TITLE: GREAT JAMAICANS
EDITED BY: Olive Forrester
REVIEWED BY: Balford Henry
JAMAICANS probably know more about the United States Constitution than about our own Constitution, especially after the recent presidential elections there.
In addition, if you are a regular viewer of cable station channels like C-Span, History, Discovery and Bravo, you would have learnt quite a bit of American history and its patriots, probably much more than most of us ever know about our history and heroes.
People like to think that the worse way to try to pass on history to Jamaicans is via a book. But oral communications as a means of passing on formal history can be very unreliable so, like most developing countries, the challenge is to produce books.
Perhaps the financial challenge of producing non-fiction for local consumption has scared off many of our researchers and writers. But, there are publishers like Teejay who are determined to make historical and political information a viable business.
This series on Great Jamaicans is especially appealing, unlike most earlier projects, it does not concentrate on the better known figures of the past.
It goes to new levels of revelations unearthing knowledge about Jamaicans who have not been formally acknowledged as heroes but, certainly, have contributed enough to be regarded in that light.
Simply written
Book One of the series deals with six late Jamaicans - Hector Josephs, Sir Harold Allan, Claude Bell, Una Marson, Bishop Mary Coore and Bishop P.W. Gibson.
The book is written very simply, in a sort of "once upon a time" tone, which suggests a bias towards primary level education.
This is a very brave attempt, therefore, by Teejay to fill an obvious educational vacuum at this level. Not only do they learn basic facts about these sub-heroes, but there are spelling and comprehension exercises. In addition, there is fresh information for adults.
Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke, praises the initiative and recommends that it be included in schools and public libraries.
We read about relatively unknown figures like Claude Bell, who not only knew how to drain away excess water, but also to find water: "He said that he had a special gift from God. Whenever people wished to find water, he would visit them and he would hold a stick over the land. If the stick shook in his hand, then they would dig below that spot and find water."
We are informed that Sir Harold Allan was "the first native knight". The honour was bestowed on him in 1895.
Sir Harold, a Portland school teacher, graduate of Mico and a popular fast bowler, became a parish councillor and built the Capital Cinema in Port Antonio, one of the first cinemas built outside Kingston.
The book rates Sir Harold as a champion of the poor. He was one of only two men re-elected when Universal Adult Sufferage came into being in 1944.
Una Marson is listed as "The Girl from Santa Cruz" who went on to advise the late Emperor Haile Selassie during World War II.
A great typist, she later worked with the BBC. However, most interesting was her relationship with the late Emperor as related in the book which is certain to trigger some debate.
It says that when the Emperor went into exile in London, after the Italian invasion, she worked with him and wrote "most of his speeches".
One wonders if those speeches included the famous statement to the United Nations which eventually became Bob Marley's "War"?
The author says that when Selassie returned home triumphantly, he conceded that he could not have won without her help.
Bishop Gibson is perhaps best known as the founder of Kingston College, but there are a lot more absorbing information associated with the Bishop, which makes his inclusion extremely credible.
This includes the fact that he earned three university degrees by the time he was 17, "even though he never went to a university".
Sounds a bit "purple and white" but Bishop Gibson deserves every inch he is afforded in these pages, just as much as his colleagues who are included in this first project.
Publisher:Teejay Limited
