Today, Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence — and Jamaicans have a lot to be proud of. A country of around three million people, Jamaica has influenced the world and made its mark in the fields of athletics, academics, food, religion, art, music, and more.
There is resilience among Jamaican people, an ambition and a creative spirit that allows them to excel in their chosen fields. Jamaican culture fuels its people with a pride in their homeland that translates into a highly competitive spirit.
This week, Jamaicans have a lot of clebrating to do on top of commemorating their nation’s 50th year of freedom from British rule. Jamaican track stars Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake won gold and silver medals respectively in the men’s 100-meter dash at the Olympics, making them officially the world’s two fastest men. The adorable yardie, Shelly Ann Fraser, won the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter dash for the second time. Plus, veteran Jamaican track star, Veronica Campbell Brown, won the bronze.
What a way to transition into Jamaica’s 50th independence day. These milestones are great — but citizens, ex-patriots, and culture-lovers of the Caribbean country have been celebrating this important date for weeks.
On July 22, Jamaica’s most popular dish was celebrated at the Jamaican Jerk Festival, during which restaurants from all over New York City brought their take on spicy chicken and other Jamaican delicacies to Queens to be enjoyed while Jamaican sound system Stone Love played reggae songs. Conscious singer Tarrus Riley also performed, rounding out a celebration that encompassed so many delectable aspects of the Jamaican way of life in one place.
Jamaica also has a long history of film, beginning with classic movie The Harder They Come (1973), which introduced Jamaica, reggae music and the genius of music maestro Jimmy Cliff to the world. That movie along with other reggae classics were shown at the Do The Reggae Film Festival in Brooklyn, coordinated to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th during this past weekend.
Reggae music was also celebrated in May 2012 as a voice not only for Jamaica, but also for Third World people and black folks everywhere. To honor this achievement, three generations of Jamaican musicians joined together at Lincoln Center to show the diversity, energy, and creativity that have driven reggae’s popularity — and of course to also fete the nation’s 50 years of growth. Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander teamed up with saxophonist Dean Fraser and singer Tarrus Riley to pay tribute to this art form by playing a variety of pieces ranging from the folk song “Linstead Market” to Riley’s hit “She’s Royal.”
In everything that defines a culture and a people — religion, language, food, music, film, athletics — Jamaica stands out in the world despite its slim proportions. The Jamaican accent and dialect are well known and often imitated across the world, as a testimony to this. Even Jamaica’s homegrown religion, Rastafarianism, has become popularized in the form of its traditional hairstyle, dreadlocks.
The social impact of Jamaica, over just 50 years, has been great. Yet, as we acknowledge its 50 years of independence, we must remember that Jamaica has come a long way — but still has a long way to go.
Like many Third World countries, Jamaica is plagued by poverty, unemployment, drug-fueled gang violence, and political corruption. The unemployment rate in Jamaica is over 12 percent. Employed Jamaicans earn an average minimum wage comparable to just over 50 American dollars a week. In 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate per capita in the world.
Our social troubles have even made international news. Jamaica’s political corruption was highlighted with the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke, a drug lord with ties to the Jamaican Labor Party. Then-Prime Minister Bruce Golding resigned after allegations were made that he tried to protect Dudus by lobbying on his behalf with the American government.
Ties Jamaica maintains with larger, wealthier nations like America have been a mixed blessing for the land. While Jamaica is no longer a colony of a Western overlord, it is still dependent on first world countries for aid and trade. The American hunger for drugs and American guns ported into Jamaica have created a culture of violence on the island in which drug dealers wield more power than politicians. Earlier this year, Jamaican police burned over 2,000 American-made guns that were smuggled in — but thousands of other guns, it is presumed, crossed the border without detection.
As Jamaica grows, its place in the international market place continues to be complex.
Once known for importing marijuana, Jamaica, like many other Latin American and Caribbean countries, has become a hub for cocaine distribution coming from South America, flowing into the United States. The trial of Dudus illustrated how cocaine is typically smuggled from Jamaica to the U.S., and how guns in return were smuggled back from the United States.
The Dudus case showed how money from American cocaine sales and U.S. guns could overpower even officials of an elected democracy. The larger question of course is why the illegal drug trade that is linked to American appetites has such a powerful sway on the inner politics and economy of a sovereign nation.
Jamaica has a voice to expose these problems to the world so we can find solutions to a global system that leaves poor countries in a position that keeps them in a cycle of poverty and violence. Reggae musicians such as Bob Marley, Richie Spice, and Morgan Heritage have long condemned the system of first world exploitation of Jamaica, and the poverty and political violence it creates. Conscious reggae always has been, and always will be, a political means that encourages Jamaican citizens to look towards positive goals.
Also, there are many initiatives in place to make sure that Jamaica excels in agriculture, as well as technology. Recently Yvonne Sobers McCalla was named chairwoman of the e-learning entity Jamaica Company Limited, which seeks to shrink the global digital divide in primary school education, while making sure that Jamaicans stay on the cutting edge of technology. (Yvonne Sobers McCalla is the aunt of the author.)
Jamaica also has started the Grow Up Your Backyard initiative, which encourages Jamaican people to grow and plant their own food rather than depend on food shipped from the United States.
While Jamaica has often been criticized for its treatment of homosexuals, the Jamaican People’s National Party ran a campaign that preached tolerance of homosexuality in last year’s election, and won in a landslide.
Jamaica elected Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for the second time in 2011, and she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. While Miller openly embraced Prince Harry, the media darling from Jamaica’s former colonial ruler of England, during his recent visit, she also has made calls for reparations from England in a bold voice.
It’s leadership examples such as these that show Jamaica’s future is bright. Using this light to illuminate its problems — to find solutions — is the key to building up the country even further.
Happy 50th Independence Day Jamaica! Here’s hoping that the next 50 will bring peace, prosperity and a continued blossoming of the grand Jamaican spirit.
Follow Casey Gane–McCalla on Twitter at @CaseyGane