A Cultural Renaissance To Instill National Pride

“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. – Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Who cares about National Heroes’ Day? For a significant number of Jamaicans this public holiday is merely a day for fun and frolic rooted in a culture of entertainment. Many of us as Jamaicans are far-removed from the historical significance of this important day. Unfortunately, our public holidays are seen as a sort of escapism to deflect from the harsh economic realities that so many of us experience daily. The nation’s once rich sense of national identity and pride requires a reset. The discourse concerning National Heroes’ Day needs to be broadened and more inclusive. Without a doubt there is a forced sense concerning our heritage. As a result, the nation continues to grapple with a diminished sense of national identity and pride. This diminished sense of national identity and pride is seen across the landscape of Jamaica. Our people have become fixated with skin bleaching and making over themselves as they try to remove all aspects of their strong African features to a more Eurocentric model of beauty. As a nation we do not know who we are. The teaching of History Education which is currently optional is a major part of the problem. The teaching of Civics should be compulsory in the education system. The above-mentioned subjects should be entrenched in the National Standards Curriculum. To what extent are we currently preparing our students to become critical thinkers and law-abiding citizens when the foundation regarding their knowledge of history is rather shallow? The current education system is masculine and serves as a human sieve intertwined with preferentialism. The curriculum of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) done at the primary level should be revised and more elements of Civics, History and Garveyism be added in order to make our students critical thinkers and patriotic. In fact, we should establish a national examination at the end of grade 9 for both Garveyism and Civics. The nation’s vision continues to be blind sighted. We need vision lest we perish. Our students are unaware of their history. A nation without a strong sense of history is more likely to be brainwashed and controlled. As a result this critical thinking body of thoughts from our first National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey is just a fleeting thought. Developmental Issues. Notwithstanding, Garveyism should be viewed as a developmental issue especially for nations mired with so many developmental issues. Issues such as poverty remain a significant concern for emerging nations. The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting that while Jamaica’s poverty rate, impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, increased in 2021. It said the prevalence of poverty in 2021 was estimated at 16.7 per cent, reflecting an increase of 5.7 percentage points relative to 2019. The rates were compared with 2019 as no local estimate of poverty was available for 2020. Human rights is yet another. The society continues to be plagued by human rights issues. Many who live on the peripheries of society believe they do not count and this remains problematic. Justice appears to be rooted in how deep one’s pocket is. Many in the society are still waiting for justice. While Jamaica has made significant progress in gender equality, equal access to economic opportunity is still a distant goal. This was a key highlight of the Jamaica Gender Assessment Report. The assessment, funded by the Government of Canada, reviewed the barriers faced by women and men in Jamaica in the aspects of endowments such as health and education, economic opportunity, and agency. According to the World Bank, in terms of economic opportunity, the Gender Assessment found that women's labour force participation is lower than men's due to their disproportionate role in unpaid household and care work. However, in contrast, men were found to be more likely than women to hold informal and vulnerable jobs. Despite recent advances, the agency of Jamaican women remains low, and the prevalence of patriarchal social norms is a key constraint to women's empowerment. Infrastructure: Basic infrastructure, like roads, electricity, and water provision, is frequently lacking in developing nations. Infrastructure spending is crucial for fostering economic development and raising the standard of living. Significance of a National Heroes’ Day. National Heroes’ Day in Jamaica started in 1969. It first started to honour great individuals for their services in various sectors of life in Jamaica. This included education, health, politics, or humanitarian. It now takes place every third Monday of October. The day is set aside to celebrate the strength, service and sacrifice of our national heroes. There is clearly a dissonance regarding what the day was intended to be and what currently happens. How can this dissension be bridged? A major public education is needed. This campaign must involve the agents of socialization and include non-traditional media. However, given most of us are impacted at one time or another by the education system it therefore means this is where the emphasis must be in order to reclaim our national sense of identity and pride. The centrality of Garveyism touches on ideas of national identity, black consciousness and empowerment. For the most part our people are stagnant surrounding their empowerment. Empowerment of the mind and mental acuity is dormant among many. This lack of awareness is not being addressed. Regrettably, the education system is not proactive in this regard. Are we in a cultural wilderness going around in circles? A state of urgency is required for us to change paths in order to embrace a path of cultural renaissance. There Is Hope. The nation’s national symbols must be dusted off and once again become pride of place. We all need to commit to some introspection as we observe yet another National Heroes’ Day, as we navigate our personal and collective journeys in a post slavery society. However, the narrative is being commandeered by some in the society. Those of us whose ancestors sacrificed it all in order that we are no longer physically shackled should be more alert regarding what is being attempted. Many of us are mentally shackled and sadly the culture is not enabling to free our minds. We have become too docile and apathy has set in. Last but by no means least; the annual televised Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards has failed to inculcate a sense of national pride. Many consider this annual ritual boring and steep in vestiges of our painful colonial past. The society unfortunately lacks consensus on critical national issues. Consensus building is key concerning developmental indicators. All is not lost. There is still hope. This hope rests with the younger generation; however, the powers that be must act now with a deep sense of alacrity. The legacy of a nation is grounded in how the sacrifices and work of its national heroes are passed down from one generation to the next. Evidently, the call is for a more rigorous interrogation of the narrative around National Heroes’ Day. In the interim, let us all be reminded of the words of Jamaica’s National Anthem. Eternal Father, Bless our Land, Guard us with thy mighty hand, Keep us free from evil powers, Be our light through countless hours, To our leaders, great defender, Grant true wisdom from above, Justice, truth be ours forever, Jamaica, land we love, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, land we love. Teach us true respect for all, Stir response to duty’s call, Strengthen us the weak to cherish, Give us vision lest we perish, Knowledge send us Heavenly Father, Grant true wisdom from above, Justice, truth be ours forever, Jamaica, land we love, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, land we love. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #NationalHeroesDay