Jamaicans Encouraged to Honour the Legacy of Cultural Icon, Louise Bennett-coverley

Jamaicans, especially the youth, are being encouraged to honour the legacy of cultural icon, Louise Bennett-Coverley, affectionately known as Miss Lou, by embracing and sharing the Jamaican culture and dialect.

Speaking during a birthday celebration for Ms. Lou on Wednesday (September 17) at the Portland Parish Library, Vice Principal of Manchioneal Primary School, Richard Derby, emphasised that her enduring mission was to instil pride in Jamaica’s cultural identity.

“Ms Lou’s lesson is simple and powerful – take pride in who you are. Your culture, your language; ‘yuh ‘tory – dem valuable… tek pride in who you be’. Whether you write a poem, sing a song or share a folktale, you are keeping Ms Lou’s legacy alive,” Mr. Derby, who was guest speaker at the function, stated.

He added, “When you speak Jamaican, when you dance to the folk song, when you write your own story, you prove that Ms Lou lives all the time.”

Reminiscing on the demand for Ms. Lou’s poems, Mr. Derby recalled that “her poems are so special that everybody who passes through Jamaica has to learn at least one or you must have heard them”.

“When you go to the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Competition, most of the poems are from Ms. Lou. I used to work right here at this Library, and we had a book called ‘Jamaica Labrish’. We could not keep it on the shelves, because everybody wanted Ms. Lou – it had to be kept in the Librarian’s office, and they have to sign up for it and then get a chance to write out the poem (of their choice),” he said.

In addition to her widely celebrated poems, the Educator noted that Miss Lou also used songs as a powerful medium to narrate the Jamaican experience of her time.

Mr. Derby encouraged his audience of schoolchildren to seek out an elder in their community and ask them to share a folk tale that they learned earlier in life.

Acting Parish Administrator at the JCDC Portland Office, Desmond Johnson, noted that the annual Miss Lou birthday celebration is traditionally hosted at a school within the parish.

However, for the past two years, the exhibition and commemorative activities have been held at the Portland Parish Library.

Speaking on the importance of sustaining commemorative events in honour of Louise Bennett-Coverley, Mr. Johnson said, “She plays a vital role in our heritage. So we have to show our respect to her and keep her legacy as something that we look up to and share it with the younger generation.”

This year’s exhibition featured a handcrafted Miss Lou doll created in her likeness, alongside copies of her published works and a display of information on her life and legacy. It remains open to the public.

The celebration was attended by students and educators from Tranquility Primary and Infant School, Port Antonio Primary School, and Bethesda Basic School.

Widely celebrated as Jamaica’s leading comedienne and cultural matriarch, Louise Bennett-Coverley, was born on September 7, 1919.

Among her many accolades, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Merit (OM) in 2001 for her distinguished contribution to the development of the Arts and Culture. This year, the decorated icon would have celebrated her 106th birthday.