Today, we remember the life and legacy of Jamaica’s most charismatic, visionary & popular prime minister, Michael Norman Manley, who was born on this day, December 10,1924.

A not so brief trend of his life is below:

Micheal Manley was the younger of two sons of renowned West Indian artist, Edna Manley & Jamaica’s national hero Norman Manley, one of the architects of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Jamaica’s chief minister (1955–59) and premier (1959–62)

In 1935 Manley was enrolled at the Jamaica College. Unfortunately, Manley became a victim of school bullies & was a social outcast. Manley’s negative experience at school could, arguably, because of his speech impediment & his father’s reputation as both a scholar & athlete

Manley said, “Dad’s thing was so legendary, you just could not move anywhere at JC; he had the best bowling average for 3 years, second most goals scored in soccer for 3 years; champion athlete (Rhodes scholar)...everywhere you turned you saw his picture. It was just too much”

A dispute with the headmaster of JC would see Manley leaving JC & Jamaica for Canada in 1943. He joined the Royal Air Force but quickly became bored with military life & constant exams. In late 1945, Manley migrated to Britain.

In early 1946, he enrolled at the London School of Economics (LSE) to finish his undergraduate degree in economics. After a brief hiatus after the birth of his first daughter, Manley returned to LSE where he now chose to study Political Journalism

At LSE, Manley became close with the fame Marxist academic Harold Laski, who advocated for “ the marriage of socialism and democracy.”

It was this relationship with Laski & his father’s own socialistic ideologies that frame Manley school of thought on ‘Democratic Socialism”

Manley work for the London Observer in 1951; however, by the end of the year, he returned to JAM & work for Public Opinion, a leftist weekly newspaper run by PNP founder, OT Fairclough. Manley used the newspaper to express his ideologies & attack the JLP backed, Daily Gleaner

He became active in the trade-union movement, attaining leadership positions in the PNP backed, National Worker’s Union which gained recognition as a skilled negotiator. Around that time he was elected as a member of PNP’s National Executive Council.

In 1962, he was appointed to the Senate. Still he continued his trade union work. In 1964, he participated in the strike by the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), the organization created by his father. Manley’s organization of the strike gained him national attention

In 1967, Micheal Manley was elected as a MP for East - Central Kingston. Still, PNP had issues: after losing two back to back general election, political challenges from the younger generation within the PNP, coupled with internal fighting, created a crisis for the party.

In 1969, after his father’s retirement form politics, Micheal won the presidency of the PNP against his opponent Vivian Blake. It was after this that Manley started identifying himself as “Joshua”, and carrying the Rod of Correction, allegedly given to him by Haile Selassie.

Exploiting religious symbols, becoming the first PM candidate to campaign with reggae music (him understanding it’s public appeal) & employing his considerable charisma, Manley led the PNP to victory in the general election of 1972, under the slogan, “Betta Mus Come”

Once in office, Manley set about implementing socialistic policies, he called “democratic socialism” & became a champion of the less-developed nations’ nonaligned movement. In 1973 he was one of the founders of CARICOM and strengthened Jamaica relationships with Cuba

Under his tenure, there was the introduction of such social & economic reforms such as the Minimum Wage Law, compulsory recognition of labour unions, maternity leave for women, the Children’s Act which granted equal status to children born to unwed as well as married parents.

Free secondary education was introduced & The Jamaica Movement for the Advancement of Literacy (JAMAL) & the Basic School Development Programmes were created. Manley’s Government also introduced the Bauxite Levy that exacted 7.5% of the earnings from bauxite sales.

Manley also popularized the iconic Kariba suit which he stated was more suitable for Jamaica climate and a rejection of colonialism. He was also the person who popularised the practice of jogging around the Mona Reservoir, where for many years he exercised each day

He would also be very vocal about the apartheid movement of South Africa. For his efforts, he was awarded the United Nations Gold Medal, the Juliot Curie Peace Award & one of two Jamaicans to be honored by the SA gov with the Oliver Tambo Award; PJ Patterson is the other Jamaican

In 1976, Manley end up winning the general election giving him a second term in office. Over the next few years, political violence peaked in Jamaica & he lost the 1980 election to the Edward Seaga of the JLP. Between 1980 & 1989, the JLP governed.

However, it was only between 1980 & 1983 that PNP was officially the Opposition due to the “Snap Elections” of 1983 which Manley led PNP refused to contest on the grounds that the gov had promised electoral reform. Between 1983 & 1989 there was no constitutional opposition.

Still, by the late 1980s, however, Manley had adopted a more moderate outlook & favoured closer relations with the US. In 1989 he was again elected prime minister. However this, time he pursue more right leaning policies such as free- market policies etc.

He was force to resign from politics in 1992 because of severe health issues which paved the way for his protoje PJ Patterson to gained leadership of PNP. In 1994, he led the team which oversaw the first post apartheid South African election. Manley died on March 10, 1997 at 73.

Over his lifetime he was written a number of books which with the exception of A History of West Indian Cricket, are all politics related.

A few are seen below:

For his contribution to the development of Jamaica & his endless work in the advancement of developing countries across the globe as well as his fight for equality in Southern Africa, we remember the life & legacy of PM Michael Manley, ON, OCC