Guyanese achievers to receive Congressional awards at Diamond Jubilee gala in Queens
Baroness Valerie Amos and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards head the list of honourees at the July 4 gala closing New York’s celebration of Guyana’s 60th independence anniversary.
NEW YORK, United States. Several prominent Guyanese will receive US Congressional awards at a gala closing New York’s celebration of Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee of independence, the Guyana Independence Celebration Committee New York said on Friday, June 26.
Committee chair Rickford Burke told Caribbean Life that the ceremony would take place on Saturday, July 4, at 8pm at The Weldon B. Smith Theater, Edward Davis Center, 118-35 Farmers Blvd, St Albans, Queens. It was postponed from June 27 to allow as many stakeholders and honourees as possible to attend.
The committee also hosted the Guyana Jubilee Independence Parade and Unity Concert in Brooklyn on June 7, which Burke said drew more than 20,000 people.
The honourees
Top honourees include Baroness Valerie Amos, former leader of the House of Lords and current Master of University College, Oxford, and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, former Chancellor of the Judiciary of Guyana and Chief Justice-designate of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Others include Dr Shamir Ally, former Guyana ambassador to Kuwait; Dr Rose October, director of the Guyana Cultural Association; Maureen Walker, former comptroller of the City of Mount Vernon; Dr Riaz Rupnarain, a Guyanese parliamentarian and University of Guyana lecturer; and Jayden Adrian, Guyana’s top CSEC student for 2025.
Also to be honoured are Ira Pile Lewis (Lady Ira), Indra Jainarinesingh of Tota’s Bakery, youth coach Omotolo Golding, businessman Onoja Atta Onoja, Guyanese MP Dr Terrence Campbell, attorney Rhonda Binda, assistant principal Remmy Kulsum and educator Dr Sandra Harte.
Growing ambitions
Burke said special invitees included Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“This Diamond Jubilee Independence celebration has pumped unimagined energy into the Guyanese American community,” Burke said. The theme, “Feel The Riddim Of The Nation @ 60”, was chosen to capture the mood of the diaspora.
He said the committee planned to mobilise more than 50,000 Guyanese for the event next year, with a goal of 100,000 attendees by 2030. “Guyanese dominance in New York is coming. Watch out for us,” he said.
