Imani Tafari-Ama | Intersections: politics, spirituality, and education

As usual, several storms brewed in Jamaica’s political teacups over the past couple of weeks. I am just picking a few for commentary that seem to be inadvertently connected. There was the visit of president of the Crown Council of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I. Prince Ermias was special guest of the Government of Jamaica for Heritage Week (October 9-17) and Jamaica’s 60th Independence celebrations. This was not the prince’s first high-level visit to Jamaica. In 2016, he was hosted by the Rastafari community in partnership with the Government of Jamaica to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Haile Selassie I’s visit to Jamaica in 1966.

This time around, however, members of Rastafari who regard Haile Selassie I as divine, felt snubbed by their peripheral involvement in the prince’s visit and its political procedures. Some felt that the visit recalled the agenda undergirding the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) 1966 invitation to the Emperor for a state visit to Jamaica. Members of the Rastafari community maintain that the Government intended for Haile Selassie to denounce Rastafari for deifying him. Contrary to this expectation, Haile Selassie honoured Rastafari elders by presenting them with medals and treating the community with empathy.

Something went awry with the Rastafari communication with Prince Ermias on this official visit. The prince, who was given the keys to the city of Montego Bay, made the unfortunate comment that Rastafari should unite. As far as Kabu Ma’at Kheru was concerned, the crown prince could have included his political hosts in the criticism about lack of unity. She also argued on her Running African programme that Rastafari was humiliated by this comment. She also took the government structure to task for its divide- and-rule management methods.

“There is the PNP and the JLP,” she said, “and it is mad! I don’t have to tell you about the divisions in Jamaica, especially from the political sphere. The political parties have divided the people of Jamaica along party lines to the extent that like Pavlov’s dogs, when people see green they salivate in a certain way, and when they see orange, they salivate in another way.”

SIGNIFICANT OUTCOME

One of the significant outcomes of Prince Ermias’ visit was the announcement of the Government’s development of a policy on reparatory justice by Olivia Babsy Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport. Grange referred to the atrocities suffered by our African ancestors as just cause for the introduction of such a policy to facilitate the advocacy for justice, reconciliation, and recovery. Another extraordinary development was the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the official parties for the erection of a statue of HIM Haile Selassie I in Jamaica’s National Heroes’ Park.

In the midst of this paradoxical progress, the divisive partisan political agenda reared its ugly head as if to prove Ka’Bu’s point. Juliet Holness, member of parliament (MP) for East Rural St. Andrew, was caught with her foot in her mouth when she declared that PNP supporters are the typical residents of precarious and unsavoury conditions. The shallowness of this style of divide and rule rhetoric still informs the landscape in which our partisan political leaders deliver their value-loaded messages.

It seems to be taken for granted that to do politics is to “dis” the opposing other. This presents a poor example for the unity prospectors. This deployment of partisan politics also reflects the manipulative mechanisms practised for centuries by British colonisers. In modern times, this power mechanism has been internalised by our leaders and reproduced to a granular degree. This governance model is mirrored by the die-hard political attitudes practised by supporters of the two-main parties – the Peoples’ National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The accompanying mindset is so entrenched that Mrs Holness felt comfortable to suggest that living conditions of squalor were only occupied by her opponents. Of course, the other side acts in a similar way.

In this scenario, I am always glad for some spark of hope, which was liberally dispensed during my participation in the Heritage Week celebrations that were staged at Christel House Jamaica. The nearly 300 young learners of this fairly new institution where mesmerised by the appearance of a fierce “Warrior Woman,” dancing and interpreting history through her startling reincarnation of Nanny, Queen of the Maroons, with her flashing eyes, her poetry, and electrifying body language. The woman was Melissa Bennett Willie, a Kindergarten teacher and one of seven members of staff who brought the National Heroes of Jamaica to life during an exciting programme.

PROGRAMME RUNNING

The programme commenced with a short, sharp opening exercise, which featured the hoisting of the Jamaican flag by Jamaica Defence Force soldiers and the playing of the national anthem, by the Jamaica Constabulary Force Band, witnessed by the entire student body in the school’s car park. The programme continued in the auditorium with a mini concert featuring the JCF Band, under the leadership of DSP Doran McCarthy. The band’s well-chosen selections excited and engaged both the students and their teachers from start to finish. Songs such as Eastern Standard Time, Bob Marley’s One Love, a medley of Stanley and the Turbines, and popular reggae gospel hits rang out from the school’s auditorium, drawing out round after round of spontaneous applause from the satisfied audience.

Presented under the theme, “Reigniting greatness through our heritage,” the event also featured brief greetings by the school’s CEO, Sally Porteous, as well as Steadman Fuller, custos of Kingston, and the school’s principal, Jason Scott. When it was time for the Parade of National Heroes, squeals of delight met the brief, well-couched presentations of Principal Jason Scott, who played Norman Manley; Dalton Spence, who evoked memories of Sir Alexander Bustamante; Zaphron Kelly (Samuel Sharpe); Duvane Chung (Paul Bogle); Oneil Mattis (George William Gordon).

Teachers and staff members also struck a winning note with the well-laid-out heritage display of information, artefacts, and a smorgasbord of Jamaican beverages and traditional culinary delights. After the concert, members of the JCF band lingered to chat with the students and to allow them to get up close with some of the instruments. While observing the enthusiastic interpretation of “heritage”, I was moved by the happiness on display. However, I could not help wondering how we are going to reach the depths and heights of our potential for excellence. There are still so many threads to be woven in our cultural tapestry.

Christel House Jamaica, a superschool, thanks to the philanthropy of its late international founder, a template for building an educational institution from the bottom up, is an excellent model that could be mainstreamed in Jamaica. Critical thinking and problem-solving-based education systems are still the formulae for subverting the divide-and- rule methods, which, as Bob Marley said, can only tear us apart.

- Dr Imani Tafari-Ama is a research fellow at The Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Regional Coordinating Office (IGDS-RCO), at The University of the West Indies. Send feedback to imani.tafariama@uwimona.edu.jm.