The Dominican Republic is a country in the West Indies that occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second-largest island of the Greater Antilles chain in the Caribbean Sea. Haiti, also an independent republic, occupies the western third of the island. The Spanish language has always been predominant, although English is becoming more common because …
Abolitionists and revolutionaries – 7 Black women you should know about
Here are seven Caribbean and American women who were abolitionists, revolutionaries and activists. These women fought to free their people from the chains of slavery, discrimination and the lasting effects of slavery. Some took up arms, some used strategy and some used the pen. The women discussed in this video are: Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth …
Saint Lucia – From colonisation to independence
Saint Lucia is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It is the second largest of the Windward group. The vast majority of the inhabitants of the island are black and there is a small minority of people of mixed heritage. The remainder are whites or of East Indian extraction. A French patois is spoken by …
The Gambia – From colonisation to independence
The Republic of The Gambia is the smallest country within mainland Africa and is sandwiched by Senegal. The Gambia has long been home to several different ethnic groups who have maintained their individual cultural traditions; as such, the country has a rich heritage. You can watch the video or read on. The population is mainly …
Flore Bois Gaillard – St Lucian revolutionary
Flore Bois Gaillard was a St Lucian runaway slave who led a band of free slaves called ‘Armée Française Dans Les Bois (French Army in the Woods). The Brigands War The Brigands War in St Lucia began in 1791 after the French National Assembly sent a delegation to St Lucia to promote the Revolution. By …
Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile – Haitian revolutionary
While there is much written about the men of the Haitian Revolution, not much is known or written about the women who helped to emancipate the people of the island. Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile is notable as part of the Haitian Revolution. Born near Cap-Francais (now Cap-Hattian) to enslaved parents, we rely on oral history …
Grenada – From colonisation to independence
Grenada is one of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere. Known as the Spice island, it is the world’s second-largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia and a significant producer of mace, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It also boasts beautiful scenery with fertile valleys, rainforests and mountain lakes. English is the official language of …
Haiti – From revolution to civil unrest
Haiti was first colonised by the Spanish who enslaved the native Taino and Ciboney people soon after December 1492, when European navigator Christopher Columbus sighted the island and called it La Isla Española (“The Spanish Island”; later Anglicised as Hispaniola.) The island’s indigenous population, forced to mine for gold, devastated by European diseases and brutal …
Malcolm X visits Smethwick, West Midlands
In February 1965 civil rights campaigner, Malcolm X was in Britain to speak at the London School of Economics. Avtar Singh Jouhl, general secretary of the Indian Workers Association, invited him to speak at Birmingham University and visit Smethwick, a small town in the West Midlands, UK. Smethwick was a hotbed of racial tension. Just …