Kingston, 8 May 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of the psychiatrist, Professor Fredrick Hickling.

Minister Grange said:
"I knew Fred Hickling for many years. He was a kind and compassionate man; and certainly one of the giants in his field.

I feel deep sorrow at his passing and extend sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and the many students that he’s mentored and groomed over the years.”

END

Kingston, 8 May 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says this year’s Labour Day will be celebrated under the theme, Labour at Home.

Minister Grange said the theme is in keeping with "the need for social distancing and the ban on large gatherings as we fight the spread of Covid-19.”

Minister Grange said “Jamaicans will be asked to use Labour Day to clean up, paint up and fix up their own home environments.”

However, she said the National Workers’ Week and Labour Day Committee is giving consideration to having national and parish projects which can be implemented without putting anyone’s health at risk or breaching the Disaster Risk Management Regulations.

Labour Day will be observed on Monday, 25 May 2020 as the culmination of Workers’ Week from May 17 to 25.

Workers’ Week and Labour Day activities are coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

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Kingston, 6 May 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of Jamaica’s first international female superstar, Millicent “Millie” Small.

The ‘My Boy Lollipop’ singer died in the United Kingdom on Tuesday (yesterday) at the age of 73, after suffering a stroke.

Minister Grange said:
“Millie Small will forever be remembered as one of Jamaica’s great music icons. Under the guidance of legendary producer Chris Blackwell she brought Jamaican music to the world, with ‘My Boy Lollipop’ getting to number two on the US and UK charts in 1964 and selling seven million copies.

I recall spending time with Millie when I accompanied the late former Prime Minister Edward Seaga on a visit to Island Records in the UK. We had a lovely time with her — and her baby daughter, Jaelee, who is now an accomplished musician — and found her to be that same warm, engaging, fun-loving, bubbly and charming woman that we heard singing ‘My Boy Lollipop’; and we found that she was also a wonderful mother.

Millie’s story is one of resilience and the strength of the human spirit. She took the sweet with the bitter as she navigated the music industry at a time when Jamaican music and Jamaican female artistes were still new concepts to the world.

Jamaica will remain eternally grateful to Millie Small as she paved the way for Ska to explode on the world scene through numerous television appearances around the world, including the BBC’s Top of the Pops. Her unique sound attracted audiences around the world and turned attention on Jamaican music, which allowed other genres to break through internationally.”

Millie Small was born in Clarendon and developed an early interest in music, entering various talent competitions across the island. By her teenage years she was recording for Sir Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label. She was then spotted by Blackwell who took her to London where ‘My Boy Lollipop' was recorded.

Millie Small’s ‘Enoch Power’ — a defiant response to British Conservative politician Enoch Powell’s anti-immigration speech — became an anthem for the newly arrived Windrush generation.

Millie Small was also an actor, painter and dancer.

She was awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of Distinction in 2011.

Minister Grange has expressed condolences to her daughter Jaelee and other members of her family.

END

Kingston, 23 April 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of Professor Tara Dasgupta, the recipient of the Silver Musgrave Medal in 2019.

In her tribute, Minister Grange said “Professor Dasgupta had served Jamaica well” and that his contribution in the area of science had been “immense”.

Minister Grange recalled Professor Dasgupta’s role in the development of the Pesticide Research Laboratory at the University of the West Indies, Mona which has been analysing and monitoring pesticide levels in agricultural products and organic pollutants in the Jamaican environment.

She also lauded him for establishing the Jamaica Chapter of the Caribbean Academy of Science which promotes science and technology in the country.

The Minister has expressed condolences to Professor Dasgupta’s family and friends and to the numerous students that he guided and inspired.

Minister Grange had presented Professor Dasgupta with the Musgrave Silver Medal in October 2019 for outstanding merit in the field of Science.

The Musgrave Medals are awarded by the Institute of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

END

Credit Union League gives J$4 million to Covid Telethon

Kingston, 22 April 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has received the symbolic cheque of the generous contribution of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League to Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand.

Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League has contributed J$4 million to the telethon which raised funds to provide Jamaica’s frontline workers with equipment to battle Covid-19.

Minister Grange, who led the team that organised the telethon, received the symbolic cheque from the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League, Mr Robin Levy on Tuesday.

Minister Grange said:
“I wish to thank the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League for this great display of generosity. This is a real example of people helping people. Your donation of J$4 million is going a long way in helping Jamaica to battle the Covid-19 Pandemic by helping to provide much needed Personal Protective Equipment for our frontline workers.”

The Group Marketing and Communications Manager of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League, Ms Claudette Christie, said credit unions will continue to “work cooperatively with agencies as together we fight this dreaded virus.”

Ms Christie said:
Our credit union mantra is ‘people helping people’. This is not only true of the services that members pool their resources to provide each other. It is also true of the way we treat with our Jamaican brothers and sisters. That is why we have joined with Telethon Jamaica to assist in this fight against Covid-19 to provide well needed PPEs for health personnel and the security forces at the forefront of the fight. Our care is demonstrated in our donation of J$4M towards the fund.”

Minister Grange thanked all those across the world who have contributed to Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand which has so far raised more than J$50 million.

The Minister said people can still contribute to the fund at www.jatogetherwestand.com or www.mypaymaster.com.

To donate by telephone, call 888-729-2455 (toll free), 876-960-9635, 1-866-228-8393 (toll free from Jamaica, the United States or Canada) or +44 0808 189 6147 (toll free from UK and Europe); or WhatsApp 876-550-1754.

Cash and cheque donations are being accepted at any Paymaster location in Jamaica or any branch of Citibank to account number 9250709218 (outside of Jamaica).

Contributions to Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand go directly to a fund — managed by the charity, Jamaica’s Promise — to purchase Personal Protective Equipment, testing kits, ventilators and other equipment needed to strengthen the response to Covid-19.

END

STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
By the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport
The Honourable Olivia Grange, CD, MP
Wednesday, 15 April 2020

Mr. Speaker, as a St Catherine Member of Parliament, I would like to begin by offering words of solace to the people of the parish — particularly the people of Central St Catherine — who must be very anxious and concerned today.

I say to them: remain calm.

I know the lockdown is difficult, but it is a necessary measure to fight the spread of covid-19. If we all follow the orders, we will stop further spread of the virus and soon we’ll be able to remove the restrictions.

As difficult as it is, I appeal to you to stay home — I cannot emphasise that enough. Please … Tan Ah U Yaad

Practise social distancing. Don’t invite people over to your house and don’t go to theirs. This is not the time for socialising. It’s not the time to play sports in the community centre. This is not the time to meet up for a drink.

If you stay home you will slow the spread of covid-19 and you will save lives. It’s as simple as that. The life you save could be your very own.

The quicker we all do the right things, the quicker we can remove the restrictions that we have had to implement.

Continue to wash your hands regularly with soap and water. And call the hotline 888-ONE-LOVE if you develop flu-like symptoms.

Mr. Speaker, today I also express gratitude to the people on the frontline: our nurses, our doctors, the porters — everyone in the health service and the security forces who risk their lives daily to keep the rest of us safe.
I speak for all of Jamaica when I say we appreciate all that they continue to do. And we must do all we can to ensure that they are safe and protected while they fight covid-19 on the frontlines.

This is why the government was pleased to recently host a six-hour virtual telethon to raise additional funds to procure urgently needed personal protective equipment for our frontline workers.

The idea of a telethon was born out of conversations with our Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks; our Consul General in New York, Alsion Roach Wilson; and our Consul General in Miami, Oliver Mair. They had received several inquiries from members of our Diaspora who wanted an avenue to support Jamaica in the covid-19 fight. They reached out after seeing how the virus had affected first world countries with stronger health systems than Jamaica.

As my colleague Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith will concur, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade teams have shared how inspired they have been by our global diaspora because in times like this — when we all face the same enemy — it is easy to think every man for himself. But here was a group of people who were distressed and experiencing pain and personal loss, but their loyalty and love for the country of their birth, moved them to be concerned enough to start thinking of ways in which they could help Jamaica. Such was their display of dedication to our island home.

Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand was born with the goal of directing the global goodwill and desire to support Jamaica into one major event.

The inquiries about how to support Jamaica in this time came from members of the Diaspora in various parts of the world: North America, UK and Europe, Asia, Africa. Under the leadership of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and the National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organisations (NAJASO) a global alliance of diaspora leaders and friends of Jamaica was formed; and I was asked to chair the initiative and to produce the show.

Mr. Speaker, the team and I reached out to the entertainment community and the eager response was, how can we help? Again, such dedication to our island home.

We established the main objectives of Telethon Jamaica. First, it would be a fundraising initiative towards equipping our frontline workers with the appropriate gear to fight covid-19.

Our aim was to raise as much as possible to support the need of US$10.5m, which is the itemised cost of additional Personal Protective Equipment, testing kits, ventilators and other equipment needed to strengthen our health system and ensure that our health professionals would be able to respond effectively to a rapid spike, as we’ve seen in other countries.

Telethon Jamaica took place on Easter Sunday; and it was a success — a fantastic show of generosity and the strength of the human spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I want to express gratitude to Jamaicans at home and abroad as well as friends of Jamaica who responded with great enthusiasm to this telethon. Thanks to their kind donations we are now able to contribute over J$50 million dollars ($50,261,320.00) to be exact after conversion of multiple currency contributions, towards procuring the personal protective equipment for our frontline workers. We say a big thank you to everyone who was able to donate. We appreciate you.

But the telethon had another important objective, Mr. Speaker.

Each and every person, each and every community, each and every country, each and every region, the whole of humanity is in this fight against covid-19. We are all in this thing together.

Jamaica doesn’t have money to help other nations to fight covid-19. Jamaica doesn’t have equipment to share with other nations in need. Jamaica doesn’t have a brigade of health professionals to send overseas to help.

But what Jamaica has is tremendous talent and a music that has been and continues to be a balm in times of trouble. Our Reggae music evolved as our response to the challenges of years of oppression. Throughout its history, Reggae has been anthems of resilience, substance and identity, peace and love, not only for us Jamaicans, but also for many people across the world.

And so the second — and equally important — objective of Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand was to use our Reggae music to provide comfort and hope; not only to Jamaica and our Diaspora, but to the world.

We have been heartened by the many messages from people who are hurting and worried about the coronavirus, that they felt uplifted by the messages and songs of inspiration from the telethon. We are happy that our music brought comfort to people during this time.

As we continue to rotate the broadcast across the various regions of the world, we hope more and more people will be comforted. As we believe that Telethon Jamaica has the potential to not only raise funds towards Jamaica’s covid fight but also start a necessary conversation and present a platform whereby persons can continue to support the cause for as long as this crisis exists.

Members of the diaspora have encourage the continued sharing of these messages and songs of inspiration across the world as they continue to raise funds to provide additional resources for our health service.

Mr. Speaker, I am therefore pleased to advise that the telephone lines and the website will remain up and running so that anyone who was unable to make a donation on Sunday, can still participate by Watching the concert and making a donation online – by visiting jatogetherwestand.com or in Jamaica mypaymaster.com.

To donate by telephone, 1-866-228-8393 (toll free from the United States or Canada) or +44 0808 189 6147 (toll free from UK and Europe) and from Jamaica, 888-729-2455 (toll free), 876-960-9635, WhatsApp 876-550-1754.
Cash and cheque donations are accepted at any Paymaster location in Jamaica or any branch of Citibank to account number 9250709218 (outside of Jamaica).

Mr. Speaker, I close by thanking everyone who helped to make Telethon Jamaica a reality. Our team accomplished in ten days, what would normally get done over the course of a year. I thank them for working around the clock — even in the midst of the national curfew — to support this effort to equip our frontline workers.

The performance line-up for the telethon was simply fantastic. Some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports participated in and/or endorsed Telethon Jamaica. Mr. Speaker, I thank them all and their management teams for being part of this important initiative. We can always count on our entertainment community.

To the donors: we appreciate every single donation. We are happy to name those who pledged four million, or two million, or half a million dollars. But we are as equally grateful to those who pledged 20 dollars or 100 dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank the many members on both sides of this Honourable House who supported this cause and I am sure they will all now join me in thanking all who came together with hands, hearts and pockets to make the Together We Stand Covid-19 Telethon a reality.

Kingston, 13 April 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has described the late Freddie Green as one of the finest athletes and sports administrators Jamaica has produced.

Mr Green, the former General Secretary of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association, died on Sunday.

In her tribute, Minister Grange said:

“Freddie Green was a kind and affable man.

He was a sports man through and through. He was an outstanding athlete from his high days when he represented Kingston College in three disciplines — football, cricket and track and field — helping them to win national titles in all three. Later he became a teacher of physical education, a football coach, Director of Sports at the University of the West Indies, General Secretary of ISSA for more than 30 years, and IAAF track official. And he also found time to represent Jamaica in volleyball.

Freddie served sports faithfully throughout his life and is one of the finest athletes and sports administrators Jamaica has produced.”

Minister Grange has expressed condolences to Freddie Green’s family and friends.

END

Kingston, 13 April 2020 – “His contribution to the popularity of Reggae music in North America has been immense,” says the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, as she paid tribute to the late broadcaster Gil Bailey.

Gil Bailey died in New York today (Monday).

Minister Grange said:

“Gil Bailey was personal friend and we worked together for several years to promote Jamaica and our music in North America. Gil became known as the godfather of New York Reggae radio, but when he just started out in the 1960s no one was playing Jamaican music on radio in America. He came along and changed that by introducing Reggae music to American radio audiences. His contribution to the popularity of Reggae music in North America has been immense.

I am truly saddened by his passing and remain grateful for the role he played in the development of Reggae music.

I extend sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fans.”

END

Kingston, 14 April 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said “a big thank you” to all those who contributed to Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand.

“I wish to thank all who came together with hands, hearts and pockets to make the Together We Stand Covid-19 Telethon a reality. It was a fantastic show of generosity and the strength of the human spirit,” said Minister Grange.

The six-hour, virtual telethon was held on Sunday and broadcast in its entirety online. It was conceived to raise funds to provide Jamaica’s frontline workers, including doctors and nurses, with the necessary equipment to battle covid-19.

Minister Grange said:
“We are grateful for this response from Jamaicans at home and abroad as well as friends of Jamaica who responded to this telethon. Thanks to their kind donations we are now able to contribute over J$50 million dollars towards procuring the personal protective equipment for our frontline workers. We say a big thank you to everyone who was able to donate. We appreciate you.”

Minister Grange has also expressed gratitude and appreciation for all the artistes, celebrities, and members of the production team “who worked day and night to put this telethon together in just over a week’s time.” Minister Grange added, “a production of this magnitude would normally take a year to get done, but the team worked around the clock because of the urgent need to give support to our frontline workers.”

The Minister said the telethon is still being viewed across the world.

Minister Grange said:
“We are rotating the Telethon for the European and Asian time zones to continue to raise funds. We hope that our Reggae music will bring inspiration and hope to those regions as well. We have been heartened by the many messages from home and abroad from people who are hurting and worried about the coronavirus that they felt uplifted by the messages and songs of inspiration from the telethon.

We are happy that our music brought comfort to people during this time.

As we continue to rotate the broadcast, we hope more people will be comforted.

We will continue this effort across the world to raise the funds to provide additional resources for our health service.

The telephone lines and the website are still open so anyone who was unable to make a donation on Sunday can still participate.”

To make a donation online, visit www.jatogetherwestand.com or www.mypaymaster.com.

To donate by telephone, call 888-729-2455 (toll free), 876-960-9635, 1-866-228-8393 (toll free from Jamaica, the United States or Canada) or +44 0808 189 6147 (toll free from UK and Europe); or WhatsApp 876-550-1754.

Cash donations are accepted at any Paymaster location in Jamaica or any branch of Citibank to account number 9250709218 (outside of Jamaica).

END

Kingston, 8 April 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says her Ministry has contributed a further Seventy-eight Million dollars into the Trust Fund for victims of the 1963 Coral Gardens incident.

It means that the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has now contributed more than Ninety Million dollars into the Rastafari Coral Gardens Trust, which was officially established in December 2019.

The Trust is managed by the Administrator General of Jamaica.

Minister Grange said this represents the government’s irrevocable commitment to a programme of reconciliation with the Rastafari community.

Minister Grange said:
“There is no doubt that the events of Coral Gardens in 1963 have left physical, psychological and emotional scars on the Rastafari community and in particular on those who survived the incident. It has been decades of pain and anger, but my government is committed to taking the steps to make things right. Prime Minister Andrew Holnesss has apologised in Parliament to the victims. We have established the Trust Fund for the survivors; the Public Defender recommend a Fund of no less than 10 million dollars, today we have contributed 90 million dollars into the Fund. And we’re taking other steps, working with the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society, and other members of the community, to right this great wrong.”

In addition to the contributions to the Trust Fund, Minister Grange said the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is also giving special housing support for four survivors of the Coral Gardens incident.

Minister Grange said:
“We have provided funding in the amount of Six Million dollars to the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society to run an interim care home for four of the survivors who need special care. We are moving to finalise an arrangement with the Benevolent Society for the management of the care home over the next five years, with the aim of establishing a permanent facility for aged survivors.

I continue to thank the Benevolent Society, Food for the Poor, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and our Cultural Liaison on Rastafari Affairs, Mrs Barbara Blake Hannah for all that they continue to do for the survivors.”

Mrs Blake Hannah, a known expert in Rastafari heritage and matters relating to the welfare of the community, was appointed a Cultural Liaison on Rastafari Affairs as part of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport’s thrust to ensure that matters concerning Rastafari are appropriately addressed.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, through the National Council for Reparation, will sponsor the annual commemoration of the Coral Gardens 1963 incident dubbed ‘Bad Friday’ on April 10. The commemoration will take place online because of the restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

END