The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has announced plans to name its council chambers in honor of Jamaica’s first national hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The official naming ceremony is scheduled for August 17, Garvey’s birthday, during a special council sitting.
The resolution, which was unanimously supported by councillors, was proposed by Eugene Kelly, councillor of the Whitfield Town Division, and seconded by Deputy Mayor Delroy Williams.
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Garvey, who founded Jamaica’s first modern political party, the People’s Political Party, in December 1928, was elected as a municipal councillor for the KSAMC’s Allman Town Division on October 31, 1929. Despite facing significant opposition from incumbent councillors and other agencies, including the media, Garvey was re-elected unopposed in 1930.
“Councillor Garvey had quite a stressful time just being seated in this chamber, and certainly, it is what we call poetic justice that we should name this chamber in his honor,” said Kelly.
Deputy Mayor Williams praised Garvey’s global influence and his leadership in founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the largest black organization in history. Williams emphasized Garvey’s divine purpose, stating, “From my perspective, I believe that Marcus Mosiah Garvey, at the time he came into this world, and his contribution, and his purpose-driven life, I believe that he was sent by God.”
Councillor Dennis Gordon, representing the Maxfield Park Division, encouraged his colleagues to emulate Garvey’s qualities. “How many of us in this chamber have really embraced the teachings of Marcus Garvey and are prepared to pass them on to the next generations?” he asked.
Christine Richards, councillor for the Brandon Hill Division, echoed this sentiment, adding, “Let the naming of these chambers after Marcus Mosiah Garvey be not only a remembrance but a charge. Each time we walk into the council chambers, let us be confident, believe in our people, give service above self, and be inspired for greatness.”
