High Commissioner Praises Society for Chronicling Lives of Jamaicans in Leeds

Jamaican High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Maxine Roberts, has praised the Jamaica Society Leeds for the publication of a book chronicling the lives of Jamaicans in that British city.
The Book, titled ‘A Journey through our History’, was officially launched by High Commissioner Roberts on Friday, October 31 at the Society’s headquarters, Jamaica House, in Leeds.
She noted that it would serve as an important historic manuscript for the Jamaican community.”It comes at a time when others outside of the Jamaican community are seeking to define us and diminish our work and worth in the development of Great Britain. The negative stereotyping of Jamaica and Jamaicans has caused much distress to our community. This is why we cannot rely on others to tell our stories and to write our history. This is one area in which we must be self-sufficient; we owe it to our children, our grand children and ourselves,” High Commissioner Roberts said.
She said the importance of the book went well beyond the borders of the Jamaican community, and that it should serve as a serious reference point for not just the Leeds community, but also for the wider British community.
“A Journey through our History comes at a time when at 41, our homeland Jamaica is continuing to define itself as a strong and stable independent country in an increasingly competitive and hostile world,” she argued. “This story of Jamaicans in Leeds and of the Jamaica Society Leeds is filled with the personal accounts of the bright and enthusiastic young men and women who rose to the challenge of defending the ‘Motherland’ during World War Two and answered the call to rebuild Britain after the war. It is a timely reminder for us all, of the contribution, the strength, determination, and courage of these Jamaicans. It is indeed a tribute to them,” the High Commissioner added.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Neil Taggart, also congratulated the Jamaica Society Leeds for producing the book.
He said it was very important for the different communities in Britain to keep a record of what they did, so that those who came after know what were the issues that confronted them and what they had to do to overcome and survive, and contribute to the development of the country.