Dear Editor,

Throughout the years people of African ancestry in the Caribbean and the diaspora have been blessed with a distinguished cadre of outstanding cultural icons, but none has been more eminent and noteworthy than Professor Rex Nettleford who died on February 2.

Born in Trelawny on February 3, 1933, Professor Nettleford was an accomplished academician and orator. But he was much more than a literary giant. There is no doubt that he was a man with a mission – a burning mission to stir the cultural consciousness of people of African ancestry and to instil in them a strong feeling of cultural pride and self-respect.

To accomplish his mission, Professor Nettleford was not content to confine his activities to the alluring trappings of academia. He devoted much of his time to keeping a struggling African heritage alive not only in Jamaica but in the rest of the Caribbean and other parts of the world. He founded the National Dance Theatre Company in 1962, the same year Jamaica attained independence. The NDTC was not confined to Jamaica – its cultural message was disseminated throughout the world.

I can vividly recall the splendid performance of the company in September 1999 in Toronto, Canada. This performance brought back fond memories of various aspects of the indigenous Afro-Jamaican culture, including the colourful and exhilarating Jonkonnu celebrations that marked Emancipation Day and Christmas festivities. A firm believer in the celebration of Emancipation Day as distinct from Independence Day, Professor Nettleford castigated the authorities for “their misguided high-mindedness” in abandoning the celebration of Emancipation Day when Jamaica gained independence.

Indeed, various aspects of our African heritage have survived largely due to his indomitable efforts. Although he has left a distinguished legacy in the revered halls of academia, it may be said that his greatest and most lasting legacy resides in his unwavering devotion to the promotion of our African cultural heritage.

Rupert Johnson

Toronto, Canada

r.b.johnson@sympatico.ca