Savitri Persaud was born in Guyana, and spent part of her childhood in Moblissa, off the Linden Highway. She assisted Friends of the Walter Rodney Commemoration Committee in the organization of the 31st Commemoration of Walter Rodney’s Killing, and would like to thank members for including her in the planning of this important event. Savitri is completing her Masters degree in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto, and will be pursuing her PhD in Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto this September.
“Who was Walter Rodney?” asked Andaiye as she addressed an audience of over 120 young students ranging from the ages of four to 13 at the 31st Commemoration of Walter Rodney’s Killing, held at the Walter Rodney Memorial in Hadfield Street on June 13th, 2011 at 3:30pm. When confronted with this question, the children sat there quietly and bright-eyed but utterly perplexed. “Well, Walter Rodney was a man,” yelled out one youngster. “Yes,” replied Andaiye with a smile at the simple and obvious answer. Needless to say, the other responses from the children that followed were akin to the first: “He did something”; and “I don’t know Miss, but our teacher told us to come today.” Many of the adults and older youths in attendance who knew firsthand or have read about the transformative work done by Dr. Walter Rodney were tickled but not surprised by what we initially heard. With responses such as these – ones of not-knowing – it was the hope of the organizers that from this educational event the children would not only glean an understanding of and appreciation for the life and legacy of Walter Rodney, but be prompted to want to do and inspire social change in Guyana. The name of the event, “Walter Rodney: An Education”, was fitting of this desire to not only educate but also to reignite a politics of hope.
After this short introduction of amusing answers about ‘who was Walter Rodney’, the children toured the living monument that is the Walter Rodney Memorial. The lead engineer of the site, Bert Carter, conducted the tour with the children as they walked around analyzing the biographical inscriptions located at the base of the posts, of which there are several that explore the major milestones of Walter Rodney’s life. Bert Carter enthusiastically contextualized each inscription, further explaining why each is relevant to the lives of these children today. In a June 2010 press release, issued when the memorial site was completed in time for the 30th Anniversary of Walter Rodney’s Killing, the Walter Rodney Commemoration Committee stated, “For the younger generations, we hope these inscriptions will arouse their interest in learning more about this extraordinary Guyanese.” During the tour with the children, many clinging to each of Carter’s words and keenly participating when asked questions, it appears that the original hope of the Committee was slowly being realized as the tour wrapped up and the event further unfolded with storytelling by Paulette Paul, leaflet reading with myself and Red Thread UN volunteer Pere de Roy, and drumming by the children of the Buxton Fusion School of Music.
Paulette Paul dramatically recounted traditional Guyanese folktales and captivated the children as they listened attentively and munched on snacks generously provided by Cara Lodge and Banks DIH, sitting under a tent loaned by Rent-a-Tent. Next, Pere de Roy and I walked the children through a pamphlet we created specifically for the event that underscored some of the agentive work and achievements of Walter Rodney. The leaflet was constructed with children in mind and complete with a Walter Rodney word search at the back that asked them to find words such as leader, activist, historian, Working People’s Alliance, and so on. It was crucial for Pere and me, as two young women, to demonstrate to the children that not only is it of utmost importance for young people to take their education seriously, but it is also vital that they do something in the spirit of Walter Rodney with that education.
In the paraphrased words of a wise aunt of mine who knew Walter Rodney well: “Don’t let education be the thing. Let it enable you to do the thing and to be the change.” It was a heartwarming experience to listen as the children read aloud in unison points such as: “From a very early age, Walter Rodney became committed to using his education as part of a struggle to make an equal society – one in which poverty was abolished for women, men, and children of every race”; “For much of his life, with his knowledge of history and the experiences he gained through working and struggling alongside poor people, Rodney delivered lectures at universities and conferences around the world, gave talks (“groundings”) in bottom houses, street corners, and gullies, and wrote books which identified and addressed the forms of exploitation and oppression which stifled the development of poor people”; and “He believed that academics, especially in developing countries, must take up responsibility to share their knowledge and experience with the people.” Pere and I prompted the children to re-tell these passages in their own words, ensuring that they were able to grasp what was being communicated. These exercises, which were at times jovial like the answers to the first question, drew many smiles on the faces of the older folks in the audience; but also drew understanding on the part of the children through trial and error. It was a learning experience for all.
Nearing the end of the ceremony when books were being presented to the children, courtesy of the Guyana Book Foundation, and right before the electrifying performance by the children of the Buxton Fusion School of Music, a young Indo-Guyanese girl ran up to me and proclaimed: “I know who Walter Rodney was!” She recited by memory the words contained in the word search: “He was a Guyanese scholar, activist, historian and leader of the Working People’s Alliance!” I chuckled and asked her to tell me what some of those words like activist meant.
She laughed and promised that she would find out, and right before we said our goodbyes, she said, “Miss Savitri, I think he would like that me and she is friends,” as she gestured to her Afro-Guyanese friend. I was overcome with emotion by the message that this child gleaned from the ceremony – a message of “One people, one nation, one destiny”, a message that as adults, we oftentimes forget. It is with this motto of Guyana in mind that I urge our citizens, government, and educators to instruct our young people about the teachings of Dr. Walter Rodney.
He had planned to complete children’s books on the Amerindians and other peoples who came to Guyana and at the time of his death had written Kofi Baadu Out of Africa and Lakshmi Out of India. We should commit to making these widely available, to assign and read them to our children and work through the meaning of these contributions with them. I urge you to make all of his writings a part of the curriculum; and I urge you to learn the lesson of “One people, one nation, one destiny” that this young girl shared with me last Monday afternoon.