Wednesday April 1, 2009

Dr. Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe (’75) was among an eclectic band of women achievers saluted at the 14th annual Emerald Awards ceremony held Saturday March 28 at Palm House on the grounds of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Dr. Wright-Pascoe, President of the Medical Association of Jamaica and a Senior Lecturer in medicine at the UWI, Mona was honored as the group Women of Great Esteem brought the curtain down on Women’s History Month with a salute to a diverse roster of female achievers with its Emerald Awards ceremony.

Dubbed the Emerald Evening, the elegant affair was attended by roughly 100 stylishly attired guests who witnessed an impressive show of sisterly solidarity and the recognition of the life work of the achievers.  The awards were given to achievers in various fields and of diverse backgrounds as a fitting tribute to women who have made a pivotal contribution to society.

Apart from Dr. Wright, other awardees Curacao -born Dr. Gracita R. Arindell; noted Harvard Law School graduate Sandra Grannum; Hong Kong born Toronto-resident Jane  Ip; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines born poet and playwright Nelcia Robinson-Hazell.  A special Posthumous Award was given to the late Hon. Stephanie Tubb-Jones a former congresswoman from Cleveland, Ohio.

Jamaican-American United States Congress Woman, Yvette Clarke(daughter of alumnus Leslie Clarke), who accepted the award for Rep. Tubb-Jones, described her late colleague as a mentor and sister-friend who embraced her and showed Clarke the ropes when she first entered Congress as a freshman some two years ago..

The Congress Woman’s mother, Hon. Una Clarke, the former New York City council member and the wife of a former Excelsior Alumni Association board member, accepted the award for the Jamaican born and Excelsior High School educated Dr. Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe

According to the organization, the Woman of Great Esteem (WGE) Emerald Award is bestowed annually on women who develop and advance their community without regard to race, ethnicity, gender and other considerations.