Tweet
As a proud, nationalistic Jamaican, I’ve long wanted to start this thread on “Outstanding Jamaicans.” I’m going to do so now with the hope that there will be enthusiastic additions to the list. It is an undisputed fact that Jamaica has produced a myriad of genuinely outstanding individuals. However, whether or not this fact is properly and comprehensively documented is a matter for debate.
I’m going to start by identifying several outstanding (in my opinion) Jamaicans, and hopefully posters will add more names and achievements as the day progresses.
1. Louise Bennett-Coverley (1919-2006). To say that she is probably my all-time favorite Jamaican may be the understatement of the year! Every child should be allowed to experience the positive things of childhood and growing up, and Louise “Miss Lou” Bennet certainly had a huge impact on me as a child and a young man growing up in rural Jamaica. Not only was Miss Lou a regular at our pantomimes and stage shows, but more than any other Jamaican, she travelled throughout the world with the deliberate objective of promoting Jamaican culture in its various forms. Thankfully, she also recorded many projects highlighting our rich culture.
2. Jody-Ann Maxwell. In May 1998, 12-year-old Jody-Ann Maxwell became the 71st winner of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Competition, held annually in Washington, D.C. Jody was the first and, to this date, the only winner from outside the USA (I think there had been a winner many years before from Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico is a US dependency).
Jody’s winning word, now etched forever in the annals of Jamaican history, was “chiaroscurist” (a word meaning an artist who uses light and shade to produce the illusion of depth). The highly intelligent Jody stated afterwards that she was able to spell chiaroscurist because she knew its derivative, “chiaroscuros.”
3. Glen Archer. With his incredible achievements in producing countless champion spellers in Jamaica, Rev. Glen Archer of Ardenne High School must have had countless opportunities to migrate to “greener pastures.” Surely those opportunities would have increased dramatically following his success in guiding to victory Jody-Ann Maxwell, the first non-American winner of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Competition. But, Rev. Archer still lives and contributes in Jamaica.
4. Dr. Lloyd Dayes, world-renowned professor of neurosurgery. The world-famous Dr. Days, an alumnus of West Indies College in Mandeville (now Northern Caribbean University), served in the medical field for half a century, and is today a lecturer and professor of neurology at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. At Loma Linda, he singlehandedly started the department of neurosurgery. Dr. Days, who comes from humble roots, was born in Woodford, St. Andrew, Jamaica.
5. The children in violence-prone communities, particularly in Kingston, who despite being compelled to endure countless nights of terror through the sounds of gunshots in their neighbourhood, nevertheless excelled in the 2008 national and regional exams (GSAT and CXC).
I’m going to start by identifying several outstanding (in my opinion) Jamaicans, and hopefully posters will add more names and achievements as the day progresses.
1. Louise Bennett-Coverley (1919-2006). To say that she is probably my all-time favorite Jamaican may be the understatement of the year! Every child should be allowed to experience the positive things of childhood and growing up, and Louise “Miss Lou” Bennet certainly had a huge impact on me as a child and a young man growing up in rural Jamaica. Not only was Miss Lou a regular at our pantomimes and stage shows, but more than any other Jamaican, she travelled throughout the world with the deliberate objective of promoting Jamaican culture in its various forms. Thankfully, she also recorded many projects highlighting our rich culture.
2. Jody-Ann Maxwell. In May 1998, 12-year-old Jody-Ann Maxwell became the 71st winner of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Competition, held annually in Washington, D.C. Jody was the first and, to this date, the only winner from outside the USA (I think there had been a winner many years before from Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico is a US dependency).
Jody’s winning word, now etched forever in the annals of Jamaican history, was “chiaroscurist” (a word meaning an artist who uses light and shade to produce the illusion of depth). The highly intelligent Jody stated afterwards that she was able to spell chiaroscurist because she knew its derivative, “chiaroscuros.”
3. Glen Archer. With his incredible achievements in producing countless champion spellers in Jamaica, Rev. Glen Archer of Ardenne High School must have had countless opportunities to migrate to “greener pastures.” Surely those opportunities would have increased dramatically following his success in guiding to victory Jody-Ann Maxwell, the first non-American winner of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Competition. But, Rev. Archer still lives and contributes in Jamaica.
4. Dr. Lloyd Dayes, world-renowned professor of neurosurgery. The world-famous Dr. Days, an alumnus of West Indies College in Mandeville (now Northern Caribbean University), served in the medical field for half a century, and is today a lecturer and professor of neurology at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. At Loma Linda, he singlehandedly started the department of neurosurgery. Dr. Days, who comes from humble roots, was born in Woodford, St. Andrew, Jamaica.
5. The children in violence-prone communities, particularly in Kingston, who despite being compelled to endure countless nights of terror through the sounds of gunshots in their neighbourhood, nevertheless excelled in the 2008 national and regional exams (GSAT and CXC).
Comment