Big respect to Damian “Jr Gong” Marley – or should we say Dr Marley. The reggae star has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, in recognition of his contribution to Caribbean culture and music.

The degree was conferred by UWI Chancellor Dr Dodridge D. Miller during the university’s 2026 graduation ceremonies, held from 5 to 7 November in the Graduation Tent next to the Old Library. Accepting the honour, Marley kept it short and sweet: “Very honoured, very humbled.”

A citation fit for a torch-bearer

Public Orator Dr Peter Glegg wrote and read the citation, noting how hard it is to walk “in the shoes of a great man”, made harder still as “the offspring of a great woman and a great man” – Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976. “Yet, like a meteor, he blazed his own path of glory,” Glegg said, calling him “a West Indian musical ambassador and the bearer of the torch of reggae music and Rastafari.”

The citation ran through the milestones: the 1996 debut Mr Marley, a first Grammy for ‘Halfway Tree’ in 2001, two more Grammys with Welcome to Jamrock (2005), Distant Relatives with Nas, and another Grammy for Stony Hill (2017). His latest project is the No Better Riddim compilation, which he produced.

Then he sang

Marley thanked the university, told the crowd “I love you”, and then performed ‘Road to Zion’ and ‘The Mission’. During ‘The Mission’, the graduates let out a roar at a line invoking Marcus Garvey. Gordia Dixon was valedictorian at the closing ceremony.

Catch up on the riddim in our No Better Riddim tracklist post.

Source: DancehallMag (also reported by The Gleaner)