Guyanese lecturer refused re-entry to Jamaica

A26-YEAR-OLD Guyanese lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, who left the island last week for Montreal, Canada, and attended a congress of black writers, was barred from re-entering Jamaica yesterday afternoon by local immigration authorities on his return from Canada. Barred was Dr Walter Rodney, lecturer on African history. He left Jamaica last Thursday and attended the congress, which was held from Friday, October 11, to Monday, October 14.

Yesterday morning, he boarded an Air Canada flight in Montreal to return to Jamaica. When the flight landed at the Palisadoes International Airport at 2:20 p.m., Acting Supt S.C. Gibson, who is in charge of the local Immigration Department, boarded the aircraft and informed Rodney that he would not be permitted to re-enter the island.

Rodney was not allowed to leave the aircraft and was taken back to Montreal on the return flight later in the afternoon.

Contacted yesterday afternoon, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said that an exclusion order had been issued against Rodney but gave no reason for the order.

It was learnt, however, that decision about the exclusion action against Rodney was taken by the Government some time ago as a result of his reported secret, personal activities in several areas of the island, which appear to have convinced security circles that he was “a grave security risk”.

It was also learnt that vice-chancellor of the UWI, Philip Sherlock, was called in by the Government on Monday and the matter discussed. The exclusion order against Rodney was issued after Monday’s Cabinet meeting and was gazetted yesterday.

In a snap interview aboard the Air Canada aircraft yesterday afternoon, Rodney told The Gleaner: “This is no surprise to me. I have discovered that in Jamaica, to be a black man is dangerous.”

Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Rodney studied at the UWI, Mona. He entered the university in 1960 and graduated in 1963. He went to Africa for further studies and served at the university in Tanzania.

He was appointed lecturer in African history at the UWI in January 1968. His wife, a Tanzanian, and son are resident in Jamaica.

‘This is no surprise to me. I have discovered that in Jamaica to be a black man is dangerous.’

Students of the University of the West Indies break through a police cordon along Mona Road, St Andrew, in 1968. The cops, armed with tear gas canisters and riot batons, are in hot pursuit.

Students of the University of the West Indies (UWI), as they march past Gordon House, on Duke Street, on Wednesday, October 16, 1968, to protest the Government’s action to ban Dr Walter Rodney, a history lecturer at the UWI, from the island.

Demonstrating UWI students with one of the many placards they carried on Wednesday, October 16, 1968.