Orville W. Taylor

Well, it's 'Black History Month', track and field season, and the end of the mystery regarding the sportsman of the year. So, I am really looking forward to writing about less of the politics and politricks. Anyway, here is a slice of black history.

This is a glorious week in black history. After all, it is the 62nd birthday of the most popular Jamaican ever: Robert Nesta Marley I have never been in awe of him to the extent that the average opinion maker is, it has to be recognised that this icon took Jamaican music and reggae in particular, to the internationa that it now occupies. So much impact has Marley had on the international visibility of reggae music that several talent-free 'artistes' now enjoy lives as millionaires.

Marley did not originate reggae, as the jury is out as to whether it might be the invention of Derrick Morgan, who allegedly coined the term. Neither was he the first million seller, because Millie Small debuted number one and two on the USA and UK charts, respectively, with her My Boy Lollipop in 1964. To date, this has sold more than seven million copies. Between her and Marley, there was Desmond Dekker, whose Israelite passed the million mark in 1969.

Happy earth strong, bob!

Nevertheless, there is scarcely a place on the globe where 'Natty' is unknown. In one of his last performances, he created Isaat Mabrok (earthquake and lightning) in Zimbabwe as he helped them celebrate independence. Most intriguing is that the Zimbabweans did not know the words of their own anthem but could chant verbatim the lyrics of Zimbabwe, one of my favourite Marleys. Happy earth strong, Gong! Bet you though that Marley would be very unhappy about the way that his beloved Zimbabwe has turned, with wanton arrests of opposition, silencing of the press and acts of state savagery.

Interestingly, it is in this week in 1925 that Marcus Garvey was sent to prison in Atlanta, Georgia, for mail fraud. We are still trying to ascertain the identity of Bagawire and Madda Muschette, who popular reggae songs have declared to be co-conspirators and traitors. What is significant though, is the notion of betrayal of trust, which has been a feature of black-leadership struggles.

A year after Garvey's incarceration, Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week. This has evolved into the present Black History Month. But a mere 29 days is clearly too short. A look at history is indispensable because we need to learn from the past. For example, the French abolished slavery this week in 1794 as part of their Revolution. The cry of "Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité," (Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood) was not originally intended for the enslaved Africans.

Reimposed by the 'liberator' Napoleon in 1802, it was not finally eradicated from our neighbours until 1804. Yet, Haiti has suffered from one betrayer of promised democracy after another. After the grand revolution initiated by Dutty Boukman, the Jamaican slave of Dahomey origin, it was Toussaint L'Ouverture who brought it to fruition. Independence was ushered in by Jean Jacques Dessalines, who imposed a dictatorship, a far cry from the liberty promised.

Wantonly beaten

On sugar plantations, arduous labour continued and workers were wantonly beaten with 'cocomacaque' sticks. This became the pattern for almost two centuries. It was not until 1991 that the nation finally had a democratically elected president in the person of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Always on unstable ground, he was removed within nine months. Returning to power from 1994 to 1996, Aristide was again ousted before returning triumphantly on his anniversary of power, February 7, 2001.

There is still some dispute regarding whether he went into voluntary exile, or he was 'Aristed' by American agents in 2004. However, he is reputed to have betrayed the trust of the people as well as the hope of an entire generation, with allegations of corruption, suppression of dissent and abuse of power.

Add a little flavour to our history by looking at Grenada, the Spice Island, which gained independence this week in 1974. After being entrusted with the emergent democracy, Eric Gairy ran the place as his personal tuck shop and reinforced his reign via a militia of thugs called the 'Mongoose gang.' This thuggery came to a head in 1979 when the New Jewel Movement overthrew him in a Marxist coup. However, as we have come to understand, not all 'saviours' are deliverers and in the end, the lessons taught came back to haunt the teacher. As in the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth, the leader of the revolutionary government, Maurice Bishop, was himself killed by his colleagues in 1983. Whatever the reason, the shooting of Bishop by those who earlier backed him with clenched fists was a catastrophe.

Most interesting is that it took a USA-led incursion, fully supported by our own 'Great Deliverer' and other Caribbean governments, to restore order and democracy on the island. Since then, we have learnt in CARICOM not to fiddle with democratic structures. Only ballots should choose our leaders and governance should be by established well-entrenched procedures.

It is on that note that I unreservedly condemn any death threat against Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology. Whatever one might feel about his role in the removal of Dr O'Meally-Nelson, this is a democracy and we do not bow to thuggery.

There is the suggestion that it has to do with unfounded allegations of overspending and leaked auditors' reports. Really? In any event, if there is nothing untoward, what harm did the leak do? Will someone just come forward and cut the nonsense?

I hate cloaks of silence. This entire week of history warns me.

Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at UWI, Mona.