Tribute to Sam Sharpe

Civic and parish leaders in St. James paid homage to National Hero, The Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe, with a floral tribute at Sam Sharpe Square, in Montego Bay, today (May 23).

The event commemorated the 189th anniversary of the death of the National Hero, who was hanged in the town square for his part in the 1831/32 Christmas slave rebellion, and formed part of activities for National Workers’ Week.

Flowers were laid by Custos Rotulorum for St. James, Hon. Conrad Pitkin; State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Homer Davis; Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon; Councillor for the Spring Garden Division, Dwight Crawford and Member of Parliament for St. James Central, Heroy Clarke.

Councillor Vernon told JIS News that the occasion commemorates “the work and worth of our heroes and in particular, Sam Sharpe.”

“This is a shared value for the people of Montego Bay as they [National Heroes] would have sacrificed much. They would have done the work needed to bring us the freedom that we enjoy today and to bring us to this level of development here in Montego Bay,” he said.

However, Mr. Vernon noted that with freedom comes great responsibility and encouraged Jamaicans to honour and protect the legacy fought for by our ancestors through responsible behaviour.

“We have freedom but we [also] have a responsibility – our social responsibility, our social media and other media responsibilities. We have to ensure that we do the right thing…for example, in the case of an accident, you have to try to see how you can help, rather than try to video it and post it. We have to be responsible,” he emphasised.

“So, the freedom that we now enjoy that they [National Heroes] would have fought for, we have to protect it, we have to preserve it and we have to use it in the right way,” Councillor Vernon added.

For his part, Mr. Davis noted that Sam Sharpe’s legacy is significant to the parish of St. James, as his act of gallantry helped paved the way for the freedom which Jamaicans now enjoy.

“Even though we are now going through this (COVID-19) pandemic, it must not stifle our spirit as a people to observe our past. In order for us to have better plans for the future, we must be aware and observe our past,” he said.