KINGSTON, Jamaica— As Jamaica gears up to celebrate another Emancipation Day on Monday Prime Minister Andrew Holness encouraged Jamaicans to reflect on what has been gained since the country earned its freedom.

In his Emancipation Day message for 2022, Holness highlighted that although Jamaica is experiencing tremendous hardship at this time, the country has also made outstanding progress. That progress he expressed was directly linked to the struggles the nation has undergone.

“We have a free press and a highly participatory civil society. We have a strong government and civil bureaucracy, are ranked highly on many development indices, and continue to be a respected voice in international affairs and a sought-after brand,” Holness noted.

“As you listen to this message against a backdrop of current social and economic crises, I want you to situate yourself in the generations of Jamaicans who struggled with the troubles and challenges of their time. Remember how they persevered, kept the faith, and eventually overcame to leave us a legacy on which to build. We must honour their sacrifice by making our own sacrifice for generations to come.”

Pinpointing the contributions of National Heroes; Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, PM Holness said their deaths marked a significant turning in the development of Jamaica as their fight caused the British Colonial Government to take “a more significant and direct interest in governance and requirements of life for the people of Jamaica.”

“As we celebrate our freedom, we remember and give honour to those who gave their lives, made the ultimate sacrifice, to make our freedom meaningful today,” he said.

Holness shared that as Jamaica also gets ready to mark its 60th year of Independence, citizens must reflect on the achievements brought about by freedom. He expressed that as a nation, that started out with virtually nothing, Jamaica has made significant strides over the past six decades.

“As we celebrate Emancipation in our 60th year of Independence, we must reflect on what we used our freedom to achieve. Any objective assessment of the 128 years from Emancipation to Independence will conclude that the Jamaicans throughout that period made great strides even though they started with no assets or endowment, particularly in the land. They had no savings or wealth to pass down to generations,” he reflected. “Despite these disadvantages, Jamaica is among the oldest and continuous liberal democracies in the world and is the first black democratic nation..we will progress as a nation when each generation sees themselves as part of the continuum of the struggle for a better Jamaica.”

In the meantime, Opposition Leader Mark Golding in his Emancipation address expressed that Jamaicans should try to find a way to emancipate themselves from the aspect of mental slavery that continues to fuel crime. Describing slavery as an “exploitative system rooted in violence,” Golding shared that even as we continue to celebrate our freedom from slavery, “violent crime continues to sap our national energy, driving high levels of fear and the dimming the flame of hope in our people.”

“It is preventing our nation from achieving its full potential. We must emancipate ourselves from that aspect of mental slavery which makes us too quick to anger and too willing to use violence in our everyday lives. Emancipation Day 2022 is a time to recommit ourselves to peaceful coexistence, to tolerance for the views of others, and to love and respect for all.”