One of the earliest claims for reparations was made in 1962 by the Rt Excellent Alexander Bustamante and the young Edward Phillip George Seaga then visiting the British parliament in negotiating upcoming Jamaican independence. It was Mr. Seaga who pointed out in stark terms the absolute social mess the British were leaving Jamaica’s incoming new government to inherit.
Few may remember that Bustamante had initially been both anti-Independence and anti- Federation but for all the right reasons. Both ideas championed by Norman Manley were opposed by him not on the grounds of their merit but their pragmatism. Bustamante’s point was that the British should pay for both. Both men were right. Wrong were the Brits, who said they were doing us a favor and that we should be grateful.
August 6th 1962 was a proud day for all Jamaica, but for Norman Manley particularly, who had given such stalwart leadership to the independence movement, it was a highly conflicted moment of mixed emotions. It was never his dream that Jamaica should sail alone into the sea of independence, but that a Federated Caribbean should sail together. He was proud, but broken on that day, in more ways than one, having personally invested so heavily into the campaign for Federation, and having so bitterly lost; but then there was also the particularly sharp irony of witnessing his cousin, who had so strongly opposed him, reap the precious fruit of his own labors.
In 1973, when the Federal hope was reborn under the new conception of CARICOM, the Caribbean Heads of State gathered in Trinidad to usher a unified Caribbean Alliance into existence decided to honor Mr Manley’s memory, struggle and leadership by signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas on his birthday, the 4th July.
In some territories, Caricom Day (first Monday in July) is a public holiday. In Jamaica, we are yet to own the birthday, not only of our Regional Community but also of one of our own founding fathers. The only 4th July fireworks that fall are those of the Americans celebrating their own independence, who regard us in much the same way our former colonizers did … as their backyard.
The Norman Washington Manley Foundation has faithfully celebrated the 4th July for over 50 years by hosting the prestigious Norman Manley Award for Excellence on that day. When two years ago it was decided to shift that function to Heritage week in October, the Foundation continued to honor the day with more than mere wreath-laying at the Manley mausoleum. Last year, the Foundation debuted the film ‘Memories of (Norman) Manley’. This year, the Foundation pays musical tribute in the presentation “Land of My Birth”, featuring the patriotic music of Mr. Jimmy Tucker.
The video features performances by Lt. Cdr. John McFarlane, the only living Jamaican tenor match-worthy of Tucker, who was known as Jamaica’s golden tenor, the voice heralding in Jamaican independence in ‘62. Ironically, Cdr. McFarlane so closely resembles Mr. Manley, he was given the role to play him in the CPTC television production, Flashpoint 38.
Other performers include soprano, Dr. Marcelle Thomas, Mrs Velia Espeut, the National Chorale of Jamaica and young Jahleil Blake from Calabar, who will be covering Mr Tucker’s recording of Clive Hoyte’s ‘Have Faith’ in 1954 as a young boy soprano then himself.
Most pieces come from Tucker’s album ‘Land of My Birth’, which was dedicated to Norman Manley – a classic collection containing the music of the times with all the excitement of Federal campaign and national independence. It contains the pathos, both of the exultation and brokenness of Mr Manley’s experience.
The video is an enlightening musical journey into our national and regional history, resonating with the indomitable spirit of our visionary leaders, much of it shot from the hallowed ground of the property appropriately called ‘Regardless’, now The Manley Centre, where Norman finally closed his eyes, knowing he had paid the price to open ours.
YeKengalé 