Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis, has challenged the people of St James to play a greater role in community and nation building, as the parish and Jamaica, by extension, celebrated freedom and recognised the immense sacrifices made by the country's forefathers.

At the St James Emancipation Day Parish Vigil at Sam Sharpe Square on Tuesday night, Davis stated that the citizenry must begin taking serious action to contribute to the vision their foreparents once fought and died for in their quest for emancipation.

"I will use this opportunity to appeal to the citizens of this great parish of St James to examine the roles we play and also to seek to, through serious action, contribute more to our community vision, thus ensuring that Jamaica becomes a place to live, work and raise families in peace," Davis outlined.

"We are aware that the very reason we are here tonight to express ourselves in speech, drama and drumming is because of our foreparents. They sacrificed the little they had in order to get much for us, a free people. We must, therefore, value our freedom and strive to maintain it. Take time to just appreciate that we are one as our national motto states, 'Out of Many, One People'."

The mayor also implored everyone to better help protect and preserve the freedom that they have today in order to pass it on to those who will hold the reins of the nation in the future.

"Our sovereignty does not allow us to freely go about without care, tearing away at every structure that we inherited. Rather, our heritage is a legacy that we must improve and strengthen for our youths to carry on," said Davis.