Jamaicans felt deeply the passing of General Colin Powell earlier this month. This son of Jamaican parents rose through the ranks of the US Army to the chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Powell, who grew up in the Bronx in New York and was raised in a humble household by caring parents Maud Ariel (née McKoy), a seamstress, and Luther Theophilus Powell, a shipping clerk, was appointed as the 65th US secretary of state by President George W Bush in 2001.

I had a chat on Saturday with former US Ambassador to Jamaica Sue Cobb who became a close colleague of General Powell.

“I met Colin Powell in 2001 when he attended my swearing-in, and I was very flattered that he did that because he doesn’t have time to do everyone,” she said. “Even though he didn’t know me very well then, he did his research and gave a beautiful talk to my family and friends. He said he had told the president that the job he wanted in the Bush Administration was ambassador to Jamaica and he told my friends that the president said [jokingly], ‘No, I have someone who is more qualified’ – which was such a fabulous start.”

“Because of his Jamaican background and just the kind of person he was,” she shared, “we really hit it off from the beginning and we had a bit of a two-person admiration society. He couldn’t make many official visits because he said he had to pay attention to world affairs and when he does come, he has to pay attention to all 35 of his cousins.”

“At end of my term, the Aristide issue arose. It was very difficult for Secretary Powell,” she recalls. “I think there were some hard feelings with the Government of Jamaica, maybe some miscommunication between Washington and Kingston; that is the part of leadership that is difficult, when you have to make difficult decisions.”

Asked about the renaming of Crowne Plaza to Powell Plaza, Ambassador Cobb said, “I made the recommendation to Congress for the naming of Powell Plaza in Jamaica just before the end of my tour as ambassador.”

Ambassador Cobb said, after she returned to the US, General Powell called her to say that he had visited the building and that he was very pleased. He said he had stayed at the US ambassador’s residence, then located at Long Lane, and chuckled, “I slept in your bed.”

After her tour of duty ended, she said they would see each other at various events in Washington. “As time went by, we spoke about three or four times yearly. I remember, about three years ago, we had a call and he said he had got a diagnosis of multiple myeloma — but he was very upbeat, very sure that he would get through that. On a later call we talked about the treatment he was getting at the military hospital, practically in the backyard of where he lived, and he was always very positive.”

However, Ambassador Cobb said, “In the past nine months I had a foreboding because he hadn’t called. I hadn’t called. Then the news came that he passed from COVID, but clearly he had difficulties with underlying conditions.”

“He was a wonderful leader but he was also a wonderful human being, with all the great things he had done in his life and the blessing he was for many, many people,” she said. “His book, My American Journey, was about as great [as] anyone can be on leadership. Many of my colleagues speak of having read the book, and that will be a strong contribution for many, many years.”

“Leadership is solving problems,” stated General Powell. “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” Let every leader remember this lesson.

PM Holness on road safety

Jamaicans can be proud that, among many leading lights, Jamaica’s prime minister was the keynote speaker at the World Health Organization (WHO) launch of the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety last Thursday.

“Crash injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally for all age groups and the leading cause of death for children and young people five to 29 years of age,” he noted. “Although the human suffering of those affected by road crashes, the victims, their families and friends is incalculable, these crashes also inflict a large economic toll. It is estimated that fatal and non-fatal crash injuries will cost the world economy approximately [US]$1.8 trillion from 2015 to 2030 in health-care expenditures that would otherwise have been used for savings or investments, as well as losses in employment due to mortality and morbidity.”

He went on to make a pledge “as prime minister of Jamaica and as chairman of the National Road Safety Council: On this historic day we declare to the international community that we have chosen to act boldly and decisively.” This must have been music to the ears of the other members of the Road Safety Council, who have been waiting with bated breath for the implementation of the amended Road Traffic Act which was passed in both Houses last year.

“We in Jamaica have already decided on a policy announced early 2021 to take a new path, one that prioritises and implements an integrated safe system approach that squarely positions road safety as a key driver of sustainable development,” said the prime minister. “Under the safe system approach, safety is embedded along the entire value chain of the transport system — safe roads and roadsides, safe speeds, safe vehicles, and safe road users. All of these must be addressed in order to eliminate fatal crashes and reduce serious injuries.”

We do see this happening with speed bumps being installed in trouble spots. The small triple bumps along the Norman Manley Boulevard slowed us down when we visited Negril last week and, of course, the daring motorcyclists.

Tourism on the up and up

Driving along the resilient corridor, we could see that tourism is looking up. At one of our favourite spots in Negril, Rick’s Café, buses of visitors lined up on One Love Boulevard to catch the world-famous sunset from the café’s West End location.

As we drove along the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay, again, we could see throngs of tourists flocking the shops.

With Digicel Foundation’s Miguel “Steppa” Williams, we met jeweller and craft worker Victor at the Marcus Garvey Youth Information Centre in St Ann’s Bay. His exquisite pieces are made from local material and he has been teaching the young people his craft. However, he says he misses visits from the tourists who used to support him.

We appeal to the cruise shipping committee to bring visitors to Victor’s workshop so they can get authentic Jamaican souvenirs and Victor can help more youth to earn a living.

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