Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco
A Trinidad & Tobago bookstore carrying a LGBTQ+ themed children's book causes both outrage and inspiration online
A book about identity and acceptance has found itself at the core of a discussion that some believe is about the need to protect the country's children.
A Caribbean perspective on World Sea Turtle Day
The Caribbean welcomes various types of sea turtles each year during nesting season, and most of them run the gamut from being vulnerable to critically endangered.
The saga of a jaguar allegedly terrorising a Trinidad village is a masterclass in misinformation
While some brushed off the story as flimsy and implausible, that did not stop it from getting oxygen on social media.
The Corpus Christi procession in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in photos
Trinidad and Tobago is just one of 18 countries that grants the Roman Catholic feast of Corpus Christi as a national holiday.
As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season begins, the Caribbean looks back—and to the future
At COP27, the Loss and Damage issue was finally added to the agenda, but any sustainable positive impact on the Caribbean must go beyond this.
In the Caribbean, World Parrot Day strives to raise awareness about the many threatened endemic species
Within the region, the capture and sale of parrots for the illegal pet trade is the greatest threat, followed by habitat loss because of deforestation for housing, tourism, and agriculture.
The Caribbean mourns resilient rock and roll legend Tina Turner
Her decision to go public about her abuse made Turner even more relatable. This was especially true in the Caribbean, which struggles with high rates of domestic violence and femicide.
Investigators in Guyana allege that tragic dorm fire was set by disgruntled student over a confiscated phone
The blaze began in the bathrooms, where the teenager was thought to have sprayed insecticide on a curtain, then lit a match. The fire quickly spread through the building.
‘Deliberately set’ dormitory fire that killed 19 plunges Guyana into mourning
Most of the victims were teen girls who came from surrounding Indigenous communities.
Prolific Jamaican writer Kwame McPherson wins the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story regional prize for the Caribbean
Judges hailed McPherson's submission, "Ocoee," as “a memorial to the enduring nature of the human spirit."
The Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica beach cleanup points to the need for greater public education
In the Caribbean, though beach clean-ups and plastic collections help to reduce the amount of plastic and raise the level of environmental consciousness, they never seem to be enough.
King Charles’ coronation stirs little interest in the Caribbean, save for how he plans to respond to calls for reparations
"King Charles must translate the rhetoric of sorrow into the truly meaningful language of immediate reparations."
The Caribbean outlook on World Press Freedom Day
Despite dismissiveness from elected officials, as well as instances of verbal abuse and cyberbullying, Caribbean journalists press on.
The shortlist of Bocas Lit Fest's 2022 literary prize are all works from Trinidad & Tobago writers
The list is made up of the category winners of three different writing genres: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
The jeweller who made Stations of the Cross for a heritage church in Trinidad hopes they continue to make an impact
Jeweller Gillian Bishop worked in copper and brass to make a distinctive design for her childhood church.
Reel: The remains of Trinidad's Brechin Castle, once ‘the largest sugar factory […] in the British Empire’
Former Minister of Agriculture Clarence Rambharat said that “sugar factories and the preservation of sugar history were two separate matters,” a position with which some social media users disagree.
Could Britain finally be ready to seriously discuss reparative justice with the Caribbean?
The ill effects of of slavery and colonialism still linger in a myriad of ways, including economics, systemic corruption, violence, public health, education, and issues of identity.
Jamaican cultural commentator uses Twitter to draw attention to outstanding Caribbean accomplishments
Jamaican Twitter user and cultural commentator Wayne Chen often posts interesting tidbits about Caribbean personalities and pioneers on the social media platform.
Seven-year-old Coryn Anaya Clarke, a self-published author from Trinidad & Tobago, wants kids to know the joy of reading
Can a seven-year-old encourage other children to read by writing and publishing her own stories? This young Trinidadian author is certainly trying.
A Trinidadian runner takes time out for photos of poui trees
One of the most beautiful aspects of the dry season in Trinidad and Tobago is the blossoming of the poui.
The threat of bush fires in the Caribbean is a hot-button issue
The Caribbean's culture surrounding fire is contributing to the harsh and dangerous effects of the dry season.