Olivia Grange

Olivia Atavia "Babsy" Grange , DSE (born 27 April 1946) is a Jamaican politician. She has served as Member of Parliament for Saint Catherine Central since 1997 and as Jamaica's Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture for the duration of the Jamaica Labour Party government from 2007 to 2011 and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport since 2016.

Early life Grange was born on 27 April 1946 in Luke Lane, West Kingston, Jamaica. Her father was a shoemaker and her mother was a dressmaker. She attended All Saints Primary, Gainstead High, and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Canada.

Controversies

Gangster Killings in Vehicles Registered to Grange In July 2004, police seized a Honda Civic after One Order leader Oliver “Bubba” Smith was shot dead along Festival Road; vehicle registration documents showed Olivia “Babsy” Grange and Andrew “Bunman” Hope as co-owners of the car Smith was driving at the time of his killing.

In October 2005, detectives re-questioned Grange following a shooting at Church and Wellington Streets that left Omar Campbell alias “Tickerus” dead; records revealed she was co-owner of the vehicle in which the gang member was killed, prompting further police scrutiny of her ties to constituents under criminal investigation.

Dispute with James Robertson

Their rivalry began in 2003 when Grange challenged Robertson for the Jamaica Labour Party’s Area Council Two deputy-leader post; Robertson won amid whispers of “tainted money.” A high-stakes rematch slated for November 2014 was abruptly postponed by party brass—officially to avoid internal bitterness and focus on looming national elections—extending their contest into a second decade.

2004 Spanish Town Peace-Tour Backlash

In February 2004, during a Peace Management Initiative tour of violence-torn Spanish Town, residents from the neighbouring South Central constituency publicly accused Grange of siding with the powerful “One Order” gang. They charged that her constituency’s gang members were behind recent shootings and extortion, a claim she emphatically denied on the spot.

2006 Post–Peace-Talk Shooting Incident

Following a peace dialogue with gang representatives at the parish council offices, Grange’s car was riddled with bullets at Church and Wellington Streets in Spanish Town. The attack underscored both the volatility of local gang politics and the personal risks she faced as mediator and MP.

- 2022 Culture Yard “Assault” Lawsuit

In March 2022, Maroon entertainer Horus “LA” Lewis filed assault charges against Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange, alleging that during a live social-media interview at Trench Town’s Culture Yard she ordered him removed, dug her fingernails into his left shoulder blade and caused a bruise consistent with blunt‐force trauma—injuries documented in a medical report and prompting police detectives to open an inquiry and re-question the minister.

Personal life Grange has one daughter and three granddaughters. In June 2009, she was named as the Caribbean Community's first Champion for Culture. In 2015, Grange was awarded the rank of Commander (CD) in the Order of Distinction for her contributions to the country's music scene and cultural development.