A TRUE son of the soil, Dr. Kimani Nehusi is not hesitant to say that he was born in the ancient town of Essequibo, in one of the largest and oldest communities called Queenstown.

Dr. Kimani, as he is fondly called, is the fourth of eight children of his parents, Mr. and Mrs Arnold and Princess Drakes. He has seven other siblings, who are also very active in community service.

During his school days, he attended the St Bartholomew’s Anglican School in Queenstown. Dr. Kimani then went on to further training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). In his quest to be a good teacher, he soon after completed graduate training in Education Research Methodology at the Ministry of Education where he worked in the Research Unit.
He continued his pursuit of knowledge at the University of Guyana with a BA in History with Portuguese and Sociology, then an MA in Guyanese History. He also studied at the Centre for Brazilian Studies, majoring in Brazilian Portuguese and the literature and society of Brazil.
Dr. Kimani went on the University College of London in the United Kingdom, where he graduated with a PhD in Caribbean history. He then pursued a Diploma in Egyptology at the University of London, further undertaking more studies in Advanced Translation of Middle and Late Egyptian Texts.

IN GUYANA
He is currently in Guyana at the invitation of the International Decade for People of African Descent -Guyana (IDPADA-G), where he has also made an extensive visit to the print and broadcast media and held several discussions.

SPECIALLY INVITED
In an interview with the executive members of the IDPADA-G, they informed the Pepperpot Magazine that Dr. Kimani helped to inform people about Guyanese history, especially since history is no longer taught in schools.

“He ignited a sense of pride in the contributions of Africans historically, to the development of Guyana and in so doing, helped to empower African Guyanese… He addressed two IDPADA-G conferences held in Georgetown, on the weekend of February 9 and 10: “Reclaiming, Revitalising, Restoring African Guyanese and Culture”, and a Youth Leadership and Empowerment conference entitled “The African Youth: Engaging, Educating and Liberating,”the IDPADA-G disclosed, stating that over 400 Guyanese were afforded the opportunity to ask questions, as well as to discourse with him on his most recent publication.”
According to the IDPADA-G, young people attending the empowerment conference were touched, and moved to learn facts about their history and culture that they never knew before. Knowing the history will help IDPADA-G in its efforts to achieve the goals of the UN Decade, and will strengthen and empower the African Guyanese community, the members stated.

IDPADA GUYANA ORIGINS

On December 23, 2013, the member states of the United Nations passed a resolution dedicating a decade to addressing the challenges confronting people of African Descent around the world.

His Excellency President David Granger responded to the UN’s Declaration by calling on the African Guyanese community to create a mechanism to address the UN mandate. He set out broad areas of focus for the African Guyanese community: economics, employment, education and equity with the goal of addressing the historic and present discrimination against African descendants.
The theme of the United Nation’s declaration of the Decade for People of African Descent Assembly is Recognition, Justice and Development.

DILIGENT PURSUITS

An Africology and African American Studies associate professor-instructional, Dr. Kimani Nehusi is a multi-disciplinary scholar, with strong interests in language and linguistics, history, culture and research methodology. Nehusi’s research interests include Africa and its diaspora from ancient to modern times, the Caribbean and Guyana. He has received many honours from different parts of the world for his scholarship.
He has been Assistant Examiner in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and lectured, conducted workshops, gave keynotes and contributed to radio and television programmes in many communities, colleges, universities and workplaces in various parts of the Caribbean, USA, Canada, Europe (UK, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark) and Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa).
He held positions in the Universities of Guyana, London, East London, founded and was Director of the Africa Studies Centre at the University of East London. He is currently a Research Associate at the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa; Associate Professor in the Department of Africology at Temple University in the USA; and Walter Rodney Professor of History at the University of Guyana.

PROLIFIC WRITER AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST
In addition to always being willing to share his knowledge by way of lecturers, workshop discussions, keynote addresses and the like, Dr. Kimani has been an incessant and prolific writer of many books and monographs for at least two decades now.
Some of his books and monographs include: A People’s Political History of Guyana, 1838-1964; Libation: An African Ritual of Heritage in the Circle of Life; With Ian Isidore Smart (eds.) Ah Come Back Home: Perspectives on the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
Additionally, some selected articles and book chapters include, “The Causes of the Protest of 1905” in W. F. Mc Gowan, J. G. Rose and D. A. Granger (eds.) Themes in African-Guyanese History; “The Development of Political Organisation up to 1953” in W. F. Mc Gowan, J. G. Rose and D. A. Granger (eds.) Themes in African-Guyanese History; ‘Contradictions between Dr. Jagan and the “Ultra- Left: The Split in the original People’s Progressive Party of Guiana, 1956/57’; “The Origins of Carnival: Notes from a Preliminary Investigation” in Ian Isidore Smart and Kimani Nehusi (eds.) Ah come back home: Perspectives on the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival; ‘Introduction’ in Richard Hart (Edited by Kimani Nehusi) Caribbean Workers’ Struggle Socialist History Society and many, many more. This is, as he continues to impart to both graduate and undergraduate students, based on his research and studies.

Dr. Kimani has represented Guyana in track and field, and has even been a national track and field coach of Guyana. He held offices in the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana; was placed on the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)’s panel of international lecturers; and was honoured by the IAAF for his services to track and field in Guyana. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)