Joy Lawrence OH
Profile
Joy Lawrence OH is a poet, historian, folklorist, and retired educator who has taught at all levels in the local education system. Her formal teaching journey began at the Bethesda Primary School (1968-1974), continued at the Pares Secondary School (1974-1987), and culminated at the Antigua State College (1987-2006).
Her historical interest developed after learning that Bethesda, the village from which she hails, was home to the first school for the enslaved in the British West Indies. She continues her quest to document our history one village at a time by turning her attention to the Point area.
For many years, her poem ‘Let the Child be Heard’ (from her poetry collection “Island Spice”, pg. 20) was utilized by the Ministry of Education in Antigua & Barbuda in an electronic media campaign meant to raise public awareness about the significant role children play as indispensable members of society who can think for themselves and with minds “yet clouded/ with prejudices, stereotypes and fears”.
In 2004, Lawrence was the recipient of a UNESCO Honour Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Improvement of Literacy and the Development of the Literary Arts in Antigua and Barbuda.
In 2017, she was the recipient of a national award and was named an Officer of the Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage for her tireless years of service in the fields of education, culture, and history.
In 2016 Miss Lawrence’s poem ‘The Whirlwind’ published in “Island Spice” was republished as the Antiguan and Barbudan contribution in a collection meant for children and young adults—“A River of Stories – Tales and Poems from across the Commonwealth” by Juliet Flett. Additionally, that same year, Miss Lawrence’s poem ‘My Civic Pledge’ written especially for the primary school children of Antigua and Barbuda was adopted by the Ministry of Education. The poem called upon children to be civic minded by protecting the environment–planting trees and keeping their community clean.
Map
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.