WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a message congratulating the Government and people of Jamaica on the island’s 63rd independence anniversary, commended Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to reduce crime and foster private-sector growth.

“These efforts benefit both Americans and Jamaicans and reinforce our shared commitment to prosperity and national sovereignty,” Rubio said on Wednesday.

“The United States and Jamaica share a deep and enduring partnership grounded in security cooperation and mutual economic opportunity,” added Rubio, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants. “Our collaboration strengthens both our nations by disrupting criminal networks, promoting investment and supporting regional stability.

“We look forward to further strengthening our partnership and wish the people of Jamaica a joyful Independence Day,” Rubio continued.

In her Independence message on Wednesday to the “vibrant Jamaican Diaspora across the 33 states served by the Consulate General of Jamaica in New York, and to our friends in Puerto Rico and Bermuda”, Consul General of Jamaica New York Alsion Roach Wilson, OD, said the island’s 63rd anniversary of independence is “a testament to a people who continue to rise, to overcome and to contribute with pride to every corner of the world we touch”.

Roach Wilson said the independence anniversary is “more than a date on the calendar”.

“We celebrate this year under the inspiring theme, ‘Be Proud. Be Bold. In the Black, Green and Gold’, a call to carry our identity with honour and to live each day with courage and purpose,” she said. “The black, green and gold are far more than the colours of a flag; they are the living story of who we are as Jamaicans.”

“Black speaks to the firm grounding gifted to us by our forebears, whose strength and resilience carried them through struggle and sacrifice to secure the freedoms we now enjoy,” the consul general added. “It is the unyielding foundation upon which our people, through determination and courage, carved a path from hardship to hope.”

“Green carries the promise of growth and renewal,” she continued. “It is the fertile land of our island home, but also the seeds of hope planted by parents and ancestors who dreamed of brighter days and a future of endless possibilities.”

“Gold shines as the light that guides our steps,” Roach Wilson said. “It reflects the natural wealth of our country, the brilliance of our culture and the unshakable optimism of a people who believe in tomorrow and dare to walk boldly toward it.”

Together, she said these colours are not mere symbols, “they are a song of resilience, a poem of hope and a banner of triumph for Jamaicans wherever we may be”.

“They remind us that our heritage is not just to be carried, but to be lived—radiating strength, inspiring purpose and lighting the way for generations to come,” Roach Wilson said.

For nationals in the Diaspora, she said the black, green and gold take on “even deeper meaning”, stating that “these colours are stitched into our journeys, reminding us that even as we build our lives in new lands, our roots are deep and unbreakable”.

“Roots do not confine; they empower,” she said. “They give us the strength to adapt, to thrive and to uplift the communities we now call home, while never forgetting the soil that gave us our first steps.”

“On behalf of the Government of Jamaica, the Consulate General in New York, and my dedicated team, I wish for each of you a joyful and inspiring independence,” Roach Wilson said. “Let us be proud, let us be bold and let us continue to shine in the black, green and gold.”