August 6 marks Jamaica’s
Independence Day. For 64 years, Jamaicans have celebrated the moment in 1962
when the British flag was lowered and the Jamaican flag was raised. This year,
that celebration reached New York, where Brooklyn hosted its first Jamaica Day
Parade. There is much to celebrate. Jamaica has given the world reggae,
dancehall, Olympic champions, artists, entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers and a
culture recognized around the globe.
But independence should also be a
time for reflection. What exactly are Jamaicans independent of—and how much
control do Jamaicans actually have over their own country? Politically, Jamaica
is unquestionably an independent nation. But political independence does not
automatically mean economic independence.
Consider the beaches. Jamaica's
coastline is one of its greatest natural treasures, yet public access to
beaches has become increasingly controversial as private developments and
tourism interests control portions of the coastline. Activists have taken legal
action over access to several beaches, arguing that Jamaicans are being denied
access to parts of their own coast. The precise claim that Jamaicans have
access to “less than 5 percent” of the beaches is disputed and depends on how
access is measured—but the larger issue is undeniable: Jamaicans should not
become visitors in their own country.
Then there is the brain drain.
Jamaica educates doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers and other professionals,
only to see many leave for better opportunities in the United States, Canada
and Britain. The receiving countries benefit from Jamaican talent while Jamaica
struggles with shortages in hospitals, classrooms and other essential services.
What does independence mean if the country cannot retain the people it needs to
build its future?
The same question applies to
infrastructure. Poor roads, inadequate maintenance and transportation
challenges affect farmers, businesses, students and ordinary families every
day. Independence should be visible not only in the flag flying over government
buildings, but in the quality of life experienced by citizens. Then comes the
question of land ownership.
Foreign investment is important to
Jamaica's economy, and Jamaica needs capital. But there must be a national
conversation about who owns the country's most valuable beachfront,
agricultural and urban land. If ordinary Jamaicans cannot afford to compete for
property in their own country while wealthy foreign investors can, we must ask
whether economic independence is truly being achieved. The Jamaican dollar
tells another part of the story. Its enormous decline against the U.S. dollar
over the decades has reduced the purchasing power of ordinary Jamaicans and
made imported goods, housing and other necessities increasingly expensive.
None of these issues means Jamaica
is not an independent nation. It means independence is unfinished business.
True independence should mean more than a flag, an anthem and a passport. It
should mean the ability to educate our children, care for our sick, retain our
professionals, maintain our roads, protect our natural resources and give
ordinary Jamaicans a genuine opportunity to own property and build wealth.
The Jamaican diaspora is proof of
both Jamaica's greatness and its challenges. Millions of Jamaicans and their
descendants live abroad, sending money home, building houses, supporting
families and promoting Jamaican culture. Imagine what Jamaica could accomplish
if more of that talent, capital and ambition could be retained at home. So yes,
celebrate August 6.
Celebrate Jamaica's history,
culture and remarkable achievements. But let Independence Day also be a
national audit. Who owns Jamaica? Who benefits from Jamaica? And can the
average Jamaican afford to build a future there? Political independence was
Jamaica's first liberation. Economic independence may be the unfinished one.
