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Bridget Brereton’s Legacy of Shaping Caribbean History One Page at A Time

For Release Upon Receipt - July 1, 2025

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. July 1, 2025. In her review of the book, History Matters: Reassembling the Fragments of a Contested Past —In Honour of Bridget Brereton, or History Matters, Emerita Professor Patricia Mohammed declared, “For Trinidad and Tobago, Bridget [Brereton] is the historian of the people and for the people." These ample words were mentioned while launching History Matters during the 56th Annual Conference of Caribbean Historians (ACH2025) at the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. The conference occurred from June 1 – 6, and these auspicious remarks singled out Professor Brereton as one of the quintessential pillars who documented the history of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

 Astutely edited by Drs Heather Cateau, Rita Pemberton and Ronald Noel, the volume comprises chapters arranged into six thematic sections, each named after one of Professor Brereton’s publications and explores a distinct dimension of her scholarly work. Spanning over three centuries of major Caribbean developments, History Matters is intended for a wide readership, not solely for academics.

 The collection features chapters by leading scholars, including Professor Sir Hilary McD. Beckles (Vice-Chancellor of The UWI), Professor Emerita Rhoda Reddock, Dr Rita Pemberton, and the late Emeritus Professor Brinsley Samaroo. The collection includes 19 chapters which span the Caribbean historical experience in politics, economics, culture, race and colour, post emancipation developments, and, specific to Trinidad and Tobago, - the relationship between two prominent Trinidadian thinkers, Tobago's labour struggles, an assessment of three of Professor Brereton's publications, and narratives of the Syrian /Lebanese population. No work on Professor Brereton   would be complete without contributions on gender. As indicated by Head of the Department of History, Dr. Gelien Mathews in remarks to the ACH 2025, Brereton promoted "the agency of women and the influence of gender in Caribbean History." This is reflected in the book which ends with a call for action for the preservation of historical records which Professor Brereton strongly advocated.

 On the dust cover, reviewers describe Professor Brereton as, "the most consequential Caribbean historian of her generation." They praised her for having “produced a string of innovative and path-breaking studies that have had a profound influence on the ways we have come to understand many of the major events in the area's history." For these and her many other contributions, in 1996, Professor Brereton was awarded the cross-campus Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Administration, becoming the first woman to do so.

 The book, History Matters: Reassembling the Fragments of a Contested Past —In Honour of Bridget Brereton is published by The University of the West Indies Press and can be purchased online

at: https://www.uwipress.com/9789766409869/history-matters/

 

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 About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability, and development.

 As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics, and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

 Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

 

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