Respect Sam Sharpe’s age

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Minister Homer Davis aims to revive ‘among young people an interest in Sharpe’s history’ ( The Gleaner, December 14) through the upcoming ‘Flames of Freedom’ lecture on December 22. That is laudable and worthy of support. Unfortunately, in the same article, Sharpe was said to be ‘born in 1801’, making him 31 at his death.

However, about 10 years ago, British scholar and Oxford lecturer Larry J. Kreitzer in Kissing the Book, quoting the official slave owner’s return form submitted by slave owners Samuel and Jane Sharpe, said “Sharpe’s age is given as 27 ... ‘the son of Eve’ ... ‘his name was Archer alias Samuel Sharpe.’ ” p. 11. You mean to tell me that a foreigner knows the age of our national hero while some of our historians and government documents continue to state an erroneous age?

In addition, Henry Bleby, Methodist missionary who knew Sharpe well, estimated his age at 25 or 26 (See my book Cross and Machete, p. 47). Why do we continue to use the wrong age for National Hero Sam Sharpe? It was because of an error by some historians. When one checks the footnote given by these historians, the rationale for Sharpe being 31 was because that was the average age of the majority of aspiring creoles in rural Jamaica. That cannot be an adequate basis to claim that Sharpe was 31, unless there were no official documents and no eyewitness account.

Getting the age right for our national hero is not only to have a more accurate history about someone so significant, but it shows respect to Sharpe and our national heritage in getting his age correct. Further, who wants someone to add four years to our correct age?

Finally, our young people could be more inspired to know that Sam Sharpe was a young person like them. Minister Homer Davis, let our youngsters believe that they can make a significant difference against great odds while they are in their 20s, just like the Rt Excellent Sam Sharpe.

DEVON DICK