National Hero status for Michael Norman Manley!
By Dawn Plummer
Recent news articles have led
me to further raise my voice
to call on the Jamaican government
to confer the honor
of Jamaica’s National Hero
on the late and former Prime
Minister of Jamaica, Michael
Norman Manley. These writers
suggested some Jamaicans
should become the nation’s
next national heroes. National
Heroes in Jamaica bear no
humor with the experiences of
those already honored. People
died!! So, despite the brilliance
of these people with their great
talent, extreme skillfulness, the
creativity in their arts, all the
above-mentioned exceptional
knacks are great attributes, but
not enough to merit them as
national heroes for Jamaica.
These names that were suggested
are great Jamaicans. I honestly
have lived through blissful
moments because of their
performances. They all have
done good work for their country,
Jamaica, that have helped
increase the interest of non-
Jamaicans in Jamaica. Definitely!
Their expertise have given
most Jamaicans boasting rights
and have led younger Jamaicans
to aspire for greater things
in their lives. These Jamaicans
have propelled the tiny nation
of Jamaica to become one of the
most loved and respected places
across the globe.
All of this is awesome! The
conflicting side of this argument,
however, is that being
skillful, being a great performer
and being talented and creative
are not attributes that qualify
one to become a national
hero of Jamaica and be given
this honor. We cannot go along
with other countries who see
their citizens as good performers
and perhaps see other assets
in these individuals and then
make decisions about who our
national heroes should be. A
national hero in Jamaica is the
highest honor for any citizen to
be awarded within the nation.
The national hero’s award is
given only to Jamaican citizens
with public services of the most
noble, and distinguished actions
toward the development of others,
not for self.
I am writing about this also
as almost two years ago, The
Jamaica Progressive League,
the founder of an independent
Jamaica, an 86-year organization
based in Bronx, New York,
one that is operated and managed
by Jamaicans wrote to the
Prime of Jamaica, Andrew Holness
to bestow this honor of
national hero on the late Prime
Minister, Michael Manley. A
follow-up telephone call to
the Prime Minister’s office
confirmed that the letter was
received, but nothing has moved
forward since that tenure. The
Jamaica Progressive League has
reached out to Prime Minister
Holness’ office with another follow
up call, but the League has
gotten no response to support
this suggestion.
After reading these articles I
have again looked carefully on
all the work of the seven national
heroes that Jamaica now has.
These were men and a woman
who were willing to give up of
themselves even their lives to
save the destiny of our nation,
Jamaica. Thus, we should consider
giving the national hero
a prestigious honor, achievable
only to any Jamaican citizen
when distinguished services are
rendered rightly for the benefits
Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
Nelson King, Vinette K. Pryce, Bert Wilkinson
GENERAL INFORMATION (718) 260-2500
Caribbean L 10 ife, JAN. 28-FEB. 3, 2022
of their fellow Jamaicans.
Some of our national heroes
were hanged and beaten after
the colonialist’s court disagreed
with their convening in the
Morant Bay Rebellion. These
men were critics of the policies
of the government of the
day. They stood their ground
fighting for freedom and justice
in a colonial Jamaica for the
oppressed and poor. This was
not for themselves but for their
fellow Jamaicans to gain common
rights, like other Jamaicans
and the right to participate
in a voting process. Marcus
Garvey preached self-reliance,
and knowledge of self for Black
people across the globe more
than anyone else has. Garvey
knew economic freedom was
the only exit for the downtrodden
people who are often Black
people. Michael Manley’s work
for Jamaica was economic independence
for the Jamaican people,
education, and self-reliance.
Manley was a torchbearer for
self-reliance for the Jamaican
people. His work bears honor
when he included policies in his
administration to help championed
small businesses for
poor Jamaican farmers. Manley
argued for self-reliance as political
independent Jamaica did not
make any changes for the poor
in the nation, the plights heightened.
He paved the pathway
during the 1970’s and opened
the doors for poor Jamaicans
to tap in the resources of what
was available in Jamaica that
only the privileged few benefited
from and enjoyed.
A man of great prose struggling
against the oppressors of
the poor. Michael Manley help
fought for the freedom of Nelson
Mandela in South Africa
and for struggling South Africans
to have the right to vote in
the own independent country.
Michael Manley’s aim was to
bring about a significant change
for Jamaica and Jamaicans
through organizing and mobilizing
all Jamaicans to understand
what the country was facing
after years of political independence.
Manley challenged
the government of the day and
was a fierce advocate for injustices.
On par with the work of
Paul Bogle and George William
Gordon who led the protests
in Morant Bay in 1865. These
protests were to obtain justice
from a court system working
against many everyday Jamaicans.
They are national heroes.
Michael Manley led demonstrations
and block roads to change
the stagnant conditions of the
poor, to express empathy and
stand up for justice to give poor
Jamaicans an opportunity in
their own country. To let poor
Jamaicans, know that they can
own houses too and get paid
vacation as other Jamaicans do.
Manley instigated a movement
for the masses. The dawn
of new an era emerged when
Michael Manley became prime
minister. Manley paved the way
for the Jamaican music to go
beyond our shores. The movement
of the National Youth
Service. A talented and brilliant
Jamaica high school student no
longer had to worry about finding
employment, after leaving
school. Instead, the National
Youth Service program was
used as a steppingstone, a bridge
for the youth after leaving high
school to start developing a
career path in their chosen field
or move on to obtain a tertiary
education, at the end of two year
program. Most of the young
people who benefitted were from
poor Jamaican families. Thousands
of young Jamaicans find
themselves working with large
and reputable companies in
Jamaica, companies they once
thought were unreachable. The
Youth Program was a national
movement to benefit all youths
who are eager to excel. Parents
across Jamaica embraced the
services of this program. These
young people, thousands of
whom have excelled so well and
are now making their contributions
and brilliant strides to
Jamaica and other places across
the globe as professionals. Poor
farmers, for the first time in the
nation could be allowed to borrow
from a government bank to
expand their farming.
Do not dismiss a man who
gave Jamaicans a great awakening
and a positive feeling in
their psyche about who they are
as a people, about their nation.
Jamaicans learnt from Michael
Manley, that “Labour Day” was
no longer a day in Jamaica to go
to the beaches or laze around.
Manley called for a day of patriotism,
community building
and community development
to benefit everyone on “Labour
Day” each year. Jamaicans loved
it and worked along with the
late prime minister. It was a
movement in the right direction.
An enlightened position
for a tiny nation to feel so much
pride in a country.
Norman Washington Manley
and Alexander Bustamante
are the founding fathers of an
independent Jamaica. The older
Manley gave all he could for
Jamaica to gain political independence
from Britain. They
are our heroes, and we honor
them. Michael Manley’s modern
techniques and approaches were
the most patriotic to the Jamaican
public since the dawning
of Norman Washington Manley
and Alexander Bustamante.
We all know this as truth. Let
us thank Michael Manley and
honor him as the Jamaican who
exposed the nation to a developing
stage. Let us remember he
started the dismantling of neocolonialism
in Jamaica. He was
the first to let us know who we
are JAMAICANS!!
OP-EDS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome from all readers. They should be addressed care of this newspaper to the Editor,
Caribbean-Life Publications, 1 MetroTech Center North, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or sent via e-mail to caribbeanlife@
schnepsmedia.com. All letters, including those submitted via e-mail, MUST be signed and the individual’s verifiable address
and telephone number included. Note that the address and telephone number will NOT be published and the name will
be published or withheld on request. No unsigned letters can be accepted for publication. The editor reserves the right to
edit all submissions.
Founded 1990 • Published by Brooklyn Courier Life LLC
A DIVISION OF SCHNEPS MEDIA
Corporate Headquarters: One Metrotech Center North, Suite 1001, Brooklyn, NY 11201
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER: Victoria Schneps-Yunis
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER: Joshua Schneps
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Ralph D’Onofrio
EDITOR EMERITUS: Kenton Kirby
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kevin Williams
This newspaper is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied
by the error. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2021 by Brooklyn Courier Life LLC. Caribbean
Life is protected by Federal copyright law. Each issue of Caribbean Life is registered with the Library
of Congress, Washington, D.C. The Caribbean Life, its advertisements, articles and photographs, may
not be reproduced, either in whole or part, without permission in writing from the publisher except
brief portions for purposes of review or commentary consistent with the law.
The late Michael Manley
seen here as the new Prime
Minister of Jamaica in 1989.
Associated Press
/schnepsmedia.com
