As a child of Caribbean immigrants, I’m more empathetic to the struggles of current Haitian immigrants than the average person might be. The New York Times recently put together a story on the lives of some Haitians living in New York, and how the actions of the new administration might impact their future. Check out an excerpt below…

“Things are easier here,” Danie said, speaking on condition that she not be identified by her full name because she feared detection. “There’s more security, people find food easier, you have money, somewhere to stay.”

But Haitians in New York — the city with the largest population of Haitian descent outside Port-au-Prince — are hopeful about a proposal under consideration by the Obama administration that would provide relief for her and tens of thousands of other illegal Haitian immigrants.

Check out the full article here: Haitians in U.S. Illegally Look for Signs of a Deporting Reprieve.

You might not be familiar with his name, but I’m pretty sure you’ve seen his work. USVI-bred photographer Damon Winter was recently awarded the Pulitizer Prize for photography for his work covering Barack Obama for The New York Times. Check the details below…

Damon Winter won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for his pictures capturing President Obama’s campaign. The New York Times photographer also takes home $10,000.

“I was shocked, amazed, surprised and happy.” That’s how Damon Winter describes his reaction to learning about his Pulitzer Prize for feature photography, an award given to the top photo series in the U.S. A New York Times photographer, Winter won a Pulitzer for a collection of photos he shot while he covered Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

“It means so much to win this award,” Winter says in a phone interview with DigitalJournal.com. “It’s great to see the Pulitzer Prize honour material that’s uplifting and inspiring.”

For the full article, click here: New York Times Photographer Wins Pulitzer Prize for Obama Pics. Also, check out a Q&A with the photog here: Q&A: Damon Winter on Covering Obama.

image via Jennifer dG on Flickr.

I mentioned that things might be going in this direction a few weeks back, and recent developments seem to be backing things up. Check out the details below…

President Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.

The move represents a significant shift in a U.S. policy that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century. It comes days before Obama leaves for a key meeting of hemispheric powers, the Summit of the Americas, in Trinidad and Tobago….

Check out the full story here, via CNN: Obama eases Cuba travel restrictions.

Today, and the whole weekend actually, has had a festive mood to it, given the inauguration of Barack Obama happening this AM. I’m not in DC, but a lot of my friends are and I can only imagine what the atmosphere is like. That said, I think that, with the future at hand, its always good to take a look back. In this case, let’s look back at Election Night with my peoples from Digiwaxx. Check out the info below….

Being a part of history is something only a few can own, but we all in some form or fashion took part in the historical election of Barack Obama on November 4, 2008. To capture that moment in its essence, Digiwaxx Media was on hand at Santos Party House at Q-Tip’s and Rich Medina’s weekly throw down to record Digiwaxx Radio 3 Live! This very special night was also Q-Tip’s album release party which made the energy in the room even more palpable. A-list DJs Mark Ronson and DJ Soul provided the sounds, while Busta Rhymes served as your MC. Enjoy your soundtrack to history.

Check out a preview of the mix below. Tracklistings & a link to download the mix are after the jump. Also, a live inauguration broadcast via Hulu is there too, for all you folks at work.

Check out the Digiwaxx Blog for more good music.

(more…)

New music from Busta with some speeches from the President-elect sprinkled throughout. Check it out below…

Download it here.

spotted at Nah Right. Image via MTV Music on Flickr.

I feel like I’m a bit late on this but in any case - Coco Tea released an all Obama inspired album “Yes we can”. Some of the money was donated towards the campaign. You got to love all the creativity and inspiration the Obama campaign managed to spread, this is just another sign of it. Here are some of the sample tracks…

Cocoa Tea -Yes We Can

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Cocoa Tea -Jamming

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Check for more tracks inside…

(more…)

What a night, eh?

I just wanted post some of the reactions to President-Elect Obama’s victory, from around the Caribbean. Check out some of the quotes and articles below…

(more…)

Today is the day people, go out and make a difference, let your voice be heard. If you feel like me then then you feel a lot of excitement and tension so here is some more inspiration for you to get you through this historic day.

Check for some more inspiration inside…

(more…)

I know that no real reminder is needed, that we all know what’s going down tomorrow, but I figured with one day left before the election, I’d give folks some nuggets to chew on before heading to the polls.

Check out a video on the day below, which features some of our peoples. Also, after the jump, check out a podcast from the folks at HVW8, who also created the above artwork. You can purchase the print, too.

oh and….VOTE.

(more…)