Goulda Downer hands over reins of C-PAC

Jamaica-born Dr Goulda Downer, the first female president of the Caribbean-American Political Action Committee (C-PAC), will end her eight-year term at the end of this year.

In the 18 years of its existence, C-PAC has created a legacy of achievement.

Downer is credited with spurring the organisation’s growth and the many innovative activities of regional, national, and global significance that benefited the Caribbean-American community in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area in the United States (US).

Some of her signature activities include organising and hosting the Africans Unite Summit, which was a global call for people of African descent to come together in unity around their shared ancestry; leading the 30-day global effort to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to petition US President Joe Biden for a presidential pardon for Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey; hosting a webinar on ‘Haitians at the Border’ that discussed the plight of Haitian migrants to the US and how America – as well as the Caribbean – might address this issue; establishing the annual Caribbean-American Interfaith service during Caribbean-American Heritage Month in which Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Rastafarian faiths worship together in celebration of the Caribbean’s rich legacy in America.

At C-PAC’s founding patrons luncheon this year, the attorney general of Maryland recognised Downer as a stalwart in academics, healthcare, and emergency management, and for her visionary leadership of C-PAC for eight years. Downer was honoured with a resolution for her work.

Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, a son of a Jamaican mother, acknowledged Downer’s leadership of C-PAC and expressed his pride in the contributions of Caribbean-Americans to the United States.

The incoming president of C-PAC, former US Congresswoman Dr Donna Christensen, paid homage to Downer. She described her as an “inspirational figure” and vowed to follow in her footsteps as C-PAC’s president. The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, DC, extended its “gratitude to Dr Downer for your stellar service and contribution to the community as the leader of C-PAC”.