NEW YORK – As a teenager in Jamaica during the late 1960s, Dr. B admired the grit of Rastafarians in his country. He also admired Pan African leaders in the United States and Africa. When he migrated to the US in 1972, that admiration grew with unbridled passion.
Dr. B (he has long shed his given name) is founder of the DARC Foundation, a New York-based organization. It honors persons of color who have achieved in their respective fields. Its annual Ethiophile Banquet and RasTafari Meritorious Awards were held last November at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem.
This year, there were 10 recipients. They included singer Marcia Griffiths and famous Jamaican guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith. David Hinds, the lead singer and guitarist of the reggae band Steel Pulse, was also honored.
Ras Michael from Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus received recognition too.
Lastly, Thomas Sankara, the former prime minister of Burkina Faso, was remembered. He was killed in 1987.
“When we started out, we honored Rastafarians. But over the years, we have expanded to include (American) athletes like John Carlos and Bob Beamon who were revolutionaries in their own right,” Dr. B told South Florida Caribbean News.
A bronze medallist at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Carlos and gold medallist Tommy Smith gained notoriety for raising clenched fists in black gloves. They did this on the podium as a show of solidarity with the Civil Rights Movement in their country.
Beamon, a gold medallist in the long jump at the Mexico City Olympics, was also active in Civil Rights during the 1960s and 1970s. His leap of 8.90 meters was a record for 23 years. It was eventually broken by fellow American Mike Powell.
Daughter Dean is a Rastafarian elder. Dr. Yvette Morgan is an educator from the Morgan Heritage family. Philanthropist Andre McDonnell was also honored. Sound system operator and broadcaster Garfield “Chin” Bourne received recognition too.
Marijuana advocate President Scherill Murray-Powell was honored at the DARC Foundation ceremony.
Dr. B, who is from the Vineyard Town community in east Kingston, first staged a ceremony honoring Rastafarians in Brooklyn, New York in 1994. Sam Brown, a pivotal figure in that movement, and reggae legend Burning Spear, were among the first honorees.
