JCDC Celebrating Miss Lou 106th Birthday with Activities Islandwide in September

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is celebrating the 106th birthday of late cultural icon, the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou), with a slew of parish-based activities across the island in September.

Director of Community Cultural Development Services at the JCDC, Marjorie Leyden-Kirton tells JIS News that the month of activities is aimed at preserving the legacy and cultural impact of Miss Lou, particularly among the youth.

“Where it concerns celebrating, commemorating Miss Lou, whose birthday is on September 7th, we usually use the entire month of September to do the celebration so that we can have a reach with primarily our schools where we have a lot of young people. Through that way, we have seen that we’ve been able to help in the preservation of our cultural icon,” she says.

Mrs. Leyden-Kirton notes that the activities are undertaken in partnership with the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) and several schools across the island.

“We not only do concerts in tribute to Miss Lou, Ring-Ding style, we also try to ensure we do an exhibition which continues to give information, so they know who Miss Lou is and what she has contributed to us. We know language is one of the biggest parts, with the patois in which Miss Lou would have presented her poems, her stories, and even the songs,” she says.

“We believe it gives all of Jamaica [including] the students, the teachers, and parents…great access to the information, because we have exhibitions in the library and so they can all go,” Mrs. Leyden-Kirton adds.

The activities started on September 19 at the St. Ann Parish library with a Miss Lou Dub Poetry Competition concert style titled ‘Look at This, Miss Lou Turn 106’.

“On Monday the 22nd, we go to Clarendon Parish Library where they have been running a Miss Lou online competition and so they’re going to be presenting awards for those persons who have entered the competition and won and they will present the winning trophies,” Mrs. Leyden-Kirton says.

Also on Monday, September 22, the Montego Bay High School in St. James will host a Miss Lou Ring Ding style concert for students and residents of surrounding communities.

“Then on Thursday the 25th, we’re going to be in St. Mary at the St. Mary Parish Library in Port Maria, and we’re doing another Miss Lou Ring Ding style tribute and exhibition in that library.

Also in Hanover, we’re going to be in the Hanover Parish Library and we’re doing a lunch hour concert at around 12 noon. So we invite schools that are close by in Lucea, we’ve sent out invitations so they can come join us,” Mrs. Leyden-Kirton informs.

The JCDC will also be celebrating Miss Lou on Thursday, September 25 in Trelawny at the Parish Library in Falmouth with a ‘Miss Lou, We Love You’ tribute.

“That is going to be extra exciting because I know that our Miss Trelawny Festival Queen will be like a patron for that and she will be performing and reading poetry from Miss Lou and doing storytelling,” Mrs. Leyden-Kirton points out.

“Then on Friday the 26th, we’ll move into St. Catherine, where we will be at the St. Catherine Parish Library in Spanish Town doing our Miss Lou tribute concert and I know many schools have been invited to come to the library. Exhibitions will be there and also some of those schools invited, will be performing their winning entries in the festival competitions, with Miss Lou’s poetry and storytelling,” she adds.

At the Westmoreland Parish Library on September 26, there will be a Miss Lou lookalike bandana contest featuring competitors of all ages, as well as a Miss Lou concert tribute.

Not to be left out, persons in Eastern Jamaica will also have activities to celebrate the legacy and work of Miss Lou.

“We’re going to be in St. Thomas, and this is going to be at the Seaforth Primary School on the 26th, where they’ll be doing a Miss Lou lunch hour tribute concert so those who are back this side and are able to go and join, we are encouraging you to come out at about 11 a.m. at Seaforth Primary School in St. Thomas,” Mrs. Leyden-Kirton says.

“Friday the 26th is still a very exciting day because we’re going to be in Manchester. The Manchester team has done an online poetry competition and so they will have the winners present the poems that they have in the competition, and an award ceremony will be held. This will be held at the Manchester Parish office in Mandeville at 1 p.m.,” she adds.

For more information on activities to celebrate Miss Lou’s 106th birthday, visit the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s website at jcdc.gov.jm.