Many Jamaican Icons carried Jamaica to the face of the world and made the land proud. This article doesn’t have the pretension of being an exhaustive list of all Jamaican icons. It is instead a focus on three people, namely: Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley or Miss Lou; Bob MARLEY and Usain BOLT.
Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley or Miss Lou lived from the 7th September 1919 to the 26th July 2006. She was a Jamaican poet, folklorist, writer, and educator, writing and performing her poems in Jamaican Patois or Creole. Bennett worked to preserve the practice of presenting poetry, folk songs, and stories in patois (“nation language”), establishing the validity of local languages for literary expression. Her work served in the fight for the recognition of Patois as a national language. Also, it inspired several poets then and now. During her lifetime, Bennett received numerous honors and awards for her work in Jamaican literature and theatre. In recognition of her achievements, Harbourfront Centre, a non-profit cultural organization in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has a venue named Miss Lou’s Room whereas the University of Toronto is home to the Louise Bennett Exchange Fellowship in Caribbean Literary Studies for students from the University of West Indies to name a few.
Jamaica decided to celebrate her centenary over 100 days, with special activities across the country. Such activities were to be organized by various agencies amongst which, National Library of Jamaica, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the Bureau of Gender Affairs. This announcement was made by the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange who further noted that in a tribute to Miss Lou, the University of the West Indies is to use the celebration of her life as the catalyst of a national dialogue on the status of the Jamaican patois. Furthermore, the Minister announced that March 21 is to be celebrated each year as National Poetry Day.
Bob MARLEY from 1945 to 1981 and is renowned for making reggae music famous across the globe. In the 1970s, Bob Marley went from being a pioneering but largely unknown reggae singer to an international superstar of unprecedented popularity. In doing so, he almost singlehandedly put Jamaican culture on the map. Hits including ‘I Shot the Sheriff,’ ‘No Woman, No Cry,’ ‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘Jamming’ that propelled him to stardom on both sides of the Atlantic and saw him perform in front of massive crowds throughout the globe. A new documentary about his life, directed by Kevin Macdonald, seeks to put Marley’s popularity into perspective, and question why this humble Jamaican is so universally loved.
Usain BOLT is a living Jamaican icon. From the first gold medal the won in 2012 to 2017, when he decided to put an end to his career, Usain Bolt has carried the colors of Jamaica high. Born on August 21st, 1986, in Sherwood content, Bolt’s races were like shows it was beyond mere sports. Each of his races was epic and kept everyone hanging on his legs, trying to guess how fast he would go this time. He set several records in his discipline and won eight Olympic games gold medals in total, and several more in other competitions. Usain Bolt is now an entrepreneur but will surely be most remembered by surnames like “flash bolt.”
Jamaica has honored its heroes for their work for the nation. Paul Bogle, Sir Alexander Bustamante, Marcus Garvey, George William Gordon, Norman Manley, Nanny of the Maroons and Samuel Sharpe are all part of the Order of National Hero. This is an honor awarded by the government of Jamaica. And has been part of the Jamaican honor system since 1969.
Congratulation!