Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the first Jamaican woman to win the 100-meter Olympic gold medal.  She achieved this feat twice – first in 2008 and again in 2012.  Shelly-Ann Fraser was born in December 1986 in Kingston, Jamaica to parents Orane Fraser and Maxine Simpson. She grew up in the community of Waterhouse in Kingston and was educated at the Wolmer’s...

Jean D’Costa is a Jamaican writer, best known for her important and influential works of children’s literature. Jean D’Costa was born Jean Creary on January 13, 1937 in St. Andrew, Jamaica to parents who were elementary school teachers. The family lived in various parts of rural Jamaica and Jean, along with her two older siblings, attended the schools where their...

Olive Senior is an internationally acclaimed Jamaican writer and poet. Her works have earned numerous prestigious awards. Born in December 1941, Olive Senior grew up in the parish of Trelawny, in rural Jamaica. She was educated in the neighbouring parish of St. James at the Montego Bay High School. She then attended the Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, in 1964,...

Dr. the Hon. Cicely Williams, OM was a Jamaican physician and a pioneer in the areas of maternal and child health. Her work with children in Ghana, West Africa highlighted the effects of the common protein deficiency, kwashiorkor, and led to significant developments in child care worldwide. Education Dr. Williams was born in Darliston, Westmoreland in 1893.  She attended the...

Parliamentary proceedings are usually conducted by Parliamentarians who are elected after each General Election. The main role of Parliamentarians is to review Bills, guiding them to law. Some Bills start by being read in the House of Representatives before they are passed to the Senate while others are introduced in the Senate first. The Bill must go through several stages...

The Mace is an ornamented staff used in Jamaican Parliamentary ceremonies and sessions; it represents the monarch’s authority over such proceedings. It was once used as a weapon in medieval times by foot soldiers. It is present at every session as Parliament is not properly constituted without its presence in the room. The Mace at Gordon House, the home of...

Michael Lee-Chin is a Jamaican businessman who is considered a visionary in the world of business. His philosophy of “doing well and doing good” has contributed to great success in his entrepreneurial undertakings. He was one of the first black people to be listed on Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of the World's Billionaires in 2001. Michael Lee-Chin was born on...