Jonathan Glymph – Dispatch 1

Hello:

The Pedagogy of Action Jamaica 2013 is now eleven days old and this is our first dispatch. It is written by Jonathan Glymph, a senior concentrating in English and Afroamerican and African Studies. This is his first trip outside of the U.S. This year, the Pedagogy of Action program will have spent the largest time in Kingston – the center of culture and politics and art in Jamaica and not the center of tourism.

The group’s first trip was to Liberty Hall, which is now the site of the Marcus Garvey Museum. Liberty Hall was built by Marcus Garvey to be the center of the the United Negro Improvement Association’s (UNIA) activities in Jamaica. The highlight of their time at Liberty Hall was a lecture given by Dr. Donna McFarlane, the curator of the museum who spoke on the Ten Principles of Garveyism and this was followed by a poetry and spoken word performance by Dr. Gina Ulysse, who participated in the forerunner of the Pedagogy of Action in Jamaica twenty years ago. Gina is Haitian, and through her Haitian woman’s voice, we felt the the hurt of the Haitian tribulation.

Here is Jonathan’s experience from that day.

Enjoy,
Nesha Z. Haniff
Director, The Pedagogy of Action

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Liberty Hall: Knowledge Condensed
Jonathan Glymph

Walking across the pavement of Liberty Hall was a moment unlike any other. Liberty Hall stands as the Jamaican historical museum for Marcus Garvey and pays homage to Black Nationalism and pan-Africanism. Our attendance at an all black museum in Jamaica was definitely thought provoking and inspiring. The curator, Dr.Donna McFarlane personally gave us a tour of the multimedia museum that incorporated modern technology such as touch screen interactive experiences and video documentaries that exhibited the life and work of Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The museum is accurately able to capture the impact Marcus Garvey had on the Caribbean as well as the entire world. After the museum, Dr. Donna McFarlane gave a very illustrious and informative lecture on the political and restorative efforts of Black Nationalism and Garveyism not only in Jamaica but also across transnational boundaries. If we do not know our history we are subject to the influence of a history that is not our own.

After Dr. McFarlane’s lecture performing artist and professor Dr. Gina Ulysse graced us with a performance on Haitian history that incorporated visual, and auditory engagement that exceeded my expectations. Her performance was so captivating I had to remind myself to blink because I was just so fixated on what she had to tell me through her performance. Dr. Gina Ulysse is a Haitian whose multifaceted talent zeroes in on performing history through spoken word. Her usage of statistics, personal narratives, and factual information further engaged myself and all other audience members during her performance. Dr. Gina Ulysse’s performance showed us how the many disadvantages of colonialism continue to affect Black populations and was so informative that it reminded me of Dr. Nesha Haniff’s H.I.V module and how so much information is condensed into a fifteen minute methodology. Overall, the cultural immersion we have experienced thus far in Jamaica has been vital and necessary for us. Thank you Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey .