The Jamaican Independence Gala, organized by the Jamaican Consulate in New York, will return in 2024 after being canceled this past August. The event is set to take place on August 23 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Ticket prices will begin at US$350, reflecting a $50 increase compared to 2023. The gala is a collaborative effort between the Jamaican Consulate in New York and the non-profit organization Jamaica Promise. In an August statement, the consulate expressed regret over the cancellation of this year’s Independence Gala.
According to a statement from the consulate, the decision to cancel the gala this year was driven by competing priorities. It was a difficult choice, but it was ultimately necessary to forgo “this cherished event.”
At a year-end Christmas party held last Friday at the consulate offices in Manhattan, Consul General Alsion Wilson not only revealed that the Independence Gala will return in 2024 but also highlighted some of the mission’s key accomplishments in serving the diaspora this year. Addressing guests, including the consuls-general of Antigua and Dominica, she shared that she attended over 250 events throughout the year and that the consulate had managed more than two million calls.
Consul General Alsion Wilson also revealed that the consulate staff processed over 15,000 passport applications, more than 300 visa applications, and over 1,500 Jamaican citizenship applications. She took the opportunity to thank and praise her team for their dedicated work on behalf of the diaspora throughout the year. “These efforts are part of handling over 10,000 pension requests from Jamaican pensioners across all 50 states,” she noted. The Jamaica Consulate in New York is responsible for 33 states in the U.S., in addition to overseeing Bermuda and Puerto Rico.
The Independence Gala is hosted in partnership with Jamaica Promise, as the consulate itself is not a non-profit organization and therefore cannot raise funds independently. To organize the event and raise funds, the consulate collaborates with a registered non-profit organization. The funds generated from the gala are used to provide scholarships for students at various educational institutions in Jamaica, including The University of the West Indies and the University of Technology Jamaica.
