Caption: Bob Marley and Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley
KINGSTON -Jamaica is observing National Heroes Day on Monday with the leaders of the two main political parties at odds as to how the country’s most decorated cultural legends Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley and Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, should be honoured.
The two are to become Jamaica’s first recipients of the Order of National Icon.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness in his National Heroes’ Day Message, said his government had done the preliminary work and will be moving forward with the legal process to introduce the new national honour. He said the conferment will take place once the legal process is completed.
“This will be a most well-deserved and long-overdue recognition of their legendary contributions to Jamaican culture and music. Both Miss Lou and Bob Marley stand as towering figures in the preservation and global elevation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage,” he said.
Holness said that Miss Lou’s work in promoting Jamaican Patois and folk traditions has cemented her as a pioneer of our national identity, while Bob Marley’s music transcends borders, making him an international ambassador of reggae, a symbol of resistance to oppression, and a beacon of unity and love.
“Their impact on the world stage is immeasurable, and this recognition honours not only their individual legacies but also the indomitable spirit of Jamaica,” he said.
But Opposition Leader, Mark Golding in his National Heroes Day message, noted that while both cultural icons should also be elevated to the country’s highest honour, National Hero, Marley to be formally recognised as a National Hero.
“Time come for his status as a hero to be formalised here at home,” Golding said, noting that Marley “more than any other has made our music an inspirational force of liberation, justice, and equality for all the peoples of the world.
“His greatness is embraced in all corners of the earth. He gave us the enduring power of One Love,” Golding added, linking Marley’s legacy to this year’s National Heroes Day theme.
Bob Marley and Miss Lou died in May 1981 and July 2006, respectively. The two are members of the Order of Merit, the third highest national honour, which entitles them to be styled, “The honourable”.
The Order of National Hero is the most senior order and may be conferred upon a Jamaican who has rendered to the country service of a most distinguished nature.
Director and curator of the Jamaica Music Museum at the Institute of Jamaica, Herbie Miller, also told argued that both Bob Marley and Miss Lou ought to be recognised as national heroes “for how they have helped to liberate the slumbering mentality of Jamaican people through the arts.”
A release from the Office of the Prime Minister, noted that Prime Minister Holness, in an interview on January 23 at the Bob Marley: One Love movie premiere, addressed the long-standing petition for national hero status, disclosing insights into the Government’s proactive approach to the matter.
“There has been, for a long time, a petition for Bob Marley to become a national hero of Jamaica, and it continues to be something that many Jamaicans would warm to. We did put together a committee to look at it.
“There were commissions before that established the criteria for a national hero. The conversation has so far evolved to have a category that identifies iconic personalities — people who have added great value to our country — so there may be a designation,” Holness said then.
He said the establishment of the committee reflects the Government’s commitment to recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to Jamaica’s cultural legacy. The Office of the Prime Minister said the prime minister’s ongoing dialogue also reflects a thoughtful and inclusive approach to commemorating deserving figures like Bob Marley. (CMC)
