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Caribbean Life, Mar. 31-Apr. 6, 2022
Jamaicans split between ‘One Love’ and Royal ‘Stain’
Segments of the Jamaican society were divided
in welcoming Britain’s Prince William and
Catherine Middleton, the duke and duchess
of Cambridge to their independent, commonwealth
nation recently.
Some openly riled, protested and demanded
an apology and reparations for past indiscretions
perpetrated against a majority of the population,
while others publicly emboldened allegiance to
the crown.
Despite the rift, throughout the three-day
representation of Queen Elizabeth II 70th Jubilee
Platinum anniversary by the Cambridges,
neither group seemed discourteous in expressing
free speech.
Whether frowning or fawning, each orderly
expressed their opinions by attracting public
notice to their cause which parallels the divide
consistent with the Jamaica Labour Party and
the People’s National Party, the two parliamentary
governments which exchange control of
the island.
Initially apprehensive to sever ties with the
kingdom, the JLP seems ready to join their rival
party’s long-standing consensus.
“They are our guests, and we will make them
feel at home, but it’s not going to move our
focus from the fact that an injustice was done
to our ancestors, we seek reparations and we are
focused on achieving that,” Olivia Grange, minister
of Culture, Gender and entertainment told
the Jamaica Observer.
At a meeting with the visiting royals, Prime
Minister Andrew Holnes said: “There are issues
here which are, as you would know, unresolved.
But your presence gives an opportunity for
those issues to be placed in context, put front
and center, and to be addressed as best we can.
Jamaica is, as you would see, a country that is
very proud of what we have achieved. And we
are moving on and we intend to attain, in short
order, our development goals and fulfill our true
ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed,
prosperous country.”
In 1972, PNP leader Michael Manley proposed
extrication from the crown and advocated to
replace the queen with a local head of state.
Recently Mark Golding, the Opposition leader
renewed the position saying: “The Opposition
has been consistent in repeatedly calling on the
Government to commence and diligently pursue,
with bipartisan support, the constitutional
process for Jamaica to become a republic by
replacing the British monarch with a Jamaican
as our Head of State.”
While Rastafarians and Maroons are reputedly
most vociferous about severing ties with the
British — whose slave ships transported their
ancestors across the transatlantic into bondage
— recently anti-colonial demonstrators
known as Advocates Network rallied to express
solidarity.
Reportedly, approximately 360 individuals
protested at the British High Commissioner’s
office in Kingston with placards demanding an
apology for 300 years of slavery.
The same group presented a letter detailing
the imbalance of wealth to descendants of British
invaders and disproportionate poverty to
African captives displaced from the continent.
“We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of
the ascension of your grandmother to the British
throne because her leadership, and that of
her predecessors, have perpetuated the greatest
human rights tragedy in the history of humankind,”
an excerpt from the letter read.
Catch You On The Inside!
People protest to demand an apology and slavery reparations during a visit to the
former British colony by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and
Kate, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Associated Press/Collin Reid
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce