I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco
15 May 2018
Trinidadian photographer Maria Nunes pays tribute to ‘Carnival dreamers and makers’ in new book
"For me it’s about immersion. It’s about going all out, no half way business. Also, as a photographer I see myself as a participant too, not a spectator."
20 April 2018
‘Compromising journalism. Compromising a young woman's right to be herself. Compromising the nation.’
A Trinidad & Tobago newspaper is slammed for its "homophobic" coverage of history-making sprinter Michelle Lee Ahye.
17 April 2018
Though opposition remains, Trinidad & Tobago takes a historic legal step towards LGBT equality
"We are all humans. We are all the same. When are you going to realize you’re on the wrong side of history?"
12 April 2018
PHOTOS: Celebration as High Court Deems Trinidad & Tobago ‘Buggery’ Law ‘Unconstitutional’
"In the end, whether or not the court's ruling managed to change anyone's mind, LBGT+ and religious activists stood side by side on the steps of the Hall of Justice..."
11 April 2018
Trinidad & Tobago's LGBT Community Speaks Out as Court Decision on ‘Buggery’ Law Approaches
"Religion must not trump reason when it comes to basic human rights."
4 April 2018
Diplomatic Storm Strikes When Trinidad and Tobago Refuses Hurricane-Hit Dominica an Ease on OAS Contributions
"I hope the people of Dominica know that not all Trinbagonians are as graceless as this official position might indicate, and this objection makes many of us feel deeply ashamed."
20 March 2018
Trinidad and Tobago’s First Female President Claims Her Role as ‘Humble First Servant’
"It finally feels like the narrow vision of the past has broadened to include people on their merits, yet what a heavy burden of expectations the first one [...] carries."
16 March 2018
Guyanese Literary Giant Sir Wilson Harris Leaves Behind a ‘Literacy of the Imagination’
"The indigenous people of the Caribbean, the landscape [...] and native myth were [...] given new meaning because of him. He changed the way Caribbean literature is written and read."
28 February 2018
‘Ready to Reckon With the Colonizing World, Daring It to Try’ — What the ‘Black Panther’ Film Means to Trinidad & Tobago
"Black Panther is sublime. Not because it's a perfect narrative. No such thing exists. [...] It's sublime because it's an ardent vehicle for black joy."
20 February 2018
Protests in Trinidad's Capital as Residents Face Off with Police
Police say they shot and killed a man in a shootout, protestors claim it was an extrajudicial killing, wider society has no sympathy, and no solutions are being put forward.
10 February 2018
Trinidad & Tobago Finally Gets Its ‘Steups’ Emoji
One Trinidadian Facebook user, tired of waiting for Facebook to get the memo about the need for a "steups" emoji, went and designed one herself.
22 January 2018
Changing Trinidad & Tobago Carnival's Culture Starts With Consent
"Flirting is not a crime. Forcing your attention on someone is." Trinidad and Tobago Carnival may be experiencing "a progressive cultural shift”.
Barbados’ Sewage ‘Crisis’ Causes a Flood of Problems
"The South Coast of Barbados [is] known as the place to wine, dine and party. Regrettably, the South Coast has been making news because of sewage overflowing onto public spaces..."
8 January 2018
What's In a (Nick) Name? Ask the Caribbean!
"Acid". "Leech". "Totee Muff". Caribbean people love to rename things. Check out a few of their most spectacular sobriquets...
6 January 2018
Trinidadian Man Transforms Pothole Into a Hot Tub in Humorously Effective Protest
"So that's how to get things done in this country…you have to get on social media..."
3 January 2018
‘Offensive’ Soca Song Gets Boost After Ban From Carnival Contests in Trinidad & Tobago
"There is much that we have to talk about in Trinidad and Tobago as regards race, sex, class and even State-sponsored censorship..."
31 December 2017
If You Spent 2017 in the Caribbean, This Was The Kind of Year You Had
2017 was a bit like a rollercoaster for the Caribbean archipelago, complete with incredible highs and stomach-churning lows.
20 November 2017
Glimpses of Hope as Dominica Rebuilds After Hurricane Maria
"You will see the drastic difference in how the landscape changed after the storm [...] I’m planning future timelapse films, to hopefully showcase the return of our lush, green landscapes."
27 October 2017
In Trinidad & Tobago, It's No ‘Small Thing’ How People Rallied After Flooding
While most people had "no words" to describe the damage caused by days of flooding, the deputy head of the country's disaster agency called the situation "a small thing".
13 October 2017
‘They Tried to Give Us One Day Back’ — Trinidad & Tobago Marks a ‘One-Off’ First Peoples Day
"How do you know you are indigenous? [...] It does not matter what we are called, we know who we are. It is you who do not recognise me."
