BOB MARLEY AND MISS LOU NAMED AS THE FIRST TO RECEIVE JAMAICA’S “ORDER OF NATIONAL ICON!”

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the new national honor is being created and once the recognition is finalized, both Marley and Miss Lou will be officially given the title.

Miss Lou whose real name is Louise Bennett-Coverley was a Jamaican poet, writer and educator, who was an advocate for the acceptance of Jamaican creole.

Bob Marley, born Robert Nesta Marley, was a Jamaican Reggae musician and Rastafarian, who helped to spread Reggae music around the world.

“This will be a most well-deserved and long-overdue recognition of their legendary contributions to Jamaican culture and music. Both Miss Lou and Bob Marley stand as towering figures in the preservation and global elevation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage,” Holness said.

“Their impact on the world stage is immeasurable, and this recognition honors not only their individual legacies but also the indomitable spirit of Jamaica,” he added.

In 2022, Jamaican MP Lisa Hanna, called for Marley to be named a National Hero.

In an article she wrote in the Sunday Observer, she said: “Forty years after his death, in our 60th year of independence from Britain, Bob Marley continues to frame the reference of Jamaica, reverberating with conscious noise, haunting the world with hopeful calls to action amid despair.

“How come? And what should this mean for us as a country seeking Republicanism from our colonial vestiges?”

Ms. Hanna added: “He is a global hero for many nationalities, yet Jamaica has never found it fitting to bestow him with the honor of national hero.

“It’s time to ditch the attitudes of the miseducated Jamaican elite who continue to adamantly oppose such a designation based on their Victorian-era old colonial values against the lifestyle of Rastafari.

“Our National Honors and Awards Act describes the national hero motto: “He built a city which hath foundations.” Today, as the world seems more embattled with geopolitical conflict and nation states worrying about their people’s economic survival, we need Bob’s guidance, reassurance, and revolutionary empowerment to reset our humanity to one another.”

Ms Hanna also said if Jamaica is serious about removing the Queen as its head of state it must “first demonstrate it by embracing our own, recognizing the monumental impact they’ve made on our lives and the global village. It’s time to make Bob Marley our eighth national hero.”