Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela

The online Oxford Dictionary defines education as:

1 the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university: a course of education

Ambiguous as it sounds, if one took the definition above literally and applied it to the psyche, surely this would be the greatest, self inflicted robbery of sense???

Throughout the course of human history, society has played a big part in altering perceptions and through prejudice redefining human instructions and movements. It has also played a big part in painting its own version of the story, often making it mandatory for that story to be believed and accepted. It is a known fact that society has long since tried to obliterate the achievements of people of black ancestry and has only served to showcase and through media promote the negativity within us.

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The slave trade of the 15^th century shook the world upside down and to this day its effects likened at times to genocide, are still being felt. Millions and millions of Black people were uprooted from Africa and thrust upon foreign lands that were as alien to them as their captors. Despite the harsh and deadly conditions that they found themselves in, alongside existing inhabitants, Indians and South Asians they developed a way to live and developed a beautiful culture. Through their old imported traditions and adopted western ways they learnt to survive and through generations passed on their legacy.

If there was ever one thing that European colonisers feared the most, it was the empowerment of black people through education. However we have to remember that black people had never been born with the ideology of government dictated ‘classroom’ teaching, this was a post colonialism adoption, by product brought to the Caribbean by missionaries. Therefore how could they have feared the unknown? This is because ambiguous as it sounds education encompasses not only the ability to be literate; it is also intelligence, your background, environment, knowledge and all psychological elements thrown in.  However we are taught and told different.

The one tradition that was adopted into the Caribbean culture was the African tradition of oral transmission from one generation to another. This was often done in speech, song, folktales or chants and became the birthright of Calypso music. Through the years education was traditionally passed through ritual dances, songs and stories told between old and young. As time passed, learning developed and new traditions were introduced and social statuses established.

Toussaint Louverture

Towards the end of the 18^th century, the largest led-slave revolution shook the core of the institution, bringing along with it an island wide protest for freedom. It was an inner drive and a desire to lead a better life that led Toussaint Louverture, a Haitian leader to get an education to empower himself.  It was his father, a freed slave who passed on his traditions, taught Toussaint his lifelong skills and taught him how to read and write. Toussaint was also fortunate enough to serve servitude to a master who gave him access to books and taught him how to read and write, but this often came at a price. Despite his hardship, through reading and constantly learning, Toussaint learnt about leadership and freedom, he learnt of faith and justice, of travels abound and of emotions that existed amongst people. It was this coupled with his belief in fighting for justice that saw a bloody war culminating the in Independence for a nation that had been so long repressed.

George Lamming

The Caribbean has long since birthed pioneers, scholars, leaders to name a few amongst many, all of whom have realised the importance of education and have used it to fight for freedom, live a better life and empower Caribbean people. Notables such as George Lamming, Maurice Bishop, Derek Walcott, Marcus Garvey and V.S. Naipaul educated men who have produced literary works, contributed to the University of West Indies have shown that it can be done through determination and will and demonstrating the results by being awarded the coveted Noble Prize. Intelligent men such as Sir Arthur Lewis, partly self taught at home and having jumped education tiers, have paved the way for their countries and those around devising economical solutions and improving living conditions.

Of African and mixed heritage, born and bred in the Caribbean and taught at some of the most prestigious education establishments in England, these men a few amongst many, have overcome diversity and hardship and broken mental obstacles. How did they achieve it and what did they all have in common…a fused tradition of both old and modern teaching equalling education and an awareness of their history and where they came from?

The 21^st century has afforded us many avenues to learn and to gain access and the advancement of technology has made this more easily accessible. Whilst some may not be fortune enough to learn from a family environment, we are surrounded by educated figures, prominent community figures, dedicated teachers, positive friends that can point us in the right direction. We therefore have no excuse to continue binding ourselves in these chains of bondage. Education is power and begins at home, in your environment.

It is easier to enslave an ignorant mind, so let’s take cue from our leaders and people who have achieved greatness and strive to build a powerful nation of an empowered young generation…..

What does education mean to you? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below.