New York City Mayor-Elect Eric Adams and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley are EVERYBODY’S Person of the Year for 2021. The Magazine’s Person of the Year (then called Man and Woman) started in 1978, following EVERYBODY’S launch on January 2, 1977.

Additional information in EVERYBODY’S 2022 Global Caribbean Calendar/POY 21 edition.

The first year’s accolades went to the late Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad & Tobago. In 1977, she became the first black woman to be crowned Miss Universe.

Gone are the days when readers nominated their parents, siblings, countryperson, and prime minister. Judging from emails received, Prime Minister Mottley was the unanimous choice from people of various Caribbean heritage and from different nations. No nominations came in for any other Caribbean head of government, which could indicate that the region needs more leaders like Mottley.

On February 6, 2019, at a reception hosted by Borough President Eric Adams, Roy Hastick, founder of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, suggested that guests get acquainted with Adams.

Hastick told them that after January 1, 2022, they “will have to cross the river or Brooklyn Bridge to see Adams at City Hall!” Hastick predicted correctly, but Covid-19 took him away from seeing his dream come true.

As a police officer, Adams held peaceful rallies during summer in Bedford Stuyvesant/Crown Heights to invigorate and elevate young people. EVERYBODY’S Magazine followed his gatherings. His deep connection and working with grassroots communities resulted in his winning a New York State Senate seat, which propelled him to serve later as Brooklyn’s Borough President.

Other personalities nominated for Person of the year included the three Jamaicans who swept the women’s 100m at Tokyo 2020 – Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (EVERYBODY’S Person of the Year for 2019), and Shericka Jackson.

In addition, Aisha Braveboy, Prince George’s County State Attorney, a rising star in Maryland (politics), received many nominations. Two famous entertainers, Rihanna Fenty and Nicki Minaj, also obtained significant votes. Overall, 35 persons were nominated including two children.

A cardinal advantage for inviting readers to send their suggestions is they inform us of people we never heard about residing across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and the Caribbean who are excelling in their respective professions. As a result, some are featured in EVERYBODY’S editions.