Rhona Morgan – Justice for all

SHE recalls enjoying the likes of television characters Perry Mason and Matlock as a child, and vowed that she would follow the same career path and uphold human rights and justice in society.

Now the senior legal officer at INDECOM, Rhona Morgan, 32, is tasked with investigating members of the security forces in cases where citizens allege that their rights have been abused by the police.

But she tells All Woman that her passion for hard work and her strength of character were developed in one of the toughest garrisons in Jamaica.

“I was born in Kingston at Nuttall Hospital and moved to Spanish Town at a very young age to a community called Tawes Pen. For all intents and purposes, it’s probably not the safest environment. It’s a very well known garrison — home of the infamous One Order Gang,” she said.

But she said although she was exposed to many instances of violence, there were certain aspects of the community’s culture that she wouldn’t trade.

“It taught me leadership, interpersonal relations, sharing, kindness. You had good relationships with neighbours. When you’re in an environment, you either sink or swim — you’re forced to adapt, and you either fall prey to your circumstances or use them as a stepping stone to overcome. I had strong role models. There was my grandmother and there was my mother who was a hard worker. There were other men and women in the community who went out and earned an honest living, and that’s what I wanted for myself,” she said.

And so, Morgan said she used this to catapult her into a different realm that would chart the course of her life.

“Those were Common Entrance days, so I deliberately chose high schools outside of Spanish Town so I could broaden my horizon and expand my network. This brought me to Holy Childhood High where I discovered a melting pot of different cultures,” she said.

Morgan explained that when she left high school she encountered one of the greatest challenges that would later help to fuel her self-motivation.

“When I was 16 and graduated high school, my father, who resides in London, filed for me to come to the UK so I could continue my studies there, but that process took several years. I went on to sixth form, completed it, and went on to Brunel University, London, did two years of the law programme there but had to leave because the application process for the filing was denied and I was given a time to leave and come back to Jamaica. I came back and applied for the student visa to finish up my studies but that was also denied, so I was now in a state of limbo,” she said. “What to do? I was forced to find employment here and I was given one week at LOJ [Life of Jamaica] to do data entry. One week became two weeks and that became six months. So I stayed and applied for the law degree at the University of the West Indies.”

Other difficulties she encountered included the rigorous process she had to endure to secure a student’s loan.

“I had to sleep outside the office. I couldn’t get guarantors and I had to pull everything together the night before. I remember Heather Robinson who assisted me to get documents, as my guarantor pulled out [at the last minute]. I really don’t think she remembers, but I’m eternally grateful as it gave me the opportunity to finish my studies even though I had to start over because my credits couldn’t transfer because of outstanding fees,” she said.

Morgan is passionate about helping youth in the inner city, and believes that with proper guidance, direction and tutelage they can be assisted to elevate themselves out of their difficult circumstances.

“I was that person. I was that young lady who could have been easily pregnant at 14, 15, 16, were it not for good role models in my life. It does not have to be someone with a profession. All it has to be is that someone who takes the time and effort to reach out, make sure you’re OK, answer your questions, your queries. Just that one person,” she said.

Morgan has served as a YUTE (Youth Upliftment Through Employment) ambassador, a board member of Eltham High School, and at the National Youth Service in order to give back her service to young people locally.

One such instance is the HOPE Scholarship which Morgan, along with friends, started at Holy Childhood High.

“HOPE means that with hard work, opportunity and perseverance you will excel. I had the idea one day and got together a network of professionals from my high school. We were able to give one young lady a scholarship and $24,000 worth of books, and another received a $20,000 grant. We have also pledged time to meet with them and discuss what they would want to discuss — their career goals… issues. We have also decided to find out those career goals and match them with past students in those fields to offer guidance,” she said.

She advised: “Pay attention to youth, particularly the inner-city youth. There is so much untapped potential… skill set… don’t rule them out. If you want this economy to grow and Vision 2030 to materialise, you need youth to play a part in that.”

Morgan, who is also in tune with the performing arts and her creative side, conforms to the adage that ‘the heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were upward toiling through the night’.

“You have to push the boundary and do what needs to be done,” she said.