Hidden Cultures: How One Country Celebrates Their Black History
The first inhabitants of this country were Arawaks, or Tainos. The Arawaks were said to have migrated from South America 2,500 years ago and named the country Xaymaca. In 1494, their lifestyle and culture were destroyed by the Spaniards when Columbus “discovered” the country. Gradually, Columbus and the Spaniards took over the country by torturing and killing off the Arawaks. Some of the deaths were a result of the European diseases that Columbus and his men brought over. The Arawaks had no resistance to these new diseases. Then, in 1655, the English attacked the Spaniards and took over the country. The English used this new country for its resources and was soon involved in the Atlantic slave trade. This country was not America. Though Native Americans were also attacked and oppressed by European colonizers, this country is actually Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean.
During Black History Month in America, there is repetition with the historical figures who are discussed both in public and within school curriculum. There are other countries that were oppressed by European colonization and where people died for human rights. Historical figures all over should be recognized for accomplishing the same struggles African Americans faced in America. The Jamaican uprising began when a slave, Nanny, was brought over from what people believed to be Ghana. When Nanny arrived in Jamaica, she escaped with one of her brothers and established a maroon community in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica in 1720. Nanny spent her time helping bring enslaved people to freedom and training maroon soldiers in guerrilla warfare, which would soon become useful during the First Maroon War. This war against British troops lasted from 1728 to 1734. Later, Cudjoe, another maroon community leader, signed a treaty with the British troops that would allow for Nanny and her maroons to settle on 500 acres of land. Nanny and Harriet Tubman shared the same beliefs and determination. Harriet was an important leader in the underground railroad where she led hundreds of slaves into the freedom of the north.
Even after Nanny’s heroic acts and determination, slavery was still prevalent in Jamaica. That was until Samuel Sharpe, a National Hero, lead a successful slave rebellion. The rebellion, or the Baptist War, began on Christmas day, in 1831, with a strike; the enslaved people demanded pay and more leisure time. No enslaved person, or those who participated in the strike, completed their daily tasks on the plantation. Soon enough the peaceful strike progressed into a violent rebellion. The enslaved people set fire to the sugar cane fields and estate homes A rebel military group called the Black Regiment went around invading plantations and urging other enslaved people to rebel. When the rebellion was all over in January of 1832, over 300 enslaved people were executed, including Samuel Sharpe. Although it did not immediately happen, the rebellion forced Britain to emancipate all of its Caribbean colonies. Slavery in Jamaica ended in 1834, and then all of the others by 1838.
Finally, 130 years later, on August 6, 1962, Jamaica finally became free from the political and economical control of Britain. Alexander Bustamante and his cousin Norman Manley fought for the people because they believed in “reconstructing the social and economic life of Jamaica” after it was destroyed by Great Britain. Now, or ever since then, Independence Day in Jamaica has been a big deal. There is a country wide celebration, and the celebration begins on August 1st and ends on August 6th. Most importantly is the Grand Gala. The Grand Gala is a huge event that has thousands of performers who perform traditional dances and sing songs or read poems to show their love and patriotism. Considering what Nanny fought for and Samuel Sharpe, they would feel gratitude towards the new generation for keeping the culture alive and honoring their sacrifices.