Stories about Jamaica
On International Women’s Day 2024, Jamaica's focus is on protecting women and girls
In Jamaica, as in other Caribbean territories where gender-based violence and femicide are pressing concerns, the notion that women's rights are human rights takes on a more urgent tone.
Jamaican musicians and fans shocked at passing of soulful roots reggae singer ‘Peetah’ Morgan at age 46
The group became known globally as a “conscious” reggae band, with lyrics infused with social awareness backed by roots reggae rhythms.
‘Tek sleep and mark death': Oil disaster in Tobago is a cautionary tale
The recent environmental disaster in Tobago — and Guyana's emergence as an oil producer — have some Jamaicans wondering if their country is equipped to mitigate the impacts of an oil spill.
‘The bass is the backbone': Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, bass player for Jamaica's iconic ‘Wailers’ band, passes away at 77
"[T]he world lost not just an iconic musician and the backbone of The Wailers but a remarkable human being whose legacy is as immense as his talent."
‘Remember the name': The unlikely triumph of Guyana's Shamar Joseph has brought joy to West Indies cricket fans
For many fans of the game, the moment was like a return to the glory days of West Indies cricket, leaving some to wonder whether they were witnessing a renaissance.
Celebrities, celebration, and a touch of controversy at the Jamaica premiere of the Marley biopic ‘One Love’
"Last night at the Jamaican premiere of #OneLoveMovie [...] you could sense that there was something special about his music [...] encapsulated in his anthem of One Love!"
Jamaica is developing, but at what cost?
Increasingly large developments along Jamaica’s idyllic north coast, a popular tourist destination, have local environmentalists concerned about several recurring issues observed in environmental decision-making in the country.
Jamaica-born Jason Allen-Paisant is the latest Caribbean poet to win the esteemed T.S. Eliot Prize
"A historic night for Caribbean poetry": His win makes it the third time in five years that a poet with Caribbean roots has won the prestigious prize.
Year in review: In 2023, the climate crisis was top of mind for the Caribbean
Of the many stories Global Voices Caribbean covered this year, the lion's share have been linked to global warming, and the importance of climate justice to the region's survival.
How Caribbean ‘Black Cake’ can help the region transcend its traumatic past
"Black Cake" (the book and series) naturally brings to mind the Caribbean Christmas dessert, but the linkages the delicacy shares with the literacies of enslaved Africans are often obscured.
COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations
The Global Stocktake is meant to be the big outcome of the climate negotiations this year, but we have significantly deviated from restricting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Benjamin Zephaniah, a unique British poet with Caribbean roots and a wide appeal in a multicultural society, passes on at age 65
He became a beloved artist and performer who crossed all boundaries and sought to heal the fractured society engendered by colonialism, racism and social injustice.
How climate change is affecting mental health in some of the Caribbean's Indigenous communities
"Climate change events [cause] a disconnection through displacement and loss of our homes, our land, and our ways of doing things. Having to relocate and start over is traumatic."
As COP28 launches a Loss and Damage Fund, devastating rains highlight Caribbean islands’ increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts
The picture in Jamaica is similar to elsewhere in the Caribbean, where there are fears about food security as a result of repeated “natural disasters” caused by human-induced climate change.
How newborns and their mothers are vulnerable to climate change
The findings of a 2020 study showed a relationship between pregnant women's exposure to heat and air pollution and preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillborn babies.
Neville Garrick, the Jamaican artist who captured Bob Marley’s legacy in his designs, passes away at age 73
Garrick was famous for designing the vibrant covers for the reggae icon’s most acclaimed albums, but he was also a devout Rastafarian, political activist and creative.
Open letter to Caribbean leaders urges them to make COP28 transformative
The signatories identified three key areas to help address broader issues the region grapples with, including inequality, poverty, and "staggering levels of debt," which are exacerbated by climate change.
Jamaicans express disappointment over their country’s ‘no-show’ UN Gaza vote
Jamaica was the only Caribbean nation to not vote on the UN resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.
What is the Jamaican government's position on Haitian refugees?
Some social media users and human rights organisations are accusing the Jamaican government of being "insincere" and "nonchalant" in its treatment of Haitian refugees.
An overseas media report reignites Jamaica's longstanding concern regarding limited beach access
Devon Taylor, founder of the advocacy group Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM), which recognises the cultural and historical aspects of Jamaica’s beaches, wants “the decolonisation of this land.”
‘Reggae Ambassador’ and founding member of legendary Jamaican band ‘Third World’, Michael ‘Ibo’ Cooper, passes away
Cooper was "a maestro on the keyboards and collaborative composer [who] helped to take Jamaican music to higher levels of sophisticated instrumentation, appreciated and loved the world over."
