”Why do Jamaicans excel” is a question that many people ask. The answers can be a great topic for discussion,as there can be many .

Jamaica is a tiny Island in the Caribbean,  with less than three million                    (3,000,000)people occupying the breathtaking paradise of approximately 4243 sq. miles. Jamaica has had some amazing achievements , topping the world in numerous events and sectors.

MUSIC

Reggae Music became high on the world’s charts after it was taken abroad by ‘Legends’  Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and others others who were brave enough to introduce the world to something new ,but confident enough to know that they believed in reggae music, so that was good enough.This bold act ,opened the doors for many other reggae artists for whom the world keeps craving for more .Reggae is vibrant,provocative and addictive music ,that has swept waves worldwide.

BEAUTIES

             Jamaican beauties have been outstanding throughout the years.To date Jamaica has produces three Ms. World winners and runners up.This country stands at third place in the world for the amount of beauties to have won the Ms. World title .Jamaica’s first Ms.World winner was Carole Crawford in 1963,Cindy Breakspear in 1976 and Lisa Hanna in 1979.Debbie Campbell was second runner up in 1979 and Sandra Cunningham second runner up  1981 .

EDUCATION

            Jody-Ann Maxwell topped the world in the spelling Bee championship in 1998.

JOB POSITION

            Colin Powell , Jamaican born.Served in one of the highest position in the U.S.A. as Secretary of State from 2001 -2004

BOXERS

              World renown boxer Trevor Berbick,  became the world champion in the heavy weight division in the year 1986. Mike McCallum another Jamaican became the word champion for the middle weight division in 1984.

TRACK TEAM

                  The track team has done Jamaica more than proud and has had Jamaicans beaming with pride many times.This trend started some 60 years ago with Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley in the men’s 4×400 m relay.These men showed Jamaicans that they can win at any cost. Athletes like Merline Ottey,Donald Quarrie,Grace Jackson,Veronica Campbell,Shelly-Ann Fraser,Kerron Stewart and many others have brought home gold medals and set Jamaica high on the scale as ”the country to beat”.

                Asafa Powell gave Jamaica an outstanding performance and brought home the gold as well a the word record in 2005. He held the world’s record in the 100 m of 9.77 seconds then 9.74 seconds between June 2005 -May 2008.

                Usain Bolt in 2008 acquired the world record of 9.72 seconds in the 100 m race .He went on to top his own record in the olympics  at 9.59 and has the record of being the first man to set the world record in three events (100 m,200 m and 4x100relay)at a single olympics.Usain is currently the world record holder for both the 100m and the 200m races.

Jamaica  a small country,has produced many outstanding achievers.Many can argue and say it is share luck,but good luck rarely strikes twice.There has to be something different about Jamaicans and the way they are brought up.

COMPETITIVENESS

It is eminent that Jamaicans are highly competitive. A closer look into their everyday lives will reveal that from very early competition is introduced.Many Jamaicans begin school at the tender age of two and school in every grade there is competition.At the end of every semester and year a test or exam is given to see what place the student falls in the class,whether it is first,second,third or down the line.An award is usually given to the higher achievers. To attend  high school ,students compete for a place to get into the particular school they desire.There are also annual competitions like sports day,song and speech festival competition,spelling bee ,school’s challenge quiz,football competition among schools,track and field  between schools and the list goes on.

DETERMINATION

           Jamaicans have what you could call a built in determination to win, to be first and to achieve. Regardless of the many hardship that Jamaicans face, there is always a way to conquer their obstacle.

FUN LOVING

          Jamaicans celebrate every chance they get. They make a party out of everything . There are parties for weddings,for funerals ,for someone migrating,for coming home,for graduating,for just being bored. Parties are never out of food ,drinks,dancing and laughter.Jamicans work hard and they play hard.

Looking through the achievements and the lifestyle of Jamaicans it is really no definite answer to the question ”why do Jamaicans excel” ? It could be any one of the three above,it could also be a combination of all three.One thing for sure is that many Jamaicans do excel and that they do have the three characteristics at some point in their lives.

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List of Jamaicans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of notable people from Jamaica (please note although the list does include some non-resident Jamaicans, there are no British people of Jamaican origin listed here, as they can be found in a separate article):

Contents [hide] 1 Activists 2 Artists and writers 3 Beauty contest winners 4 Business 5 Groups 6 Models 7 Musicians 8 Painters 9 Politicians 10 Religious leaders 11 Science and medicine 12 Sports 13 Other 14 See also 14.1 Lists of Overseas Jamaicans 14.2 Lists of non-Jamaicans

[edit]Activists

• Brian Williamson, Gay & Lesbian activist
• Clancy Eccles, Social Activist & Reggae Musician
• Ian McKnight, founder of Jamaica AIDS Support for LIFE (JASL)
• Lenford “Steve” Harvey, AIDS activist
• Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)
• Roxroy Salmon, Jamaican-American immigration activist
• St. William Grant, trade unionist and activist

[edit]Artists and writers

• Alecia McKenzie, writer
• Andrew Salkey, writer
• Anthony McNeill, poet
• Aston Cooke, Playwright, Artistic Director
• Brian Meeks, novelist
• Carl Abrahams, painter
• Carolyn Cooper, writer and cultural theorist
• Claude McKay, Writer
• Claudia Rankine, poet
• Colin Channer, novelist, co-founder of Calabash
• Dennis Scott, poet and playwright
• Edna Manley, sculptor
• Edward Baugh, poet
• Erna Brodber, novelist
• Geoffrey Philp, writer
• George Campbell^{[disambiguation needed]}, poet
• Glen Carty, writer
• Honor Ford-Smith, artist, writer, performer, educator
• Jean “Binta” Breeze, poet
• John Figueroa, poet
• John Hearne, novelist
• Kei Miller, writer
• Kiffra Solomon, writer and producer
• Kwame Dawes, Ghana-born Jamaican writer, co-founder of Calabash
• Lorna Goodison, writer
• Louis Marriott, playwright, actor, director, journalist
• Louise Bennett-Coverly, poet
• Malachi Smith, poet
• Marcia Douglas, writer
• Marcus Garvey, political activist
• Margaret Cezair-Thompson, novelist
• Max Earle, Photographer
• Mervyn Morris, poet
• Michael Ekweueme Thelwell, writer
• Michael Livingston,artist and writer
• Michelle Cliff, writer
• Morris Cargill, journalist
• Mutabaruka, poet
• Natalee Grant, poet, writer
• Nigel Lord, photographer
• Nikeisha A. Ricketts, writer
• Oku Onuora, writer
• Opal Palmer Adisa, writer
• Pamela Colman Smith, artist and writer
• Pamela Mordecai, poet
• Patricia Powell, novelist
• Perry Henzell, writer, director
• Peter Williams, actor
• Philip Henry, artist
• Roger Mais, novelist
• Sharon Fox-Mould, painter
• Staceyann Chin, poet and writer
• Steven A Anderson,writer,producer,businessman(brooklyn born)
• Sylvia Wynter, writer
• Tanita Satchwell writer and editor
• Terry-Ann C. Lee, writer
• Thomas Duffus Hardy, historian
• Thomas Glave, Bronx-born writer
• Una Marston, writer
• Velma Pollard, writer
• Vere Johns, writer, broadcaster, actor
• Victor Stafford Reid, writer
• Walford Campbell, artist
• Grace Jones, model, actor, artist
• Ryan Fraser Writer

[edit]Beauty contest winners

• Carole Joan Crawford, Miss World 1963
• Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976
• Lisa Hanna, Miss World 1993
• Yendi Phillipps, 1st runner-up, Miss Universe 2010

[edit]Business

• Chris Blackwell, President & CEO of Island Records and Palm Pictures, NYC.
• Gordon “Butch” Stewart
• Michael Lee-Chin, Chairman/CEO of AIC Limited., Chairman of NCB Jamaica
• Michael Mordecai, past president of the Atlanta Jamaican Association (AJA). Civil engineer, real estate entrepreneur, sportsman and longtime community leader.
• Samuel Fraunces
• Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Financial Advisor/ TV Personality
• Jacob De Cardova, Founder of Waco, Texas
• Ian Carey Martin, Texas real estate entrepreneur, also involved in real estate in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

[edit]Groups

• Bob Marley and the Wailers
• Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
• Culture
• Inner Circle
• Third World
• Toots and the Maytals

[edit]Models

• Carla Campbell model
• Stacey McKenzie Supermodel, actress, and model coach
• Venice Kong Playboy Playmate
• Tyson Beckford
• Naomi Campbell
• Kiady Brown model, teen herald writer

[edit]Musicians

• Aidonia, dancehall, rap deejay
• Augustus Pablo, reggae singer
• Barrington Levy, reggae singer
• Beenie Man, deejay
• Bei Maejor, [[Music Producer}}, Hip-hop, R & B singer (Jamaican parent)
• Biggie Smalls, rapper (Jamaican parents)
• Bob Marley, reggae singer
• Bounty Killer, reggae musician
• Brigadier Jerry, reggae musician, dancehall deejay
• Buju Banton, reggae singer
• Busta Rhymes, rapper (parents are Jamaican)
• Busy Signal, dancehall & reggae musician deejay
• Byron Lee, Ska & Soca musician
• Canibus, rapper
• Charlie Chaplin, reggae singer
• Chrisette Michelle, singer (Jamaican parent)
• Clancy Eccles, Ska and, Reggae singer,Music producer
• Clive Chin, record producer
• Coxsone Dodd, record producer
• Damian Marley, reggae musician
• Dawn Penn, reggae singer
• Dean Fraser, reggae musician
• Demarco, reggae & dancehall musician
• Desmond Dekker, Ska and Reggae Singer
• Diana King, reggae musician
• Duke Reid, record producer
• Eek-a-Mouse, reggae singer
• Elephant Man, reggae singer
• Ernest Ranglin, jazz, ska, rocksteady and reggae guitarist
• Grace Jones, Singer/Supermodel
• Huey Dunbar, Spanish-language singer with group DLG (Jamaican father)
• Ini Kamoze, reggae musician
• Jimmy Cliff, singer, reggae musician
• Joe Gibbs, record producer
• Joseph Hoo Kim, record producer
• King Tubby, dub musician
• Kiprich, deejay
• Ky-Mani Marley, reggae musician
• Lady Saw, reggae musician
• Lee “Scratch” Perry, reggae musician
• Mad Cobra, dancehall deejay
• Mavado, dancehall & reggae musician
• Mikey Smith, Dub poet
• Mr. Vegas, deejay
• Patra, Dancehall musician
• Peter Tosh, reggae musician
• Prince Buster, ska singer & producer
• Sasha, deejay
• Sean Paul Henriques, dancehall musician
• sean Kingston, singer
• Serani, reggae/singer
• Shabba Ranks, reggae musician
• Shaggy, singer/songwriter
• Sister Nancy, dancehall deejay
• Sizzla, reggae & dancehall deejay
• T.O.K., a crew of deejays
• Tami Chynn, singer/songwriter
• Vincent “Randy” Chin, record producer and co-founder of VP Records
• Vybz Kartel, dancehall musician, rapperdeejay
• Young Oliver (Jamaican parents)
• Willard White, operatic bass-baritone
• Winston Rodney, reggae musician
• Wynton Kelly, jazz pianist
• Ziggy Marley, reggae musician

[edit]Painters

• Barrington Watson,
• Cecil Cooper
• Edna Manley, painter/sculptor; wife of the late Norman Manley and mother of late Michael Manley

[edit]Politicians

• Norman Manley, Jamaican national hero
• Alexander Bustamante, trade unionist
• Bruce Golding, Prime Minister
• Colin Luther Powell, 65th United States Secretary of State (parents are Jamaican)
• Edward Seaga, Prime Minister
• Michael Manley, Prime Minister
• P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister
• Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister
• Henry Moore, colonial governor
• Trevor Munroe trade unionist and politician

[edit]Religious leaders

• S U Hastings, first Jamaican bishop of the Moravian Church.
• Neville Neil, bishop of the Moravian Church in Jamaica.

[edit]Science and medicine

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[edit]Sports

• Asafa Powell, sprinter, former 100m world record holder
• Atari Bigby, American Football player. He is currently playing for the Green Bay Packers.
• Ben Johnson, Jamaica-born Canadian, disgraced champion sprinter
• Usain Bolt, sprinter, current 100m and 200m world record holder
• Chili Davis, Jamaica-born American, former star Major League Baseball player
• Chris Gayle, Captain of West Indian International Cricket Team
• Courtney Walsh, cricketer
• Dane Richards, Jamaica-born MLS and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for Red Bull New York.
• Devon White, baseball player
• Donald Quarrie, 200 Metre Gold Medalist
• Donald Quarrie, sprinter
• Donovan Bailey, Jamaica-born Canadian, world champion sprinter
• Donovan Ricketts, Jamaica-born MLS and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
• George Headley, cricketer
• Melanie Walker, sprinter, 400m Olympic Record Holder (Beijing 2008)
• Merlene Ottey, Jamaica-born Slovenian sprinter, the world’s most winning female athlete
• Michael Holding, cricketer
• Mike McCallum, champion boxer
• Omar Cummings, Jamaica-born MLS and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for the Colorado Rapids.
• Patrick Ewing, Jamaica-born American, former NBA star
• Austin Tasker, Jamaica-born American, NBA All Star and 3 time MVP
• Ricardo Fuller, Jamaica-born Premier League and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for Stoke City.
• Ricardo Gardner, Jamaica-born Premier League and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers.
• Sanya Richards, Jamaican-born American Sprinter 400m
• Shavar Thomas, Jamaica-born MLS and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for Chivas USA.
• Steve Bucknor, international cricket umpire
• Tyrone Marshall, Jamaica-born MLS and Jamaica national football team football player. He currently plays for Toronto F.C..
• Usain Bolt, Sprinter, World Record and Olympic Record Holder 100m & 200m (Beijing 2008)
• Veronica Campbell-Brown, sprinter

[Stephen Tulloch], National Football League Middle Linebacker for Detroit Lions and N.C. State Wolfpack

[edit]Other

• Christopher Coke – also known as Dudus, is an alleged Jamaican drug lord and the leader of the Shower Posse gang
• Jody-Anne Maxwell – Winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
• Karl Dalhouse former General Secretary of the Kingston YMCA
• Norman Girvan, Economist

[edit]See also

[edit]Lists of Overseas Jamaicans

Some people born abroad to Jamaican heritage are listed in the above sections, however others can be found at:

• List of Jamaican British people
• List of Jamaican Americans

[edit]Lists of non-Jamaicans

Many non-Jamaicans have served the country over the years. Some of them can be found at:

• List of non-Jamaicans who have served Jamaica