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The Order of National Hero is an honour awarded by the government of
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
. It is a part of the
Jamaican honours system The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 (Act No. 21 of 1969). The system is modelled largely on the British honours system, which ...
that has been in place since 1969.


Description

The highest of the five
Jamaican Orders of the Societies of Honour The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 (Act No. 21 of 1969). The system is modelled largely on the British honours system, which ...
, the Order of National Hero is given only to Jamaican citizens for "services of the most distinguished nature" to the nation. It can be awarded either
posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' ...
ly or on the occasion of the recipient's retirement from active public life."National Honours and Awards"
, Jamaica's Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, accessed April 13, 2006.
Recipients are permitted to wear the insignia of the Order, and they are given the
style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
of " The Right Excellent"."National Awards of Jamaica"
, Jamaica Information Service, accessed May 12, 2015.
They are also traditionally honoured with a tomb or monument in National Heroes Park, as well as a plaque or shield displayed in some prominent national place, such as the
Institute of Jamaica The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), founded in 1879, is the country's most significant cultural, artistic and scientific organisation: The title of "National Hero of Jamaica" or the post-nominal letters ONH can be used following a recipient's name. The Order of National Hero was created by the ''National Honours and Awards Act'', which was passed by Parliament in 1969. This act also designated Paul Bogle,
George William Gordon George William Gordon (1820 – 23 October 1865) was a wealthy mixed-race Jamaican businessman, magistrate and politician, one of two representatives to the Assembly from St. Thomas-in-the-East parish. He was a leading critic of the colonia ...
, and
Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...
as the first three recipients of the honour. The insignia of the Order of National Hero is a fourteen-pointed gold and white star, centered on a black enameled medallion. The medallion features the
Jamaican coat of arms Considered as a legacy from the British with slight modifications, the Jamaican coat of arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal Warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury. Official description T ...
in gold
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
, and it is encircled by the motto of the Order, which is "He built a city which hath foundations". The insignia is typically worn on a neck ribbon in the national colors of Jamaica (black, gold and green), along with a laurel wreath of gold and green enamel.


Recipients

, the Order of National Hero has been conferred upon 7 recipients: *Sir
Alexander Bustamante Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (born William Alexander Clarke; 24 February 1884 – 6 August 1977) was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica. Early life and education He wa ...
*
Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...
*
George William Gordon George William Gordon (1820 – 23 October 1865) was a wealthy mixed-race Jamaican businessman, magistrate and politician, one of two representatives to the Assembly from St. Thomas-in-the-East parish. He was a leading critic of the colonia ...
*
Norman Manley Norman Washington Manley (4 July 1893 – 2 September 1969) was a Jamaican statesman who served as the first and only Premier of Jamaica. A Rhodes Scholar, Manley became one of Jamaica's leading lawyers in the 1920s. Manley was an advocate ...
*
Nanny of the Maroons Queen Nanny, Granny Nanny, or Nanny of the Maroons ONH (c. 1686 – c. 1733), was an 18th century leader of the Jamaican Maroons. She led a community of formerly enslaved Africans called the Windward Maroons. In the early 18th century, under ...
*
Samuel Sharpe Samuel Sharpe, or Sharp (1801 – 23 May 1832), also known as Sam Sharpe, was an enslaved Jamaican who was the leader of the widespread 1831–32 Baptist War slave rebellion (also known as the Christmas Rebellion) in Jamaica. He was proclai ...
* Paul Bogle


References

;General
Order of National Hero
Jamaica Information Service.
Order of National Hero
Office of the Prime Minister. ;Inline National Hero Awards established in 1969 Hero (title) {{ODM-stub