The Bahamian American Association of the Washington DC & Mid-Atlantic Region (BAAWMAR) celebrated The Bahamas’ 47th anniversary of Independence with a weekend of virtual activities.
On Friday, July 10th, in partnership with the Embassy Consular Annex in Washington, DC, BAAWMAR co-organized a virtual happy hour as part of its mandate to promote the educational, cultural, scientific, spiritual and artistic contributions of Bahamians both in the Washington, DC Mid-Atlantic Region and The Bahamas. The event featured Bahamian DJ OvaDose who showcased uniquely Bahamian music during his 1.5-hour set.
Janine Gibson, Vice Consul at the Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex in Washington, DC and Katarlah Taylor, BAAWMAR board chair, provided welcome remarks and expressed their delight that both bodies were able to work together to produce a unique celebration of our nation’s independence despite the challenges of COVID-19.
BAAWMAR also organized the third session of its conversation series on ‘Advancing Bahamian Interests in the United States’ on Saturday, July 11th. H.E. Sidney Collie, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the United States headlined the discussion sharing on the work that his office and consuls all over the U.S. do to support The Bahamas and its citizens both at home and abroad. He highlighted the critical role that organizations like BAAWMAR can play in strengthening ties between the two nations stating, “I’d like to encourage the wonderful cadre of young Bahamians in this organization to continue doing what you do” and emphasized the importance of creating stronger linkages between diaspora communities across the country.
An esteemed panel including B.P. Walker, Chris Gardiner, and Jamila Thompson, shared their diaspora stories with moderator Mikhail Bullard and their suggestions on steps we could all take to be more locally engaged in the U.S., more inclusive, retain ties to The Bahamas, and further its economic development.
