Joseph Robert Love

**Joseph Robert Love**, dem know as **Dr. Robert Love** (2 October 1839 – 21 November 1914), na he be a 19th-century Bahamian-born medical doctor, clergyman, teacher, journalist, politician den pan-Africanist. Na he live, study, den work successively insyd de Bahamas, de United States of America, Haiti, den Jamaica. Na Love spend de last decades of ein life insyd Jamaica, wer na he hold political office, publish a newspaper, den advocate for de island ein black majority.

## Early life

Na dem born Love insyd de Bahamas on 2 October 1839. Na Love be educated at St. Agnes Parish School den Christ Church Grammar School insyd Nassau.  Na he be influenced by de Anglican Church during dis period. Later he cam be a teacher insyd Bahamas. 

Insyd de 1866, na he go to Florida, United States. Insyd 1871, na Bishop John F. Young of de Diocese of Florida ordain am a deacon. Insyd June 1871, na he cam be clergy insyd Trinity Church, Florida wey na he transfer to de Church of St. Stephen, Savannah, Georgia insyd December. Insyd 1872, na he dey claim discrimination against people of darker color der, he lef de Church of St. Stephen wey na he establish St. Augustine's mission wey mainly consist of black people; during dis period na he sanso manage schools give black kiddies. 

Na Love move go Buffalo, New York insyd 1876 make he accept a call as Rector of St. Philip’s Church, de fourth church wey be founded by Black Americans insyd Buffalo. Insyd 1877, na Bishop Arthur Cleveland Coxe of de Diocese of Western New York ordain am to de priesthood.

Insyd Buffalo, na he be Rector of St. Philip's til 1878. While der, na he study insyd de medical school at de University of Buffalo. On February 25, 1880 na dem award am ein Doctor of Medicine degree, wey he cam be de first black graduate of de school. Na he live insyd de Bahamas wey na he be very famous for doing all of dese things.

## Haiti

Insyd 1881, na Love move go Haiti, wer na he serve as de rector of an Anglican church insyd Port-au-Prince. Na he be forced make he end ein career insyd church secof a quarrel, wey he cam be a doctor insyd de Haitian army wey engage plus de revolt insyd Haiti. During ein time insyd Haiti na he experience grave difficulty insyd politics. Insyd 1889, na dem eventually expel am. Na he go Kingston, Jamaica wey ha fail insyd ein attempts to return to Haiti.

## Jamaica

Insyd Jamaica, na he start de *Jamaica Advocate* newspaper insyd December 1894, wich cam be an influential newspaper on de island. Na Love use de paper as a forum make he express ein concern for de living conditions of Jamaica ein black population. Na he be a staunch advocate of access to education for de majority of de population. Na he believe say girls, like boys, for receive secondary school education.

Na Love pilot a voter registration drive, as a means of empowering de black majority, den dey challenge white minority rule. Na de white elite insyd de Colony of Jamaica worry say na Love dey fill de heads of black people plus dangerous ideas of racial equality. Na John Vassall Calder claim dat na black people lack de mental capacities to thrive, wey he state: “Dr. Love for kai say na ein ancestors be my ancestors dema slaves....He never fi be my equal. He be aggrieved secof my forefathers rescue am from de bonds of thraldom wey na dem deprive am de privilege of being King of de Congo, wey dey enjoy de epicurean den conjugal orgies den de sacrificial pleasures of ein ancestral home insyd Africa.”

Na de white establishment view Love plus as much suspicion as na dem do de pan-African Native Baptist preacher, Alexander Bedward. 

Na Love help black candidates make dem get elected to de Legislative Council, wich advise de government. Insyd 1906, na Love einself win de Saint Andrew Parish seat of de Legislative Council insyd general elections. Na he sanso serve as chairmo of de Saint Andrew Parochial Board, as well as a justice of the peace insyd Kingston, de Kingston General Commissions den as a trustee of Wolmer's schools. Na Love publish two works, *Romanism is Not Christianity* (1892), dem *St. Peter's True Position in the Church, Clearly Traced in the Bible* (1897).

## Death den legacy

Na Love ein health begin dey deteriorate, wey by 1910 na he be forced make he end ein political career. He die on 21 November 1914, wey na dem bury am insyd de parish church yard at Half Way Tree, near de city of Kingston. Na Love ein activism in favour of Jamaica ein economically depressed black majority influence later Jamaican den Caribbean activists, wey dey include Marcus Garvey.

## References


## External links
*"Love, Robert", Biographies of Jamaican Personalities. National Library of Jamaica.