Use Freedom to Build and Secure Economic Independence – Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has encouraged Jamaicans to use the struggles of the past to chart meaningful independence for the future.
In his Emancipation Day message 2024, to mark the start of freedom for the enslaved on August 1, 1834, Prime Minister Holness chronicled the work and sacrifices of Jamaica’s forebears to bring the changes and freedoms now being enjoyed in modern Jamaica.
The Prime Minister said Jamaicans must honour the legacy of our ancestors to inspire greater successes for the future.
Prime Minister Holness noted that while the advocacy for reparation from the colonisers is important, Jamaicans should continue to chart our freedom through economic independence.
“We cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The struggle for justice persists — with the lessons of history still echoing in our lives today. It is crucial that we continue to advocate for reparations, but we do not wait on it. We must use our freedom to build our own wealth and secure our economic independence. Every child who celebrates freedom today must be taught that their joy is built upon the courage and sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and for the right to be able to use our God given talent and energy for our sustainable economic gain,” declared Prime Minister Holness
The Prime Minister said Jamaican must determine the future with purpose.
“Together, we honour our past, shape our future, and march towards our glorious, shared destiny as a proud and free people ignited with purpose,” said Prime Minister Holness.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Holness used his Emancipation Day message to pay homage to the relentless work of the architects of our freedom.
“We remember the countless souls who toiled, suffered, and yearned for a dawn of liberty. Their legacy courses through our veins, urging us to build a Jamaica where justice flows like our rivers, where equality blooms like our tropical flowers.”