February is celebrated in Jamaica as Black History Month. This coincides with similar celebrations taking place in the United States.

Jamaica currently has seven national heroes and any celebration of our black history is expected to begin by honouring these great Jamaican men and women. They are Nanny, the warrior Maroon chieftess; Sam Sharpe (Daddy Sharpe); Paul Bogle; George William Gordon; Marcus Mosiah Garvey; Norman Manley; and Alexander Bustamante. These revered Jamaicans have made an indelible mark on our great nation and they deserve every honour bestowed on them.

Nanny is the only female and has been credited with leading her people successfully against British military forces. She is a mythical figure steeped in using her ancestral teachings.

Sam Sharpe was a Christian deacon who led one of the largest slave rebellions in 1831 in western Jamaica. He was noted for his famous statement, “I would rather die on yonder gallows than live another day in slavery.” The revolt led by Sharpe was said to be the primary reason for the abolition of slavery by the British a few years later in 1834.

Paul Bogle and William Gordon were hanged by the British for their involvement in the Morant Bay Rebellion. This event was significant because it forced the British to adjust their treatment of the ex-slaves who were emancipated three decades earlier.

Our most famous hero is Marcus Garvey, honoured locally and internationally as the father of pan-Africanism. Garvey’s teachings have had an effect on people all over the world.

The most recent of our heroes are Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante, both impressed as political leaders who championed Jamaica’s Independence and early development.

Everyone acknowledges and recognises the outstanding accomplishments and historical importance of our current crop of national heroes. However, these honours were conferred on the chosen few over 50 years ago. Jamaicans now wait in askance for when and on whom a new set of national heroes will be presented.

Jamaica has produced many local and international greats over the years, before and since its Independence. Several surely qualify for the award of national hero; however, it is an ongoing question as to why more people have not been so honoured.

Presented below is a list of potential personalities who I deem worthy of consideration for this illustrious honour. It is not meant to wantonly shower the highest national praise on all and sundry; instead, the aim is to give a new generation of Jamaicans an additional cast of qualified characters. Hopefully, it will also present our current leaders with future food for thought.

CUDJOE

Many Jamaicans question how the great Maroon leader Cudjoe was not made a national hero. After all, Cudjoe and his rag-tag band of guerrillas had fought the British army and brought them to a standstill. Also, Cudjoe was the person who signed the binding peace treaty with the English.

This Maroon’s significant contribution to Jamaican nationhood is unquestionable. As such, he is worthy of the ultimate honour.

TACKY

Tacky is another Jamaican who also deserves the ultimate national status. The Tacky Rebellion of 1760 in St Mary was a watershed event signifying the turning point in the relations between planters and enslaved people in Jamaica. It was the largest rebellion in the colonies then, sending alarm bells all the way to the American mainland.

Tacky’s rebellion was said to have significantly influenced the Haitian Revolution some 30 years later in 1791. Just as Cudjoe had earlier humbled the mighty British empire, the enslaved Haitians had vanquished the armies of the great Emperor Napoleon.

Tacky’s uprising was definitely a defining moment in Jamaica’s history.

LEONARD HOWELL

Leonard Howell may be relatively unknown to many Jamaicans. However, Howell is the original “Gong” and is credited with establishing the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica. This movement is now a global phenomenon consisting of over four million followers, which is more than the population of Jamaica.

Howell’s Rastafarian movement has survived for almost a century, which is quite an achievement for a supposedly back-bush aggregation. In addition, the Rastafarian movement currently seats members in the British and Jamaican Parliaments.

Howell deserves the highest national honour for contributing to Jamaican culture and nation-building. He is also credited with providing a contrast to the established teachings of Christianity.

BOB MARLEY

What is there to say about Bob Marley? He has said it all. Marley is Jamaica’s most famous ambassador, significantly influencing local and international culture. How can you deny national hero status to a person whose album, Exodus, was named the Album of the Century by Time magazine? Also, Marley’s song One Love was chosen by BBC as the Song of the Century.

Marley genuinely deserves national hero status.

LOUISE BENNETT-COVERLY

Miss Lou’s positive contribution to Jamaica’s social construct is undeniable. She is everyone’s mother, grandmother, storyteller, poet, and singer. Two generations and more of Jamaicans have enjoyed Miss Lou’s promotion of our rich culture. This lady has done the most to keep Jamaican oral tradition alive locally and throughout the Diaspora.

Miss Lou is a Jamaican cultural icon of the highest pedigree who should have already been given the highest national honour.

MICHAEL MANLEY

Michael Manley is undoubtedly a giant of Jamaica’s post-Independence development. Consequently, there is a general consensus that he should be considered for national hero status. Manley has been vilified by many but is continuously referred to as Jamaica’s best prime minister and is a recognisable icon of the Third World.

EDWARD SEAGA

Edward Seaga, like Manley, played a pivotal role in Jamaica’s development throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, a broad cross section of Jamaicans has disparaged him like they did Manley. However, there is no doubt that Seaga’s contribution to Jamaica is immeasurable and he has been referred to as the country’s finest-ever finance minister.

USAIN BOLT

Usain Bolt is a legend — a living legend. The international mark he has set in athletics is yet to be surpassed. His 100m world record established in China at the 2008 Olympics seems here to stay.

Bolt has already been conferred the status of ambassador-at-large. Still, his contribution and loyalty to Jamaica are unsurpassed. His legacy will always be a source of pride for all Jamaicans.

What better person to be given the ultimate national honour than a living legend.

GORDON ‘BUTCH’ STEWART / CARLTON ALEXANDER

Potential heroes of Jamaica must include the successful captains of our industrial development.

Two nominees for this category are Gordon “Butch” Stewart and Carlton Alexander. Both men are industry giants who have placed Jamaican entrepreneurship on the world stage.

Stewart has built the successful hospitality empire Sandals Resorts International. While Alexander stood at the helm of one of the few true Jamaican conglomerates, GraceKennedy. He is also described as a pioneer of the modern industrial age in Jamaica.

KAPO

Another invitee to the national hero podium is Mallica “Kapo” Reynolds, who was recently honoured by the Jamaican Government.

Kapo’s inclusion on this list of national heroes may seem surprising. But he was a renowned artiste, painter, sculptor, and Revivalist bishop.

Although the African religions are frowned upon in Jamaica, they are among the strongest links we have to our African past. Naming Kapo a national hero would bring Jamaica face to face with that past. Let’s hope that the authorities will consider some or all of the above-named in due course for this prestigious Jamaican honour.

I would also like to suggest that a Tomb of the Unknown Indigenous Jamaican be erected at National Heroes’ Park to honour the Tainos, who were the indigenous inhabitants of the country, and a Tomb for the Unknown Enslaved Person. Such a monument would be a fitting memorial to all the enslaved Africans who died in Jamaica.

So there it is. We hope to see some changes soon.

Rohan M Budhai is a tax consultant, writer, and history enthusiast. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or mariobudhai@yahoo.com