Lest We Forget

It’s the mid 1970’s and political violence is bringing Jamaica to its knees. By the end of 1976, an incident would shock the entire political fraternity when, for the very first time in history, a Jamaican politician was shot due to this political violence,; forever changing the island’s society. For additional reading information on this episode, visit our website at: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tenementyaadm...

Today, multinational fast food companies like KFC, Burger King and Popeyes dominate Jamaican society. But before all of these, there was Mike’s, Home of the Famous Nyamburgers. The restaurant, the brainchild of Lester Mike Henry, was one of Jamaica’s most popular fast food establishments in the early 1970’s, and thus helped lay the groundwork of the island’s fast food industry today.  For addition...

For decades, bribery accusations while on duty have long plague Jamaican police officers who are assigned road duties. But back in 1997, these allegations went global and it involve one of music’s most influential vocalists - Sade Adu. For additional reading information on this episode, visit our website at: ⁠https://www.tenementyaadmedia.com/⁠ Don't forget to follow us on our social media Twi...

Content Warning: This episode contains brief mentions of slavery and police brutality In October 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became an independent state. Within this jubilation however, residents of the Grenadines still had concerns of the decades of unemployment, underemployment and underdevelopment and how these issues would fit into this new period of the nation’s history. But come D...

Content Warning: This episode makes mention of slavery In a special episode written by Dr. Fara Dabhoiwala, professor of history at Princeton University, we tell the story of Francis Williams, a formerly enslaved Black Jamaican who was among the leading intellectuals of the 1700s & the painting that exposed the racist conspiracy against him and the entire Black race. Podcast Episode Companion:...

Content Warning: this audio contains sexual content and profranties as well as mentions of sexism, ephebophilia, statutory rape, revenge porn and misogyny. Sidewalk is an upcoming video essay series that explores shifting discourse in Jamaican society through the arts. Lest We Forget is pleased to present the podcast version of their first project - Oral Sex As Told By Dancehall - which looks at t...

In conversations around Jamaicans' distrust in the island's political system, there is the recurring theme of political corruption. So to understand the root of political corruption on the island, it seems to fit to look at the historic court case involving J.Z. Malcolm, who in 1952 became the first politician in Jamaica to be found guilty on fraud charges. For additional reading informati...

Since scholarship on the topic discussed is limited, a large portion of the details heard on this episode was taken from “The Making of ‘The Comrade’: The Political Journey of Ralph Gonsalves" by Ralph Gonsalves Today, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is the one of the longest serving head of government in Caribbean history. As of this episode recording, he is the current prime minister of St. Vincent and...

Content Warning: this episode contains profanity In 2004, Jamaican musician, Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley released the lead single off his upcoming third studio album, "Welcome to Jamrock”. Propelled by its music video, it would go to be an international hit. But although it was celebrated abroad, back home in Jamaica, sections of society had a different opinion. For additional reading information...

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of physical abuse, racism and xenophobia. In the wake of certain events occurring across the region, thousands of West Indians emigrated or sought refugees status to the United States by the 1970s. Still, it would be the newly arrived Haitians and Haitian refugees that faced the most prejudice. And even though one rap group would emerge in the 1990...

Content Warning: this episode contains mention of slavery On August 1st, 1838, Jamaica, alongside the rest of the countries in British West Indies, achieved emancipation and thus all enslaves Black people on the island, gained their freedom. Since then, it has been ongoing debate on the necessity of commemorating the end of one of the most brutal acts of mankind. For additional reading information...

Content Warning: this episode discusses a plane crash as well as injuries and death associated with it. In the mid 1970’s, the first and only mid-air bombing of a civilian airliner in the Western Hemisphere took place. As such, the 1976 bombing of Cubana Airline 455 which resulted in the killing of 73 persons, became one of the most devastating terrorist attack in Caribbean history.  For additiona...

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of homophobia, homophobic language, murder and police brutality. There are also mentions of slavery and rape. By no stretch, is the Jamaica Constabulary Force the most loved civil servant organisation. However, the organisation colonial roots, anti-black mode of operations and the nation’s homophobia lead to a rumour that the organisation is been o...

Content Warning: this episode contains mentions of slavery On this episode, we discussed how the colonisation of the Caribbean by Europeans brought mosquitoes to the region and the subsequent  ecological transformation of the region that have foster the growth of the pest.  For additional reading information on this episode and to view our transcript for this episode, visit our website at: ⁠⁠⁠http...

In 1979, a swine virus outbreak occurred in the Dominican Republic. Still, the situation would had a drastic effect in Haiti as a US-Canada-Mexico partnership led to 1.3 million of their Kreyol pigs been slaughtered, forever changing the country. For additional reading information on this episode and to view our transcript for this episode, visit our website at: ⁠⁠https://www.tenementyaadmedia.com...

In 1975, Cuba sent troops to Angola to help them fight against an invasion by apartheid South Africa. Henry Kissinger, the US Secretary of State was angry at this, so he set out to get countries to denounce Cuba’s actions. Jamaica was one of these countries. So, in December 1975, Kissinger met with prime minister Michael Manley on the issue. On this episode, we hear from Manley, himself, how this...

In Jamaica, there is the famous Devon House. A historical landmark, it is popular for its patties, the Devon House ice-cream and when the weather is suitable, it also serves as a public park for families. However, there’s a popular story that involves Devon House that most Jamaicans grow up hearing. The story goes that Lady Musgrave, the then governor of Jamaica’s wife, was so angry at seeing Devo...

Content Warning: this episode contains mentions of murder, police brutality, indentureship and the abuse of women. Upon the arrival of large numbers of Indians to the Caribbean, through the Indentureship system, they also brought their religion and other aspect of their culture. Their aversion to not assimilating to whiteness, was seen as a problem by the colonial governments. And no other event i...

On August 1st, 1838, Jamaica, alongside the rest of the countries in the British West Indies, achieved full emancipation and thus all enslaved Black people on the island, gained their freedom. Immediately after, the topic of land became a major issue. For even though freedom day come for all Black persons, a series of laws & taxes were created, effectively blocking Blacks people & in some...

Content Warning: this episode contains mentions of violence, slavery and wider harm. Most scholarship on Caribbean chattel slavery of enslaved Black people largely covers the the sugar and tobacco plantation systems throughout the region. However, there was another massive industry that was built upon the enslavement of Black people - salt. Saltpans were spread across the region where throughout t...

On March 10, 1979, according to all persons who were personally involved in the documentation of the revolution, the New Jewel Movement leadership got word through their informats at senior levels of the police force, that Eric Gairy left order for the arrest and assassination of the leading members of the political party. Through a pattern of behaviour, NJM leadership knew that if they wanted to...

Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of police brutality As Sir Eric Gairy’s tenure as head of government continued throughout the 1970’s, the country was on the brink of economic and social collapse. In the wake of Bloody Sunday and Bloody Monday occurred, two of the most ferocious cases of police brutality in Caribbean history, Gairy was beginning to face opposition from all sides. Ho...

In the midst of Grenada’s independence, the country was experiencing islandwide strikes and protests due to its economic deterioration and domestic repression in the hands of its first prime minister, Eric Gairy. These were highlighted by the many cases of Gairy’s alleged bribes and corruption, real estates scams, extortion deals, sex scandals, international partnership for his own self interest,...

After years of societal tension in Grenada, everything would come to a head in 1951 at an event now known as the 1951 Revolution. The person who propelled this event was a former primary school teacher name Eric Matthew Gairy. Due to the success of this 1951 event, Gairy would become Grenada’s leading trade unionist and soon after, Grenada’s most powerful political leader. Over the next decade and...

1950 would be one of the most significant years to understand the Grenadian Revolution, however, the events of this year were years in the making. It was years of build up tension arising from the neglect of the country’s majority black and poor population, coupled with the organising influence of Uriah Butler in nearby Trinidad and Tobago and the national black power empowerment movement enhance...