Liz Millman reports on an event to mark a significant event in the history of Jamaica.

On 23 April 1938, the Poor Man’s Improvement and Land Settlement Association set up by activist Robert Rumble sent a petition to the Governor of Jamaica demanding a minimum wage for agricultural workers and peasants, and an end to exploitation by landlords.

The petition stated that a century after their forebears had been released from slavery, the Jamaican poor were still in a state of economic slavery. The protesters organised rent strikes against Lord Penrhyn, followed by land occupations in which Pennant community tenants seized lands, erecting fences around them. Within two years, the Pennant family had sold all its plantations in Jamaica.

Eighty-five years on, on the anniversary of the presentation of the petition, the Jamaica-Wales Alliance held an online conference, now viewable as part of the ongoing Black History Conversations series on Youtube, to raise awareness of the tenants’ strike and to discuss next steps in uncovering more of its history.

In addition to research presentations, the event highlighted the efforts of the local community in Pennants, Jamaica, to create a memorial in their community hall in memory of the lives of Robert Rumble and the others involved, to increase the respect and understanding of the community and to interested visitors in this history of resistance.

The event was supported by a grant from the Society for the Study of Labour History, and was backed by the Windrush Allies Network, Learning Links International, Belong Nottingham and others.

Watch the video

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5VwGEjugv4k%3Fsi%3Dx4Z3oEAZJB59vjqo

Liz Millman is director of Learning Links International CIC, secretary of the North Wales Jamaica Society, and co-ordinator of the Jamaica Wales Alliance.

Find out more about the grants on offer from the Society for the Study of Labour History.