Subtitle: The Lessons and the Legacy

Editor: Hopeton Dunn

Publishers: Arawak Publications, Kingston

Price: $1,500 per copy

Reviewed by: Billy Hall

For anyone desirous of a single volume for the study of Emancipation in Jamaican history, there is currently no better book. Thirteen 'heavyweight' intellectuals tackle the subject and yet there is no significant overlap. Indeed, every contribution enriches the reader.

Emancipation is the watershed experience of Jamaica as a slave society for centuries. Political independence is secondary because freedom is first for fulfilment of meaningfulness in life. What 1962 meant in essence was that the achieving of meaningful living became ours to decide and shape and achieve.

Rupert Lewis says this beautifully as he concludes his excellent exposition of Garvey's words immortalised lyrically by Marley: 'Emancipate yourself from mental slavery'. Lewis makes it clear that "issues of justice and economic opportunities for our people ... cannot be arrived at by chance but by conscious decision and collective effort to change the world ... " (p 107)

He implies then, the need for effective strategy. Garvey came on the scene between our country's two most eventful moments of nationhood, Emancipation and Independence. Garvey longed for the day he never saw when political independence was granted and so a prized opportunity arose to redeem the smitten masses he beheld, as sheep without a shepherd. Great visionary leader that he was, Garvey grasped the significance of the times and delivered his ideas with not merely impressive rhetoric but as well with strategy and systematically mapped paths for achieving specific meaningful goals to advance the nation.

On that score, in the trail of Garvey more than six decades later, 13 leading thinkers address the subject of Emancipation and update and confirm Garvey's observation about prevailing 'mental slavery'. That the subject could be handled from so many different perspectives without overlapping speaks to the complexity of the subject as much as it does to the competence of the presenters.

But where they all fell short is that they made at best what may be termed suggestions rather than strategies, and implied silently that others should follow through with whatever was intimated or indicated but certainly not declared.

Granted, their research and rhetoric impress. They make good use of documented sources and creative approaches, including dialect and an imaginary letter to Garvey today, as well as use of powerful heuristic models and sharp argumentative analysis to advance their presentations.

Confusion

But they all fail to pinpoint their analyses to the discipline of the subtitle. They did not orient their presentations with much focus on the keywords 'Lessons' and 'Legacy'. Regrettably, anyway, in the subtitle, the use of the plural (Lessons) mixed with the singular (Legacy) was not sustained in the text, where several references were made to 'legacies'. Perhaps the use of the definite article contributed to some of this confusion. Logically, the definite article forecloses on arguments and there is every good reason to think that more is to be said on Emancipation. This is an excellent contribution to continuing discussion but not a definitive word. The subtitle would have been better if it were 'Lessons and Legacies'.

'The pioneers of the venture, pastors Oliver Daley and Burchell Taylor, must be congratulated on conceiving the task and Taylor is certainly correct in his observation that what began as just an idea shared between pastor friends and associates and that was 'implemented in a spirit of adventure' has developed beyond 'the wildest imagination of those in whom it first came to birth.' (P 9)

He is prophetically correct if this book is perceived as 'A Foundation Stone', which is how Oliver Daley portrays developments leading to the emergence of this book. If so, is there going to be a second volume? If so, will the focus turn from philosophy and theology and social theorising to practical strategising - from analysis to answers?

If there is to be a second volume, regrettably, this first volume is silent about that. Therefore, evaluation of this volume requires accountability for lack of practical strategy. The substance of this book speaks to the need for urgent action over delay. The facts are overwhelming and the arguments persuasive that at the root of rising crime and widespread lawlessness, as well as the stench of moral decay, Jamaica would be ill-advised to suggest that another decade for strategy to be focused upon would be prudent.

Mistreatment

Wilmot Perkins, as talk-show host and perhaps chief public critic of faulty social perceptions and practices has been a powerful confirming voice of our social decay. In particular, he has spoken of the contempt of the minority upper class for the majority lower-class people who are black. Misperception about this majority is evident in beauty contests where standards are based more on eurocentric ideals. Their mistreatment is evident often in clashes with the security force, and, in general, in the courts and within the entire penal system. In this book the 13 lectures constitute a tour de force in confirming how dreadful is Jamaica's social reality in terms of injustice towards those who cannot pay to get justice.

Perhaps a fair characterisation of this book, is that it exposes in our society what might be termed 'blackness unfairness' and it does so robed in resplendent garments of academic research and rhetoric, with great thoughts left in the air of their ideology and philosophy bereft of strategy.

Granted, Jesus said that truth 'sets free'. But that only happens when truth is grounded in a track that leads to a worthwhile goal. In Christian theology, from which the expression springs, the truth that frees points to a track that leads to the Cross that saves. Therefore, while Gordon Cowans quotes the relevant verse (John 8: 32) that climaxes his excellent analytic contribution, his substantive arguments leave his audience in search of solutions in the air.

Rex Nettleford, whose assigned title brings him to address the Church, affirms the benefits of 'democratic governance' and, evidently propelled by that belief, declares rightly that one may say: "Judaeo-Christian principles that have served the process towards Emancipation must now be made to serve the process of consolidating the freedom, which blossomed into political independence in 1962." But he has little if anything to respond to the concerned of today who would ask, 'How?' or 'What's the strategy?'

Strategy

Perhaps the audience of the Church would have been better served had he begun where he ended. Instead, he makes the point, it would seem, as he concludes his contribution that the general situation 'speaks loudly for itself' (P 15). But the problem is not the situation or evaluation, but the strategy needed to bring about transformation. What is the strategy? Surely, such strategy does not speak loudly from him!

One way out for him might be to argue that the Church needs to work out her own salvation strategy. He seems to imply that. But as he has argued neatly, "The jailors and the jailed are, after all, in jail" (p 1). So, the Church as well as academia are in jail. When will analysis stop and strategy for action begin?

Glenda Simms in her fine analytic contribution makes good use the heurism of Pavlo's salivating dog and argues powerfully in stating: "When people who have descended from ancestors who valiantly survived the indignities and the restrictions of the slave plantations use slavery to explain their contemporary irresponsibilities, they are salivating to history's tones" (P 194).

But, we may rightly ask, what strategies for correction did she offer? One commendable idea she projected was this: "Every Jamaican child deserves to be exposed to a school curriculum that reinforces the strengths of his/her ancestry while he or she is given the critical skills to appreciate the merging of the energy pools of Africa, Asia and Europe in the making of modern Jamaica" (P 195). Cheers for another great idea, but what's the strategy for making it reality? What ought to be the first step?

Veront Satchell writing on Reparations for Slavery makes good sense. He concludes: "Jamaica needs to be identified with the reparations struggle." Cheers for another commendable objective but what's the execution strategy? He offers none.

Barry Chevannes, focusing on the need for the 'Ritualisation of Memory' argues well and refers to the experience of the ancient Jews and their ritual remembrance of Emancipation from Egypt's bondage, commemorated in the Passover event as a teaching tool for community unity and collective identity. Chevannes says perceptively and suggestively: Emancipation is our Passover but fails to follow through on the advantage of his fine heurism with any mention of specific action or strategy.

Errol Miller is by far the lengthiest and certainly the weakest on the focus of his assigned theme: 'The Youth and the Challenges of identity'. He speaks more about transitional movements in history and about peculiarities of Christianity. In this regard, he makes a memorable statement. He says: "Christianity arose among the Jews but was not a Jewish religion. Unlike Judaism and Islam, Christianity had no ethnic group that claimed to be its natural adherents. The ethos embedded in its doctrine was predicated in the notion of 'whosoever will'." (P 46)

No strength

However, his contribution lacked the strength of hard focus on a manageable topic within given constraints. Therefore, one has to search hard for clear lessons or legacies. He is certainly the foggiest when it comes to identifying strategies or goals. He contends much about uncertainties and declares vaguely in closing, "in the end, the indomitable human spirit, fixed on what is right and just, prevails". That was not the theme he addressed. Furthermore, what anyway may be considered right and just? He leaves us in the air.

Space will not permit comment on each of the 13 contributions. Suffice it to say that the point is made for the need for strategy, in this otherwise useful text for anyone desirous of gaining a better understanding of what should be the changes that make best chance if Jamaica is not merely to survive but to thrive.

On the artistic side, Errol Stennett's cover design lacks an enhancing background. There is neither sky nor land and the dull images in the background provide no contrast to make the facial features more arresting. But the eyes do tell a story of consistent character for both the jailer and the jailed just set free.

Surprisingly, the inside pages have but one photo to indicate the brutality of slavery. Significantly lacking are graphs, charts and boxed data in an age of computer generation facility. The boxed data in Alison Anderson's contribution is outstanding for the indicting information conveyed.

A photo of each contributor would have enhanced the presentation, especially in a book in a land where the society is still essentially oral and at any rate the literate seem to have little opportunity see black authors.

Thought-provoking

Hopeton Dunn, who has been involved from the beginning with the vision, has transformed the contributions into a book, well edited, with an introductory piece that projects the thought-provoking concept of 'Emanci-pendence'.

Pastors Daley and Taylor may very well have begun a journey of more significance than originally imagined. Since the Church called into being the series and the publishing, it would seem logical that the Church ought to feel obliged to move the pilgrimage of the Jamaican underclass forward to justice and equality under law, and to the Ten Commandments of morality and Christian informed ethics spirituality in every community.

Perhaps there will be a volume two produced in a shorter period and this time will be grounded in strategy rather than leaving readers up in the air.

billsophia@hotmail.com.