SPOONY, local officials honor mothers

The Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Progressive Organization of New York (SPOONY), the New York arm of the incumbent New Democratic Party (NDP) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on Saturday, May 16, paid glowing tributes to mothers.

The five-hour gala affair, which took place in the Golden Hall of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn, attracted a diverse cross-section of the community. 

Patrons heard remarks and impassioned tributes to mothers by, among others, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United Nations Vynette Frederick, Consul General to the United States Roland “Patel” Matthews, New York State Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman and SPOONY President Stephen “Scombo” John. 

New York Civil Court Judge Sheridan Jack-Browne, a Vincentian national, also paid tribute to mothers, serving as a guest speaker, and relating her “Journey as a Single Mother,” losing her husband through drowning and raising her two young children practically on her own. 

Other tributes were paid by Vincentian author Dr. Nicholette Spring, with a poem; Chesroleeysia Bobb on violin and song; Sheran Norman in comedy; Carlos “Rejector” Providence in calypso; and Ladies of SPOONY in floral presentation and giveaways. 

“What will this evening be without you?” asked John rhetorically in his opening remarks. “We’re very happy to welcome you and to share this event with you. 

“I want to make sure all the mothers are celebrated today,” he added. 

Frederick said she was “very grateful to be here; so wonderful to be here and be part of the Vincentian community. 

“Vincentian and Caribbean mothers at large are some of the strongest women — strong because of the challenges; you set your goals, and you go for it,” she said, disclosing that her path to motherhood is through adoption. 

“It’s singularly important to be a mother,” the envoy added. “To the women in the room who laid the foundation, I’m privileged to say I honor you.”

Matthews, a former Member of Parliament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said he could not think of anyone more deserving of the tribute than “the woman whose strength, sacrifice, and love shaped my life so profoundly.

“My mother, Grace Matthews, was not a woman of great wealth, but she was a woman of immeasurable worth,” he said, reading from a prepared statement. “She gave all she had to her children, placing her three sons above every comfort, every convenience, and even her own needs. 

“Here in the United States, she worked tirelessly — often taking on demanding and humble jobs — not for applause or recognition, but for one simple and noble purpose: to ensure that her children would have opportunities she herself never had,” the consul general added. “She believed in education with a conviction that could move mountains. She understood that learning was more than attending school; it was the key to dignity, independence, and transformation.”

Matthews said his late mother “labored” so he could receive a university education. 

“Every long day she endured, every challenge she overcame, every sacrifice she made carried within it a quiet but powerful message: ‘I believe in you, and I am building a future for you,’” he said, stating that his mother taught him lessons that “no classroom alone could ever teach. 

“She taught me resilience, when life was difficult; she taught me discipline, when the road was long; she taught me faith, when the destination seemed far away,” he added. “Most of all, she taught me that greatness is not measured by titles or wealth, but by how much of yourself you are willing to give for the good of others. In her quiet way, she lived a life of service long before I understood what service truly meant.”

Matthews disclosed that, when he was asked by the Dr. Godwin Friday administration in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to serve as consul general, he felt “two emotions at once: immense joy and deep sorrow. 

“I was joyful because it was a great honor, a moment of national service and personal fulfillment,” he said. “But I was also saddened because my mother was no longer here to witness the fruit of her labor. She had sown with tears, sacrifice, and unwavering hope, yet she was not physically present to see the harvest.

The consul general said his mother’s story is also the story of many mothers “whose names may never appear in headlines, but whose influence shapes generations. 

“They wake early, sleep late, deny themselves, and carry burdens silently so their children may stand taller,” he said. “They are builders of families, guardians of hope, and architects of tomorrow. Society often sees the success of the child, but only heaven fully records the labor of the mother.” 

Chandler-Waterman, representative for the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn and mother of four, said “mothers give us hope.”

She then invoked the Supreme Being amid the socio-economic and political status quo.

“God is in charge, regardless to who’s in charge,” said Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Barbadian and Jamaican immigrants. “We want more affordable housing. We’re fighting for lower utility bills. 

“We don’t want ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) and (local) law enforcement collaborate,” she added, reminding voters that early voting starts on Jun. 13. 

In her poetic tribute to mothers, Dr. Spring recited, in part: “She stands so tall, a tower of strength/Carrying life’s burdens at every length/Wearing many hats with grace and care/Always moving here, there, and everywhere.

“To make her children smile each day/She works with love in every single way/Her gentle touch, her caring heart/Make every house a warmer part/Day by day and night by night/Mummy! Mummy! our constant cry/She never rests, she’s always there/Giving her family endless care,” Dr. Spring added.