Caribbean, General T&T, Media, PNM, Politics

Eric Williams Remembered: The Man, The Myth

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“…he is, unquestionably, the greatest Trinidadian of the 20th Century – the person who has had the greatest influence on the affairs of the country…”

By Jeff Hackett
Express
March 26, 1998

Eric WilliamsIn the 1950s and 1960s, word was that the late Dr. Eric Williams was “the third brain in the world”.

Nobody bothered to provide the identities of the persons ahead of Dr. Williams – members and supporters of the People’s National Movement (PNM) were quite happy with his international cerebral rating.
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General T&T, India, Media, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, UNC

“A hostile and recalcitrant minority”

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Eric Williamsrecalcitrant

1. resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.

2. hard to deal with, manage, or operate.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/recalcitrant

Did Dr. Eric Williams brand all Indians “a hostile and recalcitrant minority”? And, why did he make such a statement?

***

Excerpt from Dr. Winston Mahabir

“When the PNM lost the Federal Election in 1958, Eric Williams looked no futher than the Indians for a scapegoat. In a most unfortunate speech he branded them as ‘a hostile and recalcitrant minority.’
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General T&T, India, Media, Passed on, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

The Culture Of Williams

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Q & A with Gordon Rohlehr
By Kim Johnson
Sunday and Monday Express
June 28 & 29, 1998

Eric WilliamsGordon Rohlehr, a professor of literature at UWI, is well known for his encyclopaedic writings on calypso, as well as his many writings on other themes including West Indian literature and culture in general. Recently he has published a serialized essay in the T&T Review on Eric Williams and cultural policy. Here the Sunday Express’ Kim Johnson invites Prof. Rohlehr to expand on some of the issues he raised in the Review.
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Culture, General T&T, International, Passed on, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity

Celebrating the Centenary of Dr. Williams’ Birth

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 28, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoePerhaps it is one of those crazy though explicable Trinbagonian things. Dr. Eric Williams is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished citizens ever to have bestridden our country over the last two hundred years. Yet, there was not one official ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate the centenary of his birth. I say, “one of the most distinguished citizens” because over its long history there have been many distinguished Trinbagonian men and women such a J. J. Thomas, Maxwell Philip, Captain Arthur Cipriani, Colon Adrian Renzi, Lionel Sukeran, Audrey Jeffers, Mother Gerald and Mac Donald Bailey. Sadly none of these names ever come to mind when we think of our achievements, access our social and cultural capital, and determine are our civic and spiritual values.
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General T&T, India, Media, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Reply to Raymond Ramcharitar’s Africentrism

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EmancipationTHE EDITOR: Raymond Ramcharitar’s 21/9/11 piece on Africentrism [How to do the Afrocentric Hustle] was a shameless display of intellectual laziness and generalising with enough vitriol to hint at something I won’t even dignify here with a mention. Which is unfortunate because it took away from a message that contained some validity. There’re quite a few scholars, politicians, artistes and activists who exploit enslavement, colonialism and Euro-centred racism to excuse self-defeatist attitudes and who manipulate racial insecurities, narrow tribalism and ideas of entitlement to retard real self-development among Afro-Trinis.
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Features, General T&T, PNM, Politics

Remembering Eric Williams

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By Raffique Shah
September 24, 2011

Eric WilliamsTHIRTY-FIVE years ago yesterday, I became an MP in the first Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It was an historic moment in many ways. I affirmed, meaning I did not take an oath using one of the holy books, which was not a first. But when I raised a clenched fist, symbol of the Black Power movement, as Clerk of the House Emmanuel Carter administered the affirmation, I glanced at Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams.
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Court, Crime in T&T, Gender, General T&T, Law, Police, Sex Crimes, Violence

Suspects Nabbed for Rape of Mother and Daughter

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Suspect in Central rapes surrenders on ‘Crime Watch’
By Gyasi Gonzales and Camille Bethel
UPDATED: September 25, 2011 – Trinidad Express
CrimeFour men are now in police custody for the robbery and rape of the Central mother and daughter and police say the arrest of a fifth man in connection with the incident is imminent.

Masked men broke into the family’s house in Longdenville, Chaguanas, around 2.30 a.m. on Thursday, raping the 49-year-old mother and her 17-year-old daughter and beating her two sons who were at home at the time. They stole cash and jewelry and the family’s car.
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Finance, General T&T, International, Law, Politics

Scandalous Wheeling and Dealing at CL Financial

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Most shocking

Newsday Editorial
September 21, 2011 – newsday.co.tt

Lawrence Duprey and Andre MonteilScandalous is the word for revelations about the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing at CL Financial, the cooking of the books, the hiring of a convicted felon to serve as the group’s global representative and other dubious deals geared toward fulfilling one, single-minded objective: the establishment of a global empire.
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Africa, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, People's Partnership, PNM, Police, Politics, Security

The CJ’s Wisdom

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 20, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeSooner or later it had to happen. Amidst the chaos and head-in-the-sand posture, a mature voice had to rise up and address the implications of the state of emergency (SOE) that was declared by the government. While so many of my fellow citizens, buoyed by the apparent calm of the society welcomed the suspension of many of our civil liberties, it took a brave voice to remind us that a constitution cannot suspend itself and that the declaration of a SOE does not automatically abrogate all of our right as citizens.
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, People's Partnership, Police, Politics, Security, Violence

DPP tells ‘office holders’ back off

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By Anika Gumbs-Sandiford
September 18, 2011 – guardian.co.tt

Director of Public Prosecutions Roger GaspardBack off! This is the strong message being sent by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard to “office holders” regarding the arrest of citizens under the state of emergency. Warning that he would “continue to jealously guard his office at all cost,” Gaspard, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Guardian, said his office would continue to act independently. On the Attorney General’s decision to retain a battery of attorneys to assist with the prosecution of matters under the state of emergency, Gaspard said: “No other office holder would be allowed to choose any attorney for me for the prosecution of any matter; that choice remains exclusively mine.” On the issue of the perception of a war between the AG and the DPP, Gaspard said: “I know of no war between the AG and myself. There are no winners in war. I humbly prefer simply to continue to do my work soberly so as to protect and advance the public’s interest.”
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