ST MARY TO BE STAGE FOR NATIONAL EVENT
A civic ceremony to commemorate National Chief Takyi Day, will be held in the Port Maria town square in St Mary on Saturday, April 8, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The event is being staged to celebrate the heroics of Chief Takyi (also Tacky), who was the leader of the 1760 slave rebellion in Jamaica. History lovers and people who want Chief Takyi to have his rightful place in Jamaica’s history have for years called for him to be elevated and celebrated.
Minister of Culture, Entertainment Gender and Sport Olivia Grange 
Barbara Blake Hannah
This will be National Chief Takyi Day’s second commemoration, which is hosted by the St Mary Municipal Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.
It was first observed in 2022, when a proclamation was issued by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, declaring April 8 as National Chief Takyi Day.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, will bring greetings as well as read the Governor-General’s proclamation at the event.
Among guests expected are Port Maria’s Mayor, Councillor Richard Creary, and Members of Parliament for St Mary South Eastern and Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. Norman Dunn. Also expected to attend are: Members of Parliament for St. Mary Central, Dr. Morais Guy, and St. Mary Western, Robert Montague.
Guest speaker will be Harvard University Professor, Vincent Brown, who is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Tacky’s Revolt : The Story of an Atlantic Slave War’.
This year’s ceremony will also include a walk from the Port Maria Police Station to the town square, and a presentation of the proclamation to Mayor Creary.
Cultural Liaison at the Culture Ministry, Barbara Blake Hannah, told JIS News that it was important to commemorate the Day because “Takyi is one of our unsung heroes. She said the 1760 Easter Rebellion, led by Takyi, was one of the most important events of this nature in the Caribbean’s history.
