AfriKa CRY BLOOD

by Wayne Quintyne (Director/Head Instructor - Unified Martial Art Academy)

I cannot speak to the events immediately preceding the death of I’Akobi Maloney. Only those who were present at that time can say for certain what circumstances led to his unfortunate and disturbing demise. What I can say is that a life full of promise and potential has been lost to us - both as a community and as a people. Personally, I am still coming to grips with the news of I’Akobi’s passing and I am sure the same can be said for other students of the Unified Martial Art Academy to which I’Akobi just recently became a member. (more…)

by Yvette Best (www.nationnews.com)

RED, MAROON and other brightly-coloured clothing, brilliant sunshine, rhythmic drumming and loud chants were the hallmarks of a thanksgiving service for I’Akobi Tacuma Maloney yesterday.

It was standing room only in the chapel of the Westbury Cemetery where family, friends, classmates and teachers of Christ Church Foundation School, some of the Barbadian students Tacuma represented at the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies, and supporters gathered to say goodbye. (more…)

by Ras Simba (Public Relations Officer, ICAR Barbados)

Born into the folds of Rastafari, I’Akobi was an attribute of significance to the movement of Rastafari. Upon his crossover I’Akobi was a student member of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (B.A.P.E).

In 2001, I’Akobi, who was voted by peers as the most likely to succeed from the Christ Church Foundation School, graduated as valedictory speaker and “Best All Round Male”. The year prior, the Ministry of Social Transformation sent I’Akobi as their Youth Delegate at the 5th Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas. At the tertiary level l’Akobi was the recipient of the Scholarship for Academic Merit, Barbados Government Exhibition (2003) and recently was elected as president of the Barbados Association of Students at UWI (St. Augustine). (more…)