Somehow, it seems that Freddie Kissoon has an obsession with Annan Boodram, as, ever so often, my name becomes a target in his outpourings. His latest reference designates Annan Boodram as an Indian supremacist, member of a group “based in New York and Guyana” and led by Ravi Dev (let me hasten to add that I cherish my friendship with Ravi Dev whom I consider to be an awesome intellect with encyclopaedic knowledge and razor sharp perception, yet a very humble and eminently approachable individual). Those who really know me can vouch for the fact that the only organizations I have ever been a part of in the diaspora are all far removed from anything of the nature of Indian or any other ethnic supremacy.
Just to set the record straight, for the benefit of the few who may give what was said about me some credence, the organizations I have been involved with are the Caribbean Voice, Caribbean Network Enterprizes, The Caribbean Voice Awards and the Caribbean Voice Business Awards, of all of which I was a founding member. Others with which I was associated at one or another time include business persons Ramesh Kalicharran and Lal Somwaru; academic and social/cultural activist Dr Juliet Emanuel; photo journalist Roland Hyde; journalist and social/cultural activist Matie Singh; anger management specialist Dr Latchman Narine; social activist Margaret Goldstein; journalist Andrea Bullen; social and cultural activist Juneth Webson; academic and motivational writer/speaker, Dr Anita Defoe; journalist and innovative entrepreneur, Felicia Persaud and a host of others drawn from the many groups within the Caribbean diaspora. Outside of these organizations my association has been/is with the United Federation of Teachers; Caribbean American Domestic Violence group (CADVA) and a peer mediation/anti-violence entity set up by former New York City Mayor, David Dinkins. Incidentally it is a moot point to indicate that all of these have been/are all multi-ethnic and multinational bodies.
Yours faithfully,
Annan Boodram
