Why Jamaican Schools Need to Teach Patois | Oliver Samuels Interview
Published July 9, 2026
Dr. Oliver Samuels sat down with Irwine Clare for Caribbean American Heritage Month, and he didn't hold back. Patois belongs in the classroom, he says — not just the yard. Nearly 60 years into a career now entertaining a fourth generation of fans, the legendary comedian gets real about language, culture, and why he's never once crossed the line his own audience trusts him not to.
In this conversation:
Why Dr. Samuels believes every Jamaican child should be taught Patois in school
The colonial habits he says still linger in Jamaica's parliament
How hardship shaped Caribbean humor — and why he refuses to chase vulgarity for laughs
The story behind Louise Bennett calling his performance of her poem the best she'd ever heard
The hospital visit to a dying fan that he says taught him what his work is really for
Growing up in St. Mary under his Garveyite mother's influence
Six decades in the business, reflected on in his own words
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