By Ann Beeson
I slept on a friend’s couch in the Woodley Park neighborhood in Washington. Nothing could keep me from witnessing history as our nation’s first Black president was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2009.
Early that morning, I put on my favorite cowboy boots and two pairs of wool socks, eager to represent my home state of Texas in the crowd. It was barely 20 degrees. Walking to the Metro station, the city was unnaturally quiet, though the subway grew more and more crowded as we neared the mall.
As I emerged from the subway, huge, orderly crowds moved through the maze of entry points, flowing like a river. I usually avoid large crowds – I’ve never liked rock concerts or sports stadiums. But this crowd was different. It was solemn, reverent. The mall felt like church, and we were worshipping the power of democracy.
FLAGLER BEACH Karen Green, owner of Island Flavaz restaurant, built her restaurant on the foundation of providing quality Jamaican cuisine and excellent customer service.
“We have a variety of authentic Jamaican menu options,” said Green, 46. “Some items we prepare ahead of time. Some items are made to order. We serve a lot of jerk chicken mild and spicy jerk pork. We do a lot of escovitch fish. We also do a lot of curry shrimp as well.”
Other options include oxtail, fried chicken, Jamaican beef patties and manish water, which is goat soup.
“I try to use everything from Jamaica to cook the Jamaica way,” said Green. “I go above and beyond to cook exactly like how my grandma taught me to cook back in Jamaica. We carry whole coconuts. We even carry a popular drink called Jamaican Sorrel.”