Follow the Nanny

The Spanish word cimarrón means wild, from which the Maroons -- a group of runaway slaves who established the first independent polity in Jamaica’s mountains -- derived their name. Their city remains as a testimony to the indomitable spirit of these Africans. Karla Gottlieb became fascinated with the Maroons’ fearless...

By Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik

May 25, 2006

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The Spanish word cimarrón means wild, from which the Maroons -- a group of runaway slaves who established the first independent polity in Jamaica’s mountains -- derived their name. Their city remains as a testimony to the indomitable spirit of these Africans. Karla Gottlieb became fascinated with the Maroons’ fearless leader, Queen Nanny, who paved the way for emancipation throughout the Caribbean 300 years ago. She was a maternal figure and an innovative warrior whose military strategies were studied for the Vietnam War. “Her history is so amazing I thought, Wow, I bet there are ten or fifteen books written about her. I started looking around, and there was nothing. I grew obsessed with her,” Gottlieb laughs. After traveling to Mooretown, the enduring Maroon village in Jamaica, to learn more about this forgotten leader, Gottlieb wrote The Mother of Us All, a historical tome and compelling read. Hear Queen Nanny’s incredible story at tonight’s Culture in the City presentation. It begins at 7:00 at the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium, 3280 S. Miami Ave., Miami. Admission is ten dollars. Call 305-752-9595, or visit www.miamisci.org.
Wed., May 31

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