IN the week that we mourn the passing of culinary great Ms Norma Shirley, we have also been hit by the death of another outstanding Jamaican, Professor Barry Chevannes.

Mr Chevannes, who was professor of Social Anthropology, former head of the Department of Sociology, Social Work & Psychology and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, was a scholar whose perceptive research and enquiring intellect produced many definitive analyses and documentation of Jamaican life.

His writing ranged over the social sciences, but he was best known for his authoritative ‘Rastafari: Roots and Ideology’ (1994) and ‘Rastafari and other African-Caribbean Worldviews’ (1995).

Prof Chevannes taught at the UWI from the late 1970s where he was an exemplary, patient and nurturing pedagogue, imparting knowledge and appreciating that everyone has something of value to offer. His conduct was premised on the view that the university was not just a place but constituted wherever people gather for “reasoning”.

He was an activist because he knew that the purpose of scholarship was not to understand the world but to change it. He contributed to various fora of “progressive” social outreach but never lost the impartially of genuine scholarship.

Prof Chevannes’ mission as a change agent benefited from his unfailing equanimity, non-judgmental disposition and respect for the humanity of all which he exuded at all times. He was one of those all too rare individuals who moved with ease and engaging warmth, fearlessly engaging in some of the most depressed communities.

He understood that artistic expression was an important avenue of social voice and a medium for sharing messages of hope and solidarity. Emblematic of art in service to social development, he was an inspirational songwriter, singer and guitarist. Fortunately, some of his music is available on CD. In furtherance of cultural development and the preservation of heritage he chaired the Council of the Institute of Jamaica.

Prof Chevannes was particularly concerned about those trapped in “ghetto life”, particularly the disadvantaged youth. He understood that the absence of the role model and love of a father contributed to their dysfunctionality and hence he was a founding member of Fathers Incorporated, which emerged from a 1991 workshop he chaired.

He was a peacemaker because he understood that where there is no peace, then there cannot be what Walter Rodney called “groundings”. With this in mind, he played an instrumental role in the Peace Management Initiative and headed the Violence Prevention Alliance which launched a safe community campaign in 2006.

Given his deep understanding of Jamaican society, he was an ideal choice to chair the National Commission on Ganja, which advocated decriminalisation of ganja for personal use.

John Nash, Nobel Prize winning mathematical savant, was described by his biographer as a “beautiful mind”. The late Professor Emeritus Alston Barrington Chevannes was more than a beautiful mind, he was a beautiful spirit.

A deeply spiritual man who studied for the priesthood, he knew that those dedicated to social transformation are motivated by the love of mankind.

His was a life of service to the enlightenment and upliftment of mankind, in particular, people of African descent. He made Jamaica and the world a better place for all of us by the person he was and how he lived.