Written by: Research Officer, ACIJ/JMB, Ms. Marsha M. Hall
The Symposium “Educational Transformation in Africa and the Caribbean: Centering African Heritage and Identity,” commenced on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, in Kingston, Jamaica to surprisingly no fanfare. Organized by the PJ Patterson Institute for Africa Caribbean Advocacy (PJPIACA) and so named in honour of Jamaica’s former Prime Minister Percival ‘PJ’ Patterson. The symposium according to the organizers “is driven by the ideas that underpin the Global Africa Agenda, in particular, the imperative to educate Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider African Diaspora regarding the need to learn about each other and reestablish historical ties, to embrace our shared identity and cultural heritage.”
A welcome and opening remark by Prof. Paulette A. Ramsay, Research Fellow at the PJ Patterson Institute, The UWI Chair set the pace for what was to be a stirring and impeccable delivery by speakers listed in the first session “Bridging the Continent, Shaping Minds African Identity in Education for Global Africa.” Dr. Benedict Okey Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM), delivered the news that the AFREXIM Bank has approved a grant to assist the PJ Patterson Institute with financing a study to develop an Artificial Intelligence Hub. This he stated will be an opportunity for Africa and the Caribbean to rise to the challenge and invest in Research and Development skills, thus prioritizing a vision for a global Africa in pursuit of our common identity and shared heritage. This AI Hub would provide a platform for Africa and the Caribbean to catapult and be more involved in the international geopolitical landscape signaling that both regions can no longer afford to be consumers and participants of global goods and services. Additionally, Oramah emphasized that both regions are faced with high levels of brain drain as the brightest minds travel further afield in pursuit of better-paying jobs and other incentives. To reverse such a dilemma brain drain, Africa and the Caribbean must deepen intellectual exchange and knowledge sharing. Therefore, the regions are engaged in a new struggle, one that concerns the economic emancipation of Africa and the Caribbean that will demand sustainable
partnerships beyond aid and grants.
The second speaker Hon. P J Patterson, Statesman-in-Residence at the institute continued the conversations on a similar trajectory as Mr. Oramah. Patterson. He elaborated that this symposium connected Africa and the Caribbean by a shared future not just through history, but harnessing the power of education to shape the future of a prosperous global Africa. He reiterated that reversing the brain drain needs deepening of the intellectual exchange and a collective movement. Patterson articulated that the symposium was off to a great start as it is no longer a matter of choice but imperative, particularly since education is key to self-determination and that Africa can never again be relegated to the margins of history since it was time to embolden our children with the intellectual power to rise. It was a reawakening of the region’s cultural identity that will promote economic autonomy and amplify the voices of Afro-Caribbean scholars. He challenged the speakers and attendees to unshackle our minds, adding that every child must see themselves in the history taught in schools. Africa and the Caribbean must strengthen their voices on the international stage and cooperate strategically to evolve as a technological force, one auguring on prosperity is urgently needed for an innovative, inclusive,
and accessible education system. Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the UWI, who was the final orator in this first session, unapologetically expressed the university’s efforts at centering colonialism to ensure that African culture and folklore remained present in Jamaica and the university academic curriculum. He reminded the panelists and attendees that a Memorandum of Understanding was already signed between UWI and universities on the African continent, fostering closer ties educationally and culturally. His speech referenced the need for intellectual tools to analyze Africa and the African Diasporas role in this new dispensation. Beckles highlighted the 2001 Durban Conference as a pivotal moment that set the stage for a Global Africa and not just countries existing in isolation or the pawns of Euro-America.
Addressing other panels were noted scholars Prof. Ruper Lewis, Emeritus Professor, Political Thought Department of Government, UWI Mona, and Orland Patterson, Professor of History/Sociology at Harvard University both longtime champions of the late Marcus Garvey, one of Jamaica’s National Heroes, echoed similar calls for teaching more about Garvey and Science-based curriculum in schools. This curriculum should include a fusion of science, technology, and spiritual well-being. It was this spiritual practice of our ancestors that allowed them to survive the horrors of slavery and it is their strength that Africans in the Diaspora have inherited to preserve them in times of uncertainty. Lewis advocated for government funding to support and promote the teachings of Marcus Garvey in all educational institutions, while simultaneously imploring all stakeholders to upgrade the Liberty Hall, Legacy of Marcus Garvey. Meanwhile, Orlando Patterson stressed educational justice and education rooted in Afro-
Caribbean cultural heritage. For Patterson, culture must be integral to what students read, write, and study, as he lamented those pre-primary and primary levels students were disengaged in the teaching/learning process, as this was too teacher centered. Pedagogy, he noted, must represent local and traditional histories. His point of view called for a transformative approach to integrating Jamaica’s unique cultural heritage in the curriculum and those of the entire Caribbean; that is; English, Spanish, and French-speaking islands. A diverse array of speakers was evident, including members of the university’s student body. Perry Cummings Jr., the Guild Council President, called for support of Black heritage in regionalism, greater inclusion of youth in governance, and enhanced mental health support among peers. Other student presenters—Bianca Smith, Ashley Hunter, and Jessica Forrester—respectively advocated for Caribbean universities to incorporate African identity and the presence of Africa in academia so that students can have a strong foundation to build on.
In summary, one common thread that united the symposium speakers was the need for a global African reawakening and the understanding that revolutionary thoughts and actions in Africa are no longer characterized by hostile, bloody, or warlike takeovers. Instead, it is a revolution redefined by transformational education built on innovation and creativity, utilizing the skills and talents of the collective. This explains the presence of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank at the event; it was routine in terms of documentation but intended to show tangible support for the continued African presence in Jamaica while educating and engaging the public about our work in preserving African, Caribbean, and Jamaican cultural heritage. Representing the ACIJ/JMB were Dr. Kirt Henry, Director, Nasika Alliman, Publications Officer, Marsha M Hall-Research Officer and O’Neil Passley- Audio/Visual Technician.