Stories about Jamaica from August, 2014
In Defense of the National Gallery of Jamaica's Director
Over the last month, the National Gallery of Jamaica's executive director's leadership was the target of criticism, first via an anonymous letter written to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper, and then in a blog post written by blogger Annie Paul, which she prefaced by saying: I’ve been closely involved with the...
Arrests Made in Man's Fatal Beating Have Not Renewed Faith in Jamaica's Police
The case has continued to fuel protests and discussions in Jamaica, which has a history of police brutality and other similar forms of violence.
Do You Have to Be Christian to Be Jamaican?
A Jamaican politician has sparked debate over his comments that "the country has moved too far from God, and has ceased pleasing God."
Lessons from Marcus Garvey, Jamaica's First National Hero
Marcus Garvey, who was born 127 years ago, was a fervent supporter of Pan-Africanism. On the anniversary of his birthday, two bloggers commemorated the leader.
Speaking Out Against the Stigma of Mental Illness in the Caribbean
Mental illness has long been taboo in the Caribbean, but on the heels of American actor Robin Williams' untimely death, regional bloggers explain why it's important to talk about it.
National Gallery of Jamaica Director Faces Accusations of Intimidating and Bullying Employees
Blogger and cultural critic Annie Paul has criticized the management style of the gallery's Executive Director Veerle Poupeye, which she says drove two curators to leave.
Jamaica: #Ferguson & #Gaza
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul republishes a compilation of tweets that show the similarities between the standoff in #Gaza and in #Ferguson, where yet another unarmed black man was gunned down by the police. The response to the resulting protests by U.S. law enforcement has been so brutal that netizens are...
Defending Human Rights in Jamaica
When JFJ [Jamaicans For Justice] began, extra-judicial killings by police were commonplace. Yet, not a single police officer had ever – not in the entire history of Jamaica – been ever held accountable for one of these murders. It was a matter that desperately needed addressing. The death of Mario Deane...
Jamaican Women Are Speaking Out Online Against the ‘Widespread Sickness’ of Public Sexual Harassment
"Instead of falling into the trap of thinking that unwanted sexual attention is a compliment, women must fight back. We cannot passively see ourselves as victims."
Investment Deal with China Leaves Jamaicans With More Questions Than Answers
I AM SO FLABBERGASTED: WHO gives a FOREIGN government the RIGHT to CHOOSE WHICH LAND IT WANTS? As part of an investment exchange, the Jamaican government has agreed to give 1,200 acres of land to the Chinese government – wherever it wants. Cucumber Juice has critical questions that she feels...
Caribbean Court of Justice Mired in Controversy
Barbados Free Press says that few people realise “that the vaunted Caribbean Court of Justice carries no actual power or authority”, partly because compliance with the court's decisions is apparently voluntary. Comparing the institution to a toothless bulldog, the post went on to provide links to reports on several incidents...
A Man's Fatal Beating Puts Police Brutality Back on the Front Burner in Jamaica
Mario Deane was beaten while in police custody for marijuana possession. This type of violence has plagued the country's political culture from as far back as the 1970s.
More Than a Half Century Later, How Should Jamaica View Its Independence Day?
The learning curve for a people who historically never had a say continues to be a steep one, especially in a climate where corruption was already entrenched.
Emancipation Day Sees New Triumph as Haitian-Born Dominican is Declared a National
Emancipation Day, the anniversary of which is marked in several Caribbean territories on August 1, inspired two Jamaican bloggers to consider the occasion more closely. Nadine Tomlinson quoted Marcus Garvey on the importance of emancipating the mind, while her compatriot, Jean Lowrie-Chin, thought it significant that August 1 also marked...
Should the Caribbean ‘Free Up the Herb'? This Attorney Thinks So
As the debate on marijuana's legal status rages in the Caribbean, attorney and activist Richie Maitland argues in favor of decriminalisation.
