Small in stature, but towering in ‘bravery’
For giving and caring with the heart of a giant, Jamaica-born Nekhidia Harris, who is just under 3 feet tall, has been named the first CUNY Hero in the City University of New York system. Harris, who is 25 and pursuing a master’s degree in social work at York College in Queens, was a perfect choice for the new honor created for selected individuals across the City University system “who stand out for acts of generosity, bravery and service to others.”
“I always felt like it was my responsibility to speak up if I see something that isn’t right, and to help others,” said Harris. “That’s just always been me. I like to help others. That’s been instilled in me since I was young.”
Beating the odds from birth, Harris was given three days to live after being born with an undiagnosed illness that stunted her growth and left her bones brittle.
And despite undergoing corrective surgeries and overcoming bullying as a child, she has long been committed to helping others.
After starting her CUNY career at Kingsborough Community College, then attaining her undergraduate degree from CUNY’s Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn last spring, she has studied at York. Harris has been aiding military veterans transition to life at York by interning in the school’s Office of Veterans Affairs and working with the new Project for Return and Opportunity in Veterans Education, which aims to “enhance campus services for veterans.”
In addition to helping CUNY students in the city, Harris has commitment herself to aiding underserved communities in her Jamaica homeland through her family’s Christianbased Harris Family Vision Foundation.
Over the years, medical aid has also been a foundation focus — including medication and vaccinations, medical screenings, supplying wheelchairs and establishing a free health clinic.
#HardToBeat clothing
A line of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and tank tops for men, women and children — emblazoned with the dynamic and inspirational HardToBeat and ImHardToBeat hashtags — are available from Guyana-born Felicia Persaud’s Hard Beat Communications.
Persaud says her personal business challenges and successes inspired the creation of the clothing line. “I now hope it can inspire others who can affirm as I do daily: I’m hard to beat,’ ” she says.
Hard Beat is the parent company of the News Americas Now website, the CaribPR, Caribbean-American and Caribbean marketing and press release distribution service, and the Invest Caribbean private-sector investment agency.
Purchases can be made at hardtobeat.threadless.com/collections. Free shipping is available through Dec. 9 on orders of $45 in the U.S. and $80 and up internationally, using the promo code “HOLIDAYSHIP19aa2549.”
Pick ‘Person of the Year’
Holidays are on the way and the year is quickly coming to a close, but there’s still time to help pick the Everybody’s Caribbean-American magazine Person of the Year.
The last day to make submissions for the honor is next Sunday — which in past years has gone to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, Nobel laureate Sir Arthur Lewis of St. Lucia, Dominica Prime Minister Eugenia Charles and even destructive 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Everybody’s publisher Herman Hall emphasizes the person “must have grabbed public attention during 2019 – positive or negative.”
The honoree can reside in any part of the world, but must be of Caribbean heritage. Send in nominations for Person of the Year to editor@everybodysmag.com.
Part memoir, part politics
With her successful work as a political organizer and activist, Karine JeanPierre — daughter of Haitian immigrants — has arrived. And details of the Haitian-American’s past, her continually advancing career and her outlook on U.S. politics will be explored Sunday in a digital book party for her “Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America” biography.
The book party is open to the public. To RSVP and attend the online affair, visit crowdcast.io/e/moving-forward-digital-book-party
Business ‘Power Breakfast’
The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry is holding its “Monthly Business Networking Power Breakfast and Brunch Membership Meeting” on Saturday. Starting at 10 a.m., the event will be held at the chamber’s Brooklyn Navy Yard headquarters, on the eighth floor of New Building 77.
Visit caribbeantradecenter.com or call (718) 834-4544 to get information . To RSVP, send email to cacci1@outlook.com.