by Basil Roman
The Caribbean American Lawyers Association (CALA) held its inaugural Gala on June 26, 2024, at El Caribe Country Club in Brooklyn, New York, and it was indeed a gala evening.
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CALA was organized four years with a mission to foster unity and congeniality among Caribbean American Judges, lawyers with a vision to educate, advance, inspire and mentor the Caribbean American legal community through scholarships and professional development programs.
The founding President, Sylvia Hinds-Radix, Barbadian-born, has guided the direction and development to be a force in the legal scene in New York and is lauded for her efforts and was given the Founders Award.
Judge Michele Rodney, New York State Supreme Court, was given the distinguished award of Jurist of the Year that was presented by the Honorable Sylvia Hinds-Radix to Judge Rodney and commended her for her distinguished legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx county handling major criminal trials, to her role as Dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Monroe College, and under her leadership, became one of the largest criminal justice program in New York state, to her appointment to the bench, where she presides over major criminal cases.
Judge Rodney’s engagement in community activities, is well known, as she has chaired the Bronx chapter of the New York Urban League and as sat on several Boards of community organizations.
Congressmember Yvette Clarke had a congressional citation prepared for the naming of Judge Rodney as the first Jurist of the Year for CALA.
Among those sending messages of congratulations, some in attendance and some not, are The Most Honorable P.J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Dr. Hazel M Dukes, President, New York Conference of NAACP, Sadie Campbell, President, Jamaica Progressive League, Attorney at Law, Hugh Campbell, Patricia Chin, Founder, VP Records, George Hulse, Vice President, Emblem Health and Dr. Millicent Comrie and others.
Other honorees of the evening were His Excellency Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly from Trinidad and Tobago, Michelle Stoddart, Senior Vice President of Community Development and Public Relations of Resorts World, New York , Charles Small, Esq., Chief Clerk, New York State Supreme Court, Civil Matters, Kings County.
The evenings mistress of ceremony was Crystal Cranmore, the Race and Culture reporter of WABC-TV Eyewitness News Channel 7 (New York). It was an evening of celebration to acknowledge the mission and purpose of CALA – to unify the Caribbean legal community and salute the accomplishments of the evening’s honorees and milestones of CALA.
In accepting the award, Judge Rodney pledged her commitment to the mission of CALA, that Judge Hinds-Radix for her friendship and her parents, Karl and Faye Rodney for instilling in her the value of community engagement.
