Culture of Jamaica

Derek Alton Walcott was born in the Caribbean island paradise of Saint Lucia in the small port city of Castries on January 23, 1930 (Grimes). His work was strongly influenced by this Caribbean setting, the beauty of it, and the historical context of colonialism (Grimes; Campbell). Specifically, he explored themes of cultural chauvinism, political inequity, and ethnicity. He refused to accept the false Black/White dichotomy of race in the Caribbean, centralizing ethnicity in his work, he himself…

Being as I’m made up of many races and ethnicities; my favorite one being Jamaican. It’s fair to say I’ve heard, and done plenty of research of the land of the Black, Green, and Gold. At the age of eight learning the whole Jamaican National Anthem, and citing it just about everyday since then. Knowing fun facts like the population of my dad’s hometown, Montego Bay, being 96,488 people. Also, people don't know Montego Bay wasn't considered a city until May 1st, 1981; seventeen years after my…

House of Blessings Lifestyle Center is a new facility that will be constructed on the grounds of Camp Verley in Spring Village, St. Catherine. This project was born out of a unique collaboration between Central Jamaica Conference (CJC) of Seventh Day Adventists and House of Blessings Lifestyle Center (HBLC). Construction for this facility is projected to begin between January and March of 2017. THE VISION Capitalizing on Jamaica’s bountiful sunshine, lush vegetation, and exotic beauty, HBLC is…

Redemption Song recounts the story of slavery; Bob Marley sings about faith, self-preservation, hope, and freedom in his depiction of the Afro-Jamaican emancipation from slavery. In the opening lines of Redemption Song, the prevalence of “i-talk” is quickly established. Lines 1 through 4 proclaim these words, “Old pirates yes they rob I, Sold I to the merchant ships. Minutes after they took I, From the bottom less pit” . The notion of oneness as one Afro-Jamaican nation is evident in these lines…

fight back against their oppressors. A huge political milestone came in 1969 when Michael Manley of the People’s National Party (PNP) was elected after a momentous endorsement from Bob Marley. Manley completely changed Jamaica’s oppressive political culture and advanced a societal framework that promoted independence, rejected colonialism and shunned slavery. Subsequently, famous rock producer Chris Blackwell signed Marley and his Wailers and aided them in the production of their first global…

Colonialism created within the Caribbean a mixture of different cultures, a multiplicity of races, classes, ethnicities and genders. The Caribbean shares a common history and countries would have changed hands from the dominant world powers. It was either from the rulings of the British, Dutch, Spanish or French; some islands were colonized longer than others. It is this rich historical background carved through colonialism that has left its mark on the Caribbean even up to today and is used to…

Have you ever been on a trip that was such an unforgettable memory? Well I have and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I am going to be talking about many things like when we had to fly there, or most of my family came so it was really expensive, and finally there were fun activities to do on the cruise and in the Bahamas. To begin, my family and I had to fly to Florida and it was my first experience on a plane (I’ve been on a plane but when I was really little so I didn’t…

We have seen social stratification in the Caribbean transition over the years from a ‘closed system of stratification’ to that of an ‘open system stratification’. Social stratification in the Caribbean is based on class, status, power, race/ethnicity, colour, gender, education, etc. The Caribbean stratification system has been greatly influenced by its history of Colonialism, Plantation Slavery and Indentureship. Ascriptive factors such as race and the colour of one’s skin have contributed…

Jamaica: Bridging the gap via digital divide The slogan “Come to Jamaica” is known globally. Jamaica is also known for its tourism; the white sandy beaches, the tasty dishes- ackee and salt fish, jerk chicken, jerk pork, and reggae music. It is the home of Usain Bolt (the Olympian track star) and the late, great Bob Marley. It is said that the island boasts “a very rich and vibrant history”. It is a testimony to oppression, steadfastness, growth, and the strong will of its…

East of the popular holiday destination of Cancun, Mexico, is an island that you would find photos of plastered all over a postcard or Corona commercial. Isla Mujeres with its picture perfect views, white beaches, and clear Caribbean waters is a perfect destination for any Spearo. Isla Mujeres is a small island just eight miles off the coast of Cancun and is less than five miles long by a half-mile wide. Its beautiful beaches and water rival those from nearby destinations such as Cancun, Playa…