Diaspora community leader laid to rest in South Florida

The Jamaican community in South Florida came together on Saturday, April 5, in South Miami to say farewell to Don Daly, OD, one of its most faithful residents, who died on March 21, 2025.

Don Daly was born in Flint River, St Mary, Jamaica in 1950 and migrated to New York in the United States in the 1970s. In 1980, Daly and his wife Alreca moved to Miami and set about rallying the Jamaican community. He saw the lack of a community gathering point and, knowing the impact of radio on the Caribbean community, he bought time on a brokered radio station and launched the Saturday morning ‘Conscious Rhythm Show’ in 1987.

With a passion for reggae music and from a family with a legacy of service to community, he merged his two loves and, as a result, impacted the lives of thousands of people in the South Florida Caribbean diaspora. He used his radio show as a community meeting place where, on any given Saturday morning, one could hear from Caribbean leaders about what was happening in the community, and from Caribbean leaders at home updating members of the diaspora on goings-on, spattered with the sweet sounds of reggae and soca music. He used the show as a platform to launch town hall meetings before they were in vogue, and introduced the community to their consuls general and took topical issues to the community for discussion.

He partnered with Jamaican companies in the diaspora, including Air Jamaica, Jamaica National, Victoria Mutual, GraceKennedy and the Caribbean Bar Association to host town hall meetings about immigration across the state of Florida and in Jamaica. The invaluable information delivered to the community was critical in a time when social media and the Internet were virtually non-existent in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Daly’s kindness extended to the many non-profit organisations that emerged in South Florida, where he was master of ceremonies for the numerous events held in the community and introduced the groups on his radio programme. He kept his finger on the pulse of Jamaican politics and hosted regular live election coverage sessions on WVCG 1080AM, starting 1989 to 2016. There was commentary from Dr Garth Rose and others who shared their knowledge of Jamaican politics with the diaspora.

His philanthropy expanded beyond radio and the South Florida community when, in response to a request for assistance from one medical student, he co-founded the Jamaican Medical Mission that, for more than 20 years, partnered with Nova Southeastern University. Together with the assistance of sponsors, they took medical professionals to various rural places in Jamaica, delivering much-needed medical care to his fellow Jamaicans.

Close friend and radio colleague, City of Miramar Commission Eddy Edwards, in tribute to and summary of who Don Daly was, said, “Don was a trailblazer. He led with vision, heart, and determination, always striving to make a difference in people’s lives.”

As deep as his passion ran for Jamaica and the Jamaican community, he was an even more devoted and loving family man. He is survived by his wife Alreca, his children Danika and Yannick, his sisters Monia ‘Mika’ Robinson and Clover Daly, and his granddaughter Harper.