Actor Lou Gossett Jr. meets with Antigua and Barbuda Delegation

(January 23rd 2009 ) - : As part of her approach to raise the profile of Antigua and Barbuda among influential persons in the United States, Her Excellency Deborah-Mae Lovell, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States, on Wednesday, 21 January 2008, hosted a private luncheon which was attended by legendary Actor, Activist and Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. Also in attendance were Collette Phillips, President and CEO of Colette Phillips Communication Inc, and the staves of the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda and the Department of Tourism headed by US Director, Derede Samuel-Whitlock. The Tourism Team had traveled to Washington, D.C., to host an event to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama as well as to attend many celebratory events, including the first BET Inaugural Ball.

At the luncheon, Ambassador Lovell, noted that “one of the main objectives of the Embassy is to expose the wealth of talent, history and beauty which resides in Antigua and Barbuda to audiences in the United States.” To this end, Director Whitlock explained the vision behind Mount Obama as a symbol of hope and unity among all people of Afro-descent and extended an invitation to Mr. Gossett to visit Antigua and Barbuda. Mr. Gossett who is currently working on a number of projects that highlight African American history, congratulated the Government of Antigua and Barbuda on this novel idea and embraced the concept of Mount Obama “as a beacon of afro-centricity and hope for people around the world.”

In thanking Ambassador Lovell for the opportunity to collaborate with her team, Mrs. Samuel-Whitlock indicated that she “looked forward to exploring strategies where the Embassy and Tourism Department can pool our collective resources to tap into opportunities centered on travel and tourism among the many niche markets that are emerging in the US capital with the ushering in of the new President.