Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco
‘The eagle has landed’ and Trinidad and Tobago social media users are thrilled
It's a phrase that gained widespread recognition during one of the most historic events of the 20th century. It's also a phrase that Trinbagonians use to communicate they've been paid.
‘Well, well, well': What the fuss about Trinidad & Tobago's national anthem is all about
Trinidad and Tobago soca singer Iwer George's use of the country's national anthem in his Carnival 2024 track “Happy People” made many people decidedly unhappy.
What is a Jab Molassie, and does it have a place in promoting Tobago's tourism offering?
The masquerade is rooted in rebellion, and various iterations of this devil character exist throughout the Caribbean.
How Dominica's designation of the world's first sperm whale sanctuary can help fight climate change
More sperm whale excrement equals more plankton, which translates into more CO2, a greenhouse gas, being trapped.
Open letter to Caribbean leaders urges them to make COP28 transformative
The signatories identified three key areas to help address broader issues the region grapples with, including inequality, poverty, and "staggering levels of debt," which are exacerbated by climate change.
This ‘Mystery House’ highlights the characters of Caribbean folklore
Mille Fleurs, the headquarters of the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, has been transformed into Kay Mistè — the Mystery House — to encourage people to learn more about Caribbean folklore.
What is the Jamaican government's position on Haitian refugees?
Some social media users and human rights organisations are accusing the Jamaican government of being "insincere" and "nonchalant" in its treatment of Haitian refugees.
Forty years later, Grenada officially remembers the murders of its Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and others
On October 19, 1983, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and seven others were executed by a faction of their own political party. Forty years later, the country remembers.
The West Indies made history with the highest ever score in women's T20I cricket, but can they clinch the series?
The team's outstanding win was secured in part by the phenomenal performance of its captain, Barbadian Hayley Matthews, who scored 132 runs off 64 balls.
Horace Ové, Trinidad-born trailblazer of Black British cinema, leaves behind a rich legacy of films and photographs
"He worked outside of the system, showing generations of Black filmmakers that it could be done, and that their voices have power."
A conversation with Paula Lucie-Smith, founder of Trinidad & Tobago's Adult Literacy Tutors Association, on the occasion of International Literacy Day
'Literacy is invisible ... the stigma means that those who need help instead [perfect] the art of keeping their poor literacy hidden. So, we need an international day to [hear] about literacy.
A plea to protect Jamaica's wild birds
Trappers have been piggybacking on the island's hunting season, which is currently open, but still limited in terms of which bird species can be considered fair game.
Trinidad & Tobago is used to heat, but not quite like this
The fact that Trinidad and Tobago lies 10° north of the equator, coupled with the warming of the planet caused by climate change, has made the heat that much more unbearable.
Denyse Plummer, Trinidad & Tobago's unlikely calypso queen, leaves a legacy of passion, praise and patriotism
"She shattered barriers and paved the way for female calypsonians, demonstrating that the power of one's voice transcends gender and background."
Michael Anthony, Trinidad & Tobago's ‘oldest living writer’ who vividly captured Caribbean life, dies at 93
"Anthony [depicted] adolescent and rural life in a way that no other writer has done. He will go down as probably the most widely read Caribbean writer of our generation."
Take a tour of Trinidad & Tobago's Virtual Steelpan Museum
The creators worked with designers and coders, building the virtual museum almost like a sculpture, in an iterative way, paying attention to everything from aesthetics to narrative.
Concerns in Guyana about threats against women activists
Women have been on the receiving end of death threats and other forms of intimidation for speaking out against mining, fossil fuel extraction and sexual violence.
World Steelpan Day honours the national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago
Steelpan, the unique musical instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago that has taken the world by storm, should be experienced first-hand to be best appreciated.
As Jamaica reflects on 61 years of Independence, it also looks to its future
Jamaica has been independent of Britain since 1962, but is one of the few Caribbean territories that still retain the British monarch as head of state.
Some authors are gone, others are still writing, but Caribbean literature endures
"[A]s Peepal Tree Press publishes Rahim’s posthumous novel, [it is] pronounced among “best Caribbean novels,” tackling questions of “society and personal being asked by great novelists from Eliot to Lovelace.”
The Caribbean Community marks its golden jubilee with a promise of free movement for regional nationals
"We believe that this is a fundamental part of the integration architecture [...] the core of the regional integration movement [is] people’s ability to move freely within the Caribbean Community. "