February – Reggae & Black History Month
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett and Minister of Culture,
Olivia Grange at the launch of Reggae Month in Jamaica.
Jamaica Information Service
Caribbean L BQ ife, Feb. 8–14, 2019 11
The shortest month of the
year bears a plethora of significance.
With only 28 days on the
calendar Valentine Day and
Presidents Day are probably
the most commercially celebrated
here.
However, to at least two ethnic
groups, February presents
an opportunity to flaunt pride
and cultural heritage.
This year China, the most
populous nation on the planet
will revel for 23 days from Feb.
5 to mark the Lunar New Year.
Those on the Asian continent
and millions abroad will
regale the year of the pig.
In addition, the legacy of
Africans who first arrived on
ships in 1619 will be fully displayed,
celebrated and honored
with cultural acknowledgements
dedicated to Black History
Month. Since 1976, the
year President Gerald Ford
designated a month in tribute
to African-Americans and
the contributions they made in
shaping the nation, each White
House occupant has endorsed
the practice now adopted in
Ireland, Canada and the United
Kingdom. Acknowledgement
of significant contributors are
often spotlighted and regaled
on postage stamps and other
national platforms. United
States Postal Service will issue
forever stamps this month honoring
the artistic contributions
of rhythm and blues singer Marvin
Gaye as well that of Gregory
Hinds, a multi-talented entertainer
who excelled as dancer,
singer, actor, choreographer.
Films, television, theatrical
presentations, concerts, photographic
exhibitions, radio
broadcasts, dance showcases,
sports events, symposium and
numerous high-profile events
will mark the historic and
unprecedented survival success
of a people who were shackled,
stolen from their homeland
and enslaved to work for free in
order to make America great.
The first days of the month,
AMC Theaters offered free
screenings of the history-making
“Black Panther” movie.
Twice daily, at 4 and 7 p.m.
the film which stars Chadwick
Boseman as the Marvel comics
super-hero theatres allow
audiences to view Disney Pictures’
groundbreaking bigscreen
film which showcases
a high-tech African nation
called Wakanda. Participating
theaters in each borough are
honoring free, reserved tickets
accessed at weticketit.com/
blackpanther
In Jamaica, the entire month
of February is also dedicated
to the home-grown genre of
music the world acclaims as
reggae. Concerts, pageantry
and awards are already dominating
private and governmentsponsored
events and will also
laud two sons of the soil who
excelled promoting the music.
Regarded as reggae royalty,
Dennis Brown and Robert
Nesta Marley were born Feb. 1
and Feb. 6 respectively and during
their lifetime were internationally
known as the Crown
Prince and King of Reggae.
On the first day of the
month, a floral-laying ceremony
at Kingston’s National
Heroes Park marked the 62nd
birthday anniversary of the
avowed Crown Prince. On that
same day a street party ensued
downtown Kingston along with
the opening of a month-long
exhibition on Reggae Music at
the African Caribbean Institute
of Jamaica. The Global Reggae
Conference at the University of
the West Indies, Mona is offering
a series of weekly reggae
films uptown at Emancipation
Park in New Kingston. In addition,
the JARIA Honor Awards
and the Reggae Gold Reception
and Awards Ceremony will
honor 50 icons for their contribution
to the reggae music of
Jamaica.
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
/weticketit.com