BOOK: The Black Handbook (The People,History and Politics of Africa and the African Diaspora)
AUTHORS: E.L. Bute, H.J.P. Harmer
REVIEWER: Balford Henry
PUBLISHER: Ian Randle Publishers
LET me say, upfront, that I had a major disappointment with the handling of Jamaican National Hero, labour and political leader, Sir Alexander Bustamante, by the authors of this book.
Evangeline Bute was born in Curacao, trained as a librarian and was a founding member of the National Afro-Caribbean Library. Harry Harmer was born in London and has contributed to "a range of British and American reference books." But, more importantly the book is published in Jamaica by Ian Randle. Therefore, even there if is some bias on Ms. Bute's part and ignorance on the part of Mr. Harmer, the situation should have been corrected by the time it was published locally.
How does the publisher explain the omission of Sir Alexander from the "People" pages, when other Jamaicans like Wilfred Domingo, Edward Jordan, Michael and Norman Manley, Trevor Munroe, Edward Seaga, Hugh Shearer and William "Bill" Morris are included?
If the explanation is that Bustamante was confined to the single paragraph about the Bustamante Industrial Trades Union (BITU) in the section on "Terms, Movements and Ideas," or is mentioned as the founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the section on "Political Parties and Leaders," then why weren't Messrs. Shearer, Seaga, Munroe and the Manleys treated similarly. After all, Bustamante and Norman Manley are the only two National Heroes in that group.
There is no lack of information of his contribution as a Caribbean labour and political leader. Ebony Magazine named him fourth among the 100 most important blacks of the 20th century in its special 2000 Millennium issue.
To add insult to injury in the sections where Sir Alexander's name popped up, it was spelt "Bustamente" and even the BITU becomes the Bustamente Industrial Trade Union (sic).
I cannot speak for reviewers in other countries who might have had, or might very well not have had, similar problems with the book. But, such a blatant error raises some concern about the efficacy of the material included.
That aside, however, the idea of a handbook of this nature is surely welcomed, not only in terms of how helpful it should be to the general public, but also its contribution to intellectual analysis. We surely need something of a similar nature confined to our Caribbean heroes, in this emerging era of economic and social integration.
The book boasts of providing information on such interesting historical events as: The fact that a Jamaican was the last man to be beheaded in Britain; why Egypt invaded Ethiopia in 1875; and which Pope gave Portugal permission to invade and enslave African people.
King Louis XIV's Code Noir should be of interest to those currently involved in the debate about the effects of slavery on African peoples.
This Black Code, issued as far back as 1685, credited Louis with a framework for the institution of slavery in the then French Caribbean colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Dominque(Haiti), based on Roman law and Roman Catholic teaching. It made sexual attacks on slaves by whites an offence, as was the case with sexual relationships involving slaves and their masters and prescribed minimum standards for the provision of clothing and food and the right of complaint by slaves to the King's Agent.
Although these protections seem quite progressive by 15th century standards, and could probably have contributed to the formation of a society in which both slave and master could co-exist as producers, it still lacked 20th century standards of social justice by banning slaves from owning property, carrying weapons or trying to escape.
And talking about 20th century standards, how about the section on the Dread Act, passed by the Government of Dominica in 1974 which, according to the authors, empowered "all citizens to shoot members of the Rastafarian sect on sight and imposing a mandatory life sentence on anyone who appeared to be a Rastafarian." The Act was repealed in 1981.
I must confess that it was the first time I was reading that Henri Christophe, the Haitian revolutionary (1767-1820) was actually born in Grenada. But, if I am not mistaken, Boukman, the Haitian slave leader who led a revolution which killed 2,000 whites in 1791, was born in Jamaica. A point missed by the authors.
The book is dominated by black figures from the United States and political and social leaders from Africa, including: Zulu king Dingaan, who killed his famous half-brother Shaka and seized his throne; Martin Luther King Jr.; Crispus Attucks; Mohamed Siad Barre; Mary McLeod Bethune; Frederick Douglass; Steve Biko; H. Rap Brown; Stokely Carmichael; Shirley Chisholm; Eldridge Cleaver; Angela Davis; Louis Farrakhan; Haile Selassie I; Jomo Kenyatta; Malcolm X; and Nelson Mandela.
British personalities like M.P.s Paul Boateng and the late Bernie Grant are also mentioned.
There is a lot of information about Caribbean personalities including Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Francois Duvalier, CLR James, Tubal Butler, Sir Eric Gairy, Eric Williams, Claude McKay, Aime Cesaire, James Mitchell, George Padmore, Lynden Pindling, Mary Seacole, Sir Grantley Adams, Maurice Bishop, Jean Bertrand Aristide and Sir Errol Barrow.
Jamaica has a number of other persons covered, including Paul Bogle, Cudjoe, Marcus Garvey and Nanny are also mentioned.
This is a very important book, especially in periods of conscious reflection like Black History month, which is why it is necessary that it appears unbiased and accurate. Hopefully, as time goes by it will be fine-tuned until it is fully able to fulfill that need.
