February is African History Month originally designated to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas on February 12 and 14 respectively. It is noted and marked in Guyana.
The African people of Guyana have contributed the most, not only to making Guyana the habitable place that it is, but also to the historical narrative of revolutionary resistance to oppression that is now our common heritage. This heritage bequeathed by our ancestors from Africa has inspired Guyana’s quest for freedom and justice. While it is important to bring the story of Guyanese of African origin to public notice, as I have done in the case of Jack Gladstone and the pivotal role he played in the 1823 rebellion, there are many others from other countries who filled my teenage and early adult years and inspired me.
These include W E B DuBois, Paul Robeson, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Patrice Lumumba, C L R James, Marcus Garvey, Henry Winston, Malcolm X, George Jackson, Amilcar Cabral, Angela Davis, Walter Rodney, who came later, and many others. Forbes Burnham is an inspiration to a large number of Guyanese.
