In 1945, a young woman from Jamaica, Louise Bennett, was the first black student to attend the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. She was not interested in becoming the next great Shakespearean actress, preferring to work with Jamaican folk themes told in Jamaican Patois. After graduating RADA, she toured with various repertory companies and hosted two radio programmes with the BBC - Caribbean Carnival 1945-1946 and West Indian Night – 1950. It takes some nerve to go to the land of the colonial "Mother Country," as it was then, choose your own language over theirs and celebrate it on the very bastion of British culture – the BBC. That was Louise Bennett.
The importance of the colonizing language as a tool in the process of colonialism has been well-documented. With the language comes the culture and the prejudices of class, race, gender roles and status. The flip side of the dominance of the colonizing language is the belittling of the local language and culture. A key first step towards gaining our independence was therefore claiming our own language and with it, claiming and asserting our own culture. To accomplish this, we were well schooled by a formidable expert, a woman who knew and reveled in our language and our culture. Louise Bennett, affectionately called "Miss Lou," was a prolific writer and an engaging performer. Her poems were full of well-observed characters that we recognized and could both laugh at and empathize with. She recorded several CD’s and was widely published and anthologized. A currently available collection of her poems is Jamaica Labrish. It was first published by Sangster's Book Stores in 1966 and had several reprints, most recently in 2005.
With her stage partner, the inimitable Ranny Williams, Miss Lou turned the British Christmas pantomime, into a Jamaican theatre event that was widely popular and was a catalyst in the growth of Jamaican theatre, encouraging as it did the talents of actors, writers, designers and musicians.
Miss Lou was an influence with every age group. She taught folklore and drama at the University of the West Indies at Mona from 1955-1959. She believed strongly that children should learn about their heritage and she hosted a lively children’s television show Ring Ding from 1970-1982. She also travelled widely, performing and lecturing on Jamaican culture.
Her life partner was Eric Coverley who she married in 1954. She had one stepson, Fabian Coverley, and several adopted children. Miss Lou and Eric ‘Chalk Talk’ Coverley shared a love of theatre and folk arts and were together until he died in Toronto in 2002. Miss Lou was truly a beloved, national treasure. She received many awards for her work in researching and sharing Jamaican folk lore - storytelling, music and dance.
• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (1960)
• Norman Manley Award for Excellence (1972)
• Order of Jamaica (1974)
• Musgrave Medal (1978)
• Honorary Doctor of Letters – York University (1998)
• Jamaican Order of Merit (2001)
THE LOUISE BENNETT-COVERLEY HERITAGE COUNCIL (FLA) INC. is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2007 to carry on the work of Miss Lou through ‘edutainment’ - education through entertainment. The Council highlights Miss Lou’s legacy, passing on Jamaica’s unique, rich cultural heritage, sponsoring panel discussions, workshops and concerts, showcasing all facets of Jamaican culture. The Council also provides scholarships to help the next generation develop their cultural psyche while contributing to their tertiary education.
The Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley Memorial Scholarship is awarded to deserving students of the Performing or Language Arts, to ensure that her legacy will be continued through future generations. Scholarships are awarded primarily to full-time students at the Edna Manley College of the Arts in Jamaica and to students at Broward College in S. Florida.
DONATIONS TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED
To donate – make checks payable to: Louise Bennett-Coverley (LB-C) Heritage Council and mail to LB-C Heritage Council, 5735 Pembroke Rd, Hollywood, FL 33023.
Christine Craig was born in Jamaica and is a graduate of the University of the West Indies. Her short stories and poems have been published in British, American and Caribbean journals. Described as “One of the Caribbean’s most original and innovative poets” - her poetry collection All Things Bright…and Quadrille for Tigers was published by Peepal Tree Press, UK. Her short story collection Mint Tea and other Stories, and children’s fiction Bird Gang, were published by Heinemann Caribbean.
Miss Lou: Courtesy of http://jamaicans.com/plans-miss-lou-square/
See also: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/2018/07/write-it-now-creative-writing-workshops.html
