KINGSTON, Jamaica – Declaring that “culture is not a brand”, Professor Anthony Bogues, ASA Messer Professor of Humanities of African Studies at Brown University, has challenged Jamaica’s modern marketing narrative.

“Everywhere I go in Jamaica, I hear people tell me about the Jamaica brand,” Bogues declared recently during the third annual Rex Nettleford Distinguished Lecture at the Assembly Hall of the University of the West Indies. “It may be used for marketing, but culture is not a brand.”

Instead, Bogues painted a vivid picture of Caribbean culture as a living, breathing tapestry woven from centuries of resistance, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of dignity. Drawing from historical wells deep as the Caribbean Sea itself, he traced a cultural lineage from the maroon communities to modern artistic expressions.

The Caribbean people, he noted, citing C.L.R. James, “are a rebellious people, but not a revolutionary people.” This distinction, far from being a criticism, illuminates the unique way Caribbean peoples have fought for their humanity – not through violent upheaval, but through cultural resistance and the creation of spaces for dignity.

From the steel pan of Trinidad to Jamaica’s reggae, from Cuba’s Afro-religious art forms to Martinique’s literary giants, Bogues illustrated how the region’s cultural power has consistently emerged from below, not from the top or middle classes. This “battle for space,” as Rex Nettleford termed it, continues to shape Caribbean society today.

The lecture challenged contemporary economic thinking, particularly criticising the Washington Consensus and neoliberalism’s attempt to reduce human beings to “commodities of desire.” Quoting Nettleford himself, Bogues emphasised that innovation doesn’t exclusively reside in credentials from Harvard, Chicago, or Oxbridge.

As the Caribbean grapples with various crises, Bogues argued that the path forward lies in recognising culture not as a marketable commodity, but as the foundation of Caribbean civilization itself.

This civilisation, he reminded his audience, emerged despite deep adversities, adapting African traditions to new conditions until they became uniquely Caribbean.

Former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Rex Nettleford Foundation, PJ Patterson presents at the Rex Nettleford Distinguished Lecture at UWI’s Assembly Hall on Monday, February 3, 2025.

The lecture sponsored by Sagicor, concluded with a poignant reminder of the region’s painful history through a song: “Sacred babble tree, lost your children to the sea. Taken from the land, many rains are gone.”

Yet this acknowledgment of past trauma was balanced with recognition of the remarkable cultural life that has emerged from the “people below” – a testament to survival, creativity, and the enduring human spirit.

A pivotal moment in this cultural journey, Bogues revealed, was the 1956 First Black Writers and Artists Conference at the Sorbonne in Paris, which brought together luminaries including Martinique’s Aimé Césaire, Barbados’ George Lamming, and Haiti’s Jean-Price Mars, who chaired the proceedings.

The declaration emerging from this historic meeting emphasized African and African diasporic culture as essential forces for liberation and solidarity.

This vision proved prophetic, as Bogues illustrated how cultural awakening preceded and powered anti-colonial movements across both Africa and the Caribbean.

“Full decolonization is in large measure a cultural act, as it is a recognition of history,” Bogues emphasized, citing writers Frantz Fanon and Amilcar Cabral. He pointed to cultural explosions that preceded liberation movements – from Barbados’ BIM magazine to Jamaica’s Focus, from Cuba’s avant-garde art to Haiti’s Indigenous Movement.

This understanding of culture as the bedrock of political and social transformation challenges contemporary attempts to reduce Caribbean culture to a mere marketing tool. Instead, it demands recognition of culture’s role in what Bogues calls “the re-Africanization of the African soul” – an essential ingredient in any genuine process of liberation.

In a moving appeal to the gathering, Foundation Chairman PJ Patterson called for generous donations to support the Foundation’s vital mission.

“Support scholars and programs that strengthen West Indian society in the areas of social and cultural development,” he urged. “We will continue to give bursaries to produce young leaders who grasp the importance of public service. We will be able to support students who have a desire to protect the weak, and who will use their energies and talents for the betterment of humankind.”

The lecture, delivered on what would have been Professor Rex Nettleford’s 92nd birthday, drew a distinguished audience that reflected the breadth of his influence across academia, arts, and civil society and the private sector.

Patterson, Chairman of the Rex Nettleford Foundation extended the welcome, and Professor Densil Williams, Principal of the UWI, in addressing the gathering introduced the distinguished speaker.

Milton Samuda, Chairman of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC). Moved the vote of thanks. Also in attendance were Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, Dr Peter Phillips and Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake.

Pro Vice Chancellors, and other academic leaders, Daidre Sloley-McKay and Chorville Johnson-Vaughn of Sagicor, joined in marking this celebration of Nettleford’s enduring legacy and his vision of culture as a transformative force in Caribbean society.