My Fellow Jamaicans:
We are celebrating another birthday together at 45 years old. Are we still being seasoned in the banana leaf or are we over the hill at 45? I am sure you share mixed emotions about this milestone.
I believe we are at a crossroads as we expand our global family. We now have thousands more persons of Jamaican descent across the world and we must capitalize on this extension of our global family. This is the Jamaican Diaspora. Our movement is trying to establish its footing and relationship with the land of our birth.
For Jamaicans overseas, it is more than about money or resources sent or contributed to Jamaica. It is all about relationship. This is about an honest, embracing, and mutually beneficial relationship, not only with our political leaders, but also with the private sector and every individual Jamaican. This is where our Jamaican Diaspora movement will reach its true potential.
Whether you are the clerk in our favorite patty shop, the nurse in our neighborhood hospital, the budding entrepreneur at the board room table, or the longstanding community leader conducting one of the numerous charitable missions — YOU ARE JAMAICA!
Each of us must take individual responsibility for where we take Jamaica and our local communities into the future. Our future of Jamaica should not be left up to the singular whims of government officials or private sector, but directly in the heart of our palms.
Our 50th birthday is around the corner. Tighten your belt and enjoy the bounty of celebrations. Remember, we are JAMAICA, Land We Love. Connect. Strengthen. Act. Celebrate!
Marlon A. Hill, Esq.
Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board Member
Southern United States
