass a national interest test. This has led Australias peak research funding body to self-censor. In a senate estimates committee hearing, the ARC admitted to flagging potential sensitivities in projects that may represent Chinese influence over Australian universities and research programs.

In a recent Sky News interview, Alan Tudge hinted at further attacks, exclaiming that he had lost patience with universities for not implementing the French model code. In 2020, universities took a severe battering and administrations offered little resistance to the Morrison governments anti-university agenda. Theres every chance that vice chancellors will decide its not worth fighting on this issue as well.

There is a war on freedom of speech at Australian universities its being waged by conservatives who, sensing an opportunity, look set to escalate their attacks. The result will be job losses, intimidation of progressive academics, and restrictions on student activism and organizing. As the Right tries to coerce universities into promoting conservative ideology, it will fall to students and academics to defend freedom of speech on campus.

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Cuba and Peru win on opening day of postponed Caribbean Baseball Cup – Insidethegames.biz

Posted: at 9:52 pm

The third edition of the Caribbean Baseball Cup has got under way - after twice being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic - with Peru and Cuba picking up opening day wins.

Starting off the day, Peru defeated the United States Virgin Islands 13-3 in Willemstad in Curaao.

Juan Pedro Casas was the star performer for the winners, scoring four runs batted in (RBI).

Peru scored one run in the first inning before taking a commanding lead in the third by scoring another three.

Despite the US Virgin Islands bringing it back to 5-2 after the fourth inning, Peru put the game beyond doubt by scoring eight in the sixth.

In the late game, Cuba won 14-7 against the hosts Curaao.

Off the bat, Cuba were in control, scoring four in the first inning and another two in the second and third each respectively.

Curaao looked to remain in touch, having scored four in the second and another two in the fourth, with the game sitting at 8-6 before Cuba turned it up late thanks to Santiago Torre with two RBI and scoring three, thanks to a home run.

Initially, the Caribbean Baseball Cup was set to be held in April, but this was moved to May due to a surge of COVID-19 cases before being pushed back again to now.

This year's tournament is dedicated to the memory of the late President of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) Higinio Vlez Carrin, who died in mid-May at the age of 74 after complications related to COVID-19.

He had been in head of the FCB since 2008 until his death.

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Three Creole recipes to give you a taste of the Caribbean – The Independent

Posted: at 9:52 pm

Coconut slaw

Coconut is my favourite fruit in the world. I love it because its so versatile: from starter to dessert, the possibilities are endless, says author of Sunshine Kitchen: Delicious Creole Recipes From The Heart Of The Caribbean Vanessa Bolosier. I created this recipe because I love coconut souskay a traditional Martinique recipe but always felt it lacked something, a bit of a kick, creaminess, texture.

This recipe is one of my guests favourite, always on the request list for menus at my supper clubs.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 coconut

carrot, coarsely grated

1 small piece (about 3cm) fresh ginger, finely grated

Scotch bonnet chilli, very finely chopped (optional)

Salt

1 lime

4 tbsp coconut milk

Method

1. Break the husk of the coconut and scoop out the meat. Wash the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Coarsely grate the coconut meat into a mixing bowl.

2. Add the carrot, ginger and chilli and season with salt to taste.

3. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the coconut milk and stir to mix evenly. Cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.

Flambe bananas recipe

The most popular dessert in Guadeloupe and Martinique

(PA)

The most popular dessert in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Traditionally made with ordinary bananas, but we found them too soft and so my mum made a firmer version, using ripe plantains, explains Bolosier.

It became a family recipe. When my sister and I lived in Paris I would make these when I missed home and my sister couldnt get enough. When she makes them, she uses cane syrup instead of sugar and adds vanilla.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 very ripe plantains

50g/4 tbsp butter

1 pinch grated cinnamon

1 pinch grated nutmeg

150g golden granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lime

3-4 tbsp white rum

Method

1. Peel the plantains and slice them in three lengthwise. Melt the butter in a frying pan (skillet) and fry the plantains on both sides, until golden.

2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and lime juice. Pour the rum into the pan and standing well back as the flames leap up immediately either tilt the pan slightly so it touches the flame (if you have a gas hob) or hold a match near to the pan (on an electric hob) to flambe the bananas. Serve immediately.

Tip: Grate a little lime zest over the bananas before serving, and serve with coconut or vanilla ice cream.

Green banana and saltfish recipe

A rustic everyday meal, served in large portions

(PA)

I love the simplicity of this dish. In Guadeloupe, the people youll see ordering this for their lunch are often the big guys: truck drivers, builders, people with tough jobs working under the very hot Caribbean sun.

Ti punch is de rigueur with this dish. Its a rustic everyday meal, served in large portions one of my favourites.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 thick salted cod cutlets (available in larger supermarkets and Caribbean stores)

2 green bananas per person

6 tbsp sunflower oil

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

4 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs parsley, chopped

Juice of 1.5 limes

1 habanero chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 onions, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large cucumber, peeled, grated

1 large avocado

Method

1. Put the salted cod in a saucepan, add cold water to cover, bring to the boil and boil for five minutes. Drain off the water and repeat the process. Drain.

2. Wash the green bananas thoroughly. Cut off both ends and make a 1cm-deep slit lengthwise; once boiled, the skin will drop off easily. Boil the green bananas for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of oil in a wide, shallow pot over a medium heat. Add the cod and cook for about two minutes on each side. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, chopped parsley, juice of one lime and half the chilli and cook for five minutes. Reduce the heat and add four tablespoons of water. Cook for five minutes over a low heat, then set aside.

4. In a frying pan (skillet), heat four tablespoons of oil over a medium heat, add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, until they become translucent. Add a little salt to taste, a pinch of pepper and the remaining chilli. Tip the onions over the cod.

5. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over the cucumbers. Peel the avocado and cut into small cubes.

6. Drain the green bananas and serve on a plate with the cod, cucumber and avocado.

Tip: Traditionally, we like to have a habanero chilli and a lime wedge on the side to adjust the flavours to individual taste, and some sunflower oil to pour over the green bananas. We crush everything together, from the fish to the avocado, and although its a messy plate, the flavours combine perfectly.

Recipes extracted from Sunshine Kitchen: Delicious Creole Recipes From The Heart Of The Caribbean by Vanessa Bolosier (Pavilion Books, 12.99; photography by Clare Winfield).

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The Island of Statia Is Is Reopening to Vaccinated Travelers Caribbean Journal – Caribbean Journal

Posted: at 9:52 pm

The Dutch Caribbean island of Statia is officially reopening for tourism, Caribbean Journal has confirmed.

The island, located a short flight from St Maarten, will reopen its borders to tourists beginning Aug. 2, 2021.

During this new phase of the islands reopening, only fully vaccinated travelers can visit Statia.

Visitors from high-risk countries must adhere to certain measures for the first five days after arriving, including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing hands frequently.

Vaccinated visitors from very high risk countries can come to Statia but most go into quarantine for a period of five days upon entry.

The Aug. 2 date is meant to coincide with a vaccination milestone when 50 of the islands adult population will be fully vaccinated.

The next phase would come into effect once 80 percent of residents in Statia are vaccinated. Once that milestone is hit, the island will be open to everyone, including unvaccinated visitors.

Statia has long been one of the Caribbeans eco-tourism gems, highlighted by its beautiful Quill, a tropical rainforest set on a dormant volcano.

Its also home to one of the hottest new hotels in the Dutch Caribbean, the Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort, set to open next month.

Earlier this year, the island also was in the news following the release of research showing that U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton and his family had spent extended time on the island.

For more, visit Statia Tourism.

CJ

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‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Celebrates Major Milestone – Inside the Magic

Posted: at 9:52 pm

One of Disneys most popular film franchises to evolve in the live-action realm has easily been Pirates of the Caribbean.

Today, the film franchise has a reason to celebrate because Pirates of the Caribbean just turned 18 and the films are still just as popular and relevant as they were 18 years ago! Perhaps even more so. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released on June 28, 2003, and when the film came out, Disney did not think that it would have much success.

This would be the first time a Disney attraction was converted into a movie, and Disney did not think that it would fare well at the box office. The movie was even discussed as something that would potentially go straight to DVD, and big wig actors like Robert De Niro did not want to attach themselves to the project in the assumption it would fail.

Of course, five films later, we now know that that was not the case whatsoever. The original films main characters were the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). As the films went on, both Bloom and Knightley departed from the franchise leaving Depp as the main character.

Even though talk of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 starring Margot Robbie has been hushed with little to no public development, Pirates of the Caribbean is still in the spotlight as Johnny Depp has been fired from the franchise, which caused major ripples throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean fan community who love Depp as Jack Sparrow.

Johnny Depp lost a libel case against U.K. tabloid The Sun, who published an article painting Depp as a domestic abuser as noted by his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The two have an ongoing legal battle of $150 million that many are following. Still, it seems that although a verdict has not yet been made, Disney decided to distance themselves from the actor, despite fans petitioning for them to do otherwise.

So far, the five films in the Pirates franchise are:

With two more films in development, it seems that with or without Johnny Depp, Disney is continuing to helm the ship forward.

What do you think of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?

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17 Hours To The Caribbean: Qantas Flies The Mens Cricket Team – Simple Flying

Posted: at 9:52 pm

Qantas is currently halfway through a mammoth 17-hour journey from Brisbane to the Caribbean country of St. Lucia. The Boeing 787-9 is carrying the Australian mens cricket team for their upcoming series against the West Indies. Lets find out about this flight.

First spotted by Airline Secrets, the Australian mens cricket team has chartered one of Qantas 787s to transport the team to Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. Flight QF6079 departed Brisbane Airport today at 13:26 local time for the lengthy 16,179-kilometre flight to the other side of the world in the Caribbean.

While the 787-9 boasts an impressive range of 14,498 kilometers when fully loaded, the light passenger and cargo load means that this longer flight can be made without a stop. Most of the flight spans over the South Pacific ocean before the aircraft enters South America and later, the Caribbean.

At the time of writing, the flight has completed has flown 8 hours and five minutes, completing over 8,400 kilometers. The flight is cruising at 39,000 feet as it flies over the Pacific.

In a few hours, the Dreamliner will enter South America over Ecuador and fly over Colombia and Venezuela before entering the Caribbean sea. The flight is expected to touch down at Vieux Fort Airport at 15:54 local time, 16 hours and 28 minutes after departing from Brisbane.

Stay informed:Sign upfor ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests.

As mentioned, the aircraft carrying the mens cricket team is one of Qantas Boeing 787-9s. This particular one is registered VH-ZNF and is 2.9-years-old, having been delivered new to Qantas in August 2018, according to ch-aviation.

Before this mammoth flight, the Dreamliner was flying transcontinental journeys between Perth and Brisbane. In early June, the plane completed a repatriation flight from New Delhi, bringing home hundreds of stranded citizens.

The plane has 236 seats onboard, with 42 in business class, 28 in premium economy, and 166 in economy. However, given only the players, coaches, and other staff are traveling, we can expect only the premium cabins to be packed on this service.

While Qantas widebody jets off to the Caribbean, the situation at home has become more complicated. A serious outbreak in Sydney has resulted in domestic border closures and a pause in the New Zealand travel bubble. Moreover, new local cases have cropped up in Brisbane, Darwin, and Perth in recent days, shrinking airline schedules massively.

The flare-up comes just a month after Melbourne went into similar lockdown conditions due to new cases. With most interstate travel now blocked off, airlines will have to cancel dozens of flights and deal with lower flight loads for at least the next few weeks.

The coming weeks will hopefully see cases come back under control and domestic travel resume. Until then, airlines are bracing themselves for more turbulence as the pandemic continues to hurt business.

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Historic Currents: Exhibit aims to overturn colonial bias with works from the Caribbean – Albuquerque Journal

Posted: at 9:52 pm

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Key Escape, Ronald Cyrille (aka B. Bird), 2018, mixed-media, 32.5 x 8 x 14 inches. (Guadeloupe)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. In 1964, French President Charles de Gaulle visited Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana on official state business.

While he flew over the Caribbean, he described the islands as dust specks on the sea.

The quote illustrates both an otherwordly aerial view and a deep-seated hierarchical perspective of the region stemming from French colonization.

................................................................

Open at 516 ARTS, Dust Specks on the Sea: Contemporary Sculpture from the French Caribbean & Haiti aims to overturn that colonial bias with 27 works from the Caribbean archipelago.

Bananas Deluxe, Jean-Marc Hunt, 2013/2018, bananas, metal frame, (Guadeloupe) (Courtesy of 516 Arts)

Its very under recognized, even in the world landscape, curator Arden Sherman, director of the Hunter East Harlem Gallery at Hunter College, New York. These are citizens of France, they use Euros there, everybody speaks French.

This isnt folk art. Many of the artists studied at French universities, she added.

The French Caribbean includes the of two islands Guadeloupe and Martinique and the state of French Guiana. Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. In 1804, after more than a decade of slave-driven rebellion, Haiti gained independence.

These historic currents ripple throughout the exhibit.

Theres like this feeling of calm, of place-making in almost every work, Sherman said, whether its very apparent or abstract.

In a lot of the work from Haiti is nostalgia for that colonial past, she added.

Whos The Fool? How To Patch A Leaky Roof, (Kay Koule Twonpe Soley, Men Li Pa Twonpe Lapli), Michelle Lisa Polissaint & Najja Moon, 2018, Community Art Project

Guadeloupes Ronald Cyrilles (aka B. Bird) Key Escape (2018) is a mixed-media piece featuring a boat with cartoonish waving hands sporting hot pink nails. Run aground on Guadeloupean sand, green moss-like material fills the crafts interior, affirming its uselessness as a vessel. The work and its title recall the transatlantic slave trade.

Merchants kidnapped millions of Africans, forcing them to the Caribbean and elsewhere, where they were enslaved on British and French plantations.

Julie Bessards The Wings could represent a bird or an angel. The shadow on the wall behind it dances in a contrast between darkness and light.

Theres definitely the feeling of flying away or leaving, Sherman said. Her work is very gestural and colorful.

Made of industrial material, when lit by a spotlight, it reflects and redirects light, casting a shadowy presence. For Bessard, wings are a symbol of rebirth.

The Wings, Julie Bessard, 2008, straw, staples and copper, 59 x 28.75 x 11 inches. (Martinique)

Jean-Marc Hunts Bananas Deluxe (2013-2018) is a chandelier dangling bananas instead of crystals.

The real bananas are meant to rot during the course of the show, Sherman said.

The piece references the 1939 Billie Holiday anti-lynching yowl Strange Fruit, as well as the skirt Josephine Baker wore when she was a 1927 Paris sensation at the height of French colonialism.

Viewers may also read the bananas as symbols of lust, the wealth of imperialism, and the vanity that grew out of Caribbean exoticism in postcolonial conditions.

Ogu Feraille, Edouard Duval-Carri, 2015, (Ogou scrap), tinted fiberglass, 50 x 20 inches.

Edouard Duval-Carris tinted fiberglass Ogu Feraille (2015) speaks to the complexities of the Caribbean diaspora with a focus on Miamis Haitian community.

That is the head of one of the Haitian gods; the god of steel and war, Sherman said. The Haitian artists tend to give tribute to their culture. (The piece) is really big and it glows really bright.

Colonialism is a common thread running throughout the exhibit.

Its undeniable, Sherman said. All of these artists are of color and theyre all descendants of a very complicated history.

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Deury Corniel is training body and mind in his own slice of paradise – Red Bull

Posted: at 9:52 pm

For Deury Corniel, every day starts with a complete mental reset, but the same simple determination to take every trick to the next level and become the best kitesurfer in the world.

The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic loves his sport so much he knows that as soon as he gets in the water, that's it for the day. That's why those moments on the beach in the early morning are key to an approach that's all about preparing himself mentally and physically, so he can push himself to the limit.

Cabarete is kitesufing paradise and Corniel makes the most of his backyard

David Pou/RedBull Content Pool

"I get up early, check out the weather and the wind, I do yoga, or go for a walk or run," he explains. "Then, I do some body training and only then do I train in the water. You need this moment to start the day with a fresh head, to start from zero. Every day is a new day for me. The bottom line is that I do kitesurfing and I'm going to do it better.

"Everything plays a role. Your mind is what takes control. When you're well, mentally and physically, you need a moment to relax, to relax your muscles. It's an extreme sport, with a lot of abrupt movements, so in this moment you don't think very much. You just listen to the water, the sand, the wind you are calm. It's your moment."

After a long break, Corniel returned to competition recently at the Freestyle World Cup in Tarifa, Spain. His training routines have helped him to avoid injuries and stay focused on his ambition to be the best in the business.

Big air in 'La Boca'

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He's got a straightforward daily plan at his home in Cabarete, one of the most popular surfing spots in the Caribbean. He has his own gym in the backyard of his house: a set of weights, a mirror, a mat and a rope with a bar hanging from a branch of a tree. It's simple, but it works.

"You need to be in good shape, not too heavy and you need to feel good with yourself," he says. "Each trick has its own discipline and you need to train to prevent injuries."

All day, everyday is Corniel's approach to his craft

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After hes got his head clear and worked on his body, it's time for Corniel to grab his kite and board, ride the waves and try out new tricks. No schedule, no rush, just until he gets tired which could take a long time.

"I dont get tired of kitesurfing, I could do it for hours and hours every day," he says. It helps if he's in the water with friends, a situation that encourages him to push harder and try out different things.

"There's a lot of competition among riders and when you're training with someone else and they do a trick, you want to do it too, but perform it better. And you keep trying. This is a big feeling one of the most enjoyable things in life."

Corniel creates kitesurf perfection at 'La Boca'

David Pou/RedBull Content Pool

Corniel pushes the boundaries every day, with his eyes firmly on getting 10s from the judges in competition. He knows that level of commitment just wouldn't be possible if he didn't have passion for the sport and where he practises it.

"Kitesurfing is my job, my ideal sport and my passion," he says simply. "To be with my kite in good weather and constant wind is the best sensation there is."

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Deury Corniel is training body and mind in his own slice of paradise - Red Bull

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How the Houston Zoo is helping Caribbean parrots survive a volcano – Chron

Posted: at 9:52 pm

The La Soufrire volcano on St. Vincent started erupting April 9, blanketing the island in ash and soot. Eruptions continued to plague the island nation for some time, forcing thousands out of their homes, according to Town & Country's Leena Kim.

HEADS UP: Another closure is coming to Houston's most godforsaken highway

The threat from the volcano further endangered one of the island's native birds, the St. Vincent Parrot, which has a population of as little as 500, according to the zoo. The eruption came on the heels of the bird's mating season, with countless young chicks expected to have been hatched right as the eruptions began.

Back in the 1970s, zoo staff successfully bred the St. Vincent Parrot in captivity to help boost its population and has been active in helping the species ever since.

So naturally, when the volcano erupted months ago, zoo staff reached out to the St. Vincent Forestry Department to give support in any way they could. Workers on the island had already placed special feeders around the island to help the birds but fear great numbers might be lost.

"We had to act fast to find out how we could help," senior director of wildlife conservation Renee Bumpus said in a blog post. "It was difficult to see how many people were evacuating."

Bumpus had worked with members of the St. Vincent Forestry Department in the past and called to offer help. In doing so, the zoo offered guidance on best practices for protecting the birds and virtual seminars for forestry personnel.

They've spotted a few chicks already and hope to find more, according to the zoo.

Their conservation efforts are funded each time someone visits the zoo. Maybe it's time for a family trip to help protect the St. Vincent Parrot.

What was your favorite experience at the Houston Zoo? Let me know on Twitter: @jayrjordan

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How the Houston Zoo is helping Caribbean parrots survive a volcano - Chron

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