10 Jamaican Women Who a Movie Should be Film

Nothing would give more joy and fulfillment than watching the life stories of some of our fellow Jamaican country women unfold on the “big screen” in a movie. As we would say “dat woulda nice!!”. So what stories can be told in a movie? How about…

Jody-Anne Maxwell

Jody-Anne Maxwell became the first Jamaican and the only non-American to win the Scripps National Spelling Award in 1998. Jody-Anne is now an attorney.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rose from humble beginnings to becoming the first Caribbean woman to win the 100 metre title, at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Merlene Ottey

Merlene Ottey, inspired by the 1976 Summer Olympics, became an athletic star shortly after migrating to the U.S and is the only woman in track and field history to have won nine Olympic medals.

Veronica Campbell-Brown

Veronica Campbell-Brown, has been one of the most successful sprinters in history and is acknowledged as the only Caribbean woman, and one of only nine athletes in the world to have won world titles at all levels of an athletic event.

Alia Atkinson

Alia Atkinson made a historic and impressive accomplishment of being the first black woman and first Jamaican to win a swimming world title, and also equalling the record, in December 2014.

Bessie Stringfield

Bessie Stringfield of Jamaican descent, was the first African-American woman to ride across the United States solo, and was one of the few civilian motorcycle despatch riders for the US Army during World War II.

Edna Manley

Edna Manley organised and taught art classes in Jamaica in the 1940s. These classes formally expanded into a college that was renamed Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in 1995. The only one of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Tessanne Chin

Tessanne Chin became the first non-American to win the Emmy-winning US talent show The Voice. Chin was also the first contestant to hit #1 on the iTunes singles chart twice.

Carole Crawford

Carole Crawford was the first Jamaican and first woman of colour to take home the coveted Miss World crown for Jamaica in 1963, just months after Jamaica became independent.