LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN D.C. CITY COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH OFFICE OF CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2019 — DC Councilmember Brandon Todd, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. City Council, has introduced legislation (B23-0201) to establish an Office of Caribbean Affairs (OCA) to monitor the delivery of services to the Caribbean community and make policy recommendations that affect the District’s Caribbean community.

A public hearing on this legislation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at 2:30 PM at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 120, Washington, DC 20004, according to Michael Yates of the Committee to Establish a DC Office of Caribbean Affairs.

“Success in establishing an Office of Caribbean Affairs will require an all-out effort by everyone in the Caribbean Community,” Mr. Yates said in a statement circulated on Facebook.

Mr. Yates added, “If you are a DC resident, own or operate a business or nonprofit in DC, and/or support this legistlation your attendance is requested at this hearing. You may also testify at the hearing or submit a written statement if you are unable to attend.

“Individuals and representatives of organizations wishing to testify should contact Mr. Manuel Geraldo at the DC Council at (202) 724-8035 or email mgeraldo@dccouncil.us and provide your name, address, phone#, email, and any organizational affiliation by the close of business on Wednesday, June 18, 2019.  Please bring 10 copies of your written testimony. Representatives of organizations are given 5 minutes to testify and individuals 3 minutes.”

Mr. Yates urged that this information be shared “with your organizations, congregations, friends and family” and we are complying with that request for the benefit of readers of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which was established to keep Bahamians and nationals from other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) living in the diaspora up-to-date with selected news from their respective communities.

For more information, please contact the Committee to Establish a D.C. Office of Caribbean Affairs, Doreen Thompson, Esq., at the Caribbean Foodways Alliance ncaffa2010@gmail.com.
Attached is some information relevant to this important legislative initiative.

CAMPAIGN TO CREATE A DISTRICT OFFICE OF CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS (OCCA)

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why the need for an OCCA? What are the benefits?

Answer: An OCCA would provide sustained government outreach to the DC Caribbean community in areas such as community development, business development, public safety and education. The District’s Caribbean Commission has no budget authority, which significantly limits its operations. As a result, it relies primarily on volunteer-power and resources. Moreover, as the Commission must be reestablished with each change in Administration, there are delays resulting from the membership selection and appointment process, which hampers progress.

An OCCA would reduce this “uncertainty” as it would have a budget, a level of permanency and could serve as a bridge between Administrations. An OCCA would assist agencies in their outreach to the Caribbean community, and provide accountability as it reports to the public through the Council’s budget oversight process. Hearings and testimonies in the oversight process would inform and directly involve the District’s Caribbean community, which would impact the OCCA’s direction and performance.

2. What areas would an Office address? What are areas of concern to the Caribbean community?

Answer: An OCCA would address any areas that improve the quality of life for DC Caribbean residents

A White Paper prepared by Caribbean members of the first Commission on Caribbean & African Affairs Commission identified several concerns. The following continue to be relevant:

• Assistance in supporting activities showcasing Caribbean cultural heritage in the District. This is in line with the District’s Cultural Plan ( https://www.dcculturalplan.org) intended to strengthen arts, humanities, culture and heritage in neighborhoods across the city by increasing cultural participation, which benefits all District citizens;
• Assistance to Caribbean businesses, and in particular Caribbean food businesses, many of which struggled to recover from the cessation of the Caribbean Carnival, the recession, and the subsequent stresses of gentrification if they rented properties. This is in line with the District’s Office of Planning Food Policy Council directive and the mandates of the DC Office of Small & Local Business to assist small businesses, which benefits all District citizens;
• Outreach to the District’s Caribbean community in addressing the quality of mental health and senior health services offered to this community by District agencies as studies have shown that Caribbean-immigrant communities have unique cultural needs in these areas and access some of these services less; and
• Assistance with affordable housing.

3. What can be the push-back to the establishment of an OCCA?

Answer: A likely push-back is that the DC English-speaking Caribbean-born community is small (2015 US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data indicates approx. 8,000 from English-speaking Caribbean countries and 13,000 from Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries); is not as visible; and the Caribbean community’s concerns could be integrated into the Office of African-American or its Commission.

There are a number of responses to this position:

• It appears that the census data may only capture Caribbean-born, and if so, then it does not fully capture persons of Caribbean heritage in the District;
• There is a significant number of Caribbean businesses located in the District with concerns as to District policies which impact their operations;
• Needs of Haitian-born non-English speaking District residents are being overlooked;
• Offices have been created with smaller constituencies; and
• The limitations of unbudgeted commissions, noted in Question #1, begs for a solution which reflects a sincere commitment to the District’s Caribbean community.

4. Will there still be a Commission if an OCCA is established?

Answer: Yes, the Caribbean Commission would still exist, just like other Commissions that exist alongside its Offices like African-American Commission, African Commission and the Latino Commission for example.

5. What are the steps to adopting legislation to create an OCCA?

Answer:

• Drafting of the legislation; (This has been completed)
• Introduction of the legislation to the Committee on Government Operations by a councilmember;
• Hearing on the legislation by the Committee on Government Operations;
• Voting on the legislation by the Committee on Government Operations;
• Voting on the legislation by the entire Council (Committee of the Whole);
• Signing of the legislation by the Mayor; and
• Transmittal of the legislation to Congress for approval.

6. Which Councilmembers can likely introduce or co-sponsor legislation to establish an OCCA and will vote at the Committee level?

Answer: The Committee on Government Operations, chaired by Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd has oversight over Boards and Commissions and attendant offices. Members of the Committee include: At-Large Councilmember David Grosso, At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.

Councilmembers who have indicated support for an OCCA include Councilmember Robert White and Councilmember Anita Bonds.

7. Which Councilmembers, at the Committee of the Whole, will vote on the legislation to make into law?

Answer: The Committee of the Whole consists of the full Council, which includes: Chairman Phil Mendelson, At Large Members: CM Anita Bonds, CM David Grosso, CM Elissa Silverman and CM Robert C. White, Jr. Also Ward Members: Ward 1-CM Brianne K. Nadeau, Ward 2-CM Jack Evans, Ward 3-CM Mary M. Cheh, Ward 4-CM Brandon T. Todd, Ward 5-CM Kenyan R. McDuffie, Ward 6-CM Charles Allen, Ward 7-CM Vincent C. Gray, Ward 8–CM Trayon White, Sr.

8. Will Mayoral support be required to create an OCCA?

Answer: Yes. The Mayor’s support will be required for this legislation to become law.

9. What is needed from the Caribbean community in the DMV to make an OCCA a reality and how can this be accomplished?

Answer: A sustained and organized effort in the District’s Caribbean community to get the word out about this campaign:

• DC residents write email or letters to the Mayor and councilmembers;
• DC businesses write email or letters to Mayor and councilmembers;
• DC based non-profits getting their DC resident-members to write email or letters to Mayor and their council members;
• Caribbean media companies publicizing the efforts and advocate on behalf of Caribbean community;
• Posting flyers on Facebook, twitter or Instagram.

10. What can be role of non-profits? Are they restricted in terms of advocacy?

Answer: Most nonprofits can and do engage in as much advocacy as possible to achieve their goals but cannot engage in political campaign activities. So in a situation where the outcome is non-partisan, the question is whether engaging in advocating for this office crosses the line from advocacy to lobbying. It would appear that an effort to galvanize the membership could be viewed as lobbying. However, there is room for informing members of the undertaking about the effort to establish an OCCA in the District of Columbia.

11. What can be the role of orgs/leaders who do not reside in DC or whose organizations are not based in DC?

Answer: See #9 and #10 above. However, if the organization is not a non-profit, it can be fully involved in outreach to its District resident members. The success of this campaign can also serve as a model for the other jurisdictions in the DMV

12. What is needed from DC residents of Caribbean heritage, Caribbean-owned or operated business in the District or DC based non profits?

Answer: Involvement in the process; telling neighbors or friends to write emails or letters of support to the Mayor and council members; testifying at hearings; publicizing the campaign on Facebook, twitter or Instagram; getting commitment from five or 10 people to tell their friends to submit letters of support or emails. Goal is to have 20 persons attending the Committee hearings.

13. What are the next steps & timeframe?

Answer: In the meeting with Ward 4 CM Todd’s Director of Legislative Affairs for the Committee on Government Operations, there was a question whether CM Todd could introduce the legislation to establish an OCCA. The Legislative Director indicated he would get back with us. Below is a list of next steps and possible timeframes. These timeframes will depend on the Council’s 2019 schedule.

• Reach out to other Council members like CM Bonds and White who have voiced support for an OCCCA – March 2019
• Create a Facebook page to encourage District residents of Caribbean heritage to send emails and letters of support to Mayor and Council members – March 2019
• Send out periodic mail-chimp e-newsletters to an e-mail list – March 2019
• Plan a wider DC Caribbean community meeting to inform the community and allow for Q&A – April 2019
• Develop and provide draft model testimony for the Committee hearing – April 2019

14. When does this legislative period end and what is the Council’s 2019 schedule?

Answer: Council Period 23 began on January 2019, runs for two years, and ends on Jan 2021—any legislation, with very few exceptions, introduced during a given Council Period that is not approved by the Council by the last day of that Council Period dies through lack of action, and must be re-introduced in the new Council Period.

As to the 2019 Council Calendar/Schedule, this will be provided.

15. What can be the role of the Caribbean-American media?

Answer: Could get the word out about the effort.