{"id":255747,"date":"2025-10-29T05:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=255747"},"modified":"2025-10-29T07:20:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T11:20:00","slug":"diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-1752834619\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3991392601\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Antiguans and Barbudans filled the pews of the Westchester Methodist Church in the Bronx this past Sunday as they came together to give thanks for the many blessings that have fallen on the nation as it celebrates its 44<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of political Independence.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2513296398\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"level\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora in the New York area turned out in their numbers to hear the inspiring messages from members of the clergy, joining in the worship by lifting their voices in song and prayer for their nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sermon, delivered by Antiguan and Barbudan Rev. Dr. Lennox Pigott, brought the congregation\u2019s attention to the various social ills affecting Antigua and Barbuda, likening them to significant mountains that stand in the way of achieving the nation\u2019s full development. Dr. Pigott, drawing on his experience as a psychologist and minister, encouraged members of the diaspora to remain steadfast in their faith and their commitment to nation building, considering the challenges being faced by the youth especially.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3663073989\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3418053014\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"IMG_0040\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd so, the challenge this afternoon is for those who sit on the side and criticize. We have too many critics. Get up, grab a mountain and work on it,\u201d he urged the congregation, encouraging those in leadership to ask pointedly of those Antiguans and Barbudans they encounter: \u201cAre you getting involved in the affairs of our nation? Are you getting involved in the lives of the youth there?\u201d<\/p><div id=\"antig-2261315871\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ReggaeInTheParkAntigua\" aria-label=\"lucanio\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson, used the theme of this year\u2019s celebrations, <strong><em>Solid, Stable, Soaring<\/em>, <\/strong>to reflect on the many gains that Antigua and Barbuda continue to make as a young nation. &nbsp;He made note of the tireless efforts of Antiguans and Barbudans at home who continue to build a solid foundation for their country\u2019s future development. Like Dr. Pigott, Ambassador Webson issued a stirring call for members of the diaspora to strengthen their engagement with the land of their birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo our diaspora, this is your moment too. Your homeland calls you home to opportunity. Your skills, your experience, your entrepreneurship can accelerate the transformation already underway. The expansion of housing, tourism infrastructure, and small businesses opens doors for investment, family ventures, and corporate partnerships. There has never been a more promising time to reconnect, reinvest, and return,\u201d Webson declared.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3353820463\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Also offering prayers for the nation were other members of the Antigua and Barbuda clergy to include Rev. Dr. Freddie Mason, Rev. Eloise Hill Challenger, Rev. Dr. Cheryl White-Lewis and Rev. F. Craig Henry. Rev. Stanley Charity rendered a solo, and playing their usual role in the service, the Antigua and Barbuda International Chorale under the direction of Dean Belgrave Pelle offered musical selections while the City South Steel Orchestra, led the congregation in a joyful and melodious accompaniment of our patriotic songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The celebration of Independence continues with community events throughout the Northeast and concludes with the annual gala which will be held on 15<sup>th<\/sup> November paying special tribute to the iconic Burning Flames.<\/p><div id=\"antig-36496562\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chtamarketplace.com\/\" aria-label=\"Social FaceBook Cover Desk_Mobile\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:111\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:379\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:285\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:569\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"949\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-2390468589\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antiguans and Barbudans filled the pews of the Westchester Methodist Church in the Bronx this past Sunday as they came together to give thanks for the many blessings that have fallen on the nation as it celebrates its 44th anniversary of political Independence. Members of the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora in the New York area [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":255798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-255747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0 - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antiguans and Barbudans filled the pews of the Westchester Methodist Church in the Bronx this past Sunday as they came together to give thanks for the many blessings that have fallen on the nation as it celebrates its 44th anniversary of political Independence. Members of the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora in the New York area [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\"},\"wordCount\":517,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\",\"name\":\"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0 - Antigua News Room\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1709,\"caption\":\"Antigua Independence Service NY\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"name\":\"Antigua News Room\",\"description\":\"News As It Happens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Antigua Newsroom\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"width\":1260,\"height\":1260,\"caption\":\"Antigua Newsroom\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\",\"name\":\"Editor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"Editor\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0 - Antigua News Room","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0","og_description":"Antiguans and Barbudans filled the pews of the Westchester Methodist Church in the Bronx this past Sunday as they came together to give thanks for the many blessings that have fallen on the nation as it celebrates its 44th anniversary of political Independence. Members of the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora in the New York area [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1709,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Editor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Editor","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/"},"author":{"name":"Editor","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5"},"headline":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0","datePublished":"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/"},"wordCount":517,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/","name":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0 - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-29T09:15:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-29T11:20:00+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1617\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Service6-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1709,"caption":"Antigua Independence Service NY"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/diaspora-urged-to-move-from-the-sidelines-to-nation-building-during-independence-service-in-new-york\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Diaspora urged to move from the sidelines to nation building during Independence Service in New York \u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","name":"Antigua News Room","description":"News As It Happens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization","name":"Antigua Newsroom","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","width":1260,"height":1260,"caption":"Antigua Newsroom"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5","name":"Editor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"Editor"},"url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255748,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255747\/revisions\/255748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/255798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}