Marcus Garvey’s home to become a heritage site

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Jamaica’s Ministry of Youth and Culture has announced plans to refurbish and establish a heritage site at the house in which Marcus Garvey, the country’s first National Hero, grew up.

The plans were outlined in a recent speech by Jamaican Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna during a ceremony to commemorate Garvey’s 128th birthday in St Ann.

Hanna cited the Ministry’s commitment to “preserving the legacy of this outstanding Jamaican” as its objective for the project.

“We want to create an environment where Jamaicans at home and abroad can visit and pay tribute to a man who left a great legacy,” she said. “It was he who said that ‘a people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’”

Hanna emphasized that the celebration of Garvey presents an opportunity for the sharing of cultural heritage among the nation’s youth.

“Let us continue to embrace our rich cultural heritage and pass on the memories and traditions to the next generation,” she said.