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Sam Sharpe to be Honoured on Labour Day

May 22, 2012

The Full Story

Flowers will be placed at the shrines of National Hero, the Rt. Excellent Samuel Sharpe, in Kingston and Montego Bay, as part of activities to mark Labour Day on May 23.

The ceremony in Kingston will take place at the Sam Sharpe monument in National Heroes Park, while a similar function will be held at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay, St. James.

(Related Story: Hundreds of Projects Registered for Labour Day)

Both events will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Labour Day, being held under the theme: ‘Step Forward…Make Jamaica Beautiful’.

Among the persons to attend the ceremonies are Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller; Minister of Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna; Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier; Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott and Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Holness.

Speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, Principal Director of Culture, Ministry of Youth and Culture, Sydney Bartley, said the tribute to Sam Sharpe is in recognition of  his role in the struggle against slavery.

“It is very interesting and quite symbolic and relevant that on Labour Day when we are celebrating the Labour movement in Jamaica, we will be honouring one of our heroes who paid the ultimate price in ridding us of forced labour,” he said.

Sam Sharpe was hanged on May 23, 1832. He was the main person behind the 1831 Slave Rebellion which began on the Kensington Estate in St. James and which led to the abolition of slavery. In 1834 the Abolition Bill was passed by the British Parliament and slavery was abolished.

 

By E. Hartman Reckord, JIS PRO

Last Updated: July 30, 2013

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