Film Number

7492

Title

A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN CULTURE: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON AFRICA, INTRODUCTION WITH GUS JOHN

Producer

WFA

Date

1983

Gauge

U-matic LB

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Running Time

49 mins 13 secs

Description

First session of a 10 week Celebration of African Culture, held at WFA Media and Cultural Centre in Manchester between February and May 1983. Gus John gives an overview of the programme of events. Dedicates it to the memory of Walter Rodney, who did more than anyone to clear up the myths about development and under-development, the theme of this session. Gives a resume of Rodney's life - professorship at the University of Guyana, establishment of the Working People's Alliance and his eventual assassination under Burnham's regime in Guyana in 1980. Gus talks about his own early life in Grenada, the difficulties of making the links between who we were, why we were here, the relationship between Britain, Africa and Caribbean and it is thanks to the elders from the community that a gradual understanding unfolded. Gus was also a witness to riots in the 1950s, burning sugar plantations and planters homes - his first important lesson in history.
He talks about patterns of domination of the working masses of Africa, resistance and neo-colonialism. He also addresses the issues of multiculturalism - the 3 S's (saris,samosas and steel bands), the distortion and de-politicalisation of carnival, black studies, Cynthia Gordon and finishes by quoting Clive Thomas from the University of Guyana. Garth Richards then introduces the film 'Mau Mau' with an exposÇ of the relationship between history and culture.

[Catalogued as part of 'Revitalising the Regions' a Screen Heritage UK project, 2011]