Beyond October 1968: Does Activism Matter?

“The Black intellectual, the Black academic must attach himself to the activity of the Black masses.”- Dr. Walter Rodney. The 26th annual Walter Rodney Lecture was held on October 24, 2024 at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies. The yearly lecture which has become an integral part of the UWI calendar of events was hosted by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and the Reggae Studies Unit, both in the Faculty of Humanities and Education. Professor Donna Hope was among the academics who brought greetings. Professor Hope stated that it was important that students be introduced to Dr. Rodney in order to understand the importance of this kind of activism and the impact it had and is still having not only on the Jamaican society but the wider Caribbean. The professor added that Dr. Rodney played a critical part in the period of transformation that occurred in the Caribbean region especially as it relates to identity and more specifically the identity of black people. Dr. Dave Gosse, senior lecturer in the Institute of Caribbean Studies announced that the University of the West Indies will continue to fight for the full clearing of Dr. Rodney’s name and for various kinds of initiatives regarding reparatory justice for the family of the late academic. Dr. Gosse outlined three principles that guided Dr. Rodney’s advocacy and activism. These were: his relentless pursuit for equality for all, his intellectual courage and his deep love of Caribbean people. Dr. Gosse commented that Rodney’s work transformed Caribbean thought towards global movements towards global justice and equality. Dr. Gosse ended his charge by declaring that we must think critically and act decisively as the journey continues for the liberation of our people. Yet, while liberation is true for a set of Caribbean people, regrettably there are many in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean who continue to face injustices of all kinds daily. In what can be seen as troubling concerning advocacy are those who continue to use their platforms to oppress others and this should be called out for what it is. What about those workers who have been denied trade union representation, whose working conditions are unacceptable and who are living below the poverty line? Who will take on the spirit of a Dr. Walter Rodney in 2024 and champion the rights of the working class? Who will be that voice for the voiceless in the Caribbean region? In her welcoming remarks, Professor Silvia Kouwenberg, dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education reminded the gathering that terms such as social justice, activism and revolution are still as relevant today as they were in 1968 and 1982. Activist, Black Scholar & Historian . Walter Anthony Rodney was born in Guyana on March 23, 1942. He was foremost a black Pan-Africanist and academic who was concerned with the welfare of the working class, not only in his homeland of Guyana but also in Jamaica. Walter Rodney was a leading Caribbean thinker who used his scholarship to uplift his fellowmen. He was from a humble working class background. The Walter Rodney Foundation states that Walter Rodney attended Queen’s College, the top male high school in Guyana, and in 1960 graduated first in his class, winning an open scholarship to the University of the West Indies (UWI). He pursued his undergraduate studies at UWI Mona Campus in Jamaica, where he graduated with 1st class honors in History in 1963. Rodney then attended the School of Oriental and African Studies in London where, at the age of 24, he received his PhD with honors in African History. Rodney’s thesis, A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, was published by Oxford University Press in 1970. Most of us know of Walter Rodney through his seminal work, ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa'. Rodney travelled extensively and became very well known globally as an activist, scholar and formidable orator. He taught at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania during the period 1966-67 and later in Jamaica at his alma mater UWI Mona. Rodney was penetratingly critical of the middle class for its role in the post-independence Caribbean. He was also a strong critic of capitalism and argued for a socialist development template. The Rodney Riots. In October of 1968 Walter Rodney attended a Black Writers Conference in Montreal, Canada from October 11-14. Rodney's presentation was entitled “Statement of the Jamaican Situation”. Upon landing in Jamaica at 2:20 pm on October 15, 1968 Walter Rodney was declared persona non grata by the Hugh Shearer led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government and denied re- entry into Jamaica. Prime Minister, Hugh Shearer, accused Rodney of being ‘at the centre of plots and plans to promote a Castro-type revolution in Jamaica.’ Walter Rodney was also dismissed from his post (lecturer in African history) at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The decision by the then government sparked a widely supported demonstration at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies that morphed into what became known as the Rodney Riots. Early on October 16, 1968 the UWI Mona Campus based students marched in support of their beloved lecturer. The response from the security forces was predictable. The Mona campus of the University of the West Indies was barricaded by the security forces in order to prevent further action, until students returned to classes on October 23. Rastafarians and disaffected youths from the city’s poorest areas joined the protest. Demonstrators clashed with police, blocked roads, set fire to buses, and looted businesses. The police eventually quashed the protest. Several persons died or were injured during the riots. Protests against Rodney's exclusion spread to other UWI campuses as well as to Caribbean student communities and supporters in Ottawa, Canada and London in the United Kingdom. Rodney can be described as an on the ground academic Pan- Africanist activist, who took the time to communicate with and engage constructively with the most vulnerable and oppressed in the society. The year 1968 was globally significant. There was the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy in June of 1968. Also the assassination of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King who was leading the fight for the rights of African Americans must be taken into consideration as it relates to the activism that the UWI Mona students showed at that time. Additionally, Rodney’s influence on the US Black Power Movement cannot be discounted. The actual significance of the ‘Rodney riots’ went beyond demands for his reinstatement at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies. The rise of a culture of black consciousness and identity among the working class undoubtedly are among the enduring legacies. Governance Impacting Social Change. It is necessary that we interrogate the historical past and compare this with the now in contemporary societies so as to fully understand the dynamics of enslavement and emancipation. The Caribbean shares a history of enslavement and colonialization. In fact, many countries in the region despite their political independence have not severed all ties with their colonial past. Within the post-slavery societies there are remnants of an oppressive past that continue to oppress the masses through various branches of government. The late former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Eric Williams perhaps says it best, “democracy means responsibility of the Government to its citizens, the protection of the citizens from the exercise of arbitrary power and the violation of human freedoms and individual rights.” Among the questions that need to be asked is whether or not Prime Minister Hugh Shearer and his government were also victims of the legacies of slavery and colonialism? In 1968, Jamaica was merely 6 years into political independence. The society was deeply divided along social classes with the Black masses very much disadvantaged economically, socially and politically. The enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism are still very much part of the social fabric of the Jamaican society. The Jamaica society continues to grapple with a sense of black identity; this is seen in among other things the continuing policing of black hair and skin bleaching. In fact, those in the society who show more Eurocentric features are assumed to be more intellectual than their dark-skinned counterparts. On the other hand, the teaching of history education continues to be optional for so many of our students thus creating a vacuum of black consciousness within the society. Is there an urgent need for a revision of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) history curriculum to include the study of Walter Rodney given his impact on post-independent Caribbean societies? Beyond October 1968: Does Activism Matter?. The guest speaker at the 26th annual Walter Rodney Lecture was Professor Trevor Munroe who spoke on the topic” Beyond October 1968: Does >Activism Matter? Professor Munroe pronounced that Rodney’s seminal work, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” strengthens the foundation for reparatory justice. Among the manifestations of injustices highlighted by Professor Munroe were the prosecution of Rastafarians in 1963 in Coral Gardens in St. James, the mass dismissal of employees of the then government owned Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) and the low wages and poor working conditions among workers. Professor Munroe mentioned that Dr. Rodney did not confine his academic brilliance to the ‘Ivory Tower’ of the University of the West Indies. Instead, Rodney would engage the masses wherever they were to be found. Professor Munroe stated that Dr. Rodney brought the findings of his research to the disadvantaged and uncertified in the society in order to propel the process of emancipation from mental slavery. Professor Munroe argued that Rodney pursued his advocacy in order to critique, expose, reject ideas and philosophies, policies and programmes, attitudes and behavior, values and cultures imposed by slavery and colonialism and disseminated through post independent education at all levels and by other means of socialization including the media which help to keep the masses in a subordinate position. Of course, this sort of advocacy and activism by Rodney was very unsettling for the Jamaican government of the day resulting in the unfortunate events of 1968. Gains from Activism. Professor Munroe outlined some of the significant gains made as a result of Rodney’s activism not only in Jamaica but the wider Caribbean: The 1969, founding of the ‘The Abeng’ newspaper which brought a heighten sense of awareness and consciousness for the masses in Jamaica. The founding of the independent University and Allied Workers Union in 1971 in order to advocate on behalf of workers. Additionally, the founding of the National Joint Action Committee in 1969 in Trinidad and Tobago was another result of the racial awakening that took place not only in Jamaica but throughout the Caribbean. In 1972, the electorate voted for a change of government by replacing the Hugh Shearer led Jamaica Labour Party with the Michael Manley led People’s National Party. Maternity Leave with pay in 1979 was the result of activism by a number of citizen engagements groups led by the women’s movement in Jamaica. Professor Munroe called for the decolonization and reform of education in order to raise unacceptable levels of numeracy and literacy. Indisputably, the society needs to go a step further by adding financial and media literacy to the national curriculum as tools of empowerment and liberation of our people. There is an urgent need for our students to be equipped with the requisite knowledge relating to financial literacy in order to grow and manage wealth. Additionally, Professor Munroe calls for meaningful Constitutional reform in order to complete decolonization process and empowerment of the Jamaican people in democratic participation. This is especially worrying given the increasing voter apathy among the electorate. The overall voter turnout was approximately 37 per cent in the 2020 General Election, compared to 48.37 per cent in the 2016 General Election. In 2011, the Jamaica Constitution was amended to include a new chapter 3, The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms . Professor Munroe declared that wealth gap in Jamaica is of concern. He added that 1% at the top in the society controls 20% of national wealth, while, the top 10% in the society controls almost 50% of the national wealth. The wealth gap and income inequality are issues that continue to support social injustice within now only the Jamaican society but throughout the Caribbean region. Without a doubt activism does matter. Professor Munroe commented that addressing inequality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and therefore Jamaica ought to give more attention regarding the reduction of inequalities within the society. Professor Munroe also opined that more public scholarship is required in Jamaica to reduce inequality and public corruption. Unfortunately, there were also retaliatory measures regarding the activism and advocacy of the period surrounding 1968. Among the most profound were the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney on June 13, 1980, and the military intervention in Grenada in 1983. Professor Trevor Munroe ended his presentation by calling for the establishment of the Walter Rodney Chair in History and the naming of the UWI Ring Road to Walter Rodney Ring Road. Dr. Walter Rodney is survived by his widow Dr. Patricia Rodney and three children. A Luta Continua! Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WalterRodneyLecture #activism #BlackConsciousness