Dear Editor,
What brought tears to my eyes was the profoundly proud image of a Black dad sitting next to his daughter in the reception of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. Letitia Wright, the Guyanese-born actress who shot to global stardom as Shuri in the Black Panther cinematic blockbuster, arrived in her homeland Guyana on Friday.
The welcome home was befitting of the global icon she has become and as Guyanese we must be tremendously proud. However, it is unfortunate that the Government of Guyana had to be publicly embarrassed and put on a spot to extend an invite to a daughter of the soil who is of African descent.
No government should have to be publicly called out to give national acknowledgment to our nation’s accomplished sons and daughters of a particular ethnic group.
Tears came to my eyes at the beautiful sight of her dad and family in her presence. In my mind’s eye, I saw in Letitia’s dad, the fathers of Michael Jackson and the Williams sisters; Venus and Serena and the vibrations that went through me made me proud to be African Guyanese in particular and Guyanese in general.
Sincerely yours,
Norman Browne
Social and Political Activist