“MISS LOU” - LOUISE BENNETT-COVERLEY
JAMAICA’S NATIONAL TREASURE
The Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council (LBCHC) is committed to preserving and promoting the legacy of the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley, affectionately known as "Miss Lou," Jamaica's cultural icon. Through a range of educational and entertaining programs, we actively enrich and advance Jamaica’s cultural heritage in Florida.
AFRICA | Preserving Our Heritage - The Jamaican Folk Revue and Tallawah Mento Band Performs at Cape Coast Castle, Ghana
Written by Calvin G. Brown - WIREDJA
MIAMI, Florida, July 18, 2025 - On this sweltering Miami Friday, fifty souls are making a journey that will reverse particular currents of history. Not the brutal, involuntary crossing that their ancestors endured centuries ago, but a cultural pilgrimage carrying the preserved essence of “Global Africa” , a return of African heritage back to its motherland.
The Jamaican Folk Revue and Tallawah Mento Band, along with their companions, are not merely traveling to Ghana for performances. They are completing a sacred circle, bringing home the gifts that have been nurtured in Caribbean soil, seasoned by struggle, and refined by resilience.
Join Southwest Regional Library with The Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council for the 19th Annual Reading Festival. The event titled “Miss Lou's Views: Real, Relatable and Relevant,” will feature guest presenter Joan Andrea Hutchinson, OD “Dat Bumpy Head Gal”– poet, speaker and communication specialist.
From telling of the bald-headed man that he is clearly suffering from ‘hair raid’, to suggesting to a toothless man that ‘dem torpedo out yuh teet’, to commenting on the women who deliberately take jobs at Camp Gibraltar (on the Mona estate) in the hopes of finding a ‘farrin solja husban’, to the culinary creative spawned by scarcity, Miss Lou’s war time poetry is nothing short of brilliant.
Ms. Hutchinson will explore Miss Lou's masterful use of the Jamaican language, buoyed by wit, chronicles and paints vivid pictures of the granular impact of the war on ordinary Jamaicans, as they attempted to get on with their lives and adjust to their new realities. These poems represent history lessons wrapped in humor. The Reading Festival will include performances by the Tallawah Mento Band and the Jamaican Folk Revue, mainstays of the event.
This event is sponsored by Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council, Jamaica Tourist Board and Broward County Cultural Division.
“MISS LOU” - LOUISE BENNETT-COVERLEY
Louise Bennett-Coverley, affectionately known as "Miss Lou," was a celebrated Jamaican poet, folklorist, writer, and educator who played a pivotal role in the preservation and promotion of Jamaican culture. Born on September 7, 1919, she became a cultural icon known for her vibrant performances and the use of Jamaican Patois in her poetry. Through her work, Miss Lou highlighted the richness of Jamaican folklore, traditional songs, and proverbs, establishing a strong cultural identity for future generations. Her legacy continues to inspire and educate, making her an enduring figure in Jamaica’s artistic and cultural landscape.
Coming Events
Sat, Feb 07Southwest Regional LibraryReal, Relatable and Relevant
Outreach
Donation of Tablets by the Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council to Students at the Edna Manley College of the Performing and Visual Arts.
On behalf of the students of the Edna Manley College, a heartfelt thank you for your continued support. Melody McDowell - Asst. Senior Registrar - Edna Manley College of the Performing and Visual Arts. Kingston, Jamaica. Dec. 2020.
Scholarship
The Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley Memorial Scholarship
The Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley Memorial Scholarship is awarded primarily to deserving students of the Performing or Language Arts, in honor of Jamaica’s late Cultural Ambassador, the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley, OJ, OBE, D. Litt., to ensure that her legacy will be continued throughout future generations.
