Dear Editor,

There was a time when Jamaica stood tall, a beacon of resistance against the oppressive shadows of colonialism and a champion of pan-African unity. Its influence stretched far beyond its shores, igniting the flames of freedom in hearts across continents.

Yet, as we witness seismic shifts in the global political landscape — with young leaders in Francophone East Africa rising to reclaim their heritage, resources, and identity — the silence from our island is deafening. It is a silence that betrays the vibrant history of a nation that once led revolutions and defied empires.

Jamaica’s historical contributions to the global anti-colonial movement are etched in the annals of history. We are the descendants of Dutty Boukman, the enslaved Jamaican who lit the torch of the Haitian Revolution, leading to the world’s first black republic. Our legal luminaries, like Dudley Thompson, stood in the courts of Africa, defending freedom fighters, like Jomo Kenyatta, against colonial accusations and championing the cause of justice and liberation.

In a bold stance against apartheid, Jamaica was the first country to ban trade with South Africa in 1958, signalling our unwavering commitment to the fight against racial oppression. Former Prime Minister Michael Manley’s vision united us with the developing world, advocating for a new economic order and standing in solidarity with Angola’s struggle for independence, even in the face of destabilisation by foreign powers.

And who can forget the resonating lyrics of reggae icon Bob Marley’s
War anthem that fuelled liberation movements and echoed the collective cry for equality and justice. These are the threads of our revolutionary tapestry, a heritage of defiance and dignity that we cannot afford to let fray.

Recently, it was former Prime Minister P J Patterson who snatched the deposed exiled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the bowels of the Congo and gave him sanctuary in the hills of St Ann.

The voice of the present political class is muted, silenced by their opportunism and transactional politics. Where do we stand on the genocidal war in Gaza? Why do we stand aside and watch the withering away of Haiti?

I know that any conversation on the anti-colonial struggle waged by Jamaica will be dismissed by the local oligarchy, the new-found commissioned agents of imperialism.

Jamaica is at a crossroads of a complex geopolitical situation, caught between the conflict of hegemony between China and America. It’s important for Jamaica to navigate this situation carefully to maintain its independence and sovereignty. But we can no longer look to the current political class or academia for inspiration, hope, or redemption as we navigate the murky water that threatens our independence.

We are caught between the Belt and Road Initiative led by China, with the stated aim to enhance connectivity and infrastructure development across participating countries while promoting economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. On the other hand, the Build Back Better initiative promoted by the United States focuses on sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, and climate resilience to address global challenges. These initiatives represent contrasting approaches to development and influence, reflecting the broader geopolitical competition between China and the United States.

Since the “turn them back movement” and the dumbing of Jamaica in the 1970s, we have lost our way and have been diverted from our historical mission of self-actualisation; instead, we have been transformed into mannequins.

Today, our brothers and sisters in Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon have toppled the relics of oppression through coups. The election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal’s youngest head of State, who came to power as a result of the ballot and not the gun, heralds a new era of democratic change, a wind of change that must reach Jamaica’s shores.

When will our youth rise up against the reactionary and opportunistic forces which are complicit in the oppression of Jamaicans and their transactional politics abroad. Like the Sahara dust that blows from the East to the West, a change gonna come.

O David Allen

odamaxef@yahoo.com