WHY THE STATUE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MUST COME DOWN IN JAMAICA
Travel across the globe and you will find no shortage of monuments and statues paying homage to those who have made significant contribution to society or to their individual nations.
In Kemet “The Black Land” also known as Egypt, you will find one the oldest monument on earth. Sitting on the west bank of the Nile in Gaza, is the Great Sphinx of Giza, a symbol of our African greatness. Looking down on Parliament Square in London is Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary. In Barbados you have Bussa, the national hero who led the great slave revolt in 1816. His statue symbolizes the breaking of the chains of slavery. Swing over to Guyana and you will see the national hero, Kofi, a man stolen from Ghana, enslaved in Guyana and later became liberator and leader of the 1763 slave revolt. Then there is Gaspar Yanga, the African national hero of Mexico, leader and liberator of the Maroon of Mexico, and the list goes on.
In Jamaica we have our own fleet of monuments and statues, a proud representation of our own history, culture and achievements. Historically, Jamaicans are a proud, strong-willed people known to the world as freedom fighters, revolutionaries even trend setters. Going all the way back to 18 century Jamaica and you will see the Maroons led by Nanny and her brothers fighting and standing up to Europeans powers. In the second Maroon war of 1795, 300 Maroons stood their ground against 1500
The country that I chose to conduct a culture analysis on is Jamaica. Jamaica is a third world country located in North America and the 3rd largest island in the Caribbean Sea. There is a 2.5 million population, which equally divided between urban and rural areas. The country runs approximately 146 miles long and varies between 21- 52 miles wide. The climate is tropical and its main tourist attraction is their beautiful beaches. The capital of Jamaica is Kingston, which has a population of more than 645,000. Kingston is the chief port of Jamaica and is along the southeastern coast of the island. It is covered by the “Blue Mountains”, which is thickly covered which tree ferns. The Blue Mountains experiences an average of 200 inches of rain annually, resulting in topsoil erosion and an abundance of streams. Peasants nurture coffee, usually grown on large plantations, in the valleys of the mountains. It is amongst the most expensive coffees in the world and is exported mainly to Japan.
great individuals who have left a mark on American History. Inspiring people to travel and
“The imposition of structural adjustment programs in the Third World since the 1970s has been characterized as a war against the poor, a process of [neo] recolonization” (Turner, 1994: 37). This statement is particularly applicable to the country of Jamaica. The island has been susceptible to a variety of neocolonial acts including the presence of multinational corporations, structural adjustment programs, and loan organizations that have sucked Jamaica’s economy dry. This neocolonial presence has devastated the population in more ways than one. It is apparent that neocolonialism has had and continues to have a large impact on society as a whole in Jamaica. This
Burton (2015) in her Journal, ‘Globalisation and Cultural Identity in Caribbean Society: The Jamaican Case,’ however points out that Jamaica has a unique culture and this has shaped how that countries adapts to the effects of colonialism and even globalisation.
From Trajan’s Column, completed in 113 AD, to the statue of Christopher Columbus in Easton, Pennsylvania, monuments and memorials have been a significant element of celebration and honor throughout history (Source B). Though monuments are typically meant as a symbol of honor, recent controversy over statues dedicated to Confederate leaders and generals has sparked the debate over how to choose subjects to memorialize, and the actual development of these memorials. When considering what or who to honor, one must also consider the subjects impact on history, ensuring that it is positive. In creating memorials and monuments, groups and agencies should examine the historical significance of the events or persons they wish to memorialize, and the
There are many famous people in history, each person is famous for their own accomplishments, as well as their effect on the world we know today. Some of these famous people in history include Marquis de Lafayette, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, these people helped change the world for the better.
The legacy of slavery is not to be measured simply by the millions slaughtered by slave hunters in Africa, thrown overboard on the Middle Passage, or beaten to death in Jamaica, but in the destruction of important lines of human development, in the triumph of the parasite over the producer (Maxwell n.d). The legacy of slavery is probably one of the hardest issues in world history upon which to find agreement (Casciani 2007). Furthermore, the legacy of slavery has appeared large over Jamaican culture in the subsequent history of Jamaica. The people of Jamaica have a fierce nationalism and identify strongly with Africa, to an extent that world news in Jamaica often features more stories on African than the Americas (History of Jamaica 2015).
Monuments are a way you can immortalize a person. There are many ways to create monuments such as writing a book, Speeches, even sculpting. Many factors play into creating a monument of a person. When honoring a person you have to look at the location, size, and material and the significance of the monument.
The music industry in Jamaica is one of the most influential in the world. Popular music genres such as reggae and dancehall was both originated in Jamaica. Likewise, rap and hip hop was stated by a Jamaican, called Kool Herc. Bob Marley is also a famous music artist from Jamaica. His music played an important role in many movements in Jamaica and all over the world. The most famous one is the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Dancing is also important in Jamaica. A famous proverb in Jamaica, is that “those who can’t dance, blame it on the music”. In all african countries, music and dancing is really normal and it’s like this in Jamaica too. It is normal to dance on the streets in public and have fun, while listening to music. By all means music and dancing is undoubtedly important for Jamaica and the culture is mostly based around
The island of Jamaica is very rich in culture and has many historic turnabouts throughout the years. The country has a rich and complex history including being the first country to have Arawak and Taino Indians settle there.
Mahatma Gandhi was my first choice to be a part this monument because he was a true leader in history and even though his actions were not in direct connection to the US, the actions still inspired people, and made him a symbol of peace. Therefore including him onto the new Mount Rushmore
Jamaica is a land of diverse cultures. It has a number of different racial ethnic groups .The largest group however is the blacks or Africans so 'Jamaica’s culture' is predominantly black. Interwoven is also the European culture which these blacks learnt from their former white slaves masters. You will find Indians living in Jamaica also. Many Indians came to Jamaica as indentured servants and stayed, they too have an input in the Jamaica’s culture.
One of the most challenging things that Jamaicans have had to cope with is the physical and psychological isolation. On the island, the country is so small that it is easy to visit extended family members on a daily basis. Here, in the United States, however,
Jamaica is a tropical island, located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Around the coastlines are beautiful beaches with crystal clear blue-green water. In some respects, this is the majority of what people know about Jamaica. In this orientation text you will better understand Jamaica’s history, the people who live there, the many different religions, geography, and governments that have ruled the land.
Columbus discovered Jamaica on May 5, 1494, one year after he heard of the existence of the island. However, the true history of Jamaica begins with the African-Jamaican people who came to the island twenty years after the English took control from the Spaniards. The history of Jamaica can be broken up into different time periods, which were defined by watershed moments or events. Jamaican history begins with the establishment of the native islanders called the Tainos who inhabited the island for hundreds of years before the discoveries of Columbus. (JNHT 1)