The Honorable
LOUISE SIMONE BENNETT-COVERLEY
OM, OJ, MBE, Hon. D. Litt.
Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley Exhibition
Louise Simone Bennett- Coverley, affectionally known as ‘Miss Lou’, is a legendary Jamaican Icon. For over 50 years she contributed significantly to Jamaican theatre, culture (particularly to language) and the literary arts. Miss Lou was a folklorist, actress, poet, singer, comedienne, radio personality and was dubbed as the Queen of Jamaican Theatre and Mother of Jamaican Culture.
Louise Bennett-Coverley
Life of the Honourable Miss Lou
Miss Lou – Unlocking the archives
Artefacts, Academic & Papers 1964-1981, Books & Periodicals, Personal & Professional documents
Cultural Achievements – Louise Bennett Coverley
Poetry, theatre, Radio & Film, Publications
Louise Bennett-Coverley – Miss Lou
Miss Lou’s archive, Legal and Financial, Writing and Performances 1944 – 1988
Louise Bennett-Coverley
Videos on NLJ’s Youtube Channel
- Unlocking the Miss Lou Archives at the National Library – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_ouYEo0RW4
- Miss Lou and the Early Jamaican Theatre – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6mZUxGP8XA
- Miss Lou on Jamaican Proverbs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAxQ3BIF3g –
- Miss Lou on Anancy and Smoked Pork – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UAWbeRkwwc
- Miss Lou on Dinky & Anancy and Yellow Snake – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK6-8CfrYjE
View Miss Lou Collection – https://nljdigital.nlj.gov.jm/items/show/37
Jamaica Gleaner Youtube Channel:
Picture this remembering Miss Lou – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUN7fUC6VZk&t=16s
Dahlia Harris Youtube Channel:
Happy Birthday Miss Lou – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfHate0VQu4&t=188s
Andre Grange Youtube Channel:
Honourable Olivia Grange paying tribute to Miss Lou – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOmfUiqCA2I
Tributes to Miss Lou
Life of The Honourable Louise Bennett-Coverley
The Honorable Louise Bennett-Coverley, OM, OJ, MBE, Hon. D. Litt., was an only child to parents Kerene Robinson and Augustus Bennett. Born on September 7, 1919 and grew up in the heart of Downtown, Kingston with her mother and grandmother. Educated at the Ebenezer and Calabar Elementary schools, St. Simon’s College, and the Excelsior High School. After graduating high school, she then pursued a correspondence course in journalism. She also attended Friends’ College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), for which she was awarded a scholarship and was the first black student to attend that institution.
Marriage and Family Life
Miss Lou was married to Eric Coverley, an actor himself, whom she first encountered while attending the Excelsior High School and was performing at one of their prize-giving ceremonies. They got married on May 30, 1954, while in Harlem, New York at the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. The Coverley home was always filled with children, these included their son Fabian Coverley and all the other adopted children.
Miss Lou’s Favourites
Breakfast: Cornmeal porridge, hot hard dough bread with butter and coffee with milk.
Hymn: “All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small…”
Foods: Roast or Jerk Pork, her favourite, but she loved many of our dishes: Ackee and Saltfish, Stews Peas and Rice, Dumplings and Bammies, Escovitched Fish, Beef Soup.
Flowers: Poinsetta
Favourite drink: Schweppes Bitter Lemon
She enjoyed watching Tom Jones, Sound of Music, and Disney musicals
Migration to Canada
Significant Cultural Achievements
Miss Lou is famously known for her contribution to the development of Jamaica’s Culture, particularly our language. She devotedly believed that the Jamaican creole was worthy of acceptance and nothing to be ashamed of and as a prominent figure in the creative arts, she was able to portray in her poems, dramatizations, stories and folk songs the rich culture of Jamaica.
Poetry
By using the Jamaican vernacular as the basis of all her works, this was critiqued as not the traditional means of writing. She used the Jamaican Creole to create a niche in the world of poetry that resulted in her receiving honours both locally and internationally. Her poems are recited at the JCDC Festival Competition and other formal and informal events and, taught in schools and for research work.
Theatre
Louise Bennett-Coverley was involved with the Little Theatre Movement (LTM) as far back as 1943 and continued until 1971. While she has performed in many pantomimes, she also written and assisted with writing scripts. Miss Lou has played sterling roles in pantomimes such as Music Boy, Busha Bluebeard and Moonshine Anancy. The Pantomime has continued to be a yearly anticipated experience which depicts popular events in Jamaica.
Publications
Louise Bennett’s first publication was in 1942 when dialect verses was issued. Her poems became widely available in 1943 when they began appearing in the Gleaner. She produced several other publications such as Anancy stories and dialect verses (1957), Laugh with Louise (1951), Jamaica Labrish (1955), Anancy and Miss Lou (1979), selected poems (1983) and Aunty Roachy Seh (1993) – her poems and stories have also been included in anthologies and in magazines.
Radio & Film
Her career in radio began during her time at RADA with BBC radio – a programme called “Caribbean Carnival” which was transmitted across the Diaspora. She continued her radio journey in Jamaica with the “Miss Lou’s Views” programme which establised the island’s favourite Aunty Roachy She. Miss Lou also took part in radio plays such as “Miracle in Lime Street” and the “Hannah Bogle Story”. She also hosted her own TV series “Ring Ding” that allowed children to be engaged in Anancy stories, folk songs, dance and poems and had movie appearance in Calypso (1958) and Club Paradise (1986)
Honours & Awards
1960: The member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth II for her work in Jamaican literature and theatre.
1965: The Silver Musgrave Medal of the Institute of Jamaica for her research and contribution to Jamaica’s cultural studies and folklore.
1972: Recipient of Norman Manley Award for excellence in the field of the Performing Arts.
1974: The Order of Jamaica was bestowed on her for her work in the field of Native Culture.
1978: The Gold Musgrave Medal for the Institute of Jamaica in recognition of her contribution to the development of the Arts in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
1979: The API (now Jamaica Information Service) produced, a film entitled ‘The Honourable Miss Lou’ depicting the life and times of this great Jamaican.
1980: Received Centenary Medal by the Institute of Jamaica.
1983: The University of the West Indies awarded her the Honourary Degree of Doctor of Letters (D. Litt).
1986: Jamaican American Caribbean Magazine Award in the field of performing arts. The National Dance Theatre Company honoured Miss Lou with the Musical “Jamaica Calling”.
West Indian Community in Canada paid tribute to her for her contribution to the performing arts.
1987: Given key to the city of Kingston at a civic function held in her honour at the Ward Theatre in appreciation of 50 years in the theatre.
1988: Honoured at the Second Annual Caribbean American Awards of Excellence in Miami.
1997: First recipient of the Best of Kingston Award given by the Jamaica Hotel Tourist Association.
1998: Received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from York University.
Appointed Cultural Ambassador at Large by the Jamaican Government.
2001: Appointed as a Member of the Order of Merit for distinguished contribution to the development of the Arts and Culture.
2003: Inducted as Institute of Jamaica Fellow.
Quotes
“The Heritage Singers in Canada owes a debt of gratitude to Miss Lou, who was one of our main supporters as we worked to preserve Jamaican and Caribbean culture in North America. She was selfless and shared herself and her knowledge willingly. We love you Miss Lou.”
“Miss Lou is undoubtedly the queen of Jamaican culture and theatre. She was proud of the Jamaican language and made it international, influencing people like me so I can stand up on any platform and proudly speak the Jamaican language.”
“I am a declared and devoted daughter and scholar of Miss Lou. She called me, `Dat little Hutchinson chile.’ What a woman! What a legacy! She paved the way for many performers and was very supportive throughout my entire performing career.”
Miss Lou’s brave stance of integrating the Jamaican nation language into her poetry at a time when very little about Jamaica was valued by the `establishment’ enthused me with national pride.”