Heroes who shaped a nation

Tomorrow, October 19, the third Monday of October, Jamaica pauses to observe National Heroes’ Day, the centrepiece of National Heritage Week and one of the most meaningful days on our calendar. It is a day to remember how an island of enslaved and colonised people found the courage to claim its own destiny, and to honour those who led the way.

Jamaica’s National Heroes represent the full sweep of that journey. Nanny of the Maroons, the nation’s only heroine, defended freedom in the Blue Mountains. Sam Sharpe led the peaceful-turned-defiant Christmas Rebellion of 1831, helping hasten the end of slavery. Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, whose names are bound to the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, paid with their lives in the struggle for justice. Marcus Garvey, our first National Hero, lit a global flame of Black pride and self-reliance. And Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley, once rivals, stood together to guide the island to political maturity and Independence in 1962.

National Heroes’ Day unfolds across the island in ceremony and celebration. At National Heroes Park in Kingston, wreath-laying ceremonies and remembrance services place floral tributes at the shrine of those who gave everything for the nation. Across the parishes, flag-raising events, community awards, and cultural showcases are organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and local municipal corporations, bringing heritage into schoolyards, town squares, and community halls. And at King’s House, the National Honours and Awards ceremony recognises present-day citizens and public servants whose outstanding service continues the work our heroes began.

That last tradition carries a quiet message: heroism did not end with history. Every nurse on a night shift, every teacher in an underresourced classroom, every neighbour who gives without being asked, carries the same spirit forward in everyday ways.

So, as you enjoy the holiday, take time to teach a child a hero’s story, visit a heritage site, or simply reflect on the sacrifices that made our freedom possible.

Set your sights on greatness, your mind on greater possibilities, and your heart on the greatest virtues of all: love and kindness. The heroes we honour this week reached for all three, and the nation they built is proof of what that vision can achieve. Let their example inspire you to become a hero in your own home, community, and country.

Happy Heroes’ Day, Jamaica.

Contributed by Dr Lorenzo Gordon, a diabetologist, internal medicine consultant, biochemist and history and heritage enthusiast. Send feedback to inspiring876@gmail.com.