By ARTHIA NIXON
ATLANTA, Georgia –Historic Stone Mountain Park came alive with Bahamian culture, cuisine and the pulsating rhythm of Junkanoo when Bahamians in the diaspora joined the Bahamas Consulate General’s Office in Atlanta to celebrate the nation’s 46th Independence.
Bahamas Consul General Astra Armbrister-Rolle thanked the crowd of over 500 attendees for being a part of the weekend independence celebrations activities that included a play, church service and family fun day.
“The Bahamas Consulate General, Atlanta would like to thank the Bahamian community for their full show of support for our Independence celebrations,” said Armbrister-Rolle. “We are confident that our community has become closer as a result of the past weekend. The Consulate will do its endeavor best to continue to foster closer ties with our Diaspora throughout the jurisdiction. We ask for your continued support and encourage Bahamians living, working and attending school in our jurisdiction to register through our website to stay abreast of our events and activities.”
Attendees were treated to performances from Tara Lynne Brown, Ron Jon Bovi and the Rake ‘n’ Scrape General Stileet.
Brandon Lafleur, founder of the Atlanta Junkanoo Group; Annette Hanna, owner of Conch Heaven Bahamian restaurants in the Atlanta area; and Annmarie Turner were honored for their contributions within the jurisdiction.
The Bahamas Consul General’s Office of Atlanta’s jurisdiction includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
