By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Oct. 24, 2024: As the countdown to the November 5th general elections intensifies, many Guyanese American voters are voicing strong support for Caribbean roots, US VP, Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president. With approximately 74% of Guyanese immigrants in the U.S. having naturalized and gained the right to vote, this community is poised to play a role in the election as part of the Black and Asian voting blocs.
The flag of Guyana raised in NYC to mark the country’ May 26th independence.
Many News Americas spoke with are on board the Harris train as the election clock ticks down. Guyanese Annan Boodram, coordinator of ‘The Caribbean Voice’, a volunteer driven NGO engaged in mental health advocacy and activism in the Caribbean and the Diaspora, says he is confident Harris will beat the convicted former US President, Donald Trump, when the votes are counted.
“Kamala does have a greater degree of support than polls reflect in my view,” said the New Yorker. “And I believe Kamala will win because of differences, not only in personalities but the approach to campaigning; and because of Trump’s campaign to demonize, demean and label.”
Still Boodram admitted he is afraid that American politics will be transformed forever, whether Harris loses or not, “and decency, and truths and facts and evidence are going to take a back seat to lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories and AI-generated videos.”
Guyanese Val Williams, also a naturalized US citizen and voter, is also optimistic about a Harris win.
“America never had a female President. If Kamala wins it would impact women and girls globally,” he said. “Margaret Thacher /Indira Ghandi/Margaret Thacher/Benazir Bhutto and Gro Brutland would probably be quite impressed that America finally did the right thing. It’s about time that a woman got a shot at leadership.”
Not all voters are entirely confident, though. New Jersey voter and retiree, Guyanese Allison Skeete, admits she is nervous and “holding my breath.”
Skeete said she finds it “unfathomable” that in the 21st century, America is so readily enticed by someone who keeps showing who they are but still is in play for the highest office of the land.
Boodram blames the rise of Trump on the awakening of a once “sleeping segment of the American population that hearkens back to the days of the wild west when the gun men ruled the roast and to colonialism, when the plantation owners ruled the roast.”
“A significant percentage of Trump’s support comes from people like those who have been empowered to display their racism, misogyny their hate, their beliefs the white race is superior to everyone one else,” said Boodram.
For this reason, Skeete is convinced that “if Harris wins it will not be an easy road for her.”
But she quickly added: “If Trump wins it won’t be an easy road for the nation.”
Another Guyanese voter who is terrified of another Donald Trump term is author and youth activist Selwyn Collins.
“What terrifies me most about a second term is Project 2025, which I believe will become a reality,” said Collins. “Especially when you consider what they did with the Supreme Court, not to mention the many Federal judges, most of whom are White. Who knows what amendment can be pushed through to deny us immigrants our citizenship. I see what they did with the Anti-Semitic law.
“These are terrifying times, and America cannot afford to elect someone who puts himself first above anyone, above any law; constitution be damned. His rhetoric about his plans for the country can be considered a threat to democracy and life as we know it in America,” he added, while predicting “the tea leaves say Kamala Harris, and I love tea.”
Guyanese Floridian voter Yuri Basir admits he was leaning to Trump when President Joe Biden was in the race. But he said that changed after Harris became the Democratic nominee.
“I got re-energized to be part of history,” he said. “If we can elect the first woman president it would be (significant) because we consider her one of us as Caribbean and Indian.”
Guyanese born, New York City based writer and performer Ingrid Griffith, who has been performing and touring with her award-winning, one-woman show, ‘Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed,’ for the past three years,” agrees with Basir that “this is an election of great consequence.”
“More than ever, we are aware what the repercussions will be for generations to come if we don’t vote,” she added. “It’s difficult to change minds but I’m optimistic that Americans will vote for a nation we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.
“As Shirley Chisholm, the second African American woman who ran for President in 1972 said, ‘Blacks and women have the power to turn things around in this country. And once we believe we can, and take action, positive change will come.’”
Charlene Mitchell was the first black woman to run for US President as the Communist Party candidate in 1968 and later led the campaign to free Angela Davis. She died in 2022.
“Our legacy is on the ballot,” added Griffith. “The two presidential candidates seem to be speaking about different realities. My reality is based on facts, science, my own experiences, my ancestors’ dreams. It seems clearer than ever that a woman with a background as diverse as Kamala Harris is ready to move this country in the direction so that it can fulfill on its promises. Kamala Harris has my vote.”
Guyanese entrepreneur and Muslim voter Ray Rafeek was undecided days out but admitted he is “leaning for Kamala because I cannot vote for that idiot Trump.”
“I am not a fan of Kamala, but I have no choice,” he added. “It will scary if Trump wins.”
Chuck Mohan, a Guyanese New Yorker and activist, says while he sees a tight election, he is confident Harris has the momentum to take the win come Nov. 5th.
Still Mohan says he does not think he will vote as he has vowed not to vote for Zionist supporters as the war wages on in Gaza.
“I’m not going to vote for either,” he said, but admitted that “if Trump wins, we are in trouble.”
“He is a vindictive man and even though I see a lot of people who are now coming out against him, the ball is now really in her court,” he said of Harris, while advising that if she stays away from the name calling and sticks to policy, “she can pull this off.”
As the election draws near, Guyanese Americans, like many voters across the nation, are keenly aware of the stakes and the potential impact of their votes.
