This Day in Historical past: Jamaica’s Nationwide Day of Prayer and New Flag Unveiled on August 6, 1962

It was 1962. Minutes earlier than midnight on the Jamaican Nationwide Stadium, 20,000 Jamaicans and luminaries from all over the world gathered across the flagpole watching the British Union Jack bellow within the wind. In attendance have been Princess Margaret, representing her sister Queen Elizabeth II, US Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jamaican Nationwide heroes Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington — cousins, political rivals, and that day importantly, co-architects of Jamaica’s independence. 

The temper was revelrous. Champagne flowed and handshakes have been exchanged. Guarantees of assist and solidarity have been exchanged between leaders. Princess Margaret assured quickly to be first prime minister Bustamante that there have been no laborious emotions. Bustamante was the lifetime of the get together. The Jamaica Labour Celebration chief performed the banjo to an enthusiastic crowd and danced the twist. 

Why Black, Inexperienced, and Gold

A Jamaica Protection Power (JDF) officer held the brand new flag in his hand, prepared for the change. Its hanging black, inexperienced, and gold was as distinctive then as it’s now. The Jamaican nationwide flag is just one of two (the opposite is African nation Mauritania)  in the complete world that don’t function the colors, white, blue, or pink. The flag was a collaborative design by a bipartisan committee to seize the essence of the folks and the great thing about the nation — ‘The solar shineth; the land is inexperienced; and the persons are robust and inventive.’

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Inexperienced represents bountiful agriculture and the hope of the folks. Black stands for the hardships confronted to get so far. Gold signifies the pure wealth and sunshine that’s come to outline the nation. 

Extra on Jamaica’s 61st Independence

Getting it carried out by the Pores and skin of the Enamel

The sunsetting of the Union Jack and its alternative was a dramatic present. Because the clock struck midnight the lights went off. Within the pitch black darkness, the Union Jack was lowered and when the lights flooded again on, the Jamaican flag bellowed as a substitute. 

It was an excellent present, the proper closing notice within the celebration. Behind the scenes, it was a nerve wracking expertise. British Warrant Officer Tony Head, the person who lowered the Union Jack in 1962, spoke with the Jamaica Gleaner in 2012. “I used to be perturbed to see that the Jamaican warrant officer was struggling to untie the knot in his halyard (the rope which raises the flag),” Head recalled. 

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There have been heavy rain storms earlier that day and the ropes had swollen, tightening the knots on the flag. Within the pitch black, Head peered over at his Jamaican counterpart solely to see him desperately tugging on the knot and in the end biting at it, determined to get it unfastened. By the point the lights have been on, the Jamaican flag was on the summit and none was the wiser.

On August 6, 1962 Jamaica turned an unbiased nation, the primary new nation within the hemisphere since Panama gained its freedom 59 years earlier. 

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