Dear Editor,
Allow me to respond to Red Thread’s letter – “Mr. Persaud should understand that the term grassroots is not restricted to his limited interpretation” published on April 7, 2023. The letter was signed by Wintress White, Halima Khan, Joy Marcus, Shirley Ault, Susan Collymore, Vanessa Ross, Maeve Ramsay, Jonel Perreira, and Michelle John.
It is response to my original critique of Red Thread’s conspicuous poli-tical biases, the signatories to “Mr. Persaud should understand…” boldly de-clare that one of their fundamental principles is that they stand against “all forms of violence.” I read this entry and framing of it a few times to make sure I have it right. Editor, what is that they embrace is a kind of cultural nationalism, one that is in sync with the central tenets of Ogunseye’s warped idea of what would constitute a just political economy.
Let me repeat what I argued in the first instance. The original letter signed by the nine persons above, was a call for protesters. Red Thread declared purpose in that letter was to schedule protests at the Office of the President. The use of the label “grassroots” was the usual ploy employed to cover up its long history of anti-PPP/C activities. No definition of grassroots fits Red Thread.
Sincerely,
Dr. Randolph Persaud
