Jamaica Arise: The 75 Year History of the PNP (1938-2013)

Guidelines: Questions 1-4 will be answered in two paragraphs (3-5 sentences) and question 5 only needs to be answered in one paragraph. You can use examples from other materiales to help you (films and texts from class)

1. What was the role that the People's National Party (PNP) played in the anti-colonial struggle?

The People’s National Party was born in 1938, in a period of time when Jamaica was still oppressed by the colonists, almost treating the common people as slaves, so they stood up to do something. Following the example of Marcus Garvey and his Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the PNP wanted to create a better Jamaica, where everyone could live without any kind of oppression and abuse.

The PNP was a democratic political party who showed an anti-colonialist way to do things, so still in the actually is a party whose model is an example to the world to fight the fascist ways to rule a country.

2. What was/is the role of women throughout the 75 years of the PNP? (Give at least 3 examples)

The 1970’s were an important decade for women’s fight for his rights. Matching the third wave of feminism, in Jamaica were approved two laws or acts: the “Equal Pay for Men and Women Act” (1975) and the “Maternity Leave Act” (1979). So, together with this changes in the statues of the country, many women began to take important part in this changes and become important figures in many areas.

Beverly Manley Duncan was the first lady when Michael Manley was prime minister, and took that opportunity to do activism for women's rights and achieve a gender equality. Other important women are Valerie Mcneill, founder of the PNP Women’s Movement (alongside Beverly) and more recently, Portia Simpson-Miller, who became prime minister of the country, and president of the People National Party, fighting for women and minorities rights in both charges.

3. How did the implementation of democratic socialism affect the Jamaican people?

Jamaican people were kind of divided (maybe not in the same proportions) as is usual when there are two big ideologies. The Jamaican socialism wasn't communism, but where often mistakenly with it. It is true that the socialismo brinded many improvements in a lot of areas: education, economy, health, jobs, among others. But I think the people had fear of seen his country became communist and everything that implied being a communist country in those years, mostly having some other countries not wanting anything with them, specially the US.

4. How does the PNP justify privatization and its role in creating a path of neoliberal reforms in Jamaica?

They said it was necessary. They had to deal with the inflation, deficient budget and the changing currency. Jamaica had to leave that crisis behind, and be able to end that economic recession. So they had to privatize some things, but were able to return to an stable economy after that.

5. How do you compare the role of PNP in the film, Ghett'a Life (Lenny Thompson, Derrick's Father) versus the documentary?

I think in Ghett’a Life we can see the dirty side of the PNP. They wanted to please the mafia, there is a little bit of corruption, they were not concerned really about the people, if not in what they could earn of them. But in the documentary, we can see a little more; of course is not a perfect and completely clean organization, as every political party, but we can understand a little more of the political history of Jamaica, unlike in the film, where we only see what is useful to the story, given that is a fiction.