The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange has issued the following statement on the programme of celebration for Jamaica’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes.

Fifty-five years ago, the Jamaican Parliament decided to abolish Empire Day, May 24th. It was decided that in commemoration of the labour upheavals, which took place between May 23 and June 6, 1938, Labour Day would be celebrated on May 23rd in recognition of the working class movement. Empire Day is the birthday of Queen Victoria who has been credited with granting slaves in Jamaica and the rest of the British Empire their freedom.