Yet another call has come for Jamaica to move away from having the Queen as head of state for the country.
The latest call to make a significant change in the Constitution to remove the Queen as Jamaica’s head of state came at the annual staging of the Marcus Garvey lecture, hosted by the St Ann Homecoming and Heritage Foundation in conjunction with the St Ann Parish Library Network.
The event was held on Friday, June 10 at the St Ann parish Library.
This year’s guest speaker, Lord Anthony Gifford QC saluted Marcus Garvey’s extensive contribution to the level of development the Caribbean has achieved. He mentioned what he called the incompleteness of Jamaica’s independence, questioning the Queen’s current position as head of state. Lord Gifford further urged the audience of students and adults to yearn for a head of state who is truly representative of the Jamaican people. He ended by saying, “As Marcus Garvey did say, ‘Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your rights!’”
(See Page 10 of this week’s issue for excerpts of Lord Gifford’s speech)
The daughter of Jamaican roots reggae musician Burning Spear, Maleka Rodney was well received with her cultural item titled ‘I’m Proud to be Jamaican’.
Students, teachers and other guests from institutions in the region participated in the question and answer section. Suie Ann Lee from Runaway Bay HEART College of Hospitality Services spoke of the negative mind-set of many Jamaicans on enslavement, an issue that she said needed to be solved. A history teacher, Janice Campbell from the Marcus Garvey Technical High School was applauded for her profound encouragement to students to strive to achieve better as Garvey did.
The vote of thanks, given by former principal of Brown’s Town Community College, James Walsh, also reiterated that having the Monarchy as head of state is an acceptance of inferiority and inequality of Jamaicans. Mr Walsh said that must be changed.
Board chairman of the St. Ann Homecoming and Heritage foundation, Lance Nieta, gave the closing remarks and ended by recounting stories of great leader’s such as Garvey, Muhammad Ali and Kunta Kinte who stood up for their truest identities, principles and beliefs. He then asked the question, “What is your name?
