Who Wi Be
Building a community of Jamaicans living in the 13 Southern States - Strong & Powerful Together
Welcome! We are excited to have you in this group as part of our Diaspora Community. This group was created to build a community of Jamaicans living in the Southern Diaspora, and seek to inform, educate, dialogue, report and motivate while offering support and encouragement within said Diaspora and Jamaica.
Dr. Allan G. Cunningham
Founder & Honorary Chair
Jamaica Diaspora Southern USA
Fellow Jamaicans,
It gives me great pleasure to serve as your Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representative for the 13 Southern States which includes, FL, GA, NC, SC, TX, TN, AL, AZ, AR, MI, OK, LA, and NM.
I am even more fortunate to have founded this organization and to serve as its first Honorary Chair. The basic premise of this movement is to deepen our diasporic engagement in all thirteen states. Our collective ideology, purpose, and purpose will be a shared one.
An estimated 2.1 million Jamaicans live outside of the Island, and more than half of them were born in Jamaica. Here in the Southern diaspora we have an estimated 350,000. It is no secret that the Jamaican Diaspora plays an important role in the development of the “biggest little country” in the world.
Beyond just being senders of remittances, diasporas can also promote trade and foreign direct investment, create businesses and spur entrepreneurship, and transfer new knowledge and skills. Although few might have seen the movement as a waste of time, our Jamaican people are increasingly realizing that an engaged diaspora can be an asset — or even a counterweight to the emigration of skilled and talented migrants.
We can also make a non-economic contribution – for example, influencing new thinking about citizenship, identity and sense of belonging, and providing assistance to the Island in times of natural disasters and political instability. Jamaicans both in the diaspora and in the Island need to work together on policies that maximize the development dividend and benefit the economic, social and cultural interests of all.
Welcome to the Jamaica Diaspora Southern USA (JADIAS), “out of many one people”. I wish to leave you with these mighty words from our National Pledge: “Before God and All mankind.I pledge the love and loyalty of my heartThe wisdom and courage of my mind,The strength and vigor of my bodyIn the service of my fellow citizens!”
Once again, We welcome you ALL to our wonderful region, Jamaica Land We Love ; as such I leave you with these wonderful words from Marcus Mosiah Garvey: One, One Heart, One Destiny!!! Continue to spread the LOVE generously to everyone you come in contact with on this remarkable journey!!!
God Bless Jamaica
Dr. Allan G. Cunningham
Founder & Honorary Chair
Jadias
Our Board
President
Dr. Rose Marie Lewis
Vice President
Catherine Malcolm
Secretary
Yvonne H. Barnett JD
Board Member
Edward Sadler
Board Member
Rosette V. Rassiawarn
Fundraising Director
Sandra K. Gipson
Special Projects Director
Suzanne Moore
Global Jamaica Council Youth Leader
Amaya Lewis
Board Member
Sharon Laughton - Clifford
Treasurer
Raymond Powell
Board Member
Dr. Judith Brooks
Marketing Director
Karrelle Chang
State Chairs
South Carolina
Dr. April Taylor
Atlanta
Tony Gray
Texas
Dimitri Lyons
Our Mission
To Empower the Jamaica diaspora as change agents for the development of Jamaica And to energize our youth to contribute to an environment by maximizing their potential, knowledge And networks.
Our vision
Create a platform that optimizes social, moral and economic development.
Core values
Ownership – Jadias provides the diaspora with the right tools and instruments to gain visibility and Influence. We encourage the diaspora to lead collaborative efforts and perspectives towards development.
Our partners
