Social commentary. What is Jamaica’s biggest contribution to the world? That was the question asked to Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell. Her response was Bob Marley and Usain Bolt. Yes, an athlete and an entertainer. What an embarrassment. If her answer was true, it would have been an embarrassment to Jamaica, since her answer was false, she is an embarrassment to herself.
Marcus Garvey. Photo courtesy www.independent.co.uk
Can you imagine if the United States listed Michael Jackson and Peyton Manning as her biggest contributions to the world? Am I to think that no one, not in school, not at home, not at church; taught Kaci about Jamaica’s contributions to the world?
Kaci Fennel could have spoken about the part the Maroons of Jamaica played in ending slavery not only in Jamaica but around the world. She could have spoken about the role the Jamaican Dutty Boukman (Dutty Bookman) played in the Haitian revolution of 1804. She could have spoken about Jamaica’s bauxite. Didn’t she know that Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Nelson Mandela and even President Barack Obama were influenced by Marcus Garvey? Why didn’t she say Marcus Garvey?
At the same time, I can’t really blame Kaci Fennell for her silly answer. After all, if you visit the Jamaican Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), this is their main reason for why one would want to be a citizen of Jamaica. In becoming a citizen of Jamaica persons will be able to bask in the pride of national achievement and identify with other great Jamaicans such as Bob Marley, Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Tessane Chin and Louise Bennett among others. Article courtesy http://lifestylehack.net
Kaci Fennell. Photo courtesy www.lipstickalley.com
