Portia Simpson Miller, obviously hurting from overt attacks on her intellect during the increasingly divisive campaign for a new People’s National Party (PNP) president, yesterday invoked the memory of Marcus Garvey and promised to make early childhood education her first priority if she wins the leadership vote on Saturday.

“Early childhood education will receive the priority to lay the proper foundation, backed by a good programme of nutrition, so that by the time they finish primary (school) they will be on their way to high school and to university without any bias in their way,” Simpson Miller told more than 1,000 PNP delegates and supporters at a ‘Women for Portia’ rally inside the Jamaica Conference Centre’s main conference room downtown Kingston.

Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914 and is largely credited with the growth of the black nationalist movement in the 1920s.

Biographical texts on Garvey make no mention of him acquiring tertiary level education, saying only that he attended grammar school in St Ann, inherited a love of books from his father, and that he also received private instruction from his godfather Alfred Burrowes, who operated a printery.

On more than one occasion in the campaign, Simpson Miller’s capacity to handle complex matters has been raised by members of Peter Phillips’ Solid as a Rock team.

Last week, the PNP secretariat was forced to reprimand the Phillips team over the issue as it tried to prevent further cracks in the ruling party. The winner of the election will not only replace P J Patterson as PNP president, but as prime minister as well. The other contenders are Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe.

Yesterday, Simpson Miller likened herself to Garvey, saying: “When Marcus Garvey was going around with his word, telling us that we are black and beautiful, the same way I am here.had Marcus Garvey been alive. the same few detractors would not be supporting him.”

She offered herself as a model for young Jamaicans to realise that people from humble beginnings can achieve.

“I come with a promise of hope for everyone like me,” she said. “You too can rise, you too can achieve. The reason why I am the best candidate for president of the PNP and prime minister is that I come from you and understand your challenges,” she said to loud applause.

Simpson Miller, even reading scripture from her mother’s Bible, said nobody ever heard her respond to any of “the venom” spewed at her.

“Nobody heard anything bad coming from my mouth against any of my colleagues, and I will not,” said Simpson Miller. “I have used the venom to create an exclusive vaccine. A vaccine for healing, love, peace, unity.”

She also said that she had given instructions that no member of Team Portia should make complaints to the party hierarchy or discuss the issue publicly.

Guest speaker Juliet Fagan, a Caymanian, gave the rally a Pentecostal flavour with a passionate yet fiery address.

“Don’t allow background to stop you from making the right choice,” she told the gathering. “You have a few more days to go before you make a choice, and the decision that you make will cause you to benefit or reap the bitter consequences. So be sure that you are moved by the discernment of the Holy Spirit,” she said and likened Simpson Miller to Moses.

“When I’m finished, they might deport me from Jamaica,” added Fagan.

Among the women endorsing Simpson Miller’s candidacy yesterday were Blossom O’mealy Nelson, UWI professor Carolyn Cooper, and Glenda Simms, executive director of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs. Most speakers condemned the remarks made about Simpson Miller’s intellect.

“Many of the women here are not here to support a political party,” said Simpson Miller. “They are here supporting change.”

That change, she said, was the fact that for the first time in Jamaica a woman will take on the job of PNP president and prime minister, which was always perceived to be a man’s job.