|
 |
Volume No. 1 Issue No. 80 - Monday May 1, 2006 |
Interview with author Irving Andre
 Francis Maclean
Knowledge Insights
Irving Andre is the author of Franklin Baron: The Man, The Myth and The Mission, Distant Voices, a book on creative writing in Dominica and is co-author of In Search of Eden: Essays on Dominica. He currently serves as a Judge in Ontario, Canada.
Interview
Over the last seven years you have written an impressive and extensive collection of books chronicling the rich history and culture of Dominica, considered the 'Nature Island' of the Caribbean. Please tell readers what prompted you to document this island's past?
Dominica is one of the most impoverished islands in the Eastern Caribbean. However, it has been blessed with significant human capital. As a result, it has a rich history which is still largely undocumented. I see the role of my generation of Dominicans as analyzing and recording the significant events and developments in the island�s history.
 Knowledge Insights
Irving Andre is the author of Franklin Baron: The Man, The Myth and The Mission, Distant Voices, a book on creative writing in Dominica and is co-author of In Search of Eden: Essays on Dominica. He currently serves as a Judge in Ontario, Canada.
Why do you feel these books are needed?
These books are necessary for a number of reasons. Typically, they analyze the history of the Eastern Caribbean in a manner which is distinct from that of Europeans. They also record the significant contributions of Dominicans, something which all too often is conspicuously absent in the works written by foreign individuals. Finally, they attempt to educate Dominicans and other persons about their own history and in the process, foster a sense of identity, pride and nationhood.
Your latest book Edward Oliver LeBlanc and the Struggle to Transform Dominica is an engrossing story and a powerful biography of a man committed to elevating the poor conditions of the working class and who is believed by many to be one of the founders of the Dominican nation. In your opinion what can readers gain from learning about Premier LeBlanc's extraordinary life?
The life of Premier LeBlanc has many lessons for Caribbean people. He relied on his own resources to educate himself. When his attempts to gain a scholarship to attend university were stymied, he decided to enter the political arena. He had a vision of changing the island to an extent where every Dominican, regardless of race, class or creed would have an equal opportunity to realize his or her ambitions. As a leader, he manifested an astonishing detachment to the trappings of office, or the vanity often exhibited by many contemporary political leaders. In his political life, Edward LeBlanc offers the Caribbean region and the world, a true vision of political leadership, untrammeled by vanity, greed or selfishness. He was a politician in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Juluis Nyerere and Nelson Mandela.
Your books are a wonderful resource of knowledge on African Caribbean people. When did you begin studying African history and why?
My interest in Caribbean/African history commenced with my immersion in the Black Power Movement in the 1970s. I attended the Sixth Form College and was exposed to a large number of books on Black history and on the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. At the University of the West-Indies, I took a number of courses on West-Indian and African American history and I did two years of a PH.D. course in History at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in the 1980s. My fascination with History has continued unabated for almost 30 years.
How did you accumulate all of the information for your books?
I maintain a fairly significant collection of archival material from Dominica including old newspapers, books, magazines, Parliamentary Records and Colonial Reports. I interview a number of Dominicans who�ve made significant contributions to the island and the Caribbean. Periodically, persons contact me and offer me written materials for my private library or for review. I also purchase old books or publications about Dominica and some of the islands from companies which sell them. Finally, I receive a significant amount of information via the internet.
Are there any facts about African history that you are surprised to discover the majority of people are still unaware?
The exciting thing about history is that it is in one sense a journey of discovery. The richness, the sophistication and the antiquity of African history never cease to amaze me. I am continually reminded that in the sphere of recording and analyzing the history of the African continent, there is significant work to be done.
Do you have any ideas on how we can spread our history and culture more effectively?
The advances in technology challenge us to seek new ways to disseminate our history. We should attempt to make the written word more accessible through the use of the internet and other electronic forms of mass communication. I am particularly in favour of using electronic means to make speeches, events and great books more accessible to the younger generation. Our families should be challenged to have modest collections of books within their homes and to make it their business to ensure that each child acquire some knowledge about a major author, poet or playwright from the Caribbean. We should make it our business to ensure that they know something about Toussaint L�Ouverture, C.L.R. James, Marcus Garvey, Dr. Eric Williams, V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott, George Lamming, Jean Rhys, Franz Fanon and others. The process must inevitably commence with parents and the significance of this knowledge should be brought home to the younger generation. The history of achievement, which is a golden thread which has stitched the fabric of West-Indian history, should be taught to students of West-Indian origin in the Diaspora, thereby imbuing them with a sense of dignity, pride and identity.
What are your feelings on Black History Month?
Black History Month should be the period when members of the greater society are exposed to the rich tapestry of African/Canadian history. The remaining eleven months of the year should be the period when members of our community, buffeted by a strong knowledge of our history of achievement, should be striving steadfastly to ensure that this history is not merely a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the celebration of Black History Month has become similar to the celebration of Caribana. As the latter approaches, we build elaborate costumes and form wonderful bands. When the celebration ends, everything is forgotten until the following year.
This is an unfortunate legacy of celebrating Black History Month. Black History should be used as a tool throughout the year to motivate our young people to strive to achieve greatness in all their endeavours. It should be a ferment or stimulus to soar in the stratosphere of success or achievement, rather than to dwell on the forces which impede our progress. If a consciousness of our history succeeds in motivating us to excellence, there would be no need to reserve a month to celebrate Black History.
|
|
|
