I have kept away from the debate I initiated because far too many jumped to the prejudged conclusion that one’s views are premised from the point of view of either protecting or sheltering a particular political party. It seems impossible to change that assumption so I had put aside writing, in frustration.
Mr Maxwell’s recent letter, mentioning my name was refreshing. It artfully and intellectually addressed my idea of social activism for African Guyanese specifically and all Guyanese generally. I disagree with those who suggest that Africans are not entrepreneurial, and just believe in just having a good education and living a simple life. This does not represent the true picture.
Some responses to Mr Maxwell’s letter suggest that Africans are socialists, producing just enough to eat, not indulging in the capitalist greed. Well, if that is what is causing our downfall we need to learn how to indulge in avarice and greed fast – like yesterday. Many are usurping our ingenuity and strength then turning around and taking away our lunch and dinner.
Arguments that we owned land/cattle in Africa, bought land after the abolition of slavery but felt that labouring on the land was too much of a reminder of slavery, so we decided to imitate ‘massa’ and be educated, is also not the complete picture. The centre of learning is in Africa – Timbuktu. What’s this imitation of ‘massa’ with education? Africans did lose part of themselves to slavery, but it is negligible.
Africans are the pioneers of the majority of business trends and innovations in Guyana, but there is hardly any tangible proof of this. Their ideas were worked and developed only to change hands with no royalties attached. I would like to point out the contributions of some pioneering African Guyanese, whom I had the pleasure of knowing, some personally, such as L King & Sons, a vibrant African owned hardware store, rivalling JP Santos. Mr King had a niche – building products. This was before National Hardware, Toolsie Persaud, etc. He also had a logging concession and a lumber business, rivalling the said Toolsie Persaud and before Mazarally & Sons. This was no cake-shop approach. He was out there ahead of today’s big gunners in the late sixties, early seventies.
In my days as a hire-car driver on the Linden-Georgetown route, 1985-86, I met Mr King. His business was then a shell of itself. He had established a little store on the Wismar waterfront and I used to move him to and fro. The irony of what he was doing then was selling groceries and vegetables in a run-down building, which was once a branch of his hardware store and the shipment point for his lumber business. He died in frustration, without giving up.
It is sad when I remember Mr King and our conversations. Mr King identified many problems/obstacles facing the African businessman. He pointed out that if an Indian is a barber his son and even grandson are destined to be barbers. Next, the lack of other rich African businessmen to turn to for support – financial or business advice – when the banks and your competitors gang up against you.
In the early nineties I had established a restaurant in Alberttown and had the pleasure of meeting Mr Holder, who owned the Car Wash Disco on Regent Street and later a taxi service on Princes Street. He may not be a pioneer but his story, a lost opportunity, is relevant and a manifestation of some of Mr King’s observations.
Mr Holder told me about the first option he had to purchase the entire property at the corner of Regent and King streets, where his disco utilized a small section on the first floor. If I remember well the owner was an old Chinese lady who lived on part of the second floor. Of course there is a ground floor at pavement level and an old bakery included in the mix.
He discussed the proposition with his closest friends and was asked, “What you gon do wid all that property?” He admitted that it was not that his friends were deliberately giving him bad advice, it was that they simply did not know and he was no different. He regretted the missed opportunity because a few years later one year’s rental of a small section on the ground floor would have paid for the entire property at the time.
After the closure of the bauxite company in Ituni, Henry Reid took an Echo chainsaw and began squaring lumber, previously done with an axe or two-man hand saw, ushering in the trend of chainsaw lumber. Ituni now produces over 40% of the chainsaw lumber on the local market.
During the late seventies, during the time of ‘redeployment,’ the removal of the so-called square pegs from round holes, many families found themselves with both breadwinners without a job. I believe ‘Chi Chi,’ who was in the Aji business was the first to jump on the airplane thus ushering in the trading business. With only $40 as the maximum one can take out of the country, Africans found innovative ways to create foreign exchange, which were converted into imports.
No one can dispute that Carl Boyce is the pioneer of cambios in Guyana. Going into the flour ban and even during the ban, Africans owned the majority of bakeries. As soon as the ban was lifted they were wiped out. When I left Guyana in 2001 a prominent African owned six guest houses/hotels. In 2007 these properties were run down and other more recent hotel chains flourished.
I can almost hear comments of the influence of the ‘white lady’ on today’s camouflaged developments, but in all fairness we were the pioneers in that too, only to be overrun. I am old enough to remember the days of numerous boxing promotions and big wigs, Las Vegas style, entering venues with entourages of security and bodyguards.
Three African Guyanese started the Casique Hotel next to the stadium with their own money. They ran into financial problems and got some assistance from the government, which was not enough. Which African organization could they have turned to for financial assistance? The same can be said about another three who had the stone quarry.
So, how can we say that African Guyanese are not interested in wealth generation? Not true. All the persons mentioned were out there with their shoulders to the wheel. There are reasons for their failures. We must identify these reasons and address them as a community. Glaring though is the lack of a support system in the community.
We must accept that we must generate wealth and not just depend on education, a salaried job or a government. We must be able to be trustworthy to each other. We must stop this individualist approach to business. One ‘pointer’ can’t sweep. Our foreparents trusted each other enough to form co-ops and bought land.
We must be committed to creating jobs in our communities. Workers must be taught to appreciate and respect others’ investment as they would expect the same when they in turn begin to invest. We must support each other otherwise we will continue to be toast.
Yours faithfully,
F. Skinner
