‘Education is way forward’

Dr Geneive Brown Metzger, who has done so much in recent years to attract United States investment into the Caribbean region – notably through her creation in 2015 of the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) – is a very good example of the ‘favourable tide’ parable. In her case, the high achievement that resulted from her positive childhood experiences in Jamaica has been in the sphere of diplomacy and international relations. As she told Caribbean Maritime: “I have, as they say, a strong Rolodex, so I am a connector. I either know the key person or am a degree away from him or her.”

When it comes to promoting good relations between the US and the Caribbean, there’s nothing like having an expert knowledge of both places. Geneive has the key advantage of having been born in Kingston and lived there until she was 15 years old before the family moved to a new life in the Brooklyn district of New York. She has lived and made her career in the US, but her links with the Caribbean are a core part of her professional career.

“I understand the Caribbean,” she told CM. “And since I have gone to school in the US and lived many years here, I have a good understanding of both cultures and am an effective resource for investors looking at the Caribbean. I believe strongly in the power of US-Caribbean partnership and the economic, social and cultural opportunities [it can bring]”.

Civil rights

The same instinct that has made her want to ease and improve the economic circumstances of Caribbean nationals has also led her to get involved at the sharp end of the civil rights movement, especially at the outset of her career.

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