Dark Energy lights up di Werl

[Don1]

ok... No worries

We at Digital Yard are quite open wid fi wi moggle...All Inclusive.... plus wi ah deal wid building one not-for-profit Foundation. Nuhbaddy nah get paid yahsuh...except di pickney dem whofah wizzy ah expand.

...Wi ah run di program pon our donation of a US$150M in capacity building software backbone at the tertiary level

Wi might add di tech business incubator lata

Death inna di Arena

[Willi]

murdahrayshon! LoL

[Don1]

BoomShat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Muadib]

we are creating an eco-system which by definition is open.. we are not charging for any software.. all free.. come one, come all.. man can go off and create company.. duh dem owna ting.. maximize the platform..

Money mek from targeted marketing and content production to sustain the system and keep the cycle of training and job production going.. and going.. and going..

Non-Profit part of di mix.

Exit Strategy for investors and what value proposition we develop is a next ting..

:-)

[Don1]

ok boss ... nutten wrang wid mekking ah money once righteousness an progress involve

Tun it up!!

[Islandman]

Remember this discussion? Is the photo Bogle or Jennings? maybe it is neither.


Devon Dick, Contributor

RECENTLY, PETER Knibb, chief financial officer of Pan Caribbean Financial Services, sent me a February 2012 issue of BET magazine in which the identical picture and pose most Jamaicans identify with National Hero Paul Bogle was ascribed to Thomas L. Jennings. He yearned to know what was happening.

In 1821, Jennings invented dry cleaning, which keeps threads tight. He was also the first African American to receive a patent in the United States. Unfortunately, he does not have a patent on his picture, hence Jamaicans could apparently allege that it belonged to Bogle.

Furthermore, there are many within cultural circles who are aware of this problem. In the file of Bogle at the National Library, there is this intriguing comment, "W.G. Ogilvie, a member of the Jamaica Historical Society, has discovered a photograph which, although it has not been absolutely authenticated, appears genuine". This picture was never authenticated, so when was the transition made for it to be the picture of Bogle even appearing on our money note? It was a genuine picture from the 19th century, but apparently not Bogle.

The editorial note at the National Library continued claiming that it was the photograph of Bogle because "the sitter's style of dress is what a local preacher would have worn in those days - a black three-piece suit, rather clerical, but lacking the round, white collar buttoned behind, since Bogle had not been ordained". However, Bogle was ordained, and his ordination certificate was signed by his business partner George William Gordon and fellow pastor Richard Warren (See The Cross and Machete, pp 72-77).

This picture was discovered in 1971, six years after Edna Manley completed the sculpture of Bogle, which features some people did not like. According to Edna Manley: The Diaries, her sculpture was based on the pose of a descendant of Bogle, which would give her a more accurate resemblance of Bogle.

In addition, the Colonial Standard of October 18, 1865 gives an insight into the physical features of Bogle as "a very black man, with shining skin, bearing heavy marks of smallpox on his face, and more especially on his nose; teeth good, large mouth with red, thick lips; about five feet eight inches in height, broad across the shoulders, carries himself indolently, and has no whiskers". This description, with its demeaning use of smallpox, would possible be indicative of Bogle in many ways since this description was given in order that Bogle could be captured for the reward of £2,000.

As we celebrate Jamaica 50, let us not embarrass the memory of Bogle by waiting on the United States or the family of Jennings to charge us with plagiarism. Let us use Edna Manley's depiction of Bogle as a better picture of Bogle.

In addition, we also have the wrong picture of Bogle concerning his characteristics. He is still seen by too many persons as someone who had violent intentions. Manley, in her statue, captured the essence of Bogle as a Christian martyr in the mould of Jesus the Christ, whom he served with his outstretched arms reminding us of the crucifixion of Jesus. Indeed, Bogle was inspired by his Christian Faith to agitate against the injustices in the society, low wages and lack of land.

We who have the right image of Bogle should be concerned that the former Jamaica Labour Party administration had promised a liveable wage criteria, but nothing has been released. And the People's National Party had promised that those who can afford to pay for education and health should pay, but there has been no implementation of this wise policy which could help the less fortunate.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.

[Islandman]

Paul Bogle And Historical Memory
Published: Sunday | June 10, 2012 0 Comments
Kevin O'Brien Chang, Contributor

In his June 7, 2012 article 'Wrong picture of Paul Bogle?', columnist Devon Dick mentions that he was sent "a February 2012 issue of BET magazine in which the identical picture and pose most Jamaicans identify with National Hero Paul Bogle was ascribed to Thomas L. Jennings".

Jennings, who invented dry-cleaning and was the first African-American to receive a patent in the United States, was born in 1791. However, Louis Daguerre took the first-ever photo of a person in 1837 - when Jennings would have been 46 - and it probably took a good number of additional years for the technology to produce photos as 'clean' as the one in question.

The 'Bogle' photo in question shows a man of maybe 25-35, and definitely much younger than 46. So it is a virtual certainty that it is not an actual depiction of Thomas L. Jennings.

Whether the person in the photo was Paul Bogle is another question.

Devon Dick says, "In the file of Bogle at the National Library, there is this intriguing comment: 'W.G. Ogilvie, a member of the Jamaica Historical Society, has discovered a photograph which, although it has not been absolutely authenticated, appears genuine.'"

Storm in a teacup

Some will say all this is a meaningless tempest in a teapot. Yet, official historical narratives can have real-life effects, as argued in this excerpt from my book Jamaica Fi Real: Beauty, Vibes and Culture:

"In a young country like Jamaica it's almost possible to see historical memory being shaped in real time. Take the famous Edna Manley statue of 'Paul Bogle' erected in front of the Morant Bay courthouse in 1965, and which was taken up for restoration in 2009.

'When remounting plans were announced a year later, town residents demanded that the statue, supposedly based on a grandson of Bogle, be replaced by his 'true image'."

According to Dorette Abrahams, president of the African Heritage Development Association, "Paul Bogle was described by newspapers as a tall man with a dominant personality and the imperious character of an African chief. He was born in slavery times, but came to own 500 acres, and out of a total island population of 440,000 in 1864, was one of only 1,903 who could vote. So he was a man of means.

"Give us the real Paul Bogle, possibly mounted on the white horse that he rode, and dressed in his waistcoat, so that when parents or teachers take their black children to look at this black man, they look at his true likeness and feel the energy emanating from him and the children can be inspired to believe that by dint of hard work and natural ability, they, too, can achieve great things in their lives and in this country."

What most Jamaicans think of as a true-to-life depiction of Bogle is the widely disseminated photograph that was put first on a $2 note and then on the 10 cent coin. But David Boxer's monograph on Edna Manley says she rejected this increasingly controversial photo that portrays a smooth-faced man aged about 25 to 30. Bogle was 45 at the time of the Morant Bay Rebellion, and the October 18, 1865, Colonial Standard, which carried a reward of £2,000 for his capture gave this description:

"A very black man, with shining skin, bearing heavy marks of smallpox on his face, and more especially on his nose; teeth good, large mouth with red, thick lips; about five feet, eight inches in height, broad across the shoulders, carries himself indolently, and has no whiskers."

Bogle reviled

Can it really matter how a man who died nearly 150 years ago is depicted today? Well, before Bogle was made a national hero, some St Thomas residents blamed him for the repression by the militia that put down the rebellion, and even for the resulting underdevelopment of the parish.

His descendants suffered a good deal of persecution, and many were forced to flee the parish or change their names years after the 1865 rebellion. Zedekiah Inglington remembered that "as a child growing up, the Bogle name was a disgrace because people used to claim that them kill white people and so nuff people never want to say dem is a Bogle".

But after the granting of national hero status, the Bogle name became a badge of pride and an association with greatness - vivid proof that official historical narratives can have real effects even centuries after actual events.

Sources: Jamaica Observer March 21, 2010, 'Bogle statue model was hero's grandson', 'Bogle name was mud after Morant Bay Rebellion', 'Statue should reflect real Bogle', 'Bogle statue debate taking unfortunate turn'. Gleaner, March 25, 2010, 'That unacceptable statue of Paul Bogle: Devon Dick'.

[MdmeX]

Quote from Islandman's post

His descendants suffered a good deal of persecution, and many were forced to flee the parish or change their names years after the 1865 rebellion. Zedekiah Inglington remembered that "as a child growing up, the Bogle name was a disgrace because people used to claim that them kill white people and so nuff people never want to say dem is a Bogle".

Interesting!

I have relatives on my maternal side who are Maroons from the Moore Town/Cornwall Barracks area of Portland. I have heard my mom relate the story (handed down to her) that some family members left Moore Town and were given lands in the Manchioneal area (Portland) due to a falling out with Paul Bogle.

True or False - I have to get more of the story from Trevor Usher, the family historian!

[Islandman]

Would be good to know more about that.

Growing up in Morant Bay in my time I would hear people speak of thier distrust of Maroons because they helped to capture Paul Bogle. I am wondering now if there was bad blood between him and them even before the rebellion started.

[Skeng DX]

in that period maroons and blacks were enemies

the maroons and the English had a peace treaty(is I remember right)

[Islandman]

So maroons nuh black too?

[Skeng DX]

yes ...............i mean the slaves

[Islandman]

Me know wha you mean...lol. The slaves and I guess later the newly freed slaves after emancipation.

Typical divide and rule.....

[Skeng DX]

freed slaves

[Islandman]

treaty was in the early 18th...but some of them claim the terms are still valid today so them not supposed to pay nuh tax or something like dat.