Sixty-four years of Independence

Sixty-four years of proving
that greatness has never been measured by the size of a nation

Just 4,244 square miles
Fewer than three million people
Yet somehow, everywhere you go
You’ll find …

Jamaica

You’ll hear us before you see us:

We wear our patriotism wrapped in black, green and gold
Joyful, unmistakably bold

Because Jamaica is not only where we are from
Jamaica is who we are

We carry the rhythm of reggae,
the melody of patois,
the vibe of dancehall,
the resilience of our ancestors,
the faith that carried us
from slavery to emancipation,
from colony to independent,
from surviving to belonging

Our influence reaches far beyond our shores—

In music that gave hope a melody
In athletes who redefined possibility
In leaders who challenged empires
and even led the United Nations

Our greatest export has never been coffee,
Never been bauxite,
Never been beaches,
It’s always been—our people

More Jamaicans now live beyond the island than upon it
Yet no ocean has ever been wide enough to separate us from it

The proof comes every time we stand to sing:

“Eternal Father, bless our land…”

In that moment,
Accents disappear
Distance disappears
Borders disappear
And there is only us—
Jamaicans

So today,
We celebrate more than sixty-four years of Independence
We celebrate the courage that brought us here
The culture that continues to shape the world
The JamaiCAN spirit that refuses to be diminished
The people who have always punched above our weight

Some people spend a lifetime
searching for where they belong

I — I was born into mine

Had life begun beneath another flag,
Something in me would always have searched for:

the black,
the gold,
the green…

until I found

Jamaica!

Happy 64th Independence, Jamaica

Long may we rise
Long may we shine
Long may we proudly call this little island—
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