The Jamaican Museum and Cultural Center (JMCC) in Atlanta, Georgia continues its drive to raise funds for a permanent facility on April 18, by staging a Zoom-A-Thon fundraiser.

A press release from the organisation revealed that several popular figures in the Jamaican Diaspora will be involved in the event. They include Consul General to Miami, Oliver Mair; Dr Garfield McCook, a JMCC executive; Pastor Fidel Donaldson; and singer Ian Sweetness.

The JMCC was formed in September 2019 to showcase the achievements of Jamaicans. Its plans and projects are outlined in an interactive website (www.jmccatlanta.com).

To date, a Bricks Campaign has been the most ambitious of those projects to raise US$5 million in three years to start construction on the Jamaica Museum and Cultural Center. Once that figure is realised, work on the building is expected to be complete in 18 months.

Brick campaigns are popular in North America. Donors purchase a brick, which is then engraved with their name, message or a dedication, and installed in a designated area.

The JMCC educates visitors to its website with the history of Jamaican culture. It has a collection of artefacts and paintings from the collection of noted Jamaican creatives, including Basil Watson, the renowned painter/sculptor who lives in Atlanta; painter Bernard Hoyes; and artist/designer Tamara Gammon.

— Howard Campbell