Trailblazer Gala Fêtes The Breadth Of A Diaspora

BY: Lucy Gellman

 The whole dance floor was vibrating, drenched in blue and purple light. On a stage, DJ Fire bounced with the crowd, one arm perpetually suspended in the air. On the floor, hands rose and swayed in time with the lyrics. Knees and shoulders unlocked to the beat. Somewhere in the center, a couple clasped hands and sank into a rhythm of their own making. The song faded right into the Master KG’s “Jerusalema,” and somehow the floor doubled in size, a rainbow of glitter, georgette, and organza. It marked the culmination of the Jamaican American Connection’s annual Trailblazer and Scholarship Gala Saturday night, held at the Omni New Haven hotel on Temple Street. Back in person for the first time since 2019, the event celebrated steel pan virtuoso Kenneth Joseph and JAC member and treasurer Richard Simpson, a senior director of research and development at Medtronic. In addition, it awarded scholarships to students Kayla Smith, Tara Malcolm, and Jaye-Ann Walters. All of them are college freshmen who plan to study nursing.