Harvard Club of Washington, DC

HE Jacinth Henry-Martin, Ambassador of St. Kitts & Nevis, has invited us to her Potomac Residence

Many thanks to our loyal HCW member Allan Lewin for facilitating this event.

MEMBERS ONLY-$40.00

Each member may bring one guest at the member price. 

6:45-7:15 Ambassador Henry-Martin the HCW

7:15-7:30 Question and Answers

7:30-8:30 Reception

Biography of

Jacinth Lorna Henry-Martin

Jacinth Lorna Henry-Martin was born in the town of Sandy Point, St Kitts & Nevis on July 28, 1961. Primary and secondary school instruction was passed on to her by knowledgeable disciplinarians of the community’s schools before she advanced to tertiary studies in Basseterre, St Kitts. Subsequent courses at the Centro Interamericano de Idiomas (CIDI) and the Centro Latinoamericano y del Caribe para el Desarrollo Cultural (CLACDEC) bolstered her interest and knowledge in Modern Languages and in Cultural Management. She holds a Masters of Arts in Technical & Specialized Translation from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom.

Fluent in three languages, Jacinth describes herself as an artist at heart, and gives expression to her love for traditional sayings and customs through dramatic spoken word and performance poetry written in ‘native speak’ and in standard English. She has the distinction of having been crowned the first national calypso queen, and penned the lyrics to the 1995 winning composition in the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Song Festival in Havana, Cuba, a first from the OECS. She has continued to write winning songs and talent performances for Federal representatives in local, regional and international singing and talent competitions, has coached an impressive number of national carnival and talented teens to local and regional success, and is the author of an anthology of poems entitled ‘Dancing In Bondage’ (Ian Randle Publishers, Jamaica, 2003).

By her very nature, Jacinth is a servant of her people. She enjoys writing, motivational speaking, and ‘keeping her feet on the ground’. Her creative indulgences attest to her passion for all things artistic and cultural, and to her individual commitment to the preservation and promotion of the values which engender pride in the cultural heritage and patrimony of her twin islands and her Caribbean region. Among other areas of service to which she has dedicated her energies, Jacinth has been a Modern Language Teacher, Director of Culture, and in early 2000, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Culture. Later that year, she became the first female to be elected on a Labour Party ticket, and served until October 2004 as the federally elected parliamentarian for Sandy Point, Fig Tree and La Valley, and Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports. She has served as the Federation’s Deputy High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, and in the United States of America as Director of US Operations for the St Kitts Tourism Authority.

Highlights of Jacinth’s national service as Federal Minister include her planning and oversight for the successful staging of the Seventh Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA VII) in St Kitts & Nevis in 2000, another first by an OECS state, the Federation’s hosting of the UNESCO Caribbean Youth Gathering for Peace in 2002, and snagging the adjudicators’ confirmation of the twin island Federation in 2004 to jointly host cricket games on behalf of the Caribbean during the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup.

Her proud legacy of service is one that underscores her resolve to work for the advancement of all her people, at home and in the Diaspora. In recognition of her contribution and leadership in the area of cultural development and politics, she has been presented many certificates of appreciation, community and national awards.

In February, 2011, Jacinth was appointed the Federation’s first female Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, and serves in the dual role of Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.

She is married to Michael Martin, and has three adult sons.