| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
06th
Feburary 2010
UWI Mourns
the Death of Vice-Chancellor Emeritus
 Ralston
Milton “Rex” Nettleford, was born
in rural Jamaica on February 3, 1933. At age
20, he entered the then University College of
the West Indies to read for a degree in History
and thus began a life-long association with
the UWI. He later pursued a Master of Philosophy
degree in Political Science at Oxford and, at
the prompting of UWI Founding Father, Sir Philip
Sherlock, took up the challenge of widening
the reach of the still fledgling institution
through the Department of Extra-Mural Studies,
which took him to Trinidad and Guyana as Staff
Tutor for the Eastern Caribbean. The Department
of Extra-Mural Studies later became the School
of Continuing Education and is today part of
a full-fledged campus, the UWI Open Campus.
Prof. Nettleford was a scholar. A recipient
of the 1957 Rhodes Scholarship to Oriel College,
Oxford, he went on to establish himself as an
outstanding public historian and social analyst.
His collection of essays, Mirror Mirror –
Identity, Race and Protest, published in 1969
was his first major work and drew wide attention
to his academic prowess. He was also the author
of such works as Inward Stretch Outward Reach:
A Voice from the Caribbean; Manley and the New
Jamaica; Caribbean Cultural Identity; Dance
Jamaica, Cultural Definition and Artistic Discovery;
The Rastafarians in Kingston, Jamaica (with
M G Smith & F A Augier) and The University
of the West Indies: A Caribbean Response to
the Challenge of Change (with Phillip Sherlock).
In addition, he was the editor of Caribbean
Quarterly, the UWI’s journal on cultural
studies.
As a complement to his writing, Rex Nettleford
was an erudite speaker, who had a packed calendar
of speaking engagements worldwide, on a range
of topics. A political Scientist and social
critic, he was a fount of advice and counsel
for almost every Caribbean government, including
those of the non-English speaking territories.
He also served in an advisory capacity to several
regional and international organisations, including
CARICOM, the Organisation of American States,
UNESCO, the ILO, the World Bank and the International
Development Research Council (IDRC) of which
he is a founding director.
Professor Nettleford has been conferred with
numerous academic honours from many universities
and received from the Government of Jamaica
the highest national award which a civilian
can earn – The Order of Merit. He is a
recipient of the Order of the Caribbean Community
(OCC); the Gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute
of Jamaica, of which he was also named Honorary
Fellow; The Chancellor’s Medal (UWI);
the UWI Alumni Pelican Award; The Living Legend
Award from the Black Arts Festival in Atlanta,
USA and The Zora Neal Hurston/Paul Robeson Award
from the National Council for Black Studies,
among many others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apart from his
academic pursuits, Rex Nettleford was perhaps
best known among the artistic community for
his cultural contribution to the region and
for his artistic genius. In 1963 he founded
the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica,
an ensemble which under his direction and
choreography, incorporated traditional Jamaican
music and dance into a formal balletic repertoire.
He also served as Artistic Director for the
University Singers of the UWI at Mona campus
for over twenty years.
Professor Nettleford was often applauded for
his forthright social commentary. He commended
and supported the positive attributes of the
Rastafarian movement, commenting to The Miami
Herald in 2003, ``Everywhere in the world
the movement means liberation.’’
He also persisted in his cause for the reparation
to Caribbean people by the British for the
effects of the transatlantic slave trade.
He repeatedly called for reparations in the
form of British investments in what he called
in 2007 ``the cultivation of the kingdom of
the mind.’’ He said, ``I don’t
want 500 [British] pounds per person. That
makes no sense. They should invest in the
human resources by creating an educational
fund which would help us educate our people.’’
Rex Nettleford devoted his entire adult life
to the service and advancement of the University
of the West Indies. He was passionately committed
to the idea of the UWI as a catalyst for growth
and development of the region and was fiercely
proud of the achievements of this great regional
institution. It was difficult for the UWI
community not to think of Rex Nettleford as
symbolic of the university itself. He lived
for the university and served zealously, working
with five Vice Chancellors: Sir Arthur Lewis,
his mentor; Sir Philip Sherlock; Sir Roy Marshall,
Mr A.Z. Preston and Sir Alister McIntyre –
until he himself took up the mantle in 1998.
He was succeeded after his official ‘retirement’
in 2004 by the current Vice Chancellor, Professor
E. Nigel Harris. However, Professor Nettleford
continued to serve in the capacity of Vice-Chancellor
Emeritus, Professor of Cultural Studies and
unofficial advisor to current Vice-Chancellor,
Professor E. Nigel Harris up to his death
on Feb 2, 2010 while on university business
in Washington.
His name lives on through the Rex Nettleford
Prize in Cultural Studies, tenable at The
University of the West Indies established
by The Rhodes Trust, in celebration of its
Centenary in 2004, – a fitting and lasting
accolade which will ensure that his name and
work will live on in perpetuity. Rex Nettleford’s
life and career were indeed co-terminus with
the University of the West Indies and he will
never, never be forgotten. May he rest in
peace.
(Comments, queries, contributions: st.lucia@open.uwi.edu)
Discuss
Story
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
