The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s (PSOJ) proposal to amalgamate Emancipation Day and Independence Day public holidays into a four-day weekend has sparked fresh debate over whether the move could be beneficial for the country and its history and culture.

The PSOJ in October sent a proposal to Cabinet for consideration to remove August 1 and August 6 as public holidays, and instead have the first Friday and the following Monday in August as the public holidays creating a four-day weekend during which the two days, dubbed jointly as ‘Emancipendence’, would be celebrated. It further proposed that Emancipation Day and Independence Day would also be commemorated and recognised on their respective days.

The organisation stated that this change, which it hopes to have implemented by 2025, will prevent the loss of productivity that businesses tend to experience during this period annually. It also argued that having the days consolidated, would give more time to highlight Jamaica’s culture and heritage.

Since the proposal was made public there have been arguments on both sides about how beneficial or detrimental a move such as this could be for Jamaica and its people.

Kevin O’Brien Chang, entrepreneur and public commentator, expressed that he is in agreement with the proposed changes brought forward by the PSOJ as this is an issue he has spoken out about for over a decade. He stated that while the PSOJ’s argument about productivity being the basis for the change is a weak one, having four straight non-working days during the Emancipendence period could have economic and cultural benefits to Jamaica.

CHANG… A four-day Emancipendence holiday would have immense economic and cultural benefits.

“My concept of this thing, and I’ve been pushing this thing for 12 years now, I believe it strengthens the culture. The PSOJ’s thing about productivity is a weak argument. I have two holidays either way; it’s either the 1st and the 6th or the Friday and the Monday. And I know my staff would love it more. But it can make the culture stronger. I know if you have four straight days, it can do a lot more,” Chang told Observer Online.

“A four-day Emancipendence holiday would have immense economic and cultural benefits. It would mean many more stage shows, street dances, and beach parties around the island, amplifying the vibes and the attraction of our festival holidays to foreign tourists and the Jamaican Diaspora. When August 1 and 6 fall midweek, even homesick ‘yardies’ often can’t bother with a disjointed visit. Think how many overseas Jamaicans would love to come and spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday with their families uninterrupted by work,” the businessman added.

He further drew on a comparison with how other Caribbean countries celebrate Emancipation Day. In English-speaking Caribbean countries Emancipation Day is on August 1, however for majority of these countries, including Antigua, that date is not a public holiday. In Antigua, it is observed and commemorated with reflections and readings and other events.

Former CVM TV News Manager, Garfield Burford, who has been living in Antigua since 2016 explained that the country’s Emancipation Day celebrations are incorporated into its carnival. He stated that celebrations take about 12 days starting in July—during which work continues— and culminates on the first weekend of August with the Monday and Tuesday being public holidays for carnival, resulting in a four-day weekend.

Revellers at a carnival in the Caribbean. In Antigua and Barbuda, Emancipation Day celebrations are incorporated into its carnival, according to Antigua-based journalist Garfield Burford.

“The holiday here is essentially baked into carnival, so it’s not so much a celebration of Emancipation Day. In fact, Emancipation Day is not a holiday here. It’s observed, but not celebrated as a public holiday. What happens here is what is called the first weekend, or the first Monday and Tuesday. So, essentially, the first weekend would be a four-day holiday. The Monday is called Carnival Monday, and the Tuesday is called Carnival Tuesday. It’s always part of the carnival celebrations,” said Burford, who is the director for news, sports and current affairs at Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS), and a member of the News Committee of the World Broadcasting Unions.

“Whichever day Emancipation Day falls on, there would be Emancipation vigils leading up into Emancipation Day and so on, and reflections, readings, public lectures on the period of Emancipation and what has happened since for Antigua and the region and so on. But, not a holiday itself. What would be the holidays would be Carnival Monday and Tuesday, except that Carnival Monday, in a way, where the J’ouvert celebrations are intended to be a release of joy and festivity following the Emancipation,” Burford explained.

He said that with the predictability of the first weekend in Antigua, travel increases during the period as tourists and Antiguans within the Diaspora visit for Carnival resulting in a significant boost in economic activity in the country. He added however that cultural groups in Antigua have, over the years, argued that Emancipation Day should get more focus, with the Reparation Support Commission petitioning to have it be recognised as a public holiday.

Burford told Observer Online that in terms of the PSOJ’s proposal, he believes that it is hoping to achieve the same predictability which would make planning easier for locals and visitors.

RUSSELL… does not believe the PSOJ proposal, if implemented, will be at the expense of the Jamaican culture and history.

Robin Russell, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) agreed with the benefits of having a predictable holiday weekend, while highlighting what he said are positives for tourism.

“So, there is a two-fold opportunity for Jamaica. One, it speaks to some kind of predictability when the holiday is. So, you know when the holiday is and can book way in advance and it creates a season around that predictability. So, very much like what they do in carnival, you know that carnival season, these are the days for carnival and this is how it works. I see the same can be capitalised with a predictable holiday season,” Russell said.

“Two, if we are able to provide a longer holiday season as well, so no longer will it just be a day here, then by the next week is another day or something of that nature. You now have a four-day holiday that speaks to now a greater opportunity for travel. The person can come and stay for a longer period if it is based on that. No longer will you just be a weekend traveller, you are going to end up with a five-day traveller or six-day traveller coming for the whole weekend experience,” he continued.

Russell does not believe the PSOJ proposal, if implemented, will be at the expense of the Jamaican culture and history.

“I think it would give us a better opportunity to enhance the cultural experience. At no point would I say we risk losing the cultural experience. I would say that we use the opportunity to better enhance our cultural experience. We use that opportunity to really market ourselves and push our entire product, both local and away, around a long weekend. So, to say we’re going to really enhance or really showcase our experience on the 1st (of August), which might be a Tuesday, doesn’t give us the time or the space to do it,” Russell argued.

In the meantime, Leachim Semaj, renowned psychologist and management consultant, is among those who are against the PSOJ proposal. He expressed disagreement with the sentiment that moving a day would not have much of a cultural significance as he noted that Emancipation Day has paid the price in the past.

SEMAJ… accuses the government at Independence of trying to get Jamaicans to forget about Emancipation Day and the atrocities that took place.

Semaj stated that Emancipation Day was removed from the calendar as a day of recognition in 1962 when Jamaica gained independence. He accused the then government of trying to get Jamaicans to forget about Emancipation Day and the atrocities that took place.

“Now, the issue about Emancipation Day, for me, is not something you play with especially within the context of our culture, [and] what we had to do to achieve it. The kind of things that are being done now, or not being done, is really a reflection on the way in which we approach it. For example, if we look at the facts of the matter— 1807 abolition of the slave trade; 1833 the Slave Abolition Act was passed; Emancipation Day August 1, 1834; full Emancipation August 1, 1838— so that’s a symbolic, significant milestone in black people’s context in Jamaica.”

“But here’s the problem, which a lot of people are not putting this in the mix, 1893 was the first time the Jamaican government started celebrating Emancipation Day. But in 1962, when we got independence, the government of the day took it off the calendar. And if you look at the history book, you will see the reason given. They wanted to focus more on independence, but the bigger picture was the whole thing about this emancipation and slavery. Basically, they wanted us to try and forget it,” Semaj said.

He said Emancipation Day was re-added to the calendar in 1997 after a campaign spearheaded by Professor Rex Nettleford convinced the then prime minister, PJ Patterson, to do so.

Semaj is adamant that the people of Jamaica must never be allowed to forget Emancipation Day. He stated that Emancipendence is already used as an entertainment period and implementing the PSOJ’s proposal will further erode the significance of the day.

“People like myself use the period between emancipation and independence as a period of deep reflection. Some people turn it into party time, but listen, we can’t stop them. But then if we literally take away the significant day and all we talk about is a four-day weekend, just to facilitate more celebration, all we’re talking about is celebrating party, party, party.”

“And we will have removed the significance, which they did already in 1962. I think it’s the same set of people… look at the people who are head of the PSOJ, look at the people who drive the Jamaican economy, look at the people who are talking about this. It is not because they are concerned about the legacy, the history of black people,” Semaj further argued.

He said the PSOJ citing increased productivity as the reason for the consolidation of the days is a red herring as there are ways to boost productivity that does not include making changes to the calendar.

Semaj’s sentiments were supported by reggae stalwart Tony Rebel who believes implementing the PSOJ’s proposed changes would do more harm than good. Declaring “everything is not all about money”, Rebel argued that as it stands, the onus is on each person to celebrate the public holidays however they choose, and it should not be changed for economic reasons.

REBEL… everything is not all about money.

“I don’t think it (PSOJ proposal) would be beneficial. I think that Emancipation is a one-of-a-kind event and it’s a monument. It’s something that people must celebrate in any which way they want to. I mean, 400 years of slavery and we are just emancipated from that. That day needs to be celebrated,” the singer and Rebel Salute reggae festival promoter said.

“Independence is totally different. I think whatever we want to do on that day, if we want to sit back and relax… It’s a time of reflection. So we should not converge those two just because of economic gain. Everything is not all about money,” he added.

A Don Anderson poll was commissioned to find out how Jamaicans felt about having a four-day weekend compared to having two separate public holidays. The poll revealed that 62 per cent of respondents support the change while 26 per cent oppose the change. A further analysis revealed that 70 per cent of the respondents who support the proposal are in the 18-24 age group, while 68 per cent are in the 25-34 age group.

An unscientific poll which was posted on the Jamaica Observer website on October 4 for two weeks showed that majority of the 1,717 respondents are against the change.

Approximately 57.9 per cent selected “No, I prefer how it is now— August 1 Emancipation Day, August 6 Independence Day”. Some 35.8 per cent said “Yes, I am in favour of the change”, while another 6.2 per cent said “I am undecided. We need more dialogue.”