Statement from the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport

the Honourable Olivia Grange, CD, MP

The Reggae Girlz will play their final home game against a strong Panama team on Sunday, May 19 before heading to the FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

It will be no ordinary match.  It will be our official send off for the girls who’ve made us so proud.

Come out to the National Stadium on Sunday.

Let’s all wear GOLD.  Let's show them love.  And let's give full support to our girls.

See you there!

Kingston 11 May 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed deep concern about the reported maltreatment of Reggae artiste JahDore and his family by the police.

Minister Statement follows:

I am shocked and deeply concerned by the allegations against the police made by Rastafari Reggae artiste JahDore. The very serious allegations surround human rights abuses, including physical violence and the infringing of religious freedom involving the alleged feeding of meat which is forbidden by the family and the cutting of locks.

If these allegations are true, they are unacceptable and an affront to justice and the peaceful ‘livity’ that we all desire; they should be condemned in the strongest manner; and the perpetrators left to face the consequences.

Many Jamaicans, including members of the Ratafari community, share my concern about these allegations and are anxious for us to get to the bottom of what happened. I have been in touch with my colleague Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, on the matter and I welcome the quick intervention of the Commissioner of Police to order an immediate investigation.

I have also spoken with JahDore and assured him of the Government’s commitment to investigate and take appropriate action where necessary. I also assured him of my respect for and commitment to the Rastafari community and its beliefs and will fight any act to deprive Rastas of their rights.

Kingston 10 May 2019 – Lane two in the Class Three 100 metres for girls was supposed to be Chantea Skyers’ lane. The young Red Hills Primary School athlete had been preparing for months to compete in the Insports Championships when she went missing and was later found dead.

Today — the second of the three-day Championships — was to have been Chantea’s moment; the day she had been working towards.

Her coach, Phillip Anderson, said she was a “very promising” athlete. “She had the ability to reach just as far as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was there and somehow we lost her… I don’t know why they had to take her,” Mr Anderson continued.

At the request of the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, Chantea’s lane was not taken by another athlete. Instead, as the competitors faced the starter in the Class Three 100 metres for girls, a picture of the slain athlete and roses placed by her mother, Christal Service, and Minister Grange, occupied lane two.

Miss Service, overwhelmed, was unable to give a statement.

Minister Grange said it was “sad to recall that on her way from school, Chantea was taken, abused and tragically killed. We all feel the loss deeply, so you can imagine how her mother feels today… She’s here in spirit. She ran her race today.”

The decision to “keep her lane free” was intended to honour the young runner and to appeal to the nation for greater effort to protect children.

“As a government we will continue to do what we can to safeguard our children. This is Child Month and it is also the launch of Workers’ Week and Labour Day and our theme for Labour Day is safety of our children and it’s our responsibility, it’s your responsibility, it’s the responsibility of all of us and so we will continue to play our part and to do even more to secure our children.”

The Eastern Zone of the Insports Primary Schools’ Track and Field Championships concludes on Saturday.

The Central Zone Championships will take place at GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport from May 13-15; and the Western Championships will be held at St Elizabeth Technical High School from May 16-18.

MESSAGE BY THE HONOURABLE OLIVIA GRANGE, CD, MP

MINISTER OF CULTURE, GENDER, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT

FOR INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY

30 April 2019

Today, we celebrate International Jazz Day and the power of the music to bring people together in love, peace and unity.

We also celebrate the influence of Jazz on Jamaican music and the contribution of Jamaican musicians to Jazz internationally.

Our musicians such as Bertie King, Dizzy Reece, Monty Alexander and Ernie Ranglin established themselves internationally — long before ska, rock steady and Reggae captivated the world.

Those early Jazz musicians set the foundation for Bob Marley and others to place Jamaica at the top of the international music scene.

Today the Reggae music of Jamaica is at the centre of brand Jamaica.

In celebration of International Jazz Day, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport joins the Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts in staging a Concert at Devon House this evening.

We’re happy to have the acclaimed Trombonist Steve Turre join with our local Jazz musicians for what promises to be a great evening of music.

I hope you’ll join us.

Olivia Grange, CD, MP

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport

Kingston, 17 April 2019 - The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has told newly-elected President of Cricket West Indies, Mr Ricky Skerritt, that she has two major concerns that she wishes the regional body to address as priority.

Miss Grange spoke with Mr Skerritt who called on her at her New Kingston offices today.

“First, I wish that CWI pay more attention to developing cricket at the national level “as you strive for the further of the development of West Indies cricket.

“Cricket West Indies should invest more in cricket in the various countries from which the West Indies team is drawn,”

the Sport Minister said,

“and the focus must be more so on cricket at the grass root levels right down to infant and prep schools.”

The Minister said there was also the pressing need for the Region to give more attention to women’s cricket. “There are no real leagues for women’s cricket in the Caribbean. There is the Senior and Junior Cups for male players in Jamaica; where is the Senior and Junior Cups for our females?” the Minister asked.

She said that it was to their great credit that the West Indies women had done so well in world cricket without “adequate supporting structures.”

The Minister also called for more women in the leadership of cricket. 

She assured Mr Skerritt that the Ministry was looking forward to continued collaboration with the new administrations of Cricket West Indies and the Jamaica Cricket Association.  

Mr Skerritt said that CWI was taking the Minister’s concerns on board and in fact had plans to invest more in grass root cricket with emphasis on “kiddies cricket”. 

The new CWI President said also that improvements affecting women’s cricket were coming, noting that the process had already begun with increasing the salaries of West Indies women team to the level of those paid to the men.

Mr Skerritt also informed the Minister that the major objective for his visit to Jamaica was to raise funds. He said, “low inflows of cash in the last financial year because of the sparsity of international cricket in the Caribbean, has affected us.”

Mr Skerritt said that so far his visit had been “reaping fruits.”   

The CWI President was accompanied to his meeting with Minister Grange by Mr Wilfred “Billy” Heaven, President of Jamaica Cricket Association; Mr Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies; Mr Jimmy Adams, Director of Cricket; and Mr Barry Thomas, Finance Director of Cricket West Indies.  

Kingston 17 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has described the former West Indies Cricket Board President, Pat Rousseau, as one of the “greatest administrators” of the game.

Minister Grange was reacting to news of Mr Rousseau’s passing.

Minister’s Statement follows:

“I’ve received the very sad news of the passing of Pat Rousseau, the former President of the West Indies Cricket Board.  

Much like our great players, Pat Rousseau was a great figure in West Indies cricket and he will be remembered as one of the greatest administrators of the game.  

There were many important developments in West Indies cricket under his watch, including the staging of the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean, the corporate transformation of the WICB to Cricket West Indies which led to improvements in many areas including the financial situation of the regional organisation, among others.

Pat Rousseau served well and made a considerable difference in the administration of cricket in the West Indies.

I offer sincerest condolences to his family and to the cricket fraternity in Jamaica and throughout the region at this time.”

Paris, France 4 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is chairing the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations at the 206th Session of the powerful UNESCO Executive Board meeting underway in Paris, France.

The Committee on Conventions and Recommendations is considering, among other matters:

• the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society;
• the Preservation of, and Access to, Documentary Heritage, including in Digital Form; and 
• the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace.

Minister Grange is also participating in meetings of the UNESCO Executive Board which is considering the programme of work and budget for UNESCO.

While in Paris, Minister Grange will pay a courtesy call on the UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, as well as chair a meeting of Caricom members currently serving on the Executive Board. 

The 206th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board runs from April 3 to 17.

Kingston 28 March 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says her Ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and the St James Municipal Corporation to honour the Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff at a special ceremony on Thursday afternoon in Montego Bay, St James.

Minister Grange says the hip strip in the city will be renamed in the singer’s honour.

Minister Grange said:

“I believe this is a well-deserved honour for Jimmy Cliff and appropriate recognition of his contribution to Jamaica.  I have been working on this initiative for a while with stakeholders including my colleague, Ed Bartlett, the Tourism Minister; the MP, Minister Chang; Mayor Davis and the team at the St James Municipal Corporation; and Jimmy Cliff’s team.  I am very happy that all is now in place for the unveiling of the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.”

The Civic Ceremony — led by the Mayor of Montego Bay, His Worship Councillor Homer Davis — will take place at the Old Hospital Park in Montego Bay, St James starting at 4pm.

The ceremony will include musical tributes by Dean Frazer, Richie Spice, Karen Smith, among others.

Kingston 26 March 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of the radio and television broadcaster, Dorraine Samuels who passed away this afternoon (Tuesday) after an illness.

In her tribute, Minister Grange described Dorraine Samuels as “an exemplar for women in public life.”

Minister Grange said:

“Dorraine’s work on radio and television has been outstanding and her contribution to Jamaican media has been exceptional.  I am very sad to hear of her passing.  This feels like the loss a member of the family.  I believe that is how many Jamaicans saw Dorraine — she was like family and we admired, appreciated and loved her.  We share this great loss with Dorraine’s family and colleagues and I ask that we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”