Dear Editor,
Chairpersons, elected officials, Councilwoman for District 28, Adrienne Adams, and friends. Let’s hear it for our Councilwoman please. Councilwoman Adams, we admire you and appreciate you; thanks for making this possible. Thanks also to District Leader Richard David, the New York City Council and our Mayor, the Hon. Bill de Blasio, and a certain person who is his Senior Liaison Officer, Rohan Narine, one of our own, and he can’t do anything without his lovely Aminta!
Here is a quick Guyanese history: First there were the Amerindians. Berlinda is here to represent the native Indians. Then came the slaves from Africa, the Chinese and Portuguese and East Indians indentured servants from India, and when you add all of them, you get a mosaic, a cook-up rice society. Bad politics at home drove us to other countries. We arrived in a trickle in America in the sixties. It quickly became a flood in the next two decades. We brought our culture to New York; religion, foods, fashion, thrift, and that pointer broom to sweep our front yard clean!
Many of us went to various parts of New York and some came to an enclave called Richmond Hill, in South-East Queens. It is here where the majority of Guyanese would reside and where the term ‘Little Guyana’ would be coined. Here is some more history: York College has been educating us for many years while the United Pentecostal Church added to the culture. The first Guyanese attorney was Indar Singh and a few steps away is Six Stars Auto, Uncle Ron Singh, his son Greg, daughter Lisa, and Rodney, people with a good heart.
At the confluence of three streets, you smell the food before you behold the man. It is Sybil’s. Take a bow Cookie. On the left is the Arya Spiritual Center Ground, the home of our Parades, Motorcades, and Ramayana in the Park, and soon to be Pandit Ramlall Way on June 27, 2021. Thanks to Shanta Flowers for her generosity, to Shivram’s Bakery for their donation and to Elcock Funeral Home for their service. Thanks to Hansa Engineering, and across the street is the Cheddi Jagan Center at 129 Street where Vishnu Mahadeo and Harry Dukhram played a major role, and where Janet Jagan visited to cut the ribbon.
My good friends Chuck Mohan, Mel Carpen and Arjune Karshan and Pandit Ramlall worked hard for a democratic Guyana. Let me also recognize Tilokie Depoo, who ran the first local political campaign in 1992. We acknowledge Rueben Khusial, Uncle Joe Kanhai, Harry Bissoon, Mohabeer Records, Ramesh Kalicharran, Ray Sundar, Dr. Tara Singh, Dr. Vishnu Bisram, Dr. Terrence Blackman, Dr. Rajendra Singh, James Richmond, Roy Dhanraj Singh, Abdool Samad, James Morgan, Ashook Ramsaran, Herman Singh, Gora Singh, Naro Balli, Eshri Singh, Haji Zakir, Clyfee Madho, Rosanna Beaumont, Principal Neil Ganesh, Ravi Dev, Vassan Ramracha, Mohamed Hack, Mike Persaud, Albert Baldeo, Dr. Gary Girdhari, Amit Parasnath, Roshan Ali Ahmad, Farouk Juman, Shamela Karrim, Lake Persaud, Stanley Raj, Shanti Ammar, Romeo Hitlall, Naidoo Veerapen, Jas Persaud, Buddy Singh, Seeta Panday, Pat Longford, Dr. Dolly Hassan of pro-bono fame, Paul Sanders, Lakshmee Singh, Mahadeo Shivraj, Rohit Jagessar, Bhola Ramsundar, Joe Yussuff, Faiuze Ali, Prem Misir, Reggie Rawana, and others. We want to thank our friends from Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam, India, Barbados, Jamaica, and the beautiful USA. Little Trinidad Avenue and Little Surinam Avenue are coming soon.
Three of Cheddi Jagan’s grandchildren are on Liberty Avenue, Cheddi Jr, and Vrinda are attorneys, and Avasa is a dentist. The Eglesia Pentecostal is around a long time, as is the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and the Masjid-al-Abidin. Attorney Kawal Totaram and Balwant Persaud have been permanent fixtures. Dr. George Jhagroo is the first Guyanese doctor on the Avenue, followed closely by Dr. Philip Baldeo and Sangha Optical.
The first West Indian store on Liberty is J and B and they are still around. The store was established 44 years ago and Uncle Eddie and Auntie Joyce look just as young. Their son, Michael Jarbandhan, is a stalwart. Derek and Joan Baijnauth opened one of the first sari stores, and across the street is Tony Yassin from Spice World and Basil Persaud from Persaud Hardware. We salute Indira Mohamed from SJI Bridals, and N and R bakery. As we get closer to Liberty, we recognize Bena’s Home Care and Ravo from Kaieteur Express, and the Cane Juice Man, Mr. Somere Singh at 120th Street.
We must not forget the ‘A’ train and the library across the street. We thank Michael Kearns for lending us this space. They have been around since 1900. Across the street is Tropical Isle. Dave West Indian Store has been serving this community for the longest, as is Little Guyana Bake Shop. Thanks to Dr. Devicka Persaud, Dr. Suresh Sugrim, and the indomitable Dr. Kamini Doobay.
Liberty Avenue is a gastronomic delight, with Sybil’s, Bamboo Garden, Singh’s Roti Shop, Shivram’s Bakery, Bakewell, Bigwell, Three Sisters, GT Kingston, the Tropical Jades, Hack’s Halall, Kaieteur Express, Trini Delite, and several others.
Finally, we salute the business community, the religious institutions, the students, and their parents, the schools and teachers, the NYPD with members from our own community. Chief McPherson, Inspector Deodat Urpersaud, Captain Ralph Clement, Officer Khyume Khan, Officer Mark Holder, Officer Anand Narayan, the NYPD Desi Society, and GALEA, and we single out Detective Randolph Holder who paid the ultimate price to keep us safe. His father is with us today. Long live “Little Guyana Avenue!”
And now let’s sing ‘Born in the land of the Mighty Roraima.’
Yours faithfully,
Dhanpaul Narine
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