Top Jamaican diplomat is to join city church service to mark his country's independence
THE Jamaican High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is to visit Derby this weekend to take part in a church service celebrating 50 years since his country's independence.
Diplomat Anthony Johnson will be joining worshippers at Assemblies of the First Born Church, London Road tomorrow.
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George Mighty
Event organiser Leonie Moukodi said the service would include people sharing their memories of Jamaican independence day, on August 6, 1962.
She said: "Their readings will explain what independence means to them."
George Mighty MBE, chairman of the Derby West Indian Community Association, said there were about 8,000 people in Derby from Jamaica or of Jamaican descent.
The service will take place from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Donations made on the night will go towards building a sickle cell clinic in the Jamaican parish of Hanover, which is the only area on the island without such a centre.
Jamaica was first settled by the Spanish, but was later ruled by the British until it gained independence. It remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Mr Johnson, 73, is a former Jamaican senator, member of parliament, and ambassador to the United States.
5 Comments
by Derby_born
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 7:40PM
“Green_Roads, writes "And racism doesn't cut both ways before some BNP bigot posts saying otherwise."
Okay so here is a report from the Guardian during the last Labour government (not an opinion by a columnist), that proves that it is YOU who is the racist bigot in this case.
Racial murders: nearly half the victims are white.
Home Office release official figures as police claim that political correctness is stifling the debate.
Nearly half of all victims of racially motivated murders in the last decade have been white, according to official figures released by the Home Office.
The data, released under Freedom of Information legislation, shows that between 1995 and 2004 there have been 58 murders where the police consider a racial element played a key part. Out of these, 24 have been where the murder victim was white".
http://tinyurl.com/7s5w78l”
by Derby_born
Saturday, January 28 2012, 1:05PM
“dianae, very good point, as to it making any difference as to the ethnicity or colour of the visitor, this has nothing to do with race, imagine if Barack Obama was to visit Derby!
I personally think it is very good to see someone with the position of Jamaican High Commissioner visiting Derby, good news all round!
A black friend of mine moved to Jamaica in 1979 and became a minister in the Jamaican government, I would love to invite him back to Derby to meet up with his old friends, but I doubt this would even make receive a mention in any of the local media if he did.
Green_Roads, if anything your post is the type of comment that propagates racism!”
by Green_Roads
Saturday, January 28 2012, 12:34PM
“It won't make front page because he is black. This country is riddled with Racism ! If its not black footballers its black something or another being targeted. And racism doesn't cut both ways before some BNP bigot posts saying otherwise.”
by dianae
Saturday, January 28 2012, 11:55AM
“A VIP in Derby is the point - if the Australian or New Zealand High Commissioner came for ANZAC day, it would make the front page.”
by SidtheKid123
Saturday, January 28 2012, 10:42AM
“Wow, a Jamaican in Derby! How will we get over the novelty?”