Black X completes 37-mile walk for Tacky

After completing his 37-mile walk from the St Mary Parish Library to Emancipation Park in New Kingston shortly after noon on Emancipation Day, a barefooted Denis 'Black X' Robinson marked the spot where he says a bust of Tacky should be erected by placing the 30 pounds of chain that he wore around his neck during the journey on an empty mantelpiece.

"I used this as a platform to push for Tacky to be a national hero, and we think that the spot that is reserved here will suit the bust of Tacky," said Black X.

He explained that the busts of the seven national heroes were placed in the park along with an empty platform that he believes would be perfect to honour Tacky, who led the Easter Rebellion in 1760.

Black X started out on his pilgrimage accompanied by a songwriter, who came along for inspiration minutes after 10 on Tuesday morning on a mission to have Tacky named a national hero. He said that he did not sleep on Tuesday night but stopped four times along the way one of the stops was at Devon House.

"Mi couldn't sleep because if yuh sleep, yuh goodly get caught up inna it, and nuh wake up till a morning," he told THE STAR.

With his feet feeling tender from the journey, Robinson said he answered the calls of persons who begged him to walk barefooted after THE STAR published his story on Tuesday.

SYMBOLIC

While he walked through the streets of the Corporate Area, some persons paused to look at him.

"A di man that weh walk from St Mary wid di chain," one lady whispered to her two friends.

And Elaine Wint; her granddaughter, Zarah Yolanda Folks; family friends Kimona King and Rose Marie Valentine, who were just in time to witness the moment that Black X completed his journey, took the opportunity to have their pictures taken with him.

"We were just visiting the park in observation of the day when we met him, and I think it is highly symbolic because we could have visited an hour earlier or an hour later," she told THE STAR.

After finishing the journey, Black X said that he would return to his home parish by bus, and rest for a couple of days.

Despite being tired, he has already started to make plans to take on what he calls a 21-day salute in the months of September and October, when plans to walk through the 14 parishes in a bid to get Tacky named as a national hero.

"We will start in Start in St Mary and end on Heroes Day," he told THE STAR.