Beforeword: In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, as Jamaica grieves and rebuilds, a renewed sense of patriotism has emerged. In moments of devastation, we are often drawn back to the strength that has carried the island through its darkest hours. It is in this spirit of reflection that I return to the story of Samuel Sharpe and the Christmas Rebellion of 1831.

Guided by faith and influenced by the growing abolitionist movement, Sharpe—a Baptist deacon—organized what was to be a peaceful strike on Christmas Day, demanding freedom and fair wages. At the time, Jamaica essentially functioned as a single vast plantation under British rule, sustained by the labor of an enslaved majority. What began as nonviolent resistance soon ignited into the largest slave rebellion in the British West Indies—an uprising born of courage, faith, and an unyielding demand for freedom—the same resilient spirit that continues to drive Jamaica to rebuild, endure, and rise again in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

A Dectina Refrain

When
Sam Sharpe
Rose that day
In Jamaica
Revolution birthed
Christmas strike sought wages
Plantations burned, peace was lost
Sixty thousand enslaved rose—armed
Hanged, yet named National hero
When Sam Sharpe rose that day in Jamaica

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In creative solidarity, Dee