Dear Editor,

As an educator and a proud Jamaican, I embrace the pride and jollification of our annual Independence celebrations as we gallantly parade our national colours, gifts, and talents; celebrate our achievements; and honour the resilience of our people. Yet beyond the ceremonies and symbols of nationhood lies a deeper responsibility: the continued work of unlearning and learning how to tell our own story, fully and powerfully.

The opening line of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song reminds us, “Old pirates, yes, they rob I”, alluding not only to uprooting our ancestors from their lives, livelihood, and families, but also to robbing them of spirituality, history, and dignity. As we lay down our 64th Independence garb, I hasten to urge us to remain vigilant in our ongoing quest to assert selfhood and nationhood after centuries of colonial domination and systems designed to diminish our humanity. As we reflect on our journey as a nation, we must continue to ask: What stories are being told about us? By whom? What’s missing from these stories? And what stories must we reclaim for future generations?

Consider this example: After an impactful lesson on slavery, a first-grade student shared how deeply disturbed she felt upon learning that her ancestors were slaves. She expressed sadness and confusion as she learnt about the cruel treatment suffered by her ancestors.

Her response reminded me that as educators and storytellers, we have a great responsibility to ensure that our audience encounters historical truths in ways that acknowledge suffering while also affirming dignity. Our audiences are listening, and not only recording dates and events, but these stories continue to shape how they understand themselves, their families, and their place in the world.

Thankfully, I was equipped to offer this young learner another part of the story.

Firstly, I underscored that our ancestors were not born as enslaved people. They were mothers, fathers, children, uncles, aunties, farmers, artists, thinkers, and members of thriving sovereign communities. They had their own languages, cultures, traditions, knowledge systems, and identities. They were Africans who were forcibly removed from their homes through deception, exploitation, and illegal human trafficking. “Old pirates” robbed sovereign African communities of dynamic people living dynamic lives.

This distinction matters! I learnt that from a Marcus Mosiah Garvey Lecture some time ago. As an adult learner, that distinction was empowering. My forefathers were not slaves, but enslaved; they were free men and women unjustly enslaved. Slavery is the rising action in this story. The prior events are noteworthy. We sometimes ignore the obvious to our own detriment.

If we fail to highlight the genesis, we then risk unknowingly perpetuating a narrative of victimhood and brokenness. Extending our narrative to include the exposition positions our forefathers as heroes, not victims. Our audience begins to understand that our ancestors were whole human beings whose lives and contributions existed before enslavement and continued despite the tyranny of slavery.

Our resilience is well documented. Our ancestors resisted and persevered! It is mind-blowing to think of the extraordinary strength it took ordinary men, women, and children to survive the Middle Passage, the atrocities of the plantations, fight against this unjust system, and gain freedom.

As we continue building our nation, we must teach histories that recognise not only the brutality of oppression but the humanity and courage of ordinary people who challenged an unjust system and conquered. Our children deserve a history that allows them to bemoan injustice while standing proudly in the knowledge that they descend from people who demonstrated remarkable courage, sovereignty and humanity in the face of injustice.

This is not about rewriting history. It is about completing it, or rather, telling it fully.

At 64 years of political independence, Jamaica’s journey continues. Let us become more cognisant of the narratives we reproduce and the messages we pass on to future generations.

Therefore, as we pack away our 64th Independence outfits and decor, we must commit to unpack, unlearn, and learn how to tell our story fully, proudly, and powerfully to honour our ancestors and empower our children.

Covel Hall-Golding

Educator

covelah@gmail.com