Kingston, 5 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has named members of the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for the next three years.

Minister Grange said the appointment of the Panel is in keeping with the Anti-Doping in Sport Act and the World Anti-Doping Code.

Attorney-at-Law, Kent Gammon, is returned as Chairman.

The two Vice Chairmen are Hugh Faulkner and Georgia Gibson-Henlin, both Attorneys-at-Law.

The other members of the Panel are:

• Dr. Donovan Calder, Medical Practitioner
• Dr. Marjorie Vassell, Medical Practitioner
• Dr. Japheth Ford, Medical Practitioner
• Dean Martin, former Vice President of the Jamaica Paraplegic Sports and Social Club
• Heron Dale, former President of the Jamaica Football Federation
• Denise Forrest, former President of the Jamaica Women’s Hockey Association


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Kingston, 4 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has called an urgent meeting with leaders in the Entertainment industry to develop a strategy to assist the people of the Bahamas who’ve been affected by hurricane Dorian.

Minister Grange said she was “moved to tears by images of the devastation in the Bahamas and we must help in every way that we can.”

Several leaders in the Entertainment industry will attend the meeting at the Minister’s office in New Kingston on Wednesday, 4 September starting at 6pm.

“I will sit with members of the industry and together we will come up with the best response to the devastation in the Bahamas,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange has pledged Jamaica’s assistance in communications with the head of the Gender Bureau in the Bahamas, Jacinta Higgs. Minister Grange has also reached out to the Bahamian Minister with responsibility for Gender and Family Affairs, the Honourable Frankee Campbell; and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Honourable Lancsha Rolle.

Minister Grange says she’s confident that the Entertainment industry will respond to the situation in the Bahamas.

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Kingston, 1 September 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has given the following statement on the passing of the former Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr Kenneth Baugh.

Minister’s Statement

“I’m very saddened by his passing. I really loved Dr Baugh dearly. He was one of the nicest individuals. As Minister, he was humble. As Deputy Prime Minister, he was extremely humble. He was really a humble person, excellent physician and surgeon. He was just a wonderful person.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he contributed tremendously in how we conducted the business of the nation internationally. As Minister of Health, he made great strides in setting our policy on a very progressive journey and he must be credited for a number of things that have been done in health under the Jamaica Labour Party administrations. And he was one of the outstanding medical practitioners of Jamaica. His contribution was in so many ways and his community service was tremendous.

Dr Baugh was one of those individuals who could stand above the fray; a real statesman. He never got caught up in partisan politics although he was firmly a Jamaica Labour Party man. He was able to reach out to others and to ensure that there was a good relationship between both sides of the House. And in his everyday life, he cared for so many regardless of politics.

I was really saddened by his illness and now that he has passed, it has left a void.

I want to express my condolences to his widow, Vilma; to the entire family; to his children; to his close sister, Lorna Myers; to the party — we’re all going to miss him. We really loved him dearly. And I know he’s at peace. He’s truly going to be missed. There’s going to be a great void.”

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Kingston, 30 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has unveiled a mural exhibition in tribute to the Windrush Generation.

The exhibition is mounted at various locations in the arrival and departure sections at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

The unveiling was witnessed by the British High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Asif Ahmad.

Minister Grange said the exhibition was a tribute to the “resilience and indomitable spirit” of a generation of Jamaicans who responded to the invitation of post-Second World War Britain for labourers to help restore services and communities.

Minister Grange said:
“From the climatic shock of cold, rainy England to the prejudices and discomforts of settling in a new and often unwelcoming environment to the reality of being alone in a strange land of reluctant neighbours, our people experienced every challenge in the book of ignorance and racism.

Yet, they were undaunted. Their fearless, feisty Jamaican heritage was enough buffer against the many challenges they confronted… Armed with their Jamaican culture, heritage and traditions, they determined to make the best for themselves and their families… Through their indomitable spirit and resilience, they developed what has become the formidable Jamaican Diaspora of the United Kingdom.”

The Windrush Mural project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the British Council. It features pieces by Jamaican and British artists: Honey Williams, Rosemarie Chung, Sheldon Blake, Tiana Anglin, Kirk Cockburn and Jamila Cooper.

The British High Commissioner said that “when the murals were commissioned as a joint endeavour between British and Jamaican artists, the idea was to capture the complex associations and attributes of Windrush. Hopes and dreams of travellers, immigrations rules which impacted the lives of families, the challenges migrants face finding work and vibrant community dynamics are just some thoughts that now find expression in the Windrush Murals.”

Minister Grange said it was a deliberate move to exhibit the Windrush Murals first at the Norman Manley International Airport as it “signifies the changing form of transport, from sea to air, for migrants,” as well as promotes the airport as an artistic and cultural space.

The Windrush Mural exhibition will be mounted at the airport for three months. Then it will move to Orange Park in Downtown, Kingston and become the entrance to the National Gallery of Jamaica for six months. Following that, the exhibition will travel across Jamaica.

Minister Grange says the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the British Council are working on other projects to memorialise aspects of the shared history of Jamaica and the United Kingdom.

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Kingston, 7 August 2019 (JIS):  Two of the nation’s stalwarts, Alpharita Constantia “Rita” Marley, OD, and entertainer, Mr. Miguel Orlando Collins, also known as Sizzla Kalonji, have been honoured for their contribution to the development of the music industry by the Government of Jamaica.

Both were awarded with Reggae Icon Awards during the Jamaica 57 Independence Grand Gala, held at the National Stadium, on Tuesday (August 6).

Their awards were presented by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, and the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.

Prime Minister Holness said that Rita, widow of one of Jamaica’s pioneers of reggae, Bob Marley, was chosen for this award because of her contribution to the development of the foundation of reggae music, while Sizzla was awarded because he is one musician who has built on that foundation with positive music.

Sizzla, who gave the response on behalf of both awardees, said he is grateful to the Government and the nation, by extension, to recognise him for his contribution to nation building.

“I’m most honoured and most thankful in receiving such an award from such [a] noble nation, people and beautiful Government in the Western Hemisphere. It comes as a bit of [a] surprise,” Sizzla said.

Sizzla was born on April 17, 1976. He was raised in August Town where he still resides. He emerged on the reggae and dancehall scene in the late 1990s with hit singles, such as ‘Black Woman and Child’, ‘Thank you, Mama’, ‘Dry Cry’, ‘Just one of those days’ and ‘Solid as a rock’.

He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artistes, noted for his high number of releases. As of 2018, Sizzla has released 56 albums.

Outside of the music industry, Sizzla has contributed to community development by establishing the Sizzla Youth Foundation which assists youth in August Town in overcoming their struggles and providing a haven from violence.

He also established ‘Judgment Yard’, by turning his August Town home into a Community Centre where he welcomes the community and organises community activities.

Rita was chosen for her award not only because she is the matriarch of the Marley family, but also because she has been a leading member of the Jamaican music industry from her early days as a singer, to her collaboration with Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths who formed the ‘I Threes’ – the former backing vocal group for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

She was also chosen because she has pioneered the development of reggae as a musical form and for contributing to its growth and popularity in Europe, Africa and around the world.

Rita, who was born in Cuba to Leroy Anderson and Cynthia Jarrett, grew up in Greenwich Town, Kingston. Her musical career began in the 1960s. In 1986, she converted Bob Marley’s home into the Bob Marley Museum, which is currently the number one tourist destination in Kingston. She is also the Founder and Chairperson of the Robert Marley Foundation and the Bob Marley Group of Companies.

In 1996, Rita was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government. In 2000, she created the Rita Marley Foundation, a non-profit organisation that works to alleviate poverty and hunger in Jamaica and other developing countries.

She received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Award in 2010, and on August 3, 2013, she was made an Honorary Citizen of Ghana by the Ghanaian Government. In November 2015, she was awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree by the University of the West Indies.

On Tuesday, the Government also announced that Rita will be honoured with the fifth highest award in Jamaica, the Order of Jamaica (OJ), on Heroes Day in October.

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Kingston, 16 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is leading Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA which begins on Friday (today) in Trinidad and Tobago.

CARIFESTA — the Caribbean Festival of the Arts — is the largest cultural and artistic event to be staged in the Caribbean.

Minister Grange says CARIFESTA presents an opportunity for Jamaican creatives to market their products and services.

“This year, Jamaica is sending one of the biggest delegations ever to CARIFESTA — 168 people including artisans, fashion designers, writers and publishers, dance companies, theatre groups, and gospel performer Kevin Downswell,” said Minister Grange.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has facilitated Jamaica’s participation in CARIFESTA 2019 through financial support of 73 performers in the delegation.

Minister Grange says it is important for the Ministry to help finance the delegation especially after the tremendous success of Jamaica’s delegation to the last CARIFESTA two years ago.

Minister Grange says:
“In 2017, Jamaica’s delegation to CARIFESTA in Barbados, which numbered approximately 50 members, benefitted tremendously from the business opportunities generated by their participation. I am pleased to demonstrate the full support of the Government again — as we did in 2017. We are the mecca of creativity and we are determined to monetise our creativity for larger income flows to practitioners, and facilitating the participation of Jamaican creatives in activities such as CARIFESTA helps us to achieve our objective.”
CARIFESTA XIV will be held from August 16 to 25 under the theme Connect, Share, Invest.

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Kingston, 13 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced the appointment of the National Council on Reparations for the period 29 July 2019 to 28 July 2022.

Minister Grange said the Council — which is within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport — is tasked with formulating strategies to claim, secure and dispense reparations due to the people of Jamaica for the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The Council, chaired by Laleta Davis-Mattis, includes a diverse membership that possesses the requisite skills to advance the argument of Reparation for the people of Jamaica. The members are drawn from the Legal Fraternity, Academia, the Rastafari Community, Civil Society, the Church and the public sector.

The members are:
Mrs. Laleta Davis-Mattis (Chairperson)
Mr. Bert Samuels (Deputy Chairman)
Professor Verene Shepherd
Mr. Frank Phipps, QC
Lord Anthony Gifford, QC
Dr. Jahlani Niaah
Professor Rupert Lewis
Mr. Steven Golding
Dr. Michael Barnett
Professor Clinton Hutton
Mr. Donald Roberts, CD
Mr. Michael Holgate
Ras Lanceroy Ho-Shing
Mr. Vivian Crawford
Ms. Jo-Anne Archibald
Pastor Bruce A. Fletcher 
Reverend Stephen Jennings, PhD
Dr. Winsome Gordon
Ms. Lorraine Williams Tafari
Ms. Tamika Peart, PhD

The Council also advises the government on matters related to reparatory justice.

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Kingston, 9 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says that Jamaica and Kenya have agreed to cooperate in the fields of sports, culture and heritage.

Minister Grange says the agreement was finalised during the recent State Visit of the President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.

Minister Grange signed the Memorandum of Understanding formalising the cooperation agreement with the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Ambassador Amina Mohamed.

Under the MOU, Jamaica and Kenya have agreed to cooperate in the organising of major sporting events in track and field, water sports, football, cycling, cricket, netball, boxing, tennis, golf, martial arts, basketball, rugby and any other discipline that both countries may mutually decide upon.

Minister Grange said:
“Jamaica is the sprint capital of the world and Kenya has a great reputation of producing some of the finest long-distance runners that we have ever known. I believe there is much that we can share not only in track and field, but in other sporting disciplines as well. And so we look forward to exchanges of coaches, administrators and physical education teachers; welcoming Kenyan athletes for training here in Jamaica among other initiatives which will benefit both of our countries.”

Jamaica and Kenya have also agreed to collaborate on sports science, the promotion of sports for people with special needs, and the implementation of anti-doping policies, procedures and practices within the World Anti-Doping Agency system.

Regarding culture and heritage, the areas of cooperation will include collaboration between the National Archives of both countries with a focus on digitisation and modernisation of the entities; cultural exchange in the cultural and creative industries; cooperation between the national museums in the field of heritage research, protection, conservation and management as well as exchange of experts.

Minister Grange said: We would wish to see visits of cultural and creative practitioners including musicians, dancers, actors, theatre groups and visual artists. And so we encourage the participation of our cultural and creative practitioners in festivals in both countries with a view to enhancing the strong cultural links between Jamaica and Kenya.

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Kingston, 5 August 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is encouraging young women to “prepare themselves and enter the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition.”

According to Minister Grange, young women will “benefit tremendously” in the competition which provides an opportunity for young women to explore their rich culture and heritage.

Minister Grange said:
“Each year, through the competition, we highlight intelligent, articulate, well-informed, culturally aware, beautiful young ladies who are committed to national development. I’m very proud of the 13 young ladies from across the island who reached the finals as parish queens. They all did exceptionally well.

And the winner, Khamara, has been such an outstanding personality throughout the competition that she’s most deserving of victory.”

This year’s Festival Queen is Khamara Wright, a 23 year old Sous Chef from St Catherine.

She is the first national champion from the parish of St Catherine in 29 years.

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Kingston, 2 August 2019 – The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has congratulated Yona Knight Wisdom for creating history for Jamaica by winning the country’s first ever medal in the sport of diving at the Pan Am Games.

Knight Wisdom won silver in the men's 1M Springboard competition at the Games in Lima, Peru, yesterday, August 1.

Minister Grange said, “Once again, Jamaica has much to celebrate in sport and our achievements outside of track and field continues to be encouraging.

“Yona himself said his silver medal was a fitting gift for Jamaica on Emancipation Day and on behalf of the nation I wish to thank him for his historic performance.
“Let us wish him further success as he competes in the 3M Springboard tomorrow, August 3, where a victory would earn him automatic qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” the Sport Minister concluded.

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