The People’s National Party (PNP) is celebrating Monday’s court ruling as “a step in the right direction.” This decision, which found that a school had violated the constitutional rights of a Rastafarian student, is seen by the PNP as a wake-up call for the Government to address long-standing issues faced by the Rastafarian community.
The Court of Appeal decided that Kensington Primary School in St Catherine had breached the rights of a female student who was denied entry in 2018 because her family refused to cut her dreadlocks.
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In a statement on Tuesday, Dr. Deborah Hickling Gordon, the Opposition Spokesperson on Culture and Creative Industries, expressed her disappointment that the Government even contested the case in the first place. She highlighted that the Government’s stance was clearly aimed at denying the student’s constitutional rights.
“The Government’s actions are hypocritical and manipulative,” Dr. Hickling Gordon stated. “While they publicly claim to support the Rastafari community, in reality, they’ve been fighting to take away their rights in court. This ruling shows their true colors.”
She urged the Government to see this ruling as a clear sign to move beyond mere symbolic gestures like celebratory days and apologies. Instead, she called for meaningful action to support the Rastafarian community.
“For nearly a century, Rastafarians have faced discrimination simply for wearing dreadlocks,” Dr. Hickling Gordon pointed out. “These discriminatory practices are deeply ingrained in Jamaican society, rooted in stereotypes about race, class, and economic status. This ruling is a victory for Afrocentric self-expression, which is a crucial part of Jamaica’s cultural identity.”
She reaffirmed the PNP’s commitment to social justice, equity, and diversity, and promised to actively address the concerns of the Rastafarian community.
