That is after we spent most of 2009 to reevaluate, reaffirm and renew our commitment to the mission of the National Association of Caribbean American Journalists. And that was a good thing. Several events last year helped us with our collective exercise and were, perhaps, necessary to crystallize our impetus for being a part of NACAJ.

In 2009, we worked to ensure full and fair representation of Caribbean Americans in the United States.

We also had several bright spots. We welcomed one of three Woodrow Wilson Center Journalism fellows who came to Washington D.C. to spend three weeks at the Washington Post. Ingrid Brown, a reporter of the Jamaica Observer newspaper in Jamaica, had a warm and personal reception at the National Press Club. She shared her experiences with us, and journalists in Washington, D.C. helped her with locating sources for her story on illegal Jamaican immigrants with HIV/AIDS. We also attended the reception for all the fellows and other participating organizations and pledged to work with the Wilson Center in attracting more journalists from the Caribbean.

Overall, we laid the groundwork for 2010. As a follow-up to the Nov. 1, 2007 meeting at the World Bank, NACAJ met with one media house in the Caribbean and have committed to a yearlong project to enhance its investigative unit.

In the meanwhile, we look forward to collaborating with other journalism organizations in this difficult time as we plan our bi-annual conference focusing on investigative journalism in the Caribbean.

Keep checking our website for more details.

Ann-Marie Adams
President