KGN GRANTS

Dear Kingston Grants,

I hope you are holding up well under our current emergencies.

If I may presume to share more of my views on what I consider to be in the best interest of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, America, Africa and the world at a time of cultural and environmental peril, I would further recommend the following:

- If a transaction were to be arranged between the US Ambassador and the Jamaican Prime Minister, one hopeful scenario might work along the following lines:

- Since cultural preservation in Jamaica is consistent with British/American heritage preservation, a pardon for Marcus Garvey could be reciprocated by a "pardon" for the material colonial heritage that now faces a virtual death sentence, due in no small measure to National China's predatory policies to capture territories through "economic imperialism." 

- This pardon for colonial heritage could range from requiring extensive documentation of any existing structure prior to its demolition, all the way to a version of eminent domain that prohibits and penalizes any form of destruction or demolition of colonial material culture.

- Some similar project might bring together two extremely (but unnecessarily) divided constituences:

1) Anti colonialists who believe (very wrongly) that all traces of colonial material heritage must be disparaged (and destroyed) for how it reflects on racial subjugation and slavery during colonial times. 

2) Pro colonials who somehow miss the fact that Jamaica has a massive black majority  who see colonial heritage in negative terms. 

Both groups tend not to see any relationship between the heritage Garvey was born into and his message of self determination and uplift for black people. But if a Garvey pardon is tied to a pardon for heritage structures, neither group can claim that their interests have been ignored.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thought.

Wishing you the very best,

Trevor Burrowes