Council Member Rubén Díaz, Sr. Garifuna Coalition, U.S.A., Inc.
Caribbean L 28 ife, April 5–11, 2019
By Nelson A. King
The Bronx-based Garifuna
Coalition USA, Inc. says it was
grateful to Council Member
Rubén Díaz, Sr. for allocating
$35,000 in discretionary funds
to the group.
The coalition said the funds
were included in the City Council
Fiscal Year 2019 Adopted
Expense Budget Schedule C
“to enhance cultural programming
and awareness right here
in the Bronx.”
“The funding will be used
to provide free demonstrable
cultural activity of recognized
quality that is accessible to the
public, including operational
costs associated with special
events / activities including
performances of music, dance,
spoken word, seasonal events,
and family programming,” said
the coalition in a statement.
Díaz, who recently met with
the group, said he “looks forward
to working with the Garifuna
Community in the 2020
fiscal year,” according to the
coalition.
It noted that discretionary
funding is a duly appropriated
sum of money in the city’s
expense budget allocated to an
eligible not-for-profit organization
by the council or a member
of the council.
When the budget for the
coming year is adopted by the
City Council in June, the Coalition
said the Finance Division
prepares a supporting schedule
detailing the changes made to
the Mayor’s discretionary designations
that have been made
at the time of adoption, including,
for initiatives, a short
description of the initiative’s
programmatic goals.
In 2011, as a result of a meeting
with the Garifuna organizations,
the coalition said then
Senator Díaz invited the first
Garifuna Delegation to the
New York capitol to be present
on the New York State Chamber,
“where he introduced a
resolution memorializing
Governor Andrew Cuomo to
declare March 11-April 12, 2011
as Garifuna-American Heritage
Month in the state of New
York.”
“It was the first time in history
that the Garifuna community
was invited to the New
York capitol to celebrate its
heritage,” the coalition said.
“This became an annual event
in Albany.”
In addition, it said Sen. Rev.
Díaz, in conjunction with other
elected officials, celebrated the
first annual “Abrazo Garifuna
in New York.”
This event honored the contributions
of the Garifuna-
Americans to the state and city
of New York. Díaz, together
with the other elected officials,
presented proclamations to
four distinguished members of
the Garifuna Community in
four different categories.
“The Garifuna Coalition
USA, Inc is grateful to District
18 Councilmember Rubén
Díaz, Sr, for the allocation of
the $35,000 discretionary funds
to provide free demonstrable
cultural activity of recognized
quality that is accessible to the
public, including operational
costs associated with special
events/activities including performances
of music, dance,
spoken word, seasonal events,
and family programming,” said
Jose Francisco Avila, the Honduran
born chairman of the
Board of the Garifuna Coalition
USA, Inc.
Garifuna group grateful
for discretionary funds