Birthday flowers for Miss Lou

Minister of Culture Olivia 'Babsy' Grange hailed Jamaica's cultural icon Louise Bennett-Coverley, 'Miss Lou', as a folk hero, at the floral tribute held to celebrate the 103 anniversary of her birthday at the National Heroes Park in Kingston, Wednesday morning.

Grange said Miss Lou has made an indelible mark on Jamaica's culture and her legacy will continue to be celebrated.

"We will continue to honour you, to remember you and to celebrate you. You made us proud of our language. You made us proud that we are a creative people, feisty, braggadocious, and boonoonoonus at the same time. As we celebrate you, we celebrate your life and we thank God for giving you to the country and making you an inspiration to the young and the old," she said.

Tributes were also made by Chairman of the Little Theatre Movement, Dr. Donald Keith Amiel, who fondly recalled meeting the cultural icon when she was 14 years old, and extolled her contribution to the Little Theatre Movement.

Coordinator for the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Joseph T. Farquharson, credited Miss Lou as the first language activist who "freed our tongue".

Regarded as the "Mother of Jamaican Culture", Miss Lou was born on September 7, 1919, and died on July 26, 2006 in Canada, at the age of 86.

The globally acclaimed folklorist, poet and writer is known for performing her pieces in the Jamaican dialect, which led to it being more accepted.

- Sashana Small

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