Arima puts a Woman

Last Tuesday, Morris-Julian, 40, was sworn in as the borough’s mayor for the next three years at the Arima Town Hall, Sorzano Street, Arima.

The Deputy Mayor and aldermen were also sworn-in.

With that being done, Morris-Julian became the first woman to be sworn in as mayor or chairman (of a regional corporation) in Trinidad and Tobago since 1996, when Rose Janneire left office (1992-1996) also as the Arima mayor. Morris-Julian also became the first woman mayor/councillor representing Arima Central.

Morris-Julian’s rise to mayorship came quickly as her political career only started in 2013, when she contested the Arima Central district in the local government election as a member of the People’s National Movement (PNM).

Who is Lisa Morris-Julian? is the first question Sunday Newsday asked.

Very quietly and with her head leant slightly to the right, Morris-Julian answered, “At one point I was a writer. I’m a teacher, a mother, a wife and daughter. All these things form who I am. Sister! I can’t forget that.

Big Sister! I have four sisters and two brothers. I am the eldest.” Morris-Julian stated that from a very young age, she had much responsibility, being the first-born.

“I’m accustomed to taking the lead.

When you go wrong, your siblings go wrong with you. So you always try to lead the right way. All my sisters are glad they don’t have the responsibility of being the big sister. Josanne loves to say I am the little one.” With the support from her husband Daniel, three children and extended family, Morris- Julian believes she would succeed because they all want success for each other.

In a solemn tone she reflected on her great-grandmother, who had doubts about her becoming a politician.

“My great grandmother (Leroy’s mother) who died on Boxing Day 2015 at age 100 didn’t want him (Leroy) to go into politics. And when I told her I was going into it, she started to cry. She said politics was too nasty and then she held my hand and said, ‘if there is anyone who can make it clean, it is you’. Her faith and support in me meant a lot. She was one of the first businesswomen in Arima; both her and former Mayor (George) Hadeed’s mother and the Kourys. They were strong female businesswomen.

That gene skipped me.” Since her grandfather’s demit from office, no one in her family has participated in electoral politics outside of being supporters of the party of their choice. Morris-Julian admitted her father, Raymond Morris, was approached a few times to be involved in electoral politics but he wasn’t interested. She did state he was her number one canvasser.

Morris-Julian has always a supporter of the PNM. “How could I not be.

Carmel Purcell, my grandmother on my mother’s side, she loves to say that she walked with Dr Eric Williams, George Chambers, Patrick Manning and now she is walking with me. She is one of the original PNM women. She was in the Women’s League since she was 16-years-old.” While her grandfather’s political legacy may have had some weight in her decision to serve the country, it was another factor that gave her the extra push.

“I couldn’t believe what the government at that time (the former People’s Partnership administration) was doing. I had a friend who told me that I was only talking and urged me to something about it and I said, okay. And I did. It is very easy to criticize when you’re on the bench or in the stands.” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s influence also changed her perception about politics and she felt it was possible to express one’s views once you believe it to be correct. “I was always a sympathizer but he really inspired me. He wasn’t in love with office; that was obvious. His main purpose was to serve. Sometimes you can be quite jaded and then you see somebody that is different.

When I saw how he was leading, I wanted to follow. The same for Camille Robinson-Regis (Minister of Planning and Arouca/Maloney MP). She has been a very good mentor to me,” she said.

On her plans for the borough, Morris-Julian is looking at activities that made Arima famous.

“Arima was once the sporting capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The cyclist, the runners, the cricketers; we still have the talent, we still have the people. I would really like to work with the Minister of Sport and council to upgrade the facilities in Arima. My main focus would be sports and culture. We used to win Best Village (competition) all the time. I want to bring back the drama festival. I’m also a playwright. I want to encourage that. Foster that community; that cultural renaissance.

We have the people and talent but we lack the space and facilities.

We don’t have an APA (Arima Performing Arts).” On her detractors, some of whom criticised remarks she made years ago on social media about Ghassan Youseff, Arima mayor under the PP, to whom she has since apologised, Morris-Julian is “ignoring the noise”.

“I am focused on doing my absolute best. Trying to correct all the errors I would have made and still do what I must. My focus is on Arima and I am willing to work with anybody who has the same focus because Arima must come first.

I keep seeing a lot of posts (Facebook), ‘Make Arima Great Again’.

I don’t think that is accurate. It was always great. It’s simply making the pieces that don’t work, work, and improving on the pieces that do,” she declared. Being the “best mayor” is all the political aspiration, Morris-Julian has right now.

“I’m taking it one day at a time.

My council office days are still set aside for my burgesses. When I was just the councillor for my area, I helped everyone in their areas in different ways, especially through social media. I am well acquainted with how to juggle.” Her experience as a teacher has equipped her with the skills to manage challenges and to multitask.

“(Teaching) is not a job that ends when you hit home and you forget about it. It prepared me for local government. It wasn’t a coincidence that Dr Eric Williams, Prime Minster Rowley and even Kamla Persad-Bissessar (former PP prime minister) were all teachers at some point of their career. They (teachers) are the back bone of society.

Once you are in teaching you have an impact in society. It was a natural progression and extension”. Morris- Julian is on a leave of absence from her teaching job at Arima Central Secondary School (ACSS), formerly Arima Government Secondary, so she can give her new position the full attention it requires.

Although her last stint as a teacher before being elected was at ACSS, Morris-Julian gave praise to the students of Barataria South Secondary School where spent most of her career. “I loved that school, loved those children,” she said, smiling.

Morris-Julian is looking forward to continue collaborating with Arima Borough Corporation CEO, Cheryl Serju-Chung. “We have a good working relationship. She is very pro-worker and pro-Arima.

From the start of her tenure she always promised to work together with council. I think Arima is happy.

They haven’t seen a councillor/ mayor in a long time, since Elvin Edwards (1996-2003).” The importance of her appointment as only the second woman mayor in local history is not lost on Morris-Julian. “I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to serve, I look forward to the day when gender would not matter. I understand the significance of it and it is definitely a step in the right direction.”