AvFLR3>p_L p_~X0~XXFYPZZZp [ [ [[[9[0?[?[,ГzzBF`GG@^@(HSHH0^@p_`бuc;0p` {zp0k`H  “The, Shouters, Control, Freak, Empire”, Oyetayo, Raymond, Ojoade., There, even, mannequins, dressed, in, uniform, typical, WorldWar, I, soldier, andmodels, saris, depict, dress, indentured, labourers., On, March, 16,, students, going, about, business, might, been, surprised, see, Shouter, Baptist, Spiritual, service, on., attendants, who, came, workshop, starting, that, day’s, forum., A, crowd, gathered, observe, proceedings., week, events, providedmany, opportunities, participants, be, actively, engaged., poster, competition, an, essay, primary, school, students., During, post, graduate, history, panel,, Arti, Ramsaroop, discussed, “Pan-Africanism:, An, Attempt, Break, Silence, Women, Movement, First, Half, Twentieth, Century.”, Joseph, O’Neil, presented, “History, Social,, Cultural, Labour, Experiences, Tobago, 1763–1963., Anne’el, Bain, spoke, “Supportive, Networks, amongst, Selected, Socialist, Caribbean, Latin, American, Countries, Cold, War, Post-Cold, Era”, while, Tricia, Shah, explored, “Public, Health, Trinidad, Post, Emancipation, Period.”, final, night, activities, included, debate, between, University, Southern, (USC), topic, “Be, it, Resolved, Studying, History, Worth, While.”, USC, won, debate,, skilfully, arguing, against., It, probably, safe, assume, many, members, Department, not, agreement, with, stance, though, all, impressed, excellent, debating, skills!, Government., Dr., Matthews, thinks, studying, can, valuable, people, interested, law, enforcement., She, explains, intellectual, training, wide, reading,, synthesis,, corroboration, formulation, provides, scope, employment, which, significant., “I, think, if, we, more, our, officers..., some, kind, grounding, history,, would, better, able, put, crime, situation, together, puzzle, solve, resolve, issues, crime.”, Each, Faculty, member, emphasised, invaluable, person’s, identity, development, nation., something, lives, inside, you,”, said, Eccles., “Whatever, you, do,, foundation., You, Trinidadian, world, foundation, know, where, fit, in..., Wherever, go, sense, identity.”, According, Singh,“In, order, deal, present, successfully,, need, engage, past, very,, very, aware,, pronounced, manner.”, noted, exactly, repeat, itself,, useful, guide, path, events., “It’s, walks, into, present,, will, certainly, walk, future,”, affirms., As, year’s, festival, closed,, already, making, plans, next, year., They, are, hoping, efforts, draw, field., “We, want, Fest, stepping, stone,, feeder, whet, appetite, younger, students,, so, considering, programmes, tertiary, level, education,, least, give, consideration, History,”, Matthews., Eccles, hopes, faculty, members,, stalwarts, profession,, get, opportunity, guest, lecture, schools, “can, find, personal, image, Department”, wouldmotivatemore, pursue, field, study., Singh, extended, new, South, campus., expressed, financial, support, as, well, moral, fromother, departments, Office, Principal., combined, effort, various, entities, could, make, change, only, local, study, but, society, whole., “Some, women, joined, war, effort., cited, examples, Leonide, Cipriani, served, clerk, LondonWar, Office,, sister, Jules, worked, government, munitions, factory., Black, men, often, received, laborious, tasks., canal, defences,, barbed, wire, entanglements, bombs., endured, racism, poor, living, conditions.”, growing, attitude, essential, cause, concern, Department., In, fact,, changing, mindset, driving, force, behind, Fest., recent, years,, number, joining, has, dropped, considerably., reasons, manifold., notes, no, longer, teaching, subject,, focusing, instead, science, subjects, scholarships, attached, them., Many, potential, wonder, marketable, degree., interviewed, observed, don’t, realise, opens, career, doors., points, out, majors, analysts,, work, archives, recruits, departing, Port, Spain., PHOTO:, WEST, INDIA, COMMITTEE, CIRCULAR,, ALMA, JORDAN, LIBRARY, Members, Indian, community, early, 20th, Century., MICHAEL, GOLDBERG, COLLECTION,, artillery, regiment., East, men., PHOTOGRAPHIC, VIEWS, OF, TRINIDAD, BY, MUIR, MARSHALL," /> UWI Today April 2017

UWI Today April 2017 - page 15

SUNDAY 23 APRIL, 2017 – UWI TODAY
15
Dixie-Ann Belle is a freelance writer, editor and proofreader. Search for Belleworks on Facebook or e-mail her at
belleworks@gmail.com
.
The group resisted.
“They ran to the hills and forests,” she said, explaining
how they took their worship underground. “They also
fought back when the police arrested them and from the
1920s right up to the 1950s, they fought a campaign to
have the ordinance repealed.”
Trade union hero Uriah Butler was the first to
lead this campaign. Legislative Council Member,
Albert Gomes, called for a committee to investigate the
ordinance.
The passion and knowledge of the speakers were
complemented by images provided by the National
Archives and films like “The Shouters and the Control
Freak Empire” by Oyetayo Raymond Ojoade. There were
even mannequins dressed in the uniform of the typical
WorldWar I soldier andmodels dressed in saris to depict
the dress of the indentured labourers.
On March 16, UWI students going about their
business might have been surprised to see a Shouter
Baptist Spiritual service going on. The Shouter Baptist
attendants who came to the workshop were starting
that day’s forum. A crowd gathered to observe the
proceedings.
The week of events providedmany opportunities for
participants to be actively engaged. There was a poster
competition and an essay competition for primary school
students. During a post graduate history panel, Arti
Ramsaroop discussed “Pan-Africanism: An Attempt to
Break the Silence of Women in the Movement During
the First Half of the Twentieth Century.” Joseph O’Neil
presented on “History of the Social, Cultural and Labour
Experiences of Women in Tobago 1763–1963. Anne’el
Bain spoke on “Supportive Networks amongst Selected
Socialist Caribbean and Latin American Countries in
the Cold War and Post-Cold War Era” while Tricia Shah
explored “Public Health in Trinidad and Tobago in the
Post Emancipation Period.”
The final night of activities included a debate
between The UWI and the University of the Southern
Caribbean (USC) students on the topic “Be it Resolved
that Studying History is Worth the While.” USC won the
debate, skilfully arguing against. It is probably safe to
assume that many members of the Department were not
in agreement with their stance though all were impressed
by their excellent debating skills!
for the Government.
Dr. Matthews thinks that studying History can be
valuable to people interested in law enforcement. She
explains that the intellectual training – wide reading,
synthesis, corroboration and formulation – provides a
scope for employment which is significant. “I think if
we have more of our police officers... with some kind of
grounding in history, we would be better able to put the
crime situation together – to puzzle and solve and resolve
some of the issues with crime.”
Each Faculty member emphasised that studying
History is invaluable to a person’s identity and to the
development of the nation. “History is something that
lives inside of you,” said Dr. Eccles. “Whatever you do,
you have that foundation. You have that Trinidadian
foundation. You have that Caribbean foundation. You
have a world foundation to know where you fit in...
Wherever you go you have some sense of identity.”
According to Dr. Singh,“In order to deal with our
present successfully, we need to engage with our past in
a very, very aware, pronounced manner.”
Dr. Matthews noted that while History might not
exactly repeat itself, it is a useful guide for the path of
world events. “It’s a past that walks into the present, and
it will certainly walk into the future,” she affirms.
As this year’s festival closed, the Department was
already making plans for next year. They are hoping that
their efforts will draw more students into the field. “We
want History Fest to be a stepping stone, a feeder to whet
the appetite of younger students, so that when they are
considering programmes for tertiary level education,
they will at least give some consideration to History,”
said Dr. Matthews.
Dr. Eccles hopes that more faculty members, the
stalwarts of the profession, will get the opportunity to
guest lecture in schools so that students “can find some
kind of personal image of the History Department” that
wouldmotivatemore of them to pursue this field of study.
Dr. Singh is hoping that the festival can be extended to
the new South campus.
The faculty expressed their need for more financial
support as well as moral support fromother departments
as well as the Office of the Principal. The combined effort
of the various entities could make a change not only in
the local study of history, but in our society as a whole.
“Some women even joined the war effort. Dr. Eccles cited the examples of Leonide Cipriani who
served as a clerk in the LondonWar Office, and her sister Jules who worked in a government munitions
factory. Black men who joined often received laborious tasks. They worked on canal defences, barbed
wire entanglements and bombs. They also endured racism and poor living conditions.”
The growing attitude that studying History is not
essential is a cause for concern for the Department. In
fact, changing this mindset is a driving force behind
History Fest. In recent years, the number of students
joining the Department has dropped considerably. The
reasons are manifold. Dr. Singh notes that some schools
are no longer teaching the subject, focusing instead on
science subjects and the scholarships attached to them.
Many potential students wonder how marketable they
can be with a History degree.
Each of the Faculty members interviewed observed
that some don’t realise that studying history opens many
career doors. Dr. Singh points out that History majors
can go on to be analysts, work in the archives or work
Trinidadian recruits departing from Port of Spain.
PHOTO: WEST INDIA COMMITTEE CIRCULAR, ALMA JORDAN LIBRARY
Members of the Indian community in the early 20th Century.
PHOTO: MICHAEL GOLDBERG COLLECTION, ALMA JORDAN LIBRARY
Members of an artillery regiment.
PHOTO: WEST INDIA COMMITTEE CIRCULAR, ALMA JORDAN LIBRARY
East Indian men.
PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS OF
TRINIDAD BY MUIR MARSHALL,
ALMA JORDAN LIBRARY
1...,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24
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