A call to individual action on the path to Independence
Published:Wednesday | August 13, 2025 | 12:10 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
As I reflect on my journey, one shaped by privilege, opportunity, and a persistent yearning to give back to the land that nurtured me, some questions echo in my mind. Despite my efforts, I often feel overshadowed by what I’ve received. Have I done enough? Have I truly helped my country and guided others to find their way?
As a proud graduate of Excelsior High School and the College of Arts, Science and Technology, now the University of Technology, Jamaica, I charted a path rooted in technology, engineering, science, and management. Though accepted to The University of the West Indies at St Augustine and drawn to East London Polytechnic, I ultimately pursued my tertiary education in the United States at the Florida International University, later enriching my professional development with environmental science studies at the University of Florida and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Over the past 65 years, I’ve been blessed with opportunities to contribute to environmental policy and regulatory frameworks. Along the way, I’ve met fellow Jamaican and Caribbean professionals whose excellence and resilience have inspired me to carry the torch of our shared heritage in the diaspora. Yet, I confess: I sometimes feel I’ve lost my ‘EDGE’.
INDIVIDUAL ACTION
Growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, I felt a burning desire to help shape Jamaica’s core – its people, government, industry, and infrastructure. I wanted to steer our nation away from the social fragmentation, violence, corruption and economic mismanagement that threatened its promise. I listened intently to scholars like Dr Paul Robertson and Professor Rex Nettleford, and to orators like Prime Minister Michael Manley and the prophetic voice of Robert Nesta Marley and the pundits across the island, including my own Reverend Oliver J. Daley.
Their words stirred my soul, but their visions also revealed a painful truth: Jamaica lacked the resources to fuel my ambition.
Still, I ask myself, what legacy have I left? What path have I marked out for others to follow, to excel, and to contribute to Jamaica’s growth, development, and sustainable Independence?
This is not a lamentation, It is a call. A call for each of us at home and abroad to reclaim our EDGE: empowerment, dedication, growth, and engagement.
Independence is not merely a political milestone; it is a personal mission. We must move beyond colonial dependence not only through policy, but through individual action. Whether mentoring a student, investing in local enterprise, or simply sharing our stories, we each hold a piece of Jamaica’s future.
Let us not wait for others to follow. Let us lead quietly, consistently, and courageously.
PATRICK BROWN
Pembroke Pines, Florida