Theme: Freedom Through Education – Join the Legacy
Broadcast Time: 8:15 a.m. | Station: TVJ | Date: Emancipation Day, August 1

The Mico University College is proud to announce that its President’s official Emancipation Month Address will be broadcast across national television and radio today, Thursday, August 1, as the country pauses to reflect on one of the most significant milestones in our national story.

The special address, titled “Freedom Through Education – Join the Legacy,” will air on TVJ at 8:15 a.m., with radio broadcasts to follow on multiple stations throughout the day.

In his message, President Dr. Asburn Pinnock calls on Jamaicans to view Emancipation not just as a historical moment, but as an ongoing mission—one that can only be fulfilled through education.

“Freedom without education is an unfinished journey,” he declares, reminding the nation that The Mico was founded in 1836, just two years after emancipation, to educate the children of freed slaves and their teachers.

With nearly 200 years of legacy behind it, The Mico University College continues to be one of Jamaica’s largest producers of educators and community leaders. The President highlights how Mico’s impact now stretches beyond classrooms into business, engineering, finance, technology, and the creative industries, making a powerful case for education as the cornerstone of national development.

As part of its Emancipation Month activities, The Mico is also launching a national road tour under the theme “Join the Legacy”, aimed at reaching youth in communities across Jamaica with opportunities to pursue tertiary education. The institution is offering scholarships across a wide range of programmes and working closely with the Student Loan Bureau to ease access to financing.

The President’s address is both a call to action and a reaffirmation of The Mico’s founding purpose:

“Fellow Jamaicans, there are bright young minds across every parish, waiting for a chance to excel. Tell them that The Mico’s doors are open. Now is the time to Join the Legacy. Be a legend.”

As the nation celebrates its freedom today, The Mico invites all Jamaicans to remember that true freedom is secured through opportunity—and opportunity begins with education.

📺 Don’t miss the Emancipation Day Presidential Address at 8:15 a.m. on TVJ.

FULL TEXT OF EMANCIPATION ADDRESS FROM THE MICO

Theme: Freedom Through Education – Join the Legacy

“My fellow Jamaicans,

On Emancipation Day, and throughout the month of August The Mico University College invites the nation to reflect on a simple truth: freedom without education is an unfinished journey.

The Mico was founded in 1836, just two years after the Emancipation Act. The institution was created to educate the children of freed slaves and their educators – to equip Jamaicans with the tools to rise, the tools to lead, and the tools to build a new society being born from bondage. That was our beginning. And that continues to be The Mico’s purpose today.

In this important season we are also being reminded that the freedom to choose is sacred, and that real choice only exists when there is real opportunity. 

My fellow Jamaicans, real opportunity only comes when individuals are empowered by knowledge, and that is why educating our people matters as much today as it did at emancipation. still matters so much today.

To speak plainly, at The Mico, we believe that education is the most powerful and lasting tool of freedom. It is what allows children from modest means to become scientists, bankers, lawyers, skilled artisans, innovators, teachers, and so much more. Education is the tool that creates legends.

That is why after nearly 200 years of legacy, The Mico continues to train a large portion of Jamaica’s teachers. And today our legacy does not stop in the classroom. The Mico’s graduates are excelling across a broad cross section of career fields, from business and finance to engineering, technology and the arts – we continue to prepare leaders who impact the Caribbean and the world.

Fellow Jamaicans, to ensure that more Jamaicans can become part of our legacy, we are visiting communities across the island – literally from East to West.  Our Join the Legacy Road Tour will travel to every corner of the country with a clear mission: to inspire more Jamaicans to turn towards education as the tool to build their future, and to regard education as the foundation of generational success – legacy.

We are offering scholarships across many of our programmes thanks to Government and private sector support. We are working hand-in-hand with the Student Loan Bureau to make financing easier and more accessible for our students. And we are showing students and families that your origins should never limit where you can go.

Fellow Jamaicans, there are bright young minds across every parish, waiting for a chance to excel. Tell them that The Mico’s doors are open. Now is the time to Join the legacy. Be a legend.

So as we celebrate our Emancipation, let us remember that freedom is more than memories of the past – it is a mission for the future, and education is the primary key to that future.

The Mico University College will continue lighting the path to freedom through education, as we have done since 1836. This is our charge. This is our legacy. And together, we will pass it on.

#JoinTheLegacy #BeALegend #MicoForFreedom #EmancipationMonth2025