KENSINGTON, St James

South St James MP Derrick Kellier is leading the charge, on behalf of residents of Kensington, to convince the Ministry of Education to name the $200-million primary school now under construction in the community in honour of national hero Samuel Sharpe.

“It is only fitting that since it is a new school to replace the school at Springfield All-Age, it should have a new name.

And because of the historic nature we firmly believe and the citizens support the move, to request that the minister and indeed the Ministry of Education name the school the Sam Sharpe Primary when it is reopened in 2009,” Kellier argued.

Kellier was speaking last week at the ‘Flames of Freedom 2009’ – a celebration of the historic 1831 Sam Sharpe Rebellion against slavery – on the site of the Tulloch Castle, Kensington.

Last week’s celebrations included a gospel concert and a number of other cultural presentations, including performances from the award-winning Hatfield Dancers and the Fifty Fifty Band, out of Kingston.

“It was here in Kensington the rebellion started in 1831 that led to emancipation and hence our freedom. I think it is only fitting that the school should be named after the man who was responsible for that rebellion,” he said.

The 1831 rebellion is also known as the Baptist War, because of the involvement of British Baptist missionaries. However, it is more popularly referred to as the Sam Sharpe rebellion after Samuel Sharpe, a slave leader and deacon of the Burchell Church, St James, who inspired the uprising.

Approximately 500 slaves were executed, including Sharpe, but the rebellion helped influence the push for full emancipation of the slaves on August 1, 1838.