News Americas, New York, NY, March 23, 2025: Haitian-American former U.S. Congresswoman Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to the U.S. Congress, passed away on Sunday, March 23rd, at the age of 49.

FLASHBACK – Haitian American Representative Mia Love (R-UT) seen at Politico’s 6th Annual Women Rule Summit in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Her family confirmed her passing in a statement posted to her official X (formerly Twitter) account, noting that she died peacefully at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Love had been receiving immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University’s brain tumor center, but her daughter recently shared that she was no longer responding to treatment.

“With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound influence of Mia on our lives, we want you to know that she passed away peacefully,” her family shared. “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.”

Born Ludmya Bourdeau, Love was the daughter of Haitian immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with only $10 and a dream. Her father, Jean Maxime Bourdeau, instilled in her a firm belief in the American dream and the value of perseverance—principles that defined both her personal life and political career.

Love began her political journey in 2003 as a city council member in Saratoga Springs, later becoming the city’s mayor. She rose to national prominence in 2014 when she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, becoming the first Black Republican woman ever elected to Congress.

Though she did not focus on race in her campaigns, Love recognized the historic nature of her election. “There were so many naysayers who said that Utah would never elect a Black, Republican, Mormon woman to Congress,” she remarked after her 2014 victory.

Briefly seen as a rising star within the Republican Party, Love distanced herself from then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 election, aligning with the more moderate views of many Utah voters.

In an op-ed published earlier this month, Love offered a heartfelt reflection on her journey, her love for America, and her hopes for its future. She urged elected officials to lead with compassion and to communicate honestly with their constituents.

“In the end, I hope that my life will have mattered and made a difference for the nation I love and the family and friends I adore,” she wrote. “I hope you will see the America I know in the years ahead, that you will hear my words in the whisper of the wind of freedom and feel my presence in the flame of the enduring principles of liberty. My living wish and fervent prayer for you and for this nation is that the America I have known is the America you fight to preserve.”

Utah Governor Spencer Cox paid tribute to Love, calling her “a true friend” and praising her legacy of public service.

Love’s political journey exposed her to both the promise and the challenges of American democracy. But she remained committed to the belief that her story – and the stories of countless others – represented the best of what the country could offer.

She is survived by her husband and three children.

News Americas, New York, NY, March 20, 2025: For Jamaican-born entrepreneur and community leader Jenniffer Brown, a difficult childhood marked by personal loss became the driving force behind a lifelong passion for education and empowerment.

Jamaican-born Jenniffer Brown shares how personal loss inspired her passion for education and her leadership of the Westwood Old Girls’ Association in New York.

“I firmly believe that the challenges we experience in childhood can serve as the inspiration for us to do as much as we can to make the lives of others better. Because that is my story,” says Brown, President of the Westwood Old Girls’ Association, (WOGA), New York Chapter.

Brown’s journey began in Petersfield, Westmoreland, where she was born into a family of six. At just nine years old, she lost her mother, Joyce Yvonne Spence, to a long illness. Her mother’s dying wish was for her daughters to attend the prestigious Westwood High School for Girls in Stewart Town, Trelawny.

“It was, and still remains, one of Jamaica and the Caribbean’s oldest and most respected high schools, consistently ranked among the nation’s top ten tertiary institutions in academic achievement,” Brown shared. “Our list of alumnae includes Pan-Africanist Amy Ashwood Garvey, first wife of Marcus Garvey, and Iris Collins, the first woman elected to Jamaica’s House of Representatives, among others.”

Despite the privilege of attending Westwood, Brown’s years there were filled with hardship. “My dad migrated to the US while I was there and then my older sister graduated before me also, which meant I didn’t have my closest friend there anymore,” she recalled. “It was devastating to watch other students getting visitors and being picked up for a ‘home-Sunday’ knowing that we’d be stuck on campus like nobody’s children.”

Jamaican-Born Entrepreneur Jenniffer Brown Turns Childhood Tragedy Into Education Advocacy

Still, Brown persevered, excelling academically and eventually immigrating to the United States where she attended Pace University. She went on to have a successful career in legal administration, spending over two decades at the Manhattan law firm Weiner, Millo, Morgan and Bonanno, before becoming Chief Administration Officer at a cannabis law firm. Today, she runs her own business, JKL Productions, alongside partners Karlene Largie and Lesleyann Samuel, offering event planning and leadership training services.

Brown also built a fulfilling personal life, marrying her first love, Elorde “Lexy” Brown, and raising three children, whom she describes as “extremely proud” of. But something was still missing.

“Very shortly after graduating, I came to appreciate how much Westwood prepared me for life. I was able to work with and lead all types of people. I was inclusive and empathetic long before those became buzz words,” she said.

Her moment of clarity came in 2014 when she hosted a delegation of Westwood students attending a conference at the United Nations in New York. “That situation underscored the great need for someone—namely me—to re-start the New York chapter of the Westwood Old Girls Association to assist the school back in Jamaica,” she said.

She revived the chapter in 2016 and has served as President ever since. Under her leadership, WOGA New York has not only cultivated a strong relationship with the school’s administration but has also helped restore the visibility and reputation of the institution.

“WOGA New York has been focusing on donating laptops to the school since COVID-19, as well as erecting and equipping an AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Design) lab on campus,” Brown noted. “We recently became aware of the need for a second lab and better internet connectivity on the campus, among other issues.”

She emphasized that achieving these goals will require substantial support. “Resolving all this will come at a high price, thus the desire for sponsors, donors and compulsory fundraising. Growing the membership of our association also remains a challenge, but under our newly adopted slogan ‘Westwood Strong,’ we plan to go on an active membership drive in 2025.”

Through all of her initiatives, Brown remains anchored by one core belief:

“With all my heart, I believe that the greatest tool you can give to anyone is that of a good education,” she says. “And for young women especially, in the world we currently inhabit, it is vital because once it’s yours, it is the one thing that nobody can ever take away. It can literally set the course for your entire future. And that has never been more true than it is today.”

For more information on joining WOGA New York, contact 929-242-9156 or email woganyc@gmail.com.

News Americas, New York, NY, March 19, 2025: Guyana-born, US-based social media influencer, Melissa Ann Atwell, also known as Melissa Ann Holder or “Melly Mel,” is the latest immigrant to be nabbed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. ICE data shows she is now in custody at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana.

Guyana born US-based influencer Melly Mel is now in US ICE custody in Louisiana.

She was recently arrested at her New York home and later transferred to Louisiana. Atwell, who entered the United States on a visitor’s visa and never returned to Guyana, is now facing possible deportation.

According to ICE’s detention tracker, she remains in custody, but details regarding the reason for her arrest have not been publicly disclosed. Reports indicate that she may have an upcoming immigration hearing, though it remains unclear whether she could face additional charges beyond immigration violations.

ICE explained its procedures in such cases, stating: “ICE lodges immigration detainers against certain aliens after federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies have taken them into custody.”

Supporters Launch GoFundMe for Legal Defense
Atwell’s supporters have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her legal fees, raising over $35,000 of its $100,000 goal so far. The fundraiser, titled “Help Melissa Atwell Defend Democracy,” aims to support her fight against deportation and other legal challenges. Donations can be made at: GoFundMe – Help Melissa Atwell Defend Democracy.

Guyanese Government Reacts
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the country’s vice president, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has confirmed that Atwell will be welcomed back to Guyana if deported. However, upon her return, she will likely face legal challenges, as multiple Guyanese individuals have filed defamation and slander complaints against her, including multi-million-dollar lawsuits.

As Atwell’s case unfolds, it remains to be seen whether she will be deported or face additional legal consequences in the U.S.