Misti Memphis wants visitors to experience Ja beyond resorts – Pt 2
Published:Saturday | December 23, 2023 | 12:08 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Recently minted Jamaican citizen, Marilyn ‘Misti Memphis’ Williams, Jamaica’s unofficial ‘ambassador’, continues to showcase the island’s positive influences. Her mission: highlight Jamaican culture and provide a haven for black Americans seeking a better life outside the United States.
Misti, the operator behind the popular Facebook page ‘Capital of Casual’ – a term used to describe the resort town of Negril – received her Jamaican passport on Friday, December 17, a week after reciting the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ during a ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston.
Long before acquiring citizenship, however, she was championing Jamaica’s positive influences on a global scale.
Today, Capital of Casual boasts a following of 23,000, comprising a diverse group of people from around the world, instilling hope in Jamaican-owned hoteliers and other tourism stakeholders in the resort town.
“The first anniversary of hosting the page, I decided to throw a party, drawing a large number of people dressed for business with business cards in hand, ready to network. It was September 27, the slow season, but it showcased the possibility of unity,” Misti shared.
Inspired to represent Negril, Misti’s plans evolved into promoting Jamaican businesses, focusing on the “eat, sleep, and play” aspects, thereby contributing to the influx of tourist dollars.
Her goal was to divert visitors from all-inclusive resorts and use her influence to guide them to local, family-owned establishments.
“For instance, many people aren’t aware that Erica’s was the first restaurant ever founded in Negril, and to this day, it continues to serve some of the best food at reasonable prices, managed by a wonderful husband-and-wife team,” she shared with The Gleaner.
Her posts were so compelling that she would announce her location each evening, and a host of visitors would turn up to meet her.
“I would say if you want to meet with me this evening, I’ll be at Erica’s, I’ll be at Tip Tops, and if you want to hang out with me on the beach, I’ll be at the Treehouse. And I’m going to be at Travelers for happy hour, and people would come. We packed Erica’s so much one evening they had to turn away guests,” she revealed.
Growing local economy
Misti’s vision is for Negril to be the platform for showcasing and promoting Jamaican businesses. Recently, she invested in creating beautiful waterproof stickers boldly labelled with ‘JOAO’, signifying Jamaican Owned and Operated, which she generously distributed to local operators.
“People were going around looking for the JOAO stickers and taking pictures of them. It was like a game, a scavenger hunt, and they were proud to post the stickers,” she said.
She emphasises the importance of patronising Jamaican-based Negril businesses, stating that it’s crucial for growing the local economy.
“Keeping the money in Jamaican hands, or turning it over into Jamaican hands, instead of having the money going back to Spain, Australia, or the United States. Yes, they buy goods and services here, they employ people, but in the long run, the massive profit needs to stay in this country for things to change. So that’s my mission,” Misti said.
In January, while relaxing on Negril Treehouse beach, Misti contemplated the common perception of Negril as a vacation spot rather than a place to live. This realisation prompted her to create a group on the spot, which she named ‘Black Expats in Negril’.
In less than a year, the group has attracted 2,000 members, surprising Misti, who expected a smaller turnout. Six black Americans have already made Negril their home.
The Black Expats group celebrates its anniversary on January 5, 2024, with a planned party for 40 attendees.
Over the years, African Americans have owned various businesses in Negril, including hotels, spas, franchise businesses, and repurposed buildings.
“We are thriving over here,” Misti stated.
Many African Americans are exploring relocation to countries like Ghana, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama. Misti advocates for considering Negril due to its quick access to the United States, shared language, and close proximity to family.
“I notice one of the ladies in an expat group in Ecuador has Spanish lessons every day. Sorry, I don’t want to go back to school. It would be nice to learn another language, but I don’t want to have to do it because they don’t speak English in the country that I went to,” she explained.
Misti dispels the notion that Jamaica is unaffordable, urging people to discover how to live economically.
“People say it is so expensive, but you have to find out how to live here. Jamaicans are not millionaires. You have to find out how to cut corners. And I’m not talking about doing anything illegally. I’m talking about not always choosing the priciest items in the grocery stores. Visit the meat market,” she advised.
“As a black American, I am reaching out to my community to tell them to join their brothers and sisters in Jamaica. I promise you will be happy.”