Black History Month 2020 Message from His Excellency Seth George Ramocan CD, High Commissioner for Jamaica
It is my immense pleasure to join with you in celebrating Black History Month 2020.
This has been a truly challenging year and, like you, I am heartened by the resolve and determination of our people in adjusting to the ‘new normal’. During this global upheaval, the Jamaican High Commission continues to work along with many community groups and individuals to provide much needed support for vulnerable Jamaicans. We have made considerable progress since 1948, when approximately five hundred (500) Jamaicans and other Caribbean migrants arrived, settled and provided well-needed assistance in the rebuilding of a post-war Britain. As we navigate these uncharted waters buoyed by the indomitable spirit of our ancestors, we need now, more than ever, to show the same resilience of those Windrush pioneers.
This year, we stood defiantly against inequality and racially-motivated aggression. The Black Lives Matter protests served as a catalyst for meaningful discussion and a commitment to pursue remedial action to arrest these lingering issues. As part of this movement, we must teach our children the true history of our contributions to humanity’s advancement and the building of Great Britain. We cannot shy away from the realities of slavery and institutional racism. Neither can we deny the retentions of our colonial past as we seek to uplift our people and instill racial pride in our youth.
As person’s of African descent, we must understand our past and learn from those experiences to prevent its repeat and safeguard our collective future. As we celebrate Black History Month 2020, let us not forget the famous words of Jamaica’s first National Hero, the Right Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey who said, “A people without the knowledge of their history, origin and culture, is like a tree without roots.”
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