African Caribbeans: A Reference Guide 0313312400, 9780313312403

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A Reference Guide Edited by Alan West-Duran

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AFRICAN CARIBBEANS A REFERENCE GUIDE

Edited by Alan West-Duran

GREENWOOD

PRESS

Westport, Connecticut • London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

African Caribbeans: a reference guide / edited by Alan West-Duran. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-313-31240-0 (alk. paper) 1. Blacks—West Indies. 2. Blacks—Suriname. 3. Blacks—French Guiana. 4. West Indies—History. 5. Suriname—History. 6. French Guiana—History. 7. Caribbean Area. I. West, Alan, 1953F1629.B55 B53 2003 972.9'00496—dc21 2002069603 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2003 by Alan West-Duran All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002069603 ISBN: 0-313-31240-0 First published in 2003 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America

The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). 10 987654321

For Aimee Cesaire, for the beauty and violence of his images For C.L.R. James, for his roving intellect and thirst for justice For Fernando Ortiz, for his curiosity, warmth and vision But especially for Marcia Gail Cooke, to make amends, and in thanks for her true sense of friendship

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Contents

1.

Acknowledgments

ix

Caribbean Chronology

xi

Introduction

xv

Anguilla

1

Pedro L.V. Welch 2.

The Bahamas

13

D. Gail Saunders 3.

Barbados

29

Pedro L.V. Welch 4.

The Cayman Islands

43

Pedro L.V. Welch Cuba

55

Tomas Fernandez Robaina, translated by Alan West-Durdn ^ The Dominican Republic

73

Ramona Hernandez and Nancy Lopez 7.

French Guiana

Mickaella L. Perina

87

CONTENTS 8.

Haiti

99

Anne M. Frangois 9.

Jamaica

113

Alan West-Durdn 10.

Martinique

127

Mickaella L. Perina

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The Netherlands Antilles (Curasao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba), Aruba, and St. Maarten

141

Alan West-Durdn Puerto Rico

157

Alan West-Durdn 13.

Suriname

171

Alan West-Durdn 14.

Trinidad and Tobago

185

Alan West-Durdn 15.

The United States Virgin Islands

199

Jessica Sudrez with Alan West-Durdn Appendix

213

Table 1: Political Status of Caribbean Countries

213

Table 2: Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

214

Afro-Caribbean Glossary

215

Suggested Reading

219

Index

225

About the Editor and Contributors

233

Acknowledgments

Many people were helpful in making this book possible, starting with Antonio Benitez Rojo for his recommendation, and Felix Matos Rodriguez for helping me find many of the contributors. In this regard I must also thank Angel Quin¬ tero Rivera. Special thanks to Harry Hoetink and Luc Alofs, who were extremely helpful on the chapters that dealt with the Dutch-speaking Caribbean, and Malik Sekou for invaluable assistance on the U.S. Virgin Islands chapter. However great my gratitude, the responsibility for the ideas and content expressed are entirely my own. My deepest gratitude is to my collaborators and co-authors of this volume, who taught me so much about Afro-Caribbean history, culture, politics, and even sports. The only truism about the Caribbean's complexity and richness, is that the more you know about the area, the more you need and want to explore it. This inexhaustible journey was made much more manageable or even joyful by the co-authors. Finally, the greatest of thanks to Ester Shapiro Rok for being an editor, critic, inspiration, and true companion in life. Mucho ache.

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