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Jamaican music royalty’s next generation has opened up about a deeply personal spiritual struggle. Jahazeil Myrie, son of reggae-dancehall icon Buju Banton, recently credited divine intervention and his father’s controversial music with helping him overcome homosexual inclinations during an appearance on Sheena Lyn Hanson’s faith-based podcast, Sheena Power Talk.

In candid testimony filled with Jamaican patois, Myrie revealed his psychological battle, stating, “Satan manipulate your mind and your character” in reference to nearly “turning fish”—a local derogatory term for homosexual men. The young Myrie described how his father’s 1992 track ‘Boom By Bye,’ notoriously known for its violent anti-gay lyrics, ironically served as a catalyst for his return to Christianity.

“My father’s song dragged back my memory,” Myrie explained, recounting how the song prompted him to attend church the following day. This revelation comes with significant historical context: Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie) originally recorded the homophobic track as a teenager targeting a specific pedophile in his community, but later ceased performing it in 2007 before ultimately removing it from streaming platforms in 2019 with a public apology acknowledging the pain it caused.

Myrie, baptized earlier this year, emphasized that his struggle was primarily spiritual rather than physical. He cited repeated emotional hurt and rejection in relationships with women as contributing factors to his confusion, ultimately finding resolution through Christian faith. “God always shows up every time I am about to give up,” Myrie testified, highlighting perceived divine guidance in both his personal life and music career.

The interview clip, subsequently shared on Myrie’s Instagram, has sparked conversation about religion, sexuality, and the complex legacy of dancehall music’s historical relationship with LGBTQ+ issues.

The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, is poised to host an elevated iteration of its annual Miss SoSci pageant this Sunday, March 8th. Eight distinguished finalists from the Faculty of Social Sciences will contend for the coveted title in a strategic relocation to the faculty’s more capacious lecture theatre, a move designed to amplify the event’s production standards and audience experience.

Jermaine Francis, the UWI Guild representative, articulated the deliberate reasoning behind the venue shift. “Our objective was to secure a professional space that authentically mirrors the growing prestige of Miss SoSci,” Francis stated. He emphasized that the new setting would provide a stage commensurate with the excellence the faculty promotes, thereby enhancing the overall spectacle for attendees and participants alike.

The triumphant candidate will be awarded a substantial cash prize of $100,000, supplemented by an array of sponsors’ gifts. Francis clarified that these rewards are structured not merely as accolades but as investments in the winner’s personal development and her subsequent ambassadorial responsibilities within the academic community.

Patrons anticipating the coronation can expect a meticulously orchestrated event featuring diverse segments. These will include talent exhibitions, evening wear presentations, and a probing question-and-answer round engineered to assess the contestants’ critical thinking, advocacy skills, and leadership potential.

The pageant has garnered significant endorsement from Corporate Jamaica this year. Francis highlighted intentional partnerships with organizations that share a vision for nurturing youth leadership and professionalism. This corporate engagement has been instrumental in boosting production quality and reflects a broader recognition of the value in empowering student development.

Richard Barclay, the pageant’s director, detailed the selection methodology for the finalists. An interview process comprising a series of evaluative questions culminated in the selection of eight candidates from various departments across the faculty. Barclay noted the search focused on identifying well-rounded individuals capable of representing the faculty with distinction.

The competitors themselves bring diverse motivations and backgrounds. Rheanna Williams, an International Relations and Management undergraduate, perceives the competition as a catalyst for personal growth and an expansion of her horizons. Similarly, Tourism Management student Melissa Downer described her entry as impulsive yet ultimately rewarding, despite a hectic schedule.

For Summer Pottinger, a second-year Marketing student, the pageant presented a long-awaited opportunity to represent her faculty. Latania Townsend, a third-year Human Resources student and established campus leader, entered to merge her interest in modeling with her commitment to leadership, acquiring invaluable skills such as professional poise. Kelisha Francis, a Political Science scholar, echoed the sentiment, affirming the experience’s immense value. The complete roster of finalists also includes Lisa-Gay Mills, Jannel Watson, and Leanne Williams.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A prominent Jamaican educational leader has issued a compelling call to dismantle persistent stereotypes surrounding technical and vocational education, tracing their origins to the island’s post-emancipation era. Dr Darien Henry, Principal of Montego Bay Community College, delivered this transformative message during the Institute of Vocational Education and Skills Training (INVEST) graduation ceremony held recently at Mount Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Dr Henry presented compelling evidence that technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has evolved into a demanding, industry-relevant, and globally competitive educational pathway. He highlighted the Caribbean Examinations Council’s modernization of technical programmes and HEART/NSTA Trust’s successful development of world-class chefs and highly skilled ICT professionals as testament to this transformation.

The educator identified the historical roots of what he termed a “psychological barrier” within Jamaica’s education system, explaining that following emancipation, debates within the colonial assembly revealed divergent views on education’s purpose. Some viewed education as means of intellectual advancement while others believed it should primarily prepare former slaves for continued labor within the plantation economy.

“This early utilitarian framing subtly positioned skills-based education as training for labour, while academic education became associated with leadership and governance,” Henry explained. “Though Jamaica has since modernised its technical and vocational pathways, remnants of that colonial hierarchy persist.”

Dr Henry proposed strategic solutions including harmonizing STEM disciplines with technical education, arguing that “the artificial separation between technical and academic disciplines no longer reflects the realities of modern industry.” He recommended that every secondary student pursue at least one technical subject alongside core academics, emphasizing six essential literacies: reading, writing, oral communication, numeracy, digital literacy, and scientific literacy.

Addressing Jamaica’s labor market challenges, Henry warned of a “structural mismatch” where employers report difficulty finding skilled workers while young people struggle to find stable employment. He revealed concerning statistics: only 15% of Jamaica’s workforce holds tertiary-level qualifications, and of approximately 28,000 students sitting CSEC examinations in 2025, only about 6,200 achieved five or more subjects with under half passing mathematics.

“If productivity is to increase, competence must increase,” Henry asserted, stressing the critical need for investment in high schools, community colleges, polytechnics, and teacher preparation institutions as automation and artificial intelligence reshape global workforce demands.

The ceremony celebrated graduates of the TUI Academy, a partnership between TUI Care Foundation and INVEST that has empowered over 120 western Jamaican youth with industry-aligned skills in tourism and hospitality. Henry urged graduates to view their certifications as foundations for continuous growth: “Technical excellence, pursued with seriousness and integrity, is intellectual excellence. A prepared workforce remains the foundation of a productive nation.”

Residents across Kingston and St. Andrew are expressing mounting frustration with their municipal corporation’s chronic unresponsiveness, even as the authority appeals for patience during ongoing technical difficulties. The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) recently acknowledged switchboard problems in a public notice, assuring constituents that technical teams were working to restore communication channels while promising to address complaints promptly upon receipt.

The corporation directed citizens to alternative communication methods via email at directoradmin.services@cwjamaica.com or customerservice@ksamc.gov.jm. However, this technical explanation has failed to placate residents who describe years of systemic neglect regarding building code enforcement and developer violations.

The discontent intensified following January comments from KSAMC Senior Building Inspector Duane Allison, who publicly encouraged Jamaicans to utilize the municipality’s complaint system for reporting building breaches. Allison detailed multiple reporting avenues including the KSAMC website’s ‘Report Breaches’ section and dedicated hotlines at (876) 967-0585/4195.

Shakera, a resident who spoke with the Jamaica Observer, expressed astonishment at these recommendations, revealing her two-year struggle with unresponsive communication channels. ‘If you’re lucky enough to reach the operator, they transfer you to the building department and nine to 10 times, nobody answers,’ she recounted, describing endless call cycles that rarely produced action beyond token acknowledgments.

In Beverly Hills, the citizens’ association reported rampant violations including illegal Sunday construction, missing permits, and environmental disruption. A representative noted that Sunday construction has become routine despite explicit prohibition under the Building Act (2018), with contractors sometimes claiming special permissions without providing evidence.

The association spokesperson highlighted additional problems including construction dust, noise pollution, and improper dumping of concrete onto public roads. ‘Residents have to check camera footage themselves to figure out which truck did it. That shouldn’t be our job,’ she emphasized.

Sandhurst Crescent residents represented by a community spokesperson described accelerated construction without transparency or notice. While not opposing development fundamentally, they expressed concerns about absent notifications, unclear urban planning, and unanswered questions regarding fire safety, emergency vehicle access, and sewage capacity for new structures.

‘One KSAMC officer told us they don’t have enough building inspectors,’ the representative revealed, questioning how adequate oversight could occur given resource constraints. Multiple attempts by the Jamaica Observer to contact Mayor Andrew Swaby for response yielded no results.

While residents hope restored communications might improve responsiveness, widespread skepticism remains as most concerns significantly predate the current technical outage.