On the African Guyanese Condition--Dr. David Hinds

by Dr. David Hinds

In another week Guyanese and African Guyanese would be celebration Emancipation. The spotlight would turn on this important section of our national tapestry. The sordid history of the African would be repeated. The culture would be elevated to national status. And most importantly, I hope the current socio-economic and cultural condition of the African Guyanese would be highlighted and discussed

I was asked recently to suggest corrective measures that could be taken to aid in African Guyanese revitalization--a theme that I have been addressing at community meetings organized by Cuffy 250, an African Guyanese organization to which I belong. My first response was that in order to get to correcting the problem, one has to first get to the underlying causes of the problem. My second response was that, coming up with solutions would require two interrelated approaches. First, there needs to be a broad conversation with the people in the communities about how they want to deal with their problems. Second, the experts—economists, educators, historians, lawyers etc.—need to get together with the communities and come up with a plan that is premised on the needs of the communities. In effect there is need for a two-way conversation.

A lot of the problems in the African Guyanese communities have to do with the challenges that the African Guyanese economy has had face historically. First, we have to start with the challenges within the context of the colonial economy, which saw the African Village economy as a direct affront to the interests of colonialism. Second, we have to look at it within the context of the ethnic competition, from decolonization to the present, whereby the ethnic demarcation of the Guyanese economy, itself a legacy of colonialism, has made economic progress in the separate ethnic communities a victim of the larger ethnic politics.

Although the decline in African Guyanese community is not just economic, I think their economic condition has a lot to do with it. Similarly, although the decline started before 1992 when the PPP government came to office, one should not disregard the impact of the loss of government by African Guyanese in our government-centered ethnically divided society. I think there was a negative impact on the group’s morale and self-confidence and objectively on opportunities for upward mobility.

African Guyanese have traditionally been located in the Bauxite Industry, the Public Service, Pork-knocking and the Village economy where farming, small business and vending predominate. Later, they dominated “Trading”—bringing food and clothing for sale from other Caribbean countries. In addition to the above, Education was an area of relief from poverty and social mobility. But over the last two decades bauxite declined. Fourth, the Public Service stalled, thanks mainly to the IMF conditionalities and the ethnic interests of the PPP government. Wages have not kept up with the cost of living. Education has declined. Agriculture in the villages has declined.

I think the combination of the above is at the heart of the “crisis” in the African Guyanese community. In addition, the evolution of a culture of accommodation with” political bribery “has led to a weakening of group solidarity, pride and dignity. Finally, the heavy migration has had a negative effect on the community. One of the devastating consequences has been the loss of role models who live day to day in the communities. Finally, one cannot discount the impact of some negative group habits, but these have to be seen within the larger dynamics of post-plantation evolution among the formerly enslaved. (To be continued)

Dr. David Hinds, a political activist and commentator, is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Caribbean and African Diaspora Studies at Arizona State University. More of his writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com