Senate welcomes Poet Laureate Kwame Dawes, pays tribute to Harding and Francis

The Senate of Jamaica on Friday, July 17, 2026 suspended regular business to welcome Poet Laureate Professor Kwame Dawes, CD, then resumed with tributes to former Senate President Professor the Honourable Oswald Harding and athletics coach the Honourable Vincent Stephen Francis, OJ.

Senate President Thomas Tavares-Finson said members joining by social and other media were recognised before inviting Dawes, Jamaica’s fourth Poet Laureate since Independence, who was invested in January 2025 for a three-year term. He follows Mervyn Morris (2014–16), Lorna Goodison (2017–20) and Olive Senior (2021–24), both of whom had previously visited the chamber.

Dawes, a Jamaica College schoolmate of the President and Senator Lambert Brown, holds the Musgrave Silver Medal (2004) and the Order of Distinction, Commander class (2022). He teaches literary arts at Brown University, works with the African Poetry Book Fund, and is artistic director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. He was joined by family and by Jamaica Library Service officials Francine Francis and Mario Ricketts.

Addressing senators, Dawes described poets as chroniclers of sentiment and outlined a series celebrating major Jamaican poets—including Claude McKay, Una Marson, Louise Bennett and his father, Neville Dawes—before reading selections from his own work and his father’s poem “Acceptance.” The Minister of Education thanked him and said the ministry stands ready to collaborate on poetry and literature in schools. Senators Scott Muller and others also welcomed him; appreciation for Calabash co-founder Justine Henzell was placed on the record.

Public business opened with recognition of the death that morning of West Indies cricket great Sir Garfield Sobers, followed by extended tributes to Harding—longest continuous-serving senator, three-term Senate President, former justice minister and attorney-general, founding dean of law at the University of Technology, and arts patron whose Hardingham ceramics collection is among the Caribbean’s most significant. Condolences were extended to his wife Marigold and sons Jeremy and Zachary. A National Gallery tribute was to be forwarded to the family, and senators observed a minute’s silence.

Tributes followed for Francis, co-founder and technical director of MVP Track and Field Club, credited with guiding athletes including Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and with more than 110 medals for Jamaica at major championships. He received the Order of Jamaica in 2017. A celebration of his life was announced for August 15 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

The President also noted the deaths of former MPs Dean Alexander Peart (Manchester North Western) and Arthur Eastern Nelson (St. James West Central). The House advised that the Mediation Act 2026 had passed with two amendments on July 14. After birthday wishes to the President, the Senate adjourned to a date to be fixed.