Sydney Roberts (left), president/executive director of Jamaica Awareness Inc. and director, Eddy Edwards. - Contributed photos
MIAMI:
In honour of Jamaica's 44th Independence anniversary celebrations, the Bank of America Tower at International Place in downtown Miami was lit on Friday August 4 at dusk in the colours of the Jamaican flag - black, green and gold.
While it is not unusual for the tower to be lit for special events in Miami, it is exceptional that the lighting will remain throughout the weekend into the morning of Tuesday August 8, as a tribute to the influence of the Jamaican community in South Florida.
In 1987 the building, then called the Centrust Tower, was lit in the Jamaican colours for Jamaica's 25th anniversary of Independence. Jamaica Aware-ness, Inc., made the request as part of the celebration of the Miami Reggae Festival which took place in Bicentennial Park.
According to Jamaica's Consul General, Ricardo Allicock, "the lighting of the tower symbolises the pride taken by the Jamaican community in its independent nation, but also signifies the growing impact of Jamaicans in this region, making it possible for this event to take place."
To mark the celebrations, the public is being invited to a reception hosted by the Miami office of the Consulate General of Jamaica. The event beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 4, will be held at the nearby Jamaica International Café, located at 119 Southeast First Avenue downtown Miami.
