Is It Independence, Or Are We Just Celebrating?
Michael Huggan
Approximately 61 years ago, jubilant Jamaicans flooded the streets of Kingston in eager anticipation of independence. The fanfare wasn’t because they were parting from the Crown, but at the prospect that lay ahead; the promise of a new and thriving nation, rising from the shadows of colonial servitude, embracing the proverbial heights of success.
Thousands of patriotic nationals flocked to the newly opened national stadium to view the pomp and pageantry on show. At midnight of August 6, 1962 the black, green and gold Jamaican flag was raised, along with the hopes and aspirations, of replacing the Union Jack.
In 2023 there is still fanfare surrounding this independence period, but I dare ask, is it independence we are celebrating? Are we as patriotic as we claim?
I don’t think so. This patriotism has since been replaced with the opportunity to engage in social drinking and revelry.
The further away we go from the actual independence date, the less significant it is since this significance is lost with a generation of people who actually lived the experience and invested their blood, sweat and tears to achieve the freedom we enjoy today. Independence now represents a day or two to party, go to the beach or even the river.
The JCDC is one of those organizations charged with sustaining our cultural heritage and is treading water to stay afloat while navigating the bellows caused by local entertainment event promoters. One of the JCDC’s flagship products is the Popular Song competition that promotes our heritage through song, now demonstrating a steep falloff in the quality of the entries.
The lyrics fail to inspire the patriot in the Jamaican people, yet the words of “Cherry O Baby “ and “What-a-Bam – Bam” are forever etched in our minds.
(A new Festival Queen is crowned as part of the Independence celebrations)
Another illustration of the people going through the motion of Independence is the annual facelift. I can still smell the wet black, green and gold paint in the town centers, emblematic of a practice maintained but a passion long gone.
The colours of our nation don’t evoke the same pride they used to, as these freshly painted walls provided the opportunity for a swift rest stop much like that “Dog in Babylon”. This systematic degradation of our folkways, coupled with a need to merely re-enact these celebrations is cause for concern. This process of unlearning tradition, heritage and ancestry has contributed to the loss of cultural identity. We are now experiencing a willingness to sever ties with the historical significance of the independence of our great nation.
Michael Huggan is a teacher
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