<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Caribbean Excellence]]></title><description><![CDATA[Caribbean Excellence]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:38:56 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[An Evening with Tarrus Riley: Ubuntu, Humility, and the Energy That Moves You]]></title><description><![CDATA[A personal reflection on an intimate conversation There's something about Brooklyn on a winter evening that feels like it was designed for moments like this. The air is cold but the anticipation you carry makes you warm on the inside. And on February 17, tucked inside Coffee Uplifts People ,  a space that smells like fresh roast and community, Jamaican-American reggae singer Tarrus Riley  sat down for a conversation that felt less like an interview and more like passing the aux to an old...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/an-evening-with-tarrus-riley-ubuntu-humility-and-the-energy-that-moves-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69971aab7b02767d8664ad27</guid><category><![CDATA[culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[voices]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:43:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_d518b870a82d418390d4c402258ec199~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Five Caribbean American Designers Who Owned MEFeater's Galentine's Runway 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[On February 13, 2026, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) had one of its most culturally intentional nights of the season, and it did not happen at a legacy house or a corporate-backed presentation. It happened at The Glasshouse in Hell's Kitchen, where MEFeater Magazine hosted its 5th Annual Galentine's Runway Show , and where Caribbean excellence walked through the door and owned every inch of the room. MEFeater, the multimedia brand founded by Gabrielle Amani  at just 17 years old, has spent five...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/five-caribbean-designers-who-owned-mefeater-s-galentine-s-runway-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699a178477eba70e059c99ea</guid><category><![CDATA[fashion]]></category><category><![CDATA[culture]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 01:52:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_6b0193e59e38402491bde3f09bacd342~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Haiti on Ice: Designer Stella Jean Turned the Winter Olympics into a Canvas for Caribbean Excellence]]></title><description><![CDATA[At Milano Cortina 2026, Haiti didn't just show up and they showed out When the nations of the world paraded through the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, most eyes were drawn to the familiar powerhouses, the Americans, the Norwegians, the Canadians, the Germans. But somewhere in that procession, something stopped people mid-scroll, mid-conversation, and mid-breath. Haiti walked in. And the internet has not recovered since. The New York Times headlined “Haiti Just...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/haiti-on-ice-designer-stella-jean-turned-the-winter-olympics-into-a-canvas-for-caribbean-excellence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69949a27a8ff0d3b097ff07d</guid><category><![CDATA[fashion]]></category><category><![CDATA[culture]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_04f515e05f184f169cfba926e1296d03~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brooklyn Tea Brings Caribbean Culture and Comfort to JFK Terminal 4]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's something poetic about Brooklyn Tea  opening at JFK Terminal 4.  For travelers departing to the Caribbean or arriving from the islands, the sight of the brand's vibrant storefront is more than just another airport kiosk, it's a homecoming. A reminder that no matter how far you fly, the flavors of home can always find you. Brooklyn Tea, the beloved beverage brand rooted in Caribbean tradition and Brooklyn hustle, has officially landed at one of the world's busiest international...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/brooklyn-tea-brings-caribbean-culture-and-comfort-to-jfk-terminal-4</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6993b2d9d7d63c8ec61d0ffb</guid><category><![CDATA[culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[community]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_efc0a92732cc41eabc352801ba8d0389~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jamaican Chef Andrew Black Makes a Bold Move with Dougla Kitchen Restaurant ]]></title><description><![CDATA[When people kept asking Chef Andrew Black  about a restaurant that served the food he grew up eating in Jamaica, he listened. And when he decided to act on it, he didn't take the safe route, he transformed one of his acclaimed Oklahoma City restaurants into something deeply personal, culturally rich, and unapologetically bold. Dougla Kitchen  is the result. It's a love letter to his grandmother, a celebration of mixed heritage, and a culinary bridge between the Caribbean flavors of his...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/jamaican-chef-andrew-black-makes-a-bold-move-with-dougla-kitchen-restaurant</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6993af807e0fff3296129d81</guid><category><![CDATA[culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[food]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_ea161ab53a7e45ec92cf3feeb513851e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_400,h_400,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Against the Tide: Carriacou's Boat Builders Refuse to Let Their Craft ]]></title><description><![CDATA[On a small Caribbean island, men like Anthony 'Nero' McLawrence are waging a quiet war against time, technology, and economic pressure, armed only with hand tools ancestral knowledge. In the village of Windward, something remarkable happened. When faced with the choice between economic convenience and cultural preservation, the master boat builders made a deliberate, collective decision: they would pass the tradition forward, no matter the cost. Anthony “Nero” McLawrence embodies this...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/against-the-tide-carriacou-s-boat-builders-refuse-to-let-their-craft-die</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699330607e0fff3296116bf6</guid><category><![CDATA[community]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:57:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_d801cc36ba224294b36f7af651efca0f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Welcome to Caribbean Excellence: Spotlight on our Own]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why This Platform, Why Now For too long, the Caribbean narrative has been written by others. Tourist boards paint us as paradise. International media covers us only during hurricanes or crime/political headlines. Business publications overlook us entirely, except when discussing offshore banking or beach resorts. But there’s another Caribbean story. One that doesn’t make headlines yet shapes the global economy, culture, and innovation landscape every single day. We are living through the...]]></description><link>https://www.thisiscaribbeanexcellence.com/post/welcome-to-caribbean-excellence-spotlight-on-our-own</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698f303a9f4f0b75dffc28de</guid><category><![CDATA[welcome]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:13:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7ca3e_2cc35094ed9e4579afe252fa99fe7f29~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mellany Paynter</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>