Dear Editor,
In the 1930s it was not a popular sight to see a woman on the front line of civil unrest, workers' strike or even being too vocal, but Gladys Longbridge did not seems to notice or cared much. When the great Sir Alexander Bustamante was travelling the island in the quest of getting better wages, improved working conditions, and fair treatment for the Jamaican workers, she was right there with him. She was a fearless warrior, walking the front line where all the action took place. She wanted to be there to witness what the workers were facing. She wanted to offer her service in a quest to bring about changes to the plight of the Jamaican workers.
The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union began operation in 1938, the Trade Union Act was passed into law in 1939, and by this time Gladys Longbridge was the female face of courage and dominance within the Caribbean, championing the rights of workers. Needless to say women taking back seats to their male counterpart was the order of the day, but that was not the modus operandi of Miss Longbridge.
While Patsy Montana was breaking the proverbial glass ceiling in the US musical scene, Gladys Longbridge was making strides for Jamaican workers. She was a beacon of hope, a ray of light, someone young girls wanted to emulate. She became the torch bearer.
It is in this light that I would love to express my deepest heartfelt thoughts of her on what would have been her 102nd birthday, which is also International Women's Day, March 8, 2014. I am thankful that our fertile Jamaican soil has produced such a strong woman. She always exhibited such grace and dignity -- traits lacking among many females of today -- and was indeed a lady in every sense of the word, not just in title. Her humble upbringing might have made her a champion of the people, but it was her skills that helped bring her to prominence, catapulting her into an iconic fixture on the landscape of our minds. She has been given many awards and honours by various world leaders, but I am sure she would have been proudest of what she got done on behalf of the Jamaican workers.
Happy 102nd birthday, Lady Bustamante. Though you are no longer with us, your work as a Jamaican woman will stand the test of time. You played the same game as the men but never once lost your dignity, grace and class.
Wayne White
wayne2white@gmail.com
Happy 102nd birthday, Lady Bustamante
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In the 1930s it was not a popular sight to see a woman on the front line of civil unrest, workers' strike or even being too vocal, but Gladys Longbridge did not seems to notice or cared much. When the great Sir Alexander Bustamante was travelling the island in the quest of getting better wages, improved working conditions, and fair treatment for the Jamaican workers, she was right there with him. She was a fearless warrior, walking the front line where all the action took place. She wanted to be there to witness what the workers were facing. She wanted to offer her service in a quest to bring about changes to the plight of the Jamaican workers.
The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union began operation in 1938, the Trade Union Act was passed into law in 1939, and by this time Gladys Longbridge was the female face of courage and dominance within the Caribbean, championing the rights of workers. Needless to say women taking back seats to their male counterpart was the order of the day, but that was not the modus operandi of Miss Longbridge.
While Patsy Montana was breaking the proverbial glass ceiling in the US musical scene, Gladys Longbridge was making strides for Jamaican workers. She was a beacon of hope, a ray of light, someone young girls wanted to emulate. She became the torch bearer.
It is in this light that I would love to express my deepest heartfelt thoughts of her on what would have been her 102nd birthday, which is also International Women's Day, March 8, 2014. I am thankful that our fertile Jamaican soil has produced such a strong woman. She always exhibited such grace and dignity -- traits lacking among many females of today -- and was indeed a lady in every sense of the word, not just in title. Her humble upbringing might have made her a champion of the people, but it was her skills that helped bring her to prominence, catapulting her into an iconic fixture on the landscape of our minds. She has been given many awards and honours by various world leaders, but I am sure she would have been proudest of what she got done on behalf of the Jamaican workers.
Happy 102nd birthday, Lady Bustamante. Though you are no longer with us, your work as a Jamaican woman will stand the test of time. You played the same game as the men but never once lost your dignity, grace and class.
Wayne White
wayne2white@gmail.com
Happy 102nd birthday, Lady Bustamante
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