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Homage to the Women of the Tribe:

From Mary Jane, born 1841 to

Maya Grace, born

2014

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 To Gloria Girvan Akin

 To whom the blogger owes much.

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 Gloria Girvan Akin was one of  many women in our extended family who had the intellect, courage the social skills and the resourcefulness to succeed at virtually everything that she undertook. A valuable member of the staff of Stanley Mota in KIngston, Jamaica, she followed her husband to Canada in 1954 and made herself equally valued in Oshawa, Ontario at Lakeland Broadcasting (CKLB) and later at Scripture Press where she distinguished herself traveling as a motivational speaker for the Company. 

 Like Gloria, women in our extended family have distinguished themselves outside of the home and been held dear within the family and in the community. They have been: 

• Teachers
• Artists 
• Actors and Performers 
• Scholars 
• Writers
• Community builders and leaders 
• Mid management employees in many businesses
• Competent managers of the affairs in the family.

As if those attributes and skills were not enough, they bring a serious load of ‘pulchritude’ to add to their curriculum vitae. (I am channeling Uncle John Thom McKinley Girvan here with the choice of the word ‘pulchritude’ for the ladies. On many occasions, with a little twinkle in his eye and a little rum on his breath he would regale the company in the living room with a story intoning the word ‘pulchritude’ to describe members of the distaff set).  But take a look for yourself in the gallery below at the evidence.

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Beyond patriarchy

There lies a vast terrain

Peopled by the women of the tribe

Who toil, often unrecognized or under-appreciated

In the shadow of men.

We honour their

Worth.

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  Gallery

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