Veteran deejay Ninja Man is demanding that the government ‘free-up’ parties and social gatherings for the celebration of Black History/Reggae Month.“Black History Month and Reggae Month are the same month for a reason,” he said.
“More activities fi a gwaan fi celebrate both. Reggae music is all about the rights of people, celebrating our culture, and so this month a di month weh everything inna reggae and dancehall fi free up.” Ninja Man told The Star.
“Black History Month will always be relevant, but people need to start make more use of the month. People need fi feel more freedom inna di air. Enough nah gwaan inna di month fi people come out and celebrate, so we need more activities,” he said.
“This is the one time a di year when yuh a keep an event yuh shouldn’t haffi go look fi get permit. Yuh fi just go and tell the police say we wanna keep something because it’s Black History Month and Reggae Month, and we a celebrate wi culture and wi freedom. A unity time now. After this month, everything can go back to normal.”
However, Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay told The Star that the police do not have the authority to free up permits.
“Unfortunately, the police don’t have that authority (to free up permits). We are constrained by the law and we have to operate within the legislation,” she explained.
“For that to happen, the legislatures in Parliament would have to make a law that will allow us to do that. The law will have to say that for the period of Black History Month we have modified the provisions so people hosting events will be offered leniency in some areas.”
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