Published by Delawareonline
Written by Anitra Johnson
The movie “Bob Marley: One Love” depicting the life of global reggae icon Bob Marley debuted on Feb. 14. Judy Malcolm’s initial idea was to go to the theater with her cousin and snap a picture, but it soon evolved into something much larger.
As more relatives learned about the plan, interest in attending grew. On the day of the movie’s opening, they gathered in the lobby of the Cinemark at Christiana Mall. Mayor Mike Purzycki of Wilmington presented the family with a proclamation celebrating Black History Month. New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, sponsor of the free family event Reggae in the Park, also attended.
Before Marley went on to sell more than 75 million records, he briefly lived in Wilmington. He had a lot of family there. In addition to his mother, Cedella Booker — formerly Cedella Malcolm — Marley’s aunts, uncles and cousins also lived in the city. Malcolm’s father is one of Cedella Booker’s brothers.
Malcolm said that even though they all still live in Delaware, the family hadn’t met together in years.
“It was like a family reunion in itself. And it took that movie to do that to us,” Malcolm said.
According to U.S. population data, Delaware is home to nearly 6,000 Jamaicans and over 13,000 West Indians in total. Believing that it isn’t just her family that is losing connection, Malcolm said she envisions a place where people can unite and learn about the presence of Jamaicans in Delaware and the contributions they’ve made.
To make this happen, she is working on opening the Jamaican Heritage and Reggae Museum to promote cultural heritage and awareness of Jamaican history. Among the artifacts she plans to exhibit is a picture of her with her cousin at the screening.
