An interesting question: why did a small country like JA have this outsized global cultural impact. Some thoughts: a) JA had most extensive oppressive large slave plantation regime; b) long history of frequent revolts hence the 'rebel' tradition;

c) preservation of Black cultural links via arrivals from Africa pre-post abolition slave trade; d) harsh post-emancipation economic regime leading to severe rural immiseration and rural-urban/external migration; d) early growth of inner city communities around railway terminals

In sum: in JA the confrontation with White colonial oppression took a particularly acute form and led to cultural expressions which resonated universally.

A lot of Marley's music is about a rural youth migrating to Trench Town where he confronts colonial oppression aka 'Babylon'. Same for 'conscious lyrics' in general. Very interesting how many artists are of rural small farmer origin

Btw, It's not widely appreciated that the Slave Trade to JA was much larger than to the US. Mortality was immense before/after Emancipation hence pop differentials today. Also, JA plantations much larger in land and in number of enslaved per plantation. Distinctive

Rastafari likewise, as Barry Chevannes showed, arose very much out of the oppression of the Black rural poor. An affirmation of Black rural peasant values against the 'Babylon system' prevalent in the towns

Many of our outstanding athletes also have this same small farmer rural origin. Or, in the case of Shelly-A, urban working class origin which is NOT the same as what people casually (and insultingly) call 'ghetto'

One should add: the extremely strong JA emphasis on 'ambition' and self-improvement has the same source. In a way, so does the high level of violent crime. Driving ambition bottled up and frustrated but determined to break out by any means necessary

Just to give you an idea of the exceptional harshness of the JA slave regime: 1million + brought in and enslaved from Africa. Population emancipated from slavery in 1833: 317,000!!

Think on that when resding about statues to slave traders/masters

One should add an e) the specific nature of the colonial power. The British. A single colonial power for 307 years. Since this power was THE world power with a far-flung global empire, our resistance necessarily took on a universalistic character with global appeal

An f) Bcoz of scale of JA plantations/brutal labor regime/mtn terrain/small resident white pop/large scale of arrivals from Africa, therefore many revolts. So, the erosion of local African ethnic divisions & consolidation of a broad Black identity. Helps to understand Garvey

This last point which I first wrote about 30 years ago particularly key: Complete and total absence of any specific African tribal identity in JA, Maroons excepted. Many examples of Akan/Igbo/Ibibio influences but zero sense of ethnic identity. This puzzles some African friends

No Umunna nor Abusua; no elders no clans. Just a common Black identity plus a very intense national patriotism. This fierce patriotism is across all social classes and is unusual in a recently formed 'New Nation'

This intense nationalism can carry with it the negative of an overbearing insularity/boastfulness esp with respect to our Caribbean brethren. Very annoying and destructive. But not the main thing. One love still as our friend always writes @RasBenjiMassop1

So a caution: careful not to Romanticize JA. We have nuff faults like every people. No badda wid di Tourist Board rubbish bout 'Brand Jamaica.' Be modest and humble. Calm dung!

One should stress at Emancipation in JA 1834 British denied vast majority of newly freed any legal access to land. So, we became a nation of squatters. Very deep rural immiseration leading to big revolt in 1865. Also outmigration to Panama/Cuba/Costa Rica/US.