Each time I walk along Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston, I am struck by the murals plastered across the walls—meant, we are told, to “depict Jamaican culture.” Yet, what greets the eye are prominent displays of white rum bottles, gamblers hunched over domino tables, and women in revealing attire. These images sit directly beside the park where children play and across from Kingston’s business hotels, forming the backdrop for both our families and our visitors.

Is this truly the best of us? Is this what we want our children to absorb as the essence of Jamaican identity? Much like a curriculum that elevates revelry over integrity and grace, these murals reduce our heritage to alcohol, indulgence, and spectacle. They tell a story that drags our society downward in the name of income, rather than lifting it upward in dignity.

The Word of God reminds us: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any People.” (Proverbs 14:34). If we continue to plaster our city with images of rum bottles and revelry, that is the story we will tell the world—and worse, the story we will tell our children. But if we choose instead to highlight dignity, beauty, creativity, and integrity, we will remind both ourselves and our visitors that Jamaica is more than entertainment; it is a people of depth, talent, and grace.