It is a Saturday afternoon in Kingston.

The sound of laughter fills living rooms across Jamaica as children tune in to the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC).

On-screen, a woman in a bright bandana headwrap and a wide smile claps her hands and says, “Children! Children!”

The show she hosts, Ring Ding, is a lively children’s variety program that aired from 1970 to 1982.

It is full of songs, riddles, folk tales, and the sound of Jamaican speech in all its beauty.

For the children watching, this show is a celebration of their voice, their rhythm, and their culture.

This is the story of Louise Bennett-Coverley, the woman who taught Jamaicans to love their language and themselves.

The voice of the people

Louise Bennett was born in Kingston in 1919.

From a young age, Louise had an undiluted love for Jamaican culture, especially the Jamaican language, Patois.

While others dismissed Patois as “broken English,” she knew it was poetry.

After studying drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, Miss Lou returned home determined to make Jamaican language and folklore part of national pride.

Wherever she got the opportunity, she performed poems and monologues in Patois and quickly became famous for turning everyday speech into art.

Miss Lou's most beloved characters include the market woman, the storyteller, and the sharp-tongued grandmother who brought the stories of ordinary Jamaicans to life.

Her poems such as Colonization in Reverse and No Lickle Twang showed that Jamaican expression carried intelligence, identity, and pride.

A cultural icon

In addition to her weekly television show in Jamaica, Louise Bennett’s influence stretched far beyond television.

She mentored young artists, inspired poets, and shaped how the world heard Jamaica.

Many musicians, including Bob Marley, credited her for giving Jamaicans the confidence to speak and sing in their own language.

She received countless awards, including the Order of Merit, for her contribution to culture and education.

Even after migrating to Canada in her later years, she continued to promote Jamaican traditions.

Miss Lou's gift to Jamaica

Today, Miss Lou’s spirit lives on in classrooms, theatres, and festivals across Jamaica.

In Gordon Town, St. Andrew, you can visit Louise Bennett-Coverley Square, renamed in her honor.

At its center stands a life-size bronze statue of this cultural icon, her smile captured forever in mid-story.

Louise Bennett-Coverley taught Jamaicans to laugh, to listen, and to love the sound of their own speech, a gift that continues to shape the island’s voice and identity.

Image credit: Jamaica Experiences / AI artwork created with ChatGPT (OpenAI)