On Groundation Day 2026, Tuesday April 21, 2026, students, staff, family and the wider Rastafari community gathered at the Haile Selassie High School in Kingston, Jamaica to participate in Founder’s Day celebrations commemorating the founding of the Payne Avenue school in 1966 by the Ethiopian Emperor. These highlights of the day’s event feature the address by school principal, Mrs. Anniona Jones; a special message from the President of the Ethiopian Crown Council, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, read by Rootz Foundation executive Dr. Michael Barnett; as well as dance and drumming presentations by students of the West Kingston school.
