What makes Jamaica and Jamaicans Irie?

Synonymous to Jamaica in the mind of the world, is the term, Everything Irie, which is usually personified as a Rasta Man, barefooted on a beach with a ganja spliff in hand. As with most things that are commercialized, the true meaning of the word is often obscured. Irie in popular culture has
been diminished to simply mean “good vibes” and even stretched to make it seem that we, as a people are carefree, even borderline idlers. No, Problem Jamaica Man! We as Jamaicans, both those in Jamaican and in the diaspora know that is not true. Yes, we may live near the beach, but life is far from a carefree paradise.

Irrespective of the misappropriation of Irieness, we as a people are indeed Irie and it is for us to reclaim and restate what that means. Irieness, is a state of being, and is born out of the spirit of our heroes, who in spite of their uncomfortable circumstances, had vision of a better future, self belief that they could bring about change, resilience to see through that change even in the face of greater discomfort, all while maintaining a positive outlook and the hopefulness to keep on pressing on.

It is so easy for us to mystify the personage of our heroes, after all, we’ve only ever seen them in monochrome sketches on money, but they were people like us too. Queen Nanny was a female who likely had to overcome sexist judgements about choosing to be a warrior rather than a full-time nurturer and then surmount the dissention that often comes with being a female leader. As a striving, single, childless female I can surely relate to Nanny’s likely experience.

I am equally able to relate, though I’m not brave enough to emulate Sam Sharpe, the enlightened young adult, who is frustrated with the “way things are, or are being done” and decides to mount a fight against the system. I can understand the plight of George William Gordon and Paul Bogle, free men, who in spite of their freedom, appreciated that they were just once removed from slavery, and that if the system didn’t change, not only will many of their loved ones not enjoy the freedoms they
had access to, but equally, the real risk that they and their offspring would likely again become slaves. For us today, it isn’t slavery and freedom but maybe, education or training and opportunity. The subjects may have changed but the paradigm remains the same.

I can be appreciative of the work of Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley, that though free and even privileged, saw it necessary to use their influence to champion causes that benefitted the less fortunate. Think about it, Alexander Bustamante was a free man that in his defense of the oppressed, was detained for seventeen months, only to be released and take up the same fight. To borrow a quote from Nelson Mandela, “For to be free is not to merely cast-off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. Again, let’s replace the word “freedom” here with “opportunity”. The mission of Norman Manley that was shared by Alexander Bustamante remains ours today in “reconstructing (supporting) the social and economic society and life of Jamaica”.

The legacy of these heroes is admirable, inspiring and an encouragement for us to keep on keeping on, because of their life-lived testament, that with dedication and steadfastness, better must come. That to me is what it means to be Irie. So, why all this talk about Irie? I personally was forced to examine the word and its meaning, because I wanted a catchy brand name for a product I created, I settled on Irie Steppings, for no reason other than that outlined in the first phrase of this article. But then, I was live on radio and was asked...” Why Irie?” Thank God, I was able to answer well without much hesitation. But I knew I owed it to what I created to do a deeper dive.

All homage is due to the Rastafarians among us who keep Irieness alive in its unadulterated form, the spirit of positivity, overall wellbeing and gratefulness. But each and every Jamaica Bound individual is Irie, and the Irie Steppings collection from BoxoSox was created to help you celebrate the best of Jamaica in your day to day by simply wearing a pair of beautiful and comfortable socks.

Irie Steppings is my authentic representation of the Jamaican experience in a box of socks. Designed by talented Jamaican artists under the instruction of yours truly, The SOX Lady, with each sock representing a unique part of the Jamaican culture. Designs feature national symbols, traditional sayings, cultural motifs and beautiful scenes that highlight the experience of everyday Jamaicans. Irie Steppings celebrates we as a people, our positivity, our hospitality, our creativity, our country’s
natural beauty and our tenacity.

Since launch at the Diaspora conference in June, I’ve been going going going, caught up in the Socks Storm. Not enough sleep, not enough to eat and not enough time in any day. Lol, pray for me. But when asked, “How am I doing?” the answer has been unwavering, “I am IRIE”, because I know that God will continue to see me through, the hard work will pay off and better days will indeed come.

Happy Heroes Day, my fellow Jamaicans, don’t take today just as a holiday day. Take some time and pay homage to our heroes, for the freedoms they have afforded us. Marcus Garvey said, “A people
without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. Honour the history of our heroes and then take some time to celebrate the hero within you and the heroes within your loved ones. Yes, we know that life is a struggle, but remember, acknowledge and be grateful, that we have life, everything is alright.

Everything Irie!

Ms. Marsha Rae McBean
Chief Operating Officer
marsharae@boxosox.club
876-564-2232 / 754-232-2261
Instagram: @boxosox.club
Website: https://boxosox.club/irie-steppings/