I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco
Trinidad and Tobago residents’ response to proposed amendments to fireworks legislation? Enforce existing laws
"As it stands, the draft fireworks bill is unacceptable. According to one source, the draft sounds like it was written by the sellers of fireworks themselves."
Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier, whose representation of Black people in film helped change racist perceptions, dies at 94
"So much is made of him being the first Black male actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor in 1963 [...] but his legacy is so much greater..."
‘The king is passing’: Narrie Approo, Trinidad & Tobago's oldest Black Indian masquerader, dies at 94
Narrie Approo had a lifelong love and respect for Trinidad and Tobago's sacred Carnival traditions, which he expressed most passionately through his portrayals of Black Indian mas.
Trinidad and Tobago loses three musical treasures at the start of 2022
The oldest living calypsonian, a beloved soca parang artist, and a pioneer of kaiso jazz music have all passed away, leaving Trinidad and Tobago the poorer for it.
In Trinidad and Tobago, baby, it's cold outside
A North American cold front brought the chilly weather, with the coolest temperature recorded via a calibrated thermometer being 17.63°C, and an uncalibrated thermometer recording a minimum low of 15°C.
2021 in review, from a Caribbean point of view
While the Caribbean was primarily focused on rising COVID-19 infection rates, a steady stream of variants, and strong vaccine hesitancy, the pandemic wasn't the only story affecting the region in 2021.
St Lucia announces it will host a ‘vaxxed’ Carnival in 2022, but is it realistic?
"We have to ensure that we preserve the health of St. Lucia while creating an economic activity for our people to benefit from.”
High infection, low vaccination—could mandatory COVID-19 vaccines be the answer for Caribbean nations?
"Having demonstrated that mandatory vaccination is constitutionally appropriate given the leeway granted in favour of public health imperatives, [...] employers could justify a requirement in a pandemic context."
Barbados becomes the world's newest republic
"The president of Barbados is now someone that any Barbadian child can aspire to be—and that's so powerful.”
Artist Jasmine Thomas-Girvan taps into the ‘eternal connections’ of Black Caribbean ancestry
"There are many deeply entrenched attitudes from our colonial past that continue to poison how we view ourselves and our citizenry."
Barbados forges a digital path by becoming the first country to establish an embassy in the metaverse
While operational specifics are still unclear, Michael J. Casey, Chief Content Officer at CoinDesk, which broke the story, says the Barbados government's move has the potential to be "quite disruptive."
Could Jamaica's ‘wickedest city’ become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Jamaica hopes to get World Heritage status for Port Royal, one of only three sunken sites in the world and the only one in the Western hemisphere.
Take a hike! Some of the Caribbean's most scenic trails in photos
Many Caribbean people are avid hikers—these photos will show you why.
Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley's defence of Small Island Developing States at COP26 makes her a regional rock star
"How does Barbados feel about [Prime Minister] Mia Mottley? Because the rest of the Caribbean feels as though y’all won the lottery in the PM dept."
Brandy Rodriguez, ‘fearless’ advocate for Trinidad and Tobago's LGBTQ+ community, dies
'Her work has assisted with the reduction of exclusion, discrimination, and violence of marginalized groups – especially Trans-Women.'
Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of Trinidad & Tobago's attempted Islamist coup, dies 31 years after failed insurrection
"Have you lot praising this ‘community leader’ ever thought about not only the people killed but the people living on after being traumatized?"
‘Self governance is self love': Barbados elects first local head of state on journey to becoming a republic
"We have a good relationship with the British monarchy. Long may it continue, as equals. Congratulations to our incoming President Dame Sandra Mason."
How Dave Chappelle's new comedy special went over in the Caribbean
"[Chappelle] built his deconstruction of the importance of comedy to the human condition using the various gender and LGBTQ movements of this century as his prisms."
Peter Telfer, the Trinidadian percussionist who made African drumming a church staple, goes to his Creator
"I remember the first time I heard ‘O Creator’. It woke me up because [...] it was our rhythm, it was our chant, it resonated with us, a Caribbean people."
Could Miami show Trinidad and Tobago how to safely pull off Carnival in a pandemic?
"There were free testing stations, temperature checks. They followed strict protocols [...] My friends who participated are all fully vaccinated. Hoping that it wasn’t a super spreader."
Flower power: Rapper Trinidad James irritates compatriots with sneaker brand misnomer
The debut of the rapper's new sneaker brand, marked by a plethora of inaccuracies about the country's national flower, was followed up by an apathetic apology with additional blunders.
