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Approximately 6,000 Jamaicans live in Delaware, but there is a severe lack of resources and dedicated centers for the community.
Introducing Judy Malcolm, who is working to fill that void.
Malcolm came to the United States from St. Catherine, Jamaica, at the age of 15. She is Bob Marley’s second cousin. Driven by her passion for Jamaican heritage and reggae music, she has amassed her resources and is actively working to establish a Jamaican Heritage and Reggae Museum. She hopes this will be a place that fosters unity among Jamaicans in Delaware.
When she first came to Delaware, she thought it was a time when Jamaicans and other people of color were more united than ever. It wasn’t until later that she realized that what she thought was a sense of belonging was actually the result of forced busing of inner-city students to increase diversity in suburban schools. It was about.
“I didn’t even know there was a bus service until years later… They used to bus us from Wilmington to Glasgow, where I went to school.” she said. “I’ve been so busy getting used to saying, ‘I’m okay.’ I’m in a new place. I’m not with my mom. I’m in a place that’s not very familiar.”
Whatever the reason, Malcolm said it really felt like unity among Jamaicans. She fondly recalls a time when her entire family spoke Patois, a lyrical English-based Creole with West African influences.
“We came here as a small community. Our culture was very strong, we spoke Patois, and we could go to Jamaican clubs that don’t exist anymore,” she said. “Everyone was close-knit, but what happened was that over generations and time everyone was excluded.”