Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange (standing, centre) and Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for St. James North West, Dr. Horace Chang (standing, right) share in the signing of documents for the transfer of lands in Albion, St. James to the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society (RCGBS) during a ceremony held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston on Monday (Aug. 4). Signing the documents are Commissioner of Lands, Cheriese Walcott (seated second left); and RCGBS Treasurer, Lewis Brown (seated second right). Waiting to affix their signatures are Legal Officer, Janet Blackwood (seated left); and RCGBS Chair, Gregory Taylor (seated right). Observing (standing from left) are the Culture Ministry’s liaison officer for Rastafari affairs, Barbara Blake-Hannah; RCGBS Secretary, Pamela Williams; and RCGBS Public Relations Officer, Donovan Murdoch.
Pan-Africanist and attorney, Bert Samuels, is applauding the move by the government to transfer lands to the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society.
The transfer was part of measures to offer reparations for the 1963 Coral Gardens atrocities, in Montego Bay St. James.
Mr Samuels was speaking with our news centre on Wednesday.
Mr Samuels says the transfer is long overdue.
Bert Samuels, Pan-Africanist and senior attorney.
Meanwhile, Rastafarian elder, Muta Baruka believes much more needs to be done to compensate the Rastafari community for the Coral Gardens atrocities.
He’s calling for an increased sum of money as well as the transfer of lands to facilitate farming.
Muta Baruka, Rastafarian elder.
