Two Jamaicans Among 12 Selected for Prestigious Yale Cultural Heritage Fellowship
Two Jamaican cultural heritage leaders from the Institute of Jamaica are among just 12 people selected for the second cohort of the Yale Directors Forum (YDF), a highly selective fellowship for executive leaders responsible for preserving and managing cultural heritage. Dr. Kirt Henry, director of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank, and Faith […]
4 Jamaican Game Developers Putting Culture in Play
Earlier this year, Jamaicans.com featured Derryk MacGregor, Jordan Thompson Pamba and Chad Wilson, the team behind Kingston-based indie game developer BChaotic, following the launch of their first commercial video game, Bubblexity, on Steam. Their story made us curious about what else was happening in Jamaica’s game development community. We reached out to the Jamaica Game […]
Why More Diaspora Jamaicans Are Claiming Citizenship by Descent
More Jamaicans in the diaspora are making their connection to the island official. Applications for Jamaican citizenship have surged in the United States, driven in large part by people born overseas who are claiming citizenship by descent. Figures from the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC, show that citizenship applications increased by 25 per cent in […]
Stew Peas and the Uncomfortable Taboos Jamaican Filmmaker Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly Forces Us to Confront
Jamaican stories are moving beyond the familiar images of beaches, music and crime to examine the beliefs, prejudices and uncomfortable realities shaping life on the island. Storm Saulter’s Possession has been attracting international attention with a story rooted in Obeah, Jonkonnu, slavery, inheritance and reparations, while Get Millie Black confronted colonialism, sexism, homophobia and the […]
Alexander Bedward: The Jamaican Leader Whose Story Is Coming to the Stage
Alexander Bedward was one of the most influential Black religious and social leaders in Jamaica during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A preacher, healer and leader of the Jamaica Native Baptist Free Church, Bedward built a large following from his base in August Town and spoke openly about the treatment of Black Jamaicans […]
Meet Raheim Fender, the Award-Winning Educator and Creative Making His Mark in Trelawny
When Raheim Sonielle Fender stepped forward to receive the 2026 Governor-General’s Achievement Award for Excellence for Trelawny, the honour recognised nearly two decades of work in education, literacy, the performing arts, youth development and culture. But the award tells only part of his story. Fender is an award-winning educator, seven-time bestselling author, theatre practitioner, poet, […]
Jamaican Model Ackeem Lyn Eyes the Big Screen After Mister Universe Runner-Up Finish
At just 23, rising star Jamaican actor and model Ackeem Lyn is steadily putting his name and face in new spaces. Fresh off a first runner-up finish at the Mister and Mister Teen Universe International competition, Lyn could easily be enjoying his moment in the pageant spotlight. Instead, his attention is already shifting towards what […]
Team Jamaica Wins 42 Medals at 2026 World Championships of Performing Arts
Jamaica delivered a strong showing on the international performing arts stage, securing 42 medals and awards at the 2026 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), with six Jamaican acts advancing to the Finale and Montego Bay pianist Nathan Smith emerging as a world champion. Team Jamaica finished the championships with 18 gold medals, 16 silver […]
CODA’s New Spotlight Series Creates Space for Caribbean Filmmakers to Shine
Filmmaking in the Caribbean is nothing new. The region has long produced talented filmmakers and compelling stories, but building a thriving and sustainable film industry has remained a challenge. Among the biggest obstacles is access — access to distribution, promotion and the wider markets needed to get Caribbean films in front of larger audiences. CODA […]
Dancers and Selectors Take Centre Stage at A Taste of Reggae Sumfest 2026
Weeks after A Taste of Reggae Sumfest brought Vybz Kartel and Mavado together for one of the year’s most talked-about dancehall moments, much of the conversation has understandably centred on the historic Gaza-Gully reunion. Given the longstanding rivalry between the two artistes and the movements they came to represent within dancehall, the attention was hardly […]