It has been called a “political history of Sir Frank”, and on October 21, the latest work by UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles on the legacy of a Caribbean cricket legend was the topic of discussion at the St Augustine campus.
Titled Cricket’s First Revolutionary: Frank Worrell’s Political War against Colonialism in the West Indies, the new book, published by Ian Randle Publishers earlier this year, is described by the author as a contribution to West Indian politics and history.
“It is about black and brown people who fought and died for political federation and national independence. It is about the anti-colonial consciousness and strategies of ‘Worrell the Warrior’, who set out as a schoolboy and cricket protégé to criticise, discredit and destroy the white supremacy system in society and its cricket culture,” read a statement from the campus.
The book launch for Cricket’s First Revolutionary featured three reviews from historian and editor Professor Selwyn Cudjoe, UWI Faculty of Sport Dean Dr Roy McCree, and UWI St Augustine Department of Political Science Head Dr Indira Rampersad.
According to Sir Hilary, Worrell was an activist comrade to the radical political leaders and intellectuals of the 1950s and 1960s, and was branded a “revolutionary” by the global media. He had a determination to turn the West Indian political world upside down, consolidate the social justice democracy movement, and create an irreversible new cricket world. These he achieved, hence the description “Cricket Revolutionary”.
The launch included a performance of Black Stalin’s classic song Bun Dem performed by Kevan Calliste (Stalin’s grandson) and accompanied by musician and bandleader Josiah Lewis. Chairman of the Tax Appeal Board of Trinidad and Tobago Justice Anthony Gafoor read three selected passages of Cricket’s First Revolutionary. The evening closed with a dance interpretation of Bob Marley’s One Love by La Shaun Prescott.
Cricket’s First Revolutionary: Frank Worrell’s Political War against Colonialism in the West Indies is available locally from Metropolitan Book Suppliers Ltd and online via Ian Randle Publishers at ianrandlepublishers.com/product/crickets- first-revolutionary.
