Revolution in Grenada: 40 Years Later
March 13, 2019 marks 40 years since the Grenadian Revolution, what Fidel Castro called "a big revolution in a small country".
The role of the Grenadian Revolution, its importance to the wider Caribbean, and the threat it posed for the United States was best summed up by Bishop who remarked in 1980 that “We are obviously no threat to America, nor is Cuba for that matter. I think Washington fears that we could set an example for the rest of the region if our Revolution succeeds. In the Caribbean region you’re talking about small countries with small populations and limited resources, countries that over the years have been classic examples of neo-capitalist dependencies. Now you have these new governments like Nicaragua and Grenada that are attempting a different experiment. They are no longer looking at development as how many hotels you have on the beach but in terms of what benefits people get. How many have jobs? How many are being fed, housed, and clothed? How many of the children receive education? We certainly believe in Grenada that the people of the English-speaking Caribbean want to see an experiment like that succeed. They want to see what we are trying to build come about. America understands that and obviously if we are able to succeed where previous governments following different models failed, that would be very, very subversive.”
Today, it can be hard to imagine that Revolution was a reality in the Caribbean, however the conditions that gave birth to it have not changed, and arguably they have gotten worse. What is the legacy of the Revolution and what are the lessons for organizers and radical movements today?
Join us for this interactive discussion, as professors Alissa Trotz and Patsy Lewis will be in conversation with each other, as well as the community.
Dr. Patsy Lewis:
Dr. Lewis is Professor of Regional Integration and Small States Development at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. She is currently a Visiting Professor and Faculty Fellow of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University and Director of the Development Studies Program.
Dr. Lewis’ work has focused broadly on the political and economic challenges small states experience in achieving independent survival. Specifically, she has sought to analyse the legitimacy of the United States’ invasion of Grenada and the region’s role in this. She is the author of Grenada: Revolution and Invasion.
Dr. Alissa Trotz:
Alissa Trotz is a member of the Caribbean Solidarity Network, and professor in Caribbean Studies and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto. She is a member of Red Thread Women, Guyana, and for the past 11 years she has edited a weekly newspaper column, In the Diaspora, in The Stabroek News.