Letter of the Day | Engage young Jamaicans in country’s development

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I read Professor Carolyn Cooper’s article, titled ‘Rihanna, Bob Marley and Miss Lou’, in The Sunday Gleaner and wanted to share how much it affirms my own vision for Jamaica’s development.

I believe that more of us need to see that Jamaica will not become the nation of our dreams, if we do not first acknowledge the people who came before us and better understand the situations that gave birth to the society we know now. We must also decentre the focus from the trauma of enslavement (though still important to know) to uplifting the collective spirit by creating opportunities to celebrate black joy, black resourcefulness, and black agency. Another critical element that is missing from the current fabric of Jamaican society – which Prof Cooper touched on in her piece – is the engagement of today’s young people.

As a young Jamaican woman who is passionate about our creative inheritance, I have faced my fair share of roadblocks on my own journey to embracing the culture. But those did not stop me because here I am, more invested and enthusiastic than ever.

On the other hand, I am exhausted from listening to our politicians ramble on about economic growth and job creation, when in reality the opportunities that exist continue to be extractive and exploitative. This suggests that we are still replicating and recreating the same patterns that were left behind by the British. And while some of us continue to look on at Barbados’ accomplishment with considerable jealousy, I think there are many lessons that we can take from them, such as their revolutionary style of leadership; their ability to create space for young people; their people-centric approach to tackling the climate crisis; and their willingness to part with aspects of tradition that no longer contribute to the vision they have for their society.

Prof Cooper, while we still have many areas to address, if it’s one thing Jamaica has done right, it’s giving birth to people like you, who continue to inspire young people like me. Thank you for challenging us to think more critically and bringing our attention to the work of Jamaicans in various fields. I admire you and your commitment, and will continue on the journey to make my own mark.

LATOYA BRISCOE

Researcher on Jamaican

and Caribbean Culture