REVERED cultural legends Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley and Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley are to become the first Jamaicans to be invested in the new Order of National Icon, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has announced.

Dr Holness, who made the disclosure in his National Heroes’ Day Message on Monday, said the Administration had done the preliminary work and will be moving forward with the legal process to introduce the new national honour. The conferment will take place once the legal process is completed.

Both Miss Lou and Bob Marley already carry the national honour of the Order of Merit which entitles them to be styled, “The honourable”.

“This will be a most well-deserved and long-overdue recognition of their legendary contributions to Jamaican culture and music. Both Miss Lou and Bob Marley stand as towering figures in the preservation and global elevation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage,” he said.

Dr Holness noted that Miss Lou’s work in promoting Jamaican Patois and folk traditions has cemented her as a pioneer of our national identity, while Bob Marley’s music transcends borders, making him an international ambassador of reggae, a symbol of resistance to oppression, and a beacon of unity and love.

“Their impact on the world stage is immeasurable, and this recognition honours not only their individual legacies but also the indomitable spirit of Jamaica,” he said.

The prime minister’s announcement is likely to reopen a long-running debate on whether Miss Lou, who popularised the local dialect, and Bob Marley, the Third World’s first megastar, should be named national heroes on the basis that they epitomise what it means to be a hero.

The possibility of at least one of these legendary icons becoming a national hero seemed closer to reality when, earlier this year, the prime minister revealed that the Government was “actively considering” Marley for the national honour.

According to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister, Holness, in an interview on January 23 at the Bob Marley: One Love movie premiere, addressed the long-standing petition for national hero status, disclosing insights into the Government’s proactive approach to the matter.

“There has been, for a long time, a petition for Bob Marley to become a national hero of Jamaica, and it continues to be something that many Jamaicans would warm to. We did put together a committee to look at it.

“There were commissions before that established the criteria for a national hero. The conversation has so far evolved to have a category that identifies iconic personalities — people who have added great value to our country — so there may be a designation,” Holness said then.

He said the establishment of the committee reflects the Government’s commitment to recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to Jamaica’s cultural legacy. The Office of the Prime Minister said the prime minister’s ongoing dialogue also reflects a thoughtful and inclusive approach to commemorating deserving figures like Bob Marley.

However, in a column written by creative industries consultant and lecturer in reggae studies Dr Dennis Howard, published in the Jamaica Observer in May 2024 and entitled ‘Marley and Miss Lou — more than icons’, he questioned why, despite their undeniable impact, “there remains a curious hesitance to elevate them to the esteemed status of national heroes of Jamaica”.

He argued that their achievements extend far beyond mere iconic status, noting that Marley and Miss Lou were cultural ambassadors, shaping Jamaica’s global image and fostering national pride. “Their contributions deserve the highest national recognition,” he said.

“Since the nation’s Independence, discussions surrounding the recognition of Marley and Bennett as national heroes have been fraught with unnecessary debate and resistance championed by certain quarters of the Government and polite society. Instead, suggestions have been made to create a new category of honour — that of the ‘National Icon’. This proposal, however, is deeply flawed, rooted in outdated notions of colonial racial bias and elitism,” he said.

“It is time for Jamaica to assert its cultural sovereignty and take ownership of its heritage. We must resist the temptation to rely on external validation and instead create our own prestigious institutions that celebrate and honour our cultural luminaries. By hesitating to recognise Marley and Miss Lou as national heroes we risk succumbing to the de-territorialisation of our heroes, allowing their legacies to be appropriated and celebrated elsewhere,” he wrote.

Jamaica presently has six heroes and one heroine.

Among those advocating for Bob Barley’s national hero status is Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, who used part of his National Heroes’ Day messages to “continue to call for Robert Nesta Marley, who more than any other has made our music an inspirational force of liberation, justice and equality for all the peoples of the world, to be recognised as the national hero he is”.

“His greatness is embraced in all corners of the earth. He gave us the enduring power of
One Love, which is drawn on by the theme of National Heroes’ Day 2024. Time come for his status as a hero to be formalised here at home,” Golding said.

Under the National Heroes and Awards Act, the Order of National Hero is presented by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. An advisory committee is also required for the Order of National Hero. The committee can determine whether persons — living or dead — should get the title.

The Act describes a national hero as someone who was born in Jamaica or a citizen who has rendered to the country service of the most distinguished nature.