JUNE 13, 2022 marks the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, a world renowned historian and revolutionary whose life was snuffed out at the prime of his political and academic life. He was in his late 30s at the time of his assassination which is a sad blow to the political and intellectual development of the country having regard to the fact that his life was cut short at such a relatively young age.

Given his strong leftist leanings and his struggle against dictatorial rule, Dr. Rodney found an ally and friend in Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the PPP, and even though not being a member of the PPP for tactical reasons, the bonds of friendship and camaraderie lasted until his passing. His confrontation against the Burnham dictatorship is now legendary. Burnham’s ‘steel is sharper’ approach to perceived political opponents culminated in the eventual assassination of Dr. Rodney at the prime of his political and academic life.

Yet his contributions to academia and to the struggle for democracy in Guyana was nothing short of extraordinary. His legacy which was subdued and distorted under the PNC and subsequently APNU+AFC regime was finally restored and put in its proper historical perspective by the PPP/C administration which on August 9, 2021 successfully tabled a motion in the National Assembly to implement the findings of ‘The Commission of Inquiry Appointed to Enquire and Report on the Circumstances Surrounding the Death in An Explosion of the late Dr. Water Rodney on Thirteenth Day of June, One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty at Georgetown.’

Accordingly, and having regard to the findings of the Commission of Enquiry set up on February 8, 2014 by the then Donald Ramotar presidency, the  PPP/C administration announced a raft of measures to honour the late Dr. Rodney and to set the record straight regarding his death. In a speech to the National Assembly, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs said as follows:

“Today, the privilege is mine to announce that His Excellency, the President and the Government of Guyana have acceded to the request as part of the historic step of bringing a level of closure to the Rodney family with respect to the death of Dr. Walter Rodney. This is a momentous occasion for many reasons and it is also a personal privilege for me and indeed all of us to be part of a process of the rectification of the historical record.”

The PPP/C administration must be commended not only for restoring the legacy of Dr. Rodney but for also setting the records straight regarding his life and death. It will be recalled that an earlier Inquest set up by the then Forbes Burnham regime found that Dr. Rodney’s death was the result of ‘misadventure’ which was found by the 2014 Commission of Inquiry to be incredibly flawed and dubious.

Interestingly, despite Dr. Rodney’s academic accomplishments, scholarship and activism, his death certificate described him as ‘unemployed’. The PNC-dominated University of Guyana Council had denied him employment at the University of Guyana despite the fact that Dr. Rodney lectured at several reputable universities across the world.

That historical wrong has now been corrected and his death certificate has been modified to read ‘Professor’ instead of ‘unemployed’ and the cause of death now stated as ‘death by assassination’ rather ‘misadventure’. In addition, Rodney’s gravesite and memorial are now declared national monuments and are currently being managed collaboratively between the Rodney Family and the National Trust.

Dr. Rodney was also known for his writings which included ‘A History of the Guyanese People’; ‘Guyanese Sugar Plantations in the late 19th Century’ and ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ in addition to several children’s books which have now become part of the national syllabus for use at primary and secondary schools in the country. In addition, the Walter Rodney Chair at the University of Guyana has been re-established and the Walter Rodney National Archives restored after the previous APNU+AFC administration had dropped his name.

These are indeed fitting tributes to an outstanding son of the soil whose life, death and contributions have not only been restored by the PPP/C administration but whose legacy will live on down the corridors of time.