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African Studies in the English-Speaking Caribbean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2022

Margaret D. Rouse-Jones
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Extract

African studies has increasingly gained recognition as an area of study on both sides of the Atlantic. For us in the Caribbean it is of particular significance since Africa is the ancestral home of the majority of the population in most of the territories which comprise the English-speaking Caribbean. Among the legacies of colonialism was an education system based on the English curriculum which resulted either in the absence of or a biased representation of Africa in schools. There have been, however, particularly in Jamaica initially, distinct elements in the society for whom Africa had an even greater significance. The movement associated with Marcus Garvey and also the Rastafari cult are both groups which believed that Africa was home and whose members looked forward to the day when they might return there.

Type
Articles
Information
African Research and Documentation , Volume 40 , 1986 , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1986

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Footnotes

Ed. note. We hope to publish a cumulated index to the ASAWI Bulletin / Caribbean journal of African studies compiled by Dr. Rouse-Jones in a future issue of ARD.

References

Notes

I would like to express my thanks to the following persons who provided valuable information for this article: Dr. Fitzroy Baptiste, Institute of African and Asian Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine; Dr. Edric Gift, Faculty of Education, U.W.I., St. Augustine; Dr. Adeola James, Department of English, University of Guyana; Dr. Maureen Warner-Lewis, Department of English, U.W.I., Mona; Mr. Eustace Seignoret, Chairman of the Anti-Apartheid Society. Annette Knight, Humanities Librarian, U.W.I., St. Augustine also read the draft and offered useful criticisms.

[1] For a fuller discussion of these points see Hall, Kenneth “African studies in the Jamaican curriculum” Torch:Journalof the Ministryof Education Jamaica 23(2 & 3) (1975) 46-52. See also Locksley Edmondson.“Educational challenges of the Caribbean connection with Africa” Journal of African Studies 4 (1977): 206-227.Google Scholar

[2] For example the “Constitution of the African Studies Association of the West Indies” indicated that “the term African studies shall be interpreted to include African survivals outside the African continent; e.g. in the West Indies and elsewhere in the Americas” See African Studies Association of the West Indies Bulletin 1 (Dec. 1967):3.

[3] The following territories comprise this area: - Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago

[4] The University of the West Indies has three campuses: - the Mona Campus in Jamaica; St. Augustine, Trinidad Campus in Trinidad and Tobago; and the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. In the general studies for example arts, social sciences, natural sciences, uniform courses are taught at all the three campuses. Specialist disciplines e.g. law, engineering, agriculture are only offered at one campus.

[5] Umunna, Ifekandu, “African sudies in Jamaica - a look at the resources”. Social Studies Education 10 (June 1977):9.Google Scholar

[6] Trinidad and Tobago has significant proportions of Africans as well as East Indians. Consequently the area studies related to both groups are often considered together.

[7] Report of the Education Working Party (Chaguaramas Secondary Schools Conference) [Port of Spain] 1972, 34-35. See also Fraser, P.D. “African and Indian History in the schools”, Commonwealth Caribbean Social Studies Conference Proceedings Vol. 2 Social Studies Edcation. Special issue 8 (Oct. 1976):6-7.Google Scholar

[8] Caribbean Examinations Council. Secondary Education Certificate History Syllabus June 1979. Barbados: Caribbean Examinations Council, 1972, 4. The CXC Syllabus is used throughout the region.

[9] For a full discussion of the history and functioning of the Institute see Fitzroy Andre Baptiste. “The state and prospects of African Caribbean Studies at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad.” Paper submitted for the UNESCO Meeting of Experts on The African Negro Cultural Presence in the Caribbean and in North and South America in Bridgetown, Barbados, December 1979. Dr. Baptiste is Senior Lecturer, African and Asian Studies.

[10] University of the West Indies, Faculty of Arts and General Studies Regulations and Syllabus (Sep. 1984): 89 & 91.

[11] Ibid., 82-87.

[12] “Directory of programmes offered at the various campuses”. University of the West Indies Calendar (1984-85) p. 66-67; University of Guyana. Bulletin, (1984-85); 58-59; 70-75.

[13] Dr. Adeola James of the University of Guyana supplied this information - letter dated 1985-09-19.

[14] For a fuller discussion see Baptiste, “State and Prosepects of African and Caribbean Studies”, 8-12.

[15] Memorandum from Chairman, Institute of African and Asian Studies to the Dean, May 13, 1985. This point is also expressed in Fraser, “African … History in the Schools”, 6.

[16] Brinsley Samaroo has noted that the setting up of the Institute of African and Asian studies at U.W.L., St Augustine was “soon followed by the formation of the Society for the Preservation of Indian Culture” and that the Society for the Preservation of African Nationalism “resurfaced as Black Research and Action Committee”. Brinsley Samaroo “UNICA V Survey: Caribbean and Asian’ Studies”. Caribbean Educational Bulletin 4 (May 1977): 41-42.

[17] I have not been able to locate any information on institutions or associations in Barbados in the field of African culture. There are researchers at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies involved in various aspects of the study of the African cultural heritage. See Marshall, Trevor G. “African Diaspora validity challenged”. Bajan No. 315 (Feb. 1980):22. In this report on an African Diaspora Conference which was held in Barbados in 1980 Marshall makes mention of a “Yoruba Foundation”.Google Scholar

[18] “Why an African Caribbean Institute?” African-Caribbean Institute of Jamaica Newsletter [1] (1980): 1

[19] “Editorial Notes”. ACIJ Research Review 1 (1984); lv.

[20] See “Editorial” ASAWI Bulletin 1 (Dec. 1967): 1-3 and “Editorial Note” ASAWI Bulletin 8 (Dec. 1976): 2.

[21] See “Editorial Note” Caribbean Journal of African Studies 1(1978): ii-iv.

[22] Dr. Maureen Warner-Lewis, Assistant Editor of the journal provided this information.

[23] “The functions of Club L'Ouverture”. Harambee No. 1 [1972]: 1, 11.

[24] See “African History Week”, Harambee No. 2, (May 1985): 8-9.

[25] “Teaching Trinidad about apartheid”. Sunday Express (July 21, 1985):35 The information was also substantiated by Mr. Eustace Seignoret, Chairman of the organigzation.

[26] Crahan, Margaret E. , and Knight, Franklin W. eds “Preface”. Africa and the Caribbean: the legacies of a link, Baltimore; Johns Hopkins University 1979, vi.Google Scholar