Linton Kwesi Johnson urges Ja to make better use of overseas talents

LONDON:

A celebrated poet had urged the Jamaican Government to make better use of the talents available among the island’s diaspora, during signings of his latest book in London recently.

Linton Kwesi Johnson was in conversation with members of the Caribbean community at the Brixton Library in south London, following the recent release of Time Come: Selected Prose.

Time Come is a collection of journalistic essays, book and music reviews, profiles and lectures from the mid-1970s.

He said, “Small islands like Jamaica have limited industries, such as tourism and bauxite, which are the mainstays of the economy. We need to be creative to develop our economy.

“The remittances from Jamaicans living abroad have contributed significantly to the financial betterment of the island’s people.

“The country must take further steps forward to advance its economy. The Jamaican diaspora has no shortage of talent in the sciences, arts, and many other fields. The Government must create a mechanism to tap into this expertise and experience to improve its economic and social standing.”

Dr Kevin Brown, the chair of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council’s (GJDPC) Partnership and Working Group and UK North representative, supports Linton Kwesi Johnson’s view.

He also believes the Jamaican diaspora can provide invaluable professional expertise to improve the island’s standard of living.

ONE-STOP PORTAL

The Jamaica Diaspora Partnership iHub is expected to be launched in 2024 as an online interactive portal which encourages networking and the sourcing of expertise.

Dr Brown, commenting on the potential of the iHub, said, “It is the first one-stop portal which will solely facilitate discussions among the diaspora on developing issues related to the private sector, health, education, business, philanthropy, media, arts, and more.

“The GJDC Partnership and Working Group are recommending a more holistic approach to developing the sciences, health, technology, education, and the arts. We believe this should be directed by the Jamaican Government.

“Jamaica has a lot of national boards and corporations which could benefit from the expertise of Jamaicans abroad.”

An example of such a partnership was that of Lord Bill Morris, the former general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union in the UK, using his experience to benefit the University of Technology in Jamaica, when he became its chancellor in 2000.

The Chinese government has also tapped into its diaspora, and experienced professionals are now leading some of their most successful institutions.

Pressed by The Weekly Gleaner on the legacy Time Come will produce, Johnson said, “The book covers five decades and shows how my ideas have developed over the years, and provides insight into various topics, including music and literature.

“Attitudes within Britain’s Caribbean community have evolved from the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s. Decades ago, reggae music was like a figurative umbilical cord or nexus that attached Jamaicans in the UK to the island of their birth, and there was an underlying theme of African consciousness. Today, I rarely listen to much of the reggae music made in Jamaica.

“Today, the youngsters haven’t experienced the same degree of alienation from mainstream society that my contemporaries and I experienced, and consequently, they have a greater sense of belonging in the UK.”

UNDERLYING THEME

Johnson’s books are taught at schools and universities across the United Kingdom. Two decades ago, Penguin compiled a collection of his work for its Modern Classics series, making him one of only two living poets and the only black one enjoying the privilege.

The artiste, who was born in Clarendon, southern Jamaica, in 1952, is renowned as a poet and dub musician, earning the title ‘Father of Reggae’. He is also a prolific book publisher and has a successful record label, LKJ Records.

Johnson’s career was reportedly not inspired by music, but the essays of American civil rights activists like W.E.B. Du Bois. He has said that politics led him to poetry, but because he couldn’t earn a living in that profession he soon opted for music.

He is quoted as stating that “writing was a political act and poetry was a cultural weapon”.

The Jamaican poet was influenced by the reggae classics, such as Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, the Mighty Diamonds and the Wailers.

He has received numerous honorary doctorates because of his achievements in the arts, and has been awarded the Doctor of Literature from Rhodes University in South Africa and the Doctor of Letters from Southampton University in the UK.

In 2021, Johnson was awarded a doctorate from The University of the West Indies, which he described as an achievement “beyond my wildest dreams”.

He added, “For me, it is an acknowledgement that I have done something that has made persons take note.”