Sitting down and chatting with Vivian Crawford, executive director of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), is akin to reading all the books available on Amazon Kindle plus the National and Tom Redcam libraries in one single undertaking.

He exudes charisma and backs his engaging personality with a deep and profound knowledge of the history and heritage of Jamaica.

One is quickly caught in his web as Crawford sets about educating and informing in a manner which leaves no alternative but to silently listen, sometimes in awe, but always with the certain knowledge that learning is inevitable.

Gosh! This man is bright as hell, he has a commanding presence, and he is not afraid to share his vast knowledge accumulated over many years of study, research, and even casual reading. Vivian Crawford is now holding court.

It was with much delight and a deep sense of pride that Crawford revealed that he is a Moore Town (Portland) boy with Maroon DNA. Wait, there is more to come.

“I went to school in the early part of my life in Moore Town and we, the Maroons, earned our freedom in 1738, not 1838,” he said with a now serious expression on his face. Crawford is extremely proud of his Maroon DNA as he is certainly not afraid to extol the virtues of being a Maroon. He then shared a quite unique aspect of Maroon life.

“Do you know that most, if not all, Maroons do not eat goat meat? I will tell you why. In the fight against the British, the bleating of the goats the Maroons raised for meat gave them away many times. The British found out where they (the Maroons) were waiting,” Crawford revealed.

After leaving Moore Town, Crawford entered Mico College from which he graduated as a teacher with his first assignment being at Central Branch School.

“I started at Central Branch just around the time of Independence in 1962, and with this interview being mainly about Independence, I can reveal that I taught a number of the children that were featured on the Independence money,” Crawford said with a huge smile on his face.

On Independence Day, August 6, 1962, Crawford was in Moore Town paying a visit to his family.

“I got to Moore Town late at night, and most of the activities associated with the Independence celebrations were already concluded. But I was told by my relatives that, earlier in the evening, they had a flag-raising ceremony when the flag of independent Jamaica was hoisted for the first time in Moore Town. I was taught the National Anthem …Eternal father bless our land…Guard us … and, yes, it is GUARD us and not GUIDE us with thy mighty hand’… by my own mother, and please don’t make the mistake of singing or reciting GUIDE us, it is GUARD us,” the IOJ head soberly directed, in what had now become a stern voice.

Crawford then declared that before he gave his views on Independence he was going to delve in the history of the IOJ.

“The IOJ was founded in 1879 by then Governor Sir Anthony Musgrave; and for sure you must know the prestigious Musgrave medals are named after him.

“The main aim then, as it is now of the Institute of Jamaica, is the preservation and promulgation of Jamaica’s heritage, whether it’s in the arts, sciences, literature, or our general cultural heritage.

“The building we are now in at East Street in Kingston was constructed after the 1907 earthquake.

“Within the halls of the IOJ we house a vast array of the country’s most significant artefacts, memorabilia if you wish to describe it.

“Out of the bowels of the IOJ have emerged several other institutions which have profoundly impacted the lives of many Jamaicans.

“I speak of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission; the Edna Manley College for the Visual Arts; the National Library; what is now the Overseas Exams started here in the 1980s; the Rhodes Trust was started by the IOJ locally, and in 1904 the first Rhodes scholar, Reginald Myrie Murray, former headmaster of Jamaica College, was selected.

“In this very room where we are sitting, Sir Philip Sherlock and others lobbied for the establishment of The University of the West Indies,” Crawford educated his now totally awestruck visitors from the Jamaica Observer.

Even though Crawford is a treasure trove of knowledge on Jamaica’s history and heritage, he bemoans the lack of attention paid by Jamaicans to their history.

“At the Institute, we get a lot of children visiting on school trips, but there is a dearth of adults coming through our doors, and that is sad. To me, this is a major failing, as we must know where we are coming from to ensure we know where we are going.

“Simply put, we are not giving enough attention to our heritage,” the IOJ executive director posited with visible concern etched on his face.

Crawford then segued into some of his more memorable moments during his sojourn at the IOJ.

“One of my more fulfilling and rewarding moments came when I went to Spanish Town and found out that there was nothing in place to highlight one of the most profound moments in our history — when the proclamation ending slavery in 1838 was read on the steps of King’s House in Spanish Town.

“This outstanding piece of our history was not highlighted in any way, shape or form, it was not preserved at the very place it happened, and that, to say the least, was a travesty of immense proportions.

“I then set about to eradicate this grave situation by launching a public appeal to get the $40,000 necessary to erect a proper plaque.

“As history would have it, the first donation of $14,000 came from a Chinese man. We were able to collect the money and the plaque is now there. And I am well pleased that I played a part in this,” said a very satisfied Crawford.

We had now arrived at the time in the interview when Crawford would give his views on independent Jamaica.

“I say without any hint of contradiction that we, that is, Jamaicans, are much better off since Independence.

“Now, I say why. The workers of Jamaica, the prime moving force in the building of any nation, are much better off now than they were before Independence.

“During the colonial days, the best an ordinary Jamaican could aspire to was a profession as a carpenter, a dressmaker, a tailor, a mason, and maybe a shoemaker. These, of course, are notable professions, but that was all that was available. Thanks to people like Sir Alexander Bustamante that has changed and changed significantly.

“I share this factual occurrence with you. Osmond T Fairclough, or O T Fairclough as he is probably better known to most, was one of the founding fathers of the People’s National Party. He was an accomplished bank manager in Haiti. He returned to Jamaica in the 1930s and applied for a job at a bank here and was told that they (the bank) had no space for a handyman. See what I mean now.

“Then there is education. At one time I can vividly remember that only one scholarship per parish was offered to Jamaicans. National Hero Norman Manley played a massive role in eliminating this anomaly, should I say, malady.

“Now my Jamaicans are among the brightest in the world.

“So, yes, we, Jamaica, are better off since August 6, 1962,” Crawford ended.

The official interview had ended but not the period of enlightenment for Team Observer.

Thanks, Mr Crawford.