Jamaican Women of Florida Turns Ten

Ten years ago, several Jamaican-born women in South Florida started a non-profit organization to celebrate their accomplishments, laud the mentors who helped them, and provide a platform for the next generation of female leaders. Jamaican Women of Florida (JWOF) was borne out of that desire to acknowledge and give back. And, since their official launch in October 2012, JWOF has played a significant role in the development of the young women they have nurtured.

Janice McIntoshThis 10th anniversary also saw the election of the organization’s new president, Janice McIntosh, one of the founding members and a pillar within the Jamaican-American community. Caribbean Today sat down the McIntosh to learn more about the Jamaican Women of Florida.

Caribbean Today (CT): As the newly elected president, what is your vision for Jamaican Women of Florida?

Janice McIntosh (JM): We want to grow and expand the organization to include all Jamaicans of Florida: Jamaican-born, Jamaican descent, married to a Jamaican, or your love for Jamaica. We want all connections to each other to be meaningful and mutually beneficial.

CT: What was the impetus really for starting the organization?

JM: The brainchild was really Cheryl Wynter, Community Relations Officer at the Jamaican Consulate in Miami. And Dahlia Walker-Huntington was the first president and she really took it to a great start. They always say there are more Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica than in Jamaica. And, that coupled with the fact that we are such a powerhouse as it relates to culture, sports, and entertainment, and the strength of our Jamaican-ness, we felt it was a disservice to not gather a group of diasporans who share the same heritage and culture and try and make something meaningful from it. So, even though sisterhood is at the center of what we do, charitable acts of service is really what drives our mission.

CT: So, it’s been 10 years. How has JWOF evolved over that period?

JM: Ten years might seem like a long time, but it’s really short in the scheme of things. With the advent of COVID, we lost about three years of just getting it all together and cementing certain things. But to be totally honest, I think how we have evolved is just our boldness in going to the forefront of things that need or attention. So, you know, we had a burn victim recently. We got a call from the consulate and we were able to mobilze some funds for her in a short time. So we are now seen as the organisation that really reaches out and and has an impact. There are many things that we do that is not really made public. There are many charities around who will know that there is a group of Jamaican women who have service at the center of our mission. And so, there are times when we are called to assist in various acts of charity, whether it’s Kiwanis or Women in Distress, or the Consulate.

CT: JWOF stages its Women’s Empowerment Conference every year. The latest one was last month. Tell us about that gathering and how it impacted participants.

JM: Our speaker this year was Dr. Monique Rainford, an Immaculate High School alumni. Dr. Rainford is a doctor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She has come into a space where she is now a small fish in a big bowl. And she has just really taken a very good lens in looking at her area of specialty, OB GYN, to see trends in how black and brown women are treated. She has seen that there is such a disparity in how women are treated. She is now a published author, written a book about the healthcare services and how we, as women of color, need to do to look out for certain signs certain things to ensure that you don't you don't become a statistic. She is a young lady, but she’s a powerhouse. The conference also featured other panellists including Judge Cymonie Rowe, Dr. Simone French, Una Morgan from Morgan Heritage, and Noelle Baldwin. What these women have is a story, which is intertwined with what they do and how they got there. And so, when we have panels that come and share their story, it is nothing but empowering and enlightening. When you come to these conferences, you might ask, what can these women share that I don’t already know. But, when you see and you hear the resilience and what they fight through, you’ll see it's about more power to women, and more importantly, more power to Jamaican women.

CT: Tell me about some of the other activities that Jamaican Women of Florida is involved in that positively impacts the community it serves.

JM: We have had financial wellness workshops. I believe that women of color, immigrants, we don't have the benefit of generational wealth. That was taken almost years ago and our inheritance was stripped bare. And it is so important to equip our community with information and knowledge and know how as to how to shore up your own generational wealth for your children and your children's children. Whether it’s budgeting, what invest in, who to invest in and where, that has really been empowering. Another thing that we also talk about a lot is wellness. Because, even though we talk about the strength of women and women bearing the most, sometimes we neglect to take care of ourselves. So, wellness, diet, exercise, meditation, just taking time for yourself, those have really been the most powerful workshops that we have had.

CT: JWOF instituted a scholarship fund from early on. Tell me about it and how it has helped young female hopefuls.

JM: On average we have given out about two per year. Currently we’ve given over $100,000 in scholarship. One of the things that we try to engender is to pass the baton. We have a mentorship committee, and these the women mentor the young folks, and in turn those young people mentor others. It really is good to see them involved in JWOF and giving back.

CT: Why should Jamaican American and women of Jamaican heritage join JWOF?

JM: Jamaican women of Florida is a unique group. The common thread is being Jamaican. The Jamaican-ness in us is what we have taken from our culture. It’s looking at our national heroes like Nanny of the Maroons. It's looking at our leaders. It’s looking at the pioneering efforts of Jamaican woman who have really excelled. We’re trying to bottle this and we’re trying to inspire a generation of women to really take what we have to the next level. We have a mantra: ‘We are the Jamaican woman of Florida, and we believe together we have the power to do anything’. We really and truly want to make a difference in the lives of people that we touch.