THE EDITOR, Madam: As we celebrate our Emancipation and Independence, we must be mindful of the systems and ideologies that continue to oppress people across the world. Yet, there is an unsettling drift in Jamaica towards insularity and...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As Jamaica celebrated Emancipation one uncomfortable truth remains ignored: more than 60 per cent of students entering Grade 7 cannot read at a functional level, nor can some of them they count their own lunch money – if they...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As the election campaign season intensifies, both major political parties have launched rallies across the island in anticipation of the upcoming polls. While Section 65 of the Jamaican Constitution mandates that a general...
THE EDITOR, Madam: On August 6, Jamaicans will be celebrating Independence Day. It saddens me to think that after 63 years Jamaica is still only partially independent. There can be no true independence until we abolish the Judicial Committee of the...
THE EDITOR, Madam: On July 28 at his luxury golf resort in Scotland, President Donald Trump finally admitted that there was real starvation in Gaza. This came during a lengthy press conference with British PM Sir Keir Starmer, and in direct...
THE EDITOR, Madam: The Ministry of Education’s plan to hold back underperforming students, as reported on July 24, raises more questions than answers. While the goal is commendable, the lack of clarity and preparation is troubling with schools...
THE EDITOR, Madam: The language attitude survey conducted by The Jamaican Language Unit in 2005 highlighted that more than 75 per cent of people are speakers of Jamaican Creole (Patwah). Jamaican Creole possesses all the features and rules of...
THE EDITOR, Madam: In 2014, Chinese film-maker Zhang Yimou and his wife paid a fine of $1.2 million for having a third child, which was against the law. They didn’t go to jail. It was treated more like a very big parking ticket, but it was...
THE EDITOR, Madam: I am writing with reference to The Gleaner story, ‘Secret Raid’, which reported that in a special operation on Tuesday morning a police constable believed to be involved in gun-trafficking was nabbed. This is great work done...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As we mark our 63rd year of Independence, I write as a young Jamaican, full of gratitude for how far we’ve come, and filled with a deep hope that we will take the next bold step in becoming a republic. Independence was a...
Extending the business hours doesn’t make a better business. Try improving the product. – @aspire_literacy Incorporate more AI and parents in home work centres. – @AndreDun001876 So the union was blindsided? – @s_winsome We need to change...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As Jamaica approaches another general election, I have spoken with some Christians who openly declare that voting is a waste of time. They have dismissed the entire democratic process as an exercise in futility, often repeating...
THE EDITOR, Madam: In a period of increased transparency and acceptance, coupled with unlimited access to the digital world, Gen Zs have been exposed to a plethora of information on relationships and sex. However, this freedom comes with risks....
THE EDITOR, Madam: Professor Hilary Beckles gets a failing grade when he distorts a historical event in West Indies cricket. He asserts that controversial fast bowler Roy Gilchrist was unfairly terminated from Test selection following his...
THE EDITOR, Madam: Marcus Garvey’s rallying cry, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,” challenges us to acknowledge that legal freedom is hollow if the mind remains shackled. As Garvey proclaimed in 1937: “others might free the body, none...
THE EDITOR, Madam: On June 19 and July 22, 2025, The Gleaner published letters I wrote about my family’s experience at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). I acknowledged the quality of care provided by health professionals but...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As we approach the commemorations of Emancipation and Independence, it is difficult not to reflect on the stark contrast between the ideals these celebrations represent and the lived experiences of many Jamaicans today. Despite...
THE EDITOR, Madam: I write to express my deep concern and to seek clarification regarding reports and images circulating on social media showing Jamaica Labour Party campaign events featuring recently acquired school buses that were ostensibly...
THE EDITOR, Madam: Come August 1 and 6, Jamaica will be in full celebration mode. Emancipation Day, Independence Day, festival songs on the radio. Black, green, and gold on every street corner, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen crowned, Speeches about...
THE EDITOR, Madam: It pains me to say this, but St Ann – home to the renowned tourist destination of Ocho Rios and one of Jamaica’s entertainment hotspots – is dirty. From the Trelawny border to the edge of St Mary, one can see garbage is...
THE EDITOR, Madam: As we commemorate Emancipation Day on August 1 – the anniversary of the abolition of chattel slavery in the Colonial British Empire – we must not simply look back with solemn gratitude, but also look around us with vigilance....
THE EDITOR, Madam: Jamaica has long cherished the value of education. In classrooms across the island, we see bright minds with different strengths, dreams, and learning styles. While some students thrive with traditional teaching methods, others...
THE EDITOR, Madam: I have had reasons to drive on the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway (popularly known as the Rockfort main road) leading up to and beyond the Caribbean Cement Company during nights over the past two months, and on numerous...
THE EDITOR, Madam: On July 18, 2021, Nashawn Brown, who was four years old, was brutally beaten by his stepfather for ‘eating slowly’, resulting in his death. In response to this tragic incident, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said his...
THE EDITOR, Madam: The last time Jamaica went to the polls in a parliamentary election was on September 3, 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This election was also called several months before it was constitutionally due. During that...
