The Caribbean Equality Project, (CEP), an advocacy group, that campaigns continuously to raise awareness in its Queens neighborhood, and in other areas, in partnership with the South Queens Women’s March, hosted the inaugural Little Guyana Votes Festival in Richmond Hill.
The march that was held on 120th Street, between Little Punjab Avenue (101st Avenue) and Little Guyana Avenue (Liberty Avenue) recently, also featured cultural music performances by Taranng Dance Group, as wells as a PPE distribution, Hurricane Ida relief resources, and hosted a COVID vaccines outreach.
Attended by Councilmember Adrienne Adams, who emphasized her priority on the diverse constituents of the district, noting.
“I recognize that all of us have been marginalized and forgotten about, not thought about and not cared about,” she voiced, as other elected officials, and community leaders, pledged their support for (CEP).
Noting that the voices of the community matters, Guyanese-American, Mohamed Q. Amin, founder and executive director of (CEP) who launched the organization to address a need, identified to advocate for queer people at the neighborhood level and to educate the community, and whose mission is to provide resources to the underserved where the Indo-Caribbean community is the second-largest foreign-born group in Queens, and fifth largest in the city.
The festival culminated with more than 30 new registered voters, 250 free culturally responsive grocery bags distributed and over 40 completed excluded workers fund applications, according to Mohamad Q. Amin, founder and executive director of the Caribbean Equality Project.
“This is our home, this is our country, and immigrants have always been essential,” said Amin. “We must protect immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights and grant undocumented people and asylum seekers a pathway to citizenship, freedom, and liberation.”
Christina Motilall, a member of South Queens Women’s March since last year, says she connects with the platform’s mission of providing resources to an underserved community.
“My family goes through the issues that South Queens Women’s March is trying to tackle,” said Motilall, whose parents are from Guyana. “I feel like I connect with it culturally, and I want to make a difference too. This is what representation looks like,” said Motilall.
The event familiarized locals with the voting process, residents cast ballots for categories like which local eatery has the best doubles, a common street food snack from Trinidad and Tobago, and shared their preference for one of two well-known Richmond Hill grocery stores, Singh Farm and Patel Brother.
To learn more, visit –https://www.caribbeanequalityproject.org Email info@caribbeanEqalityProject.org
