I have been trying to make sense of Independence – not just the celebration , but the meaning and the manifestation of this upon our society. Just recently, I was reviewing notes on how leading and influential thinkers of the Western World explain their society’s transition into the modern world – a world of democracy and a social contract. Interestingly, they speak of emerging from a state of nature as a point of origin of man. I find the forms in the arguments useful in asking reasonable questions about the history of Jamaica, struggles for freedom and Independence in 1962. We have an independent state but freedom and independence of the people may be elusive.

According to one thinker, the state of nature is characterised by a brutish and solitary life, and that man by nature is selfish and self-centred. To emerge into the modern world, man in the state of nature must give up the attempt to satisfy his desires to the formation of a social contract, that compact designed to inform and to guide the development of the modern democratic state. Another thinker is of the view that man in the state of nature is otherwise; that man in a state of nature lived peacefully, carried out agriculture and owned land. In entering the modern world, man has to give up some of his rights to a social contract to guide this modern democratic state in which he will reserve the rights of man – natural rights man had in the state of nature – such as individual rights and the right to own property. Both thinkers were bitterly opposed to a chaotic, unorganised and undemocratic world; they argue that man comes together to develop institutions to operationalise the democratic practice and application of the law. This makes an interesting guide to understand the enslaved and colonial world.

I find interesting and instructive the idea of man coming together to create these institutions and to form a covenant – the social contract. Instructive also is the idea of the characteristics of the state of nature and the origin of man. What are the characteristics of the state of nature? And was there any social contract signed on August 6, 1962? What informs the political and legal institutions created by those who gathered in 1962? Independence is that emergence into the modern world as opposed to the old world of slavery and colonialism. Therefore, while the form of the argument is instructive, we must not be misguided by the theory of the state of nature to make sense of our experience. In order to make sense of Independence we must look to the hard evidence, that is, the empirical data regarding where we are coming from and the compromises made from 1938 to 1962 to ensure that neo-colonialism took root in Jamaica.

The struggle for Independence in Jamaica is characterised by a tradition of struggles for freedom by Africans against the brutal and undemocratic control of the European minority. We were told in late 1961 to prepare for Independence because of the failure of Federation. In a few months the colonial constitution was handed down as a brand new “second-hand” instrument for this new nation; a two-party political system was instituted; the queen remained the head of state. The writing of the National Anthem was informed by a prayer and so too was the writing of the National Pledge. The church has always been a silent partner to that system of oppression in Jamaica. The history of black people was cast aside in the process of preparing for Independence; it was replaced by symbols – making it icon-nationalism. Lastly, there was no tradition of democracy in Jamaica to inform the future democratic state. This new democracy muted the black majority with the idea of “Out of many one people” – this, I am reasonably informed, was influenced by the social theory of pluralism. It is a fact to say that Jamaica is a black majority country, but the idea of blackness gives the minority a sense of insecurity; that we should let bygones be bygones; and that black people are just worthless and they alone are responsible for the wretched conditions in which they find themselves. The lack of self-consciousness among black Jamaicans may be that critical factor that blinds the majority of Jamaicans to partisan tribalism; this condition inhibits widespread intellectual development as well as more creative and entrepreneurial qualities in our people. Many calls have been made for the real side of our history to be taught in the schools. Garveyites consistently call for teaching Garvey and Garveyism in the schools – collectively expressing the concern of the lack of self-consciousness among the majority of the Jamaican people. We have “many rivers to cross” as we continue on that rocky road striving for independence. It will not be easy. Before democracy became a movement, it was the movement of the church that led the world. That too passed away.

The struggle for Independence in Jamaica is characterised by a tradition of struggles for freedom by Africans against the brutal and undemocratic control of the European minority. We were told in late 1961 to prepare for Independence because of the failure of Federation. In a few months the colonial constitution was handed down as a brand new “second-hand” instrument for this new nation; a two-party political system was instituted; the queen remained the head of state. The writing of the National Anthem was informed by a prayer and so too was the writing of the National Pledge. The church has always been a silent partner to that system of oppression in Jamaica. The history of black people was cast aside in the process of preparing for Independence; it was replaced by symbols – making it icon-nationalism. Lastly, there was no tradition of democracy in Jamaica to inform the future democratic state. This new democracy muted the black majority with the idea of “Out of many one people” – this, I am reasonably informed, was influenced by the social theory of pluralism. It is a fact to say that Jamaica is a black majority country, but the idea of blackness gives the minority a sense of insecurity; that we should let bygones be bygones; and that black people are just worthless and they alone are responsible for the wretched conditions in which they find themselves. The lack of self-consciousness among black Jamaicans may be that critical factor that blinds the majority of Jamaicans to partisan tribalism; this condition inhibits widespread intellectual development as well as more creative and entrepreneurial qualities in our people. Many calls have been made for the real side of our history to be taught in the schools. Garveyites consistently call for teaching Garvey and Garveyism in the schools – collectively expressing the concern of the lack of self-consciousness among the majority of the Jamaican people. We have “many rivers to cross” as we continue on that rocky road striving for independence. It will not be easy. Before democracy became a movement, it was the movement of the church that led the world. That too passed away.