The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

The events which transpired on Tuesday, January 28 will long remain in the memories of most Jamaicans. In addition to the 7:7 earthquake which struck Jamaica at approximately 2:10 pm and which triggered panic attacks among the population, a number of persons on social media circulated news that Jamaica had a suspected case of the dreaded coronavirus.   The already tense atmosphere soon went into overdrive by early afternoon when the earthquake struck. According to dictionary.com panic is a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons. Many persons could not concentrate on their work or studies as news was being circulated on social media that the coronavirus had reached the shores of Jamaica. Social media users, especially on Twitter were very irresponsible in passing on what we now know was not factual news. THE University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) has de...

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 started out like any other day, however, the events of the day would turn out far from being routine as the afternoon descended and the populace went about their daily schedule. Jamaica lies in an earthquake belt and occasionally the island experiences earth tremors and earthquakes. However, today was a bit different; an earthquake struck Jamaica at approximately 2:10 p.m. According to the US Geographical Survey a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Eastern Cuba at approximately ten minutes after two. The earthquake was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface. The quake also hit the Cayman Islands, leaving cracked roads and what appeared to be sewage spilling from cracked mains. The earthquake was felt as fa...

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.”- Martha Graham The institution of slavery in the Caribbean is largely and singlehandedly responsible for shaping post slavery societies throughout this Hemisphere. The remnants of slavery and the slave experiences are still with us many years after slavery was abolished in 1838. One such example of this is seen through the creative arts, namely dance. According to the article “The Social World of the Slaves” published in Encyclopedia.Com, "although house servants lived under the constant supervision of their masters, field hands on large plantations and the slaves on smaller farms did have some time on Sundays and late at night to themselves. They then could gather in the slave quarters, the center of their social life, and share stories, dance, play music, sing, and perform “shouts,” descendants of African tradition in which dancers formed a circle and chanted." It is widely...

“Don’t give up the fight, Stand up for your rights.”- Bob Marley How many of you have ever heard of the country Malawi? Malawi is located in southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and west. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people who first inhabited the area. Recently, Malawi made the news after the courts upheld that Rastafarianism is a religion and ruled that banning dreadlocks, a Rasta religious symbol is unconstitutional. Many Rastafarians believes Selassie was a prophet descended from the biblical King Solomon, sent by God to liberate black Africans from colonialism.   Interestingly, Rastafarianism developed in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1920s and 1930s. This period in history was characterized by great poverty, depression, and racism and class discrimination. During this time the Rastafarians developed a distinctive style of language, hairstyle,...

"History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals."- Haile Selassie  The greatest obstacle to Caribbean unity and integration is the lack of a Caribbean spirit; sadly this is facilitated by our politicians’ despite the Region’s shared history of enslavement and colonialization. The recent remarks by the Prime Minister of Barbados and Chairman of the 15 member CARICOM bloc, Mia Mottley have once again exposed the unhealed wounds from the failed attempt at Federation among CARICOM states. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), originally the Caribbean Community and Common market, was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas which came into effect on 1 August 1973. The first four signatories were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM’s main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared...

All eyes were on the town of Port Royal as The Marella Discovery 2 with over 2,000 passengers became the first cruise ship to dock at the newly developed Port Royal Cruise Port. The town of Port Royal, Jamaica has had a storied history.   Most of us learnt about Port Royal in primary school as the sunken city. The town was once described as the wickedest city in the Western Hemisphere. Port Royal is located on the southern coast of Jamaica. Port Royal was initially colonized by the Spanish Crown; however, in 1655 the town was attacked and captured by the English. The town of Port Royal soon became a haven for pirates and buccaneers; Sir Henry Morgan is perhaps the most infamous of all pirates to have emerged from the town.   After 1670, the importance of Port Royal and Jamaica to England was evident due to trade in slaves, sugar, and raw materials.  The town became the mercantile center of the Caribbean, with vast amounts of goods flowing in and out of its harbor as ...

“Personality is like a charioteer with two headstrong horses, each wanting to go in different directions.”- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Have you ever come across someone who behaves as if the world revolves around them? I bet you have. There is a tendency for us to judge individuals by the personality they display. It is important to note that we all possess varied personalities; some of us are introverted while others are extroverted. We all know of that person who smiles with the entire office and behind the backs of the individuals they cut their throats. Such individuals are not trust worthy and are to be avoided. The Judas Iscariot Effect is alive and well after more than two thousand years. The narcissist will sup with you and throw you under the bus the first time of asking. Unsurprisingly, many of these individuals hold supervisory and management positions in the workplace; narcissism is more popular than we are led to believe. Many of us can identity one or more individuals w...