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JIS Radio Looks at Young Lives of National Heroes

By: , October 15, 2013

The Key Point:

Titled ‘Young Heroes’, the series focuses on fictional stories about the lives of Nanny of the Maroons, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, George William Gordon, Samuel Sharpe, Paul Bogle, Norman Washington Manley and Alexander Bustamante, as children and young adults.
JIS Radio Looks at Young Lives of National Heroes
An illustration showing a Paul Bogle as a child in the fictional series 'Young Heroes', written by Jamaican author Gwyneth Harold Davidson.

The Facts

  • The series was recorded in the JIS radio studio under the direction of Radio Manager, Lorraine Mendez, who is very excited about the project.
  • The stories are written by local author, Gwyneth Harold Davidson.

The Full Story

During National Heritage Week, October 14 to 21, the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), through its radio department, will be taking a bold new look at the young lives of the National Heroes, in a seven part series.

Titled ‘Young Heroes’, the series focuses on fictional stories about the lives of  Nanny of the Maroons, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, George William Gordon, Samuel Sharpe, Paul Bogle, Norman Washington Manley and Alexander Bustamante, as children and young adults.

The stories are written by local author, Gwyneth Harold Davidson, who describes them as “a coming together of traditional stories and imagination.”

Mrs. Harold Davidson has used verses from the National Anthem as the starting point in the development of each episode. “I was inspired by the National Anthem … and I applied each National Hero a virtue from the National Anthem,” she said.

So, for example, the line ‘Justice Truth Be Ours Forever’ inspired the story of Norman Washington Manley, who was a lawyer and strong advocate for the people.

“Nanny, we know her as a Maroon and the maroons live very close to the land, so our Anthem, ‘Eternal Father Bless Our Land’, I just thought that was a natural fit for Nanny,” she continued.

Sam Sharpe, the Baptist deacon’s story was inspired by the theme ‘Grant True Wisdom From Above’; while the theme for George William Gordon, the son of a white planter and a slave mother, was shaped by the line, ‘Teach Us True Respect For All’.

Mrs. Harold Davidson casts Paul Bogle as a beacon for his people, helping to chart their way into a better society and used the theme, ‘Be Our Light Through Countless Hours’, as inspiration for his story.

In the case of Alexander Bustamante, the author relied on stories that she heard about his kindness and affinity to help people, to shape his character through the theme, ‘Strengthen Us The Weak To Cherish’.

For Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first National Hero, Mrs. Harold Davidson used one of his quotes as inspiration. “Marcus Garvey, we know him to be a visionary. He saw what the society could be like in the future.  He has a famous quote, ‘Chance Never Satisfies The Hope of a Nation’, and that’s what I built on for his story,” she explained.

The series was recorded in the JIS radio studio under the direction of Radio Manager, Lorraine Mendez, who is very excited about the project.

Mrs. Mendez informed that members of the public can catch the series on their favourite radio stations throughout the week. It will also be available on the JIS website up to December 31.

Last Updated: October 18, 2013

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