Noel Alexander: Almost 30 years later, still committed

It was back in the mid 1980s when we met Noel Alexander, then  still relatively new  to  community work  but with his feet firmly planted on the ground and his eyes focused on the future.It was a time when  Quebec’s Black English-speaking community was  starting to take shape, with an influx of families from the Caribbean and elsewhere.Back then, Alexander had a message to our community and to politicians: take action on issues  of alienation, the massive drop out rate  and  unemployment facing  our youth or else…Well,  fast forward a couple decades and we realize that Alexander was correct  because not much was done to address the issues unique to the Black English speaking youth and “or else” happened.Today, about 30 years after he got involved,  Alexander has done more than his share in the continuing effort  to salvage  young lives, to open opportunities and to build community.  But in doing so, he has taken some licks with many of his detractors  accusing him of  staying on too long and  becoming complacent.As feisty as he was three decades ago, the man they call Prezzie,  who has been  president  of the Jamaica  Association of  Montreal for the better part of 25 years says  he still has the community’s interest  foremost in his heart and although he is comfortably into his seventies, has no plans of slowing down  or pulling aside.“It’s a question of continuity, consistency and stability, I’m still at  the association because I think  I still have a lot to offer,” he told Community CONTACT in a recent interview. “More than that, there are the wide array of contacts and political connections that  we have made over the years which  have been very  important  in helping to get us funding for some of our programs and keeping organization viable.”“Passing on the torch is important to me but I’m not going to do so in an irresponsible manner that would cause the organization to fall apart.”Alexander,  also spoke about the crisis of leadership in our community that has contributed to the failure of many prominent organizations.Many of those organizations were not structured properly and as a result, could not function properly,” he remarked. “Also we have a lot of people who want to lead because of the attention it brings and are not prepared to invest the necessary hard work and dedication.”He said inspite of the many challenges, the potential to build a solid community is still there.“Maybe we have to start thinking of a   leadership convention that would bring together all the presidents of the various organizations, where each person takes a turn to serve as chair person  and see if we can make that a viable forum for community development.”Alexander admits that he has been an integral part of similar initiatives in the past  including the Table de Concertation  pour La Communaute Noir  and  The Black Caucus and laments their  failures.Both institutions were supposed to make representation on behalf of the community to government  but fizzled after a year or so.“Again, it was  a question of  leadership  and  common  vision for the community, and we couldn’t find them.”In the 20- something years that he has been leading the Jamaica  Association of Montreal,  Alexander has seen the organization and the community go through a range of phases, victories,  upheavals and lows.Under his watch,  the  association has evolved  from a social island-club to a dynamic organization  playing an active  role in education,  employability training and maintaining it position of advocacy and political involvement.Alexander was responsible for establishing Jamaica Day, the massively popular exposition of Jamaican music and culture, which became a community staple and became the forerunner to the various other island days.“After many years of ups and downs, the association is much stronger today and is far more effective at delivering much needed services to the community,” he says. “And with the involvement  of  many young and dynamic individuals like Douglas Bartley, Brian Smith and Denise Pierre, we are well positioned to face the future.” Jamaican born Alexander moved to Montreal from London in 1974 to work  as an expert welder  with CAE Electronics, then  Stelco where remained  for close to 20 years. Today together with his role at the J’ca Association, he sit one several public and para public boards including at Batshaw Youth  and Family Services, Correctional Canada Ethnocultural Committee and the MUC Police Community Partners Committee. And just as he did back in the 1980s, Alexander says the future of the Jamaica Association is linked to the future of the Black community, which in turn, is linked to the future of our youth.”“We have to build solid foundations for them to grow.”The Jamaica Association of Montreal invites Montrealers to it Annual Banquet and Ball at Le Living Room on October 17th. 2009. The Theme for the evening is Passing the Torch, guest speaker is well known lawyer Vonnie Rochester. Julian McIntosh and the Caribbean Thunderbolts will supply music. Information call 514 737 8229.
Egbert Gaye