KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) Culture and Heritage Commission is endorsing what it says is a growing call to formally designate June 16 as a national day of recognition for Leonard Percival Howell, widely regarded as the founder of the Rastafari Movement.

June 16, 2026, marks the 128th anniversary of his birth.

In recognition, the commission noted that, aside from national hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey, few Jamaicans have inspired a homegrown spiritual, philosophical and cultural movement with such far-reaching global influence.