Jamaican lawmaker blocked from delivering parliamentary speech in Patois

On May 13, Opposition Spokesperson Nekeisha Burchell was interrupted in Jamaica’s House of Representatives after beginning ...
The Guardian

‘It’s broken English’: MP’s attempt to speak Jamaican in parliament sparks language row

Parliamentary rule that only English is allowed has reignited debate about language, legitimacy and postcolonial identity When the Jamaican MP Nekeisha Burchell stood up to give her maiden speech, she ...
The Jamaica Observer

Recognition for patois requires policy, not performance

The confrontation in Gordon House over the use of Jamaican Patois was entirely predictable — not because the language lacks legitimacy, but because the Standing Orders of the House are clear. When ...
The Jamaica Observer

Let’s move on from debate to action

It’s the same story — a different year, different characters, but the story remains the same. It’s sometimes called the Jamaican Patois versus English debate. Other times, it’s called the patois ...
Black Enterprise

Jamaican Lawmaker Blocked From Delivering Parliamentary Speech In Patois

An effort to bring Jamaican patois into one of the island’s most formal political spaces has ignited debate across Jamaica and the Caribbean diaspora. According to the Jamaica Observer, Opposition ...