In Mar 2022, newspapers like The dailymail reported that some politicians had snubbed Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge when she visited Jamaica.
The politician is Lisa Rene Shanti Hanna, who belongs to the People’s National Party. She is one of the youngest women to be elected to Jamaica’s parliament. The Party is in favor of divorcing the monarchy and lobbying Britain for reparations.
Despite her obligation to her political promises, Ms. Hannah said she had a ‘pleasant’ conversation.
Lisa Hannah however wasn’t always a politician, she got her start in beauty pageants. In 1993, she was crowned Ms world, becoming the third Jamaican to hold the crown.
She was born in Retreat, St. Mary Parish to Rene Hanna of Lebanese descent and Dorothy Hosang of African and Chinese descent. Hanna attended the Immaculate Conception Preparatory School in Kingston before the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri.
After a stint in the US, Hanna returned to Jamaica to complete her schooling at The Queen’s School, an all-girl institution in the Jamaican capital.
Hanna, who was Head Girl, discovered a love of martial arts and attained a black belt. After school, she became interested in beauty pageants and started to contest them.
At 18 years old, she beat 81 other beauty queens and grabbed the crown. She has traveled across the globe, meeting with the world’s respected political leaders like Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela. She was invited to Mandela’s historic Presidential Inauguration in 1994.
Although she acted briefly, she eventually looked to politics. She was Jamaica’s Minister of Youth and Culture from 2012 to 2016 and currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Saint Ann South East.
She released a video promoting and highlighting her work in her constituency titled ‘Lisa Make Jamaica Look Good’. She recently shared a picture officially announcing her participation as the MP candidate with The People’s National Party for the 4th time.
She now stands out as one of the political powers in opposition to British Imperial supremacy in Jamaica.
Wow! What an accomplished journey.
