August 17 marked the 123rd year of PanAfrican leader Marcus Garvey's birth. It is also 35 years since Burning Spear recorded 'Marcus Garvey', one of the seminal albums of popular music. [Spear] agreed, and in a matter of weeks, he and back-up singers Rupert Wellington and Delroy Hines were at Randy's studio in downtown Kingston, where [Ruby] had assembled several of Jamaica's top musicians to record a passionate homage to the country's first national hero.
Last Wednesday (August 25) politicians, friends and family came out to Toronto's west end to celebrate the official unveiling of the 'Jean Augustine Park'. In paying tribute to Dr Augustine, deputy mayor, Joe Pantalone, and councillor, Mark Grimes, reminded the audience that during her tenure in the House of Commons, Dr Augustine was instrumental in getting funding from the Federal Government and making a reality the Toronto Linear Park System, in particular the Mimico Linear Trail, which is adjacent to the new Jean Augustine Park. This year Augustine became the first Grenada-born person to receive Canada's highest national honour. She was among the 57 Canadians named by Governor General Michaelle Jean to receive the Order of Canada - the country's highest civilian award.
Harriet Tubman, William Hall and Mifflin Wistar Gibbs were among those whose courage and conviction advanced our nascent society's ideals of freedom and equality. Thousands braved a perilous path to freedom through the Underground Railroad, conducted by valiant leaders like Harriet Tubman.
