REMEMBER! CELEBRATE! BELIEVE! - My Island Jamaica

Jamaicacelebrates■ February 11, 1962: At a quarter to one, PremierNorman Manley issued to the Jamaican press inLondon, embargoed until midnight, London time, thestatement that Jamaica’s general election to choose itsfirst government under Independence would have beenheld Tuesday, April 10.It might well be that in receiving our Independencefrom the British and the Order in Council as the thingthat granted us liberty and freedom, we started wrong.Nobody can grant you freedom. They can recognise thefreedom you should have had from birth. Nevertheless,we followed because it was the colonial way. But we, asa colony, as of 1962, became a free people. We startfrom there and perhaps it is a real point of departurefor looking back and hoping for the future.This year is filled with hope because of certainoccurrences. There is an atmosphere of hope which hasgone right around the world. Jamaica still has thestigma of crime, underdevelopment and hopelessness.But, let us return to 1962, for it is then we assumedour own responsibility as a free nation. This is whenwe, by receiving this gift from Britain in the good oldcolonial ritual of passage, robbed ourselves of the angstthat people fighting for liberty entertain. It robbed ourfuture because the people have said: “Somebody gaveus something; we did not fight for it.”■ September 18, 1962: Jamaica is admitted as amember of the United Nations, a former financialsecretary, Egerton Richardson, is appointed as thecountry’s first permanent representative (ambassador)to the organisation.The decade of the 1960s was marked by a resurgenceof black nationalism. In the general election of 1962,Millard Johnson revived Garvey’s People’s PoliticalParty and in North America the leadership of MartinLuther King, Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichaelenergised the struggle for racial equality and civilrights. It was against this background that the JamaicanGovernment in 1964 took the decision to bring MarcusGarvey’s body home for reinterment in NationalHeroes Park.■ October 3, 1962: The new headquarters of theJamaica Labour Party at 7 Retirement Road, CrossRoads, St Andrew, is dedicated by Canon R.O.C. King■ For C.L.R. James, “Garvey placed Africa and peopleof African descent in the consciousness of the modernworld and in such a manner that they can never beremoved again.”Both men imbued the ordinary Jamaican with a newsense of their possibilities in the modern world and laidthe foundations on which Adolphe Roberts, WilfredDomingo, Ken Hill, Norman Manley and AlexanderBustamante established Jamaica’s claim forIndependence between 1936 and 1962.Unfortunately, neither Garvey nor Headley wasamong those recognised or accorded a place ofprominence when the island celebrated itsindependence on August 6, 1962.– Arnold BertramWaiting inthe rainBeneath a solitaryumbrella, atMontpelier station, agroup of little Browniesand Girl Guideshuddled, awaiting thearrival of PrincessMargaret. And thoughthe rain came intorrents, and oneBrownie’s little dollygot soaked under herhankie covering. Thegirls in soddenuniforms waited on tosee the princess whohad come toparticipate inJamaica’sIndependence,celebrations.The first Independence... as I remember itLouis A. BentContributorIWAS approaching my mid-20s and Iwas a scout leader for a Kingston SeaScout troupe. Here in Kingston,where I grew up, everyone was preparingfor the Independence celebrations.It was very exciting. The schools hadtheir part to play; so, too, did the churches,the military and the constabulary. Dramagroups, the Lodge people, even theRastafari organisations also had a role.I remember the royal visit. Her RoyalHighness Princess Margaret landed in anaircraft at the Palisadoes Airport and wasmet by Sir Alexander Bustamante, ourfirst prime minister. She was driven in aconvertible through Kingston,accompanied by her husband, LordSnowden, and they were greeted by alarge crowd that lined the streets.The beautiful decorations, especiallyaround Parade Square in downtownKingston, ignited the atmosphere. AtSouth Parade, it was spectacular! Thearches were decorated in green, gold andblack with lights around each of them.These were erected by the mayor ofKingston and his group. Several businessplaces were also decorated with flags andstreamers. Looking down King Street, thelovely drapery that was strung across theroad in green, gold and black fluttered inthe wind while the sun shone brightly.COMMONWEALTH GAMESOur first Commonwealth Games wasthen staged at the National stadium thatwas completed that year for the occasionand other events. A message was carriedaround the island relay style by membersof the Boys Brigade and was delivered toSir Alexander on opening night. He readit at the event. There was also thelighting of a torch that was erected to thesouthern section within the stadium. Thetorch burned throughout the Games.Also, a rally of youth organisations tookplace on August 4 of that year. Again,Princess Royal and her husband, met by SirAlexander, the chief minister, and leader ofthe Opposition, Norman WashingtonManley, attended the function. So, too, didEdna Manley and son, Michael. Not toforget Edward Seaga, then minister ofculture, and the mayor, all of whom sat inthe royal box with the royal family.The youth organisations displayedexceptional talent at the rally. There wasa fantastic display by the uniformedgroups with their marching bands. Whenall this was over, on that same night, thebig title fight took place between ourtriple champion Bunny Grant and DaveCharnley – the Commonwealthchampion from England. Large crowdsgathered to see this big bout. As scoutleader, I was asked to gather a number ofscouts to usher people to their seatswhile other leaders did likewise.We met a group of British sailors froma warship who greeted us very well, so wegot them seated.PLEASE SEE FIRST, 98 JAMAICA CELEBRATES | TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2009