Photo credit: TheStKittsNevisObserver.com
Excerpt from thestkittsnevisobserver.com
The Jamaican Government has handed over two pieces of land in Albion, St. James, to the Rastafari Coral Gardens Benevolent Society (RCGBS).
These lands will be used to build a permanent elder care home for members of the Rastafari community.
The handover ceremony took place at the Office of the Prime Minister on August 4. It is part of a broader effort to make peace with the Rastafari community after the violence at Coral Gardens in 1963, where several Rastafarians were injured or killed by police.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange said the events of 1963 left deep scars—physical, emotional, and psychological. She praised Prime Minister Andrew Holness for apologising in 2017 and taking action, even though the events happened before he was born.
In 2019, the government set up a trust fund with $122 million to help the 35 known survivors. A temporary home was also built to provide shelter and medical help. The newly transferred land will be used to offer long-term support to Rastafari elders, even after the Coral Gardens survivors have passed.