The Minister of Culture, Gender,

Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has officially launched Miss Lou 100 —

commemorating the centenary of “the mother of Jamaican culture”, the Honourable

Louise Bennett Coverley.

Speaking at a Service of Honour and

Praise at Coke Memorial Methodist Church in downtown Kingston on Sunday, Grange

said: “Miss Lou devoted her life to restore and redeem the language of the mass

of the people. Amid great criticism from the well-to-do who now ruled the

society, Miss Lou almost single-handedly brought confidence and respect to our

Jamaican Language.”

Grange said it was fitting to begin

the celebrations at Coke Memorial Methodist Church, where Louise Bennett, at

the age of 17, made her first public appearance, reciting a Jamaican dialect

poem she had written.

Grange thanked the church for its role in nurturing and showcasing Miss Lou’s talent and urged all churches across the island to participate in the celebration of Miss Lou 100.

Miss Lou 100 is being celebrated over the course of 100 days starting from September 1, 2019.