Cy Grant, born November 8, 1919, passed away last week in London. Grant was a Guyanese actor, singer and writer who in the 1950s became the first black person to appear regularly on British television. And while he may be remembered for his Calypso news reports, or performances at St. James Theatre, I think his most important work was through his activism – challenging discrimination through the arts.

In the early 40’s, Grant joined the British Royal Airforce’s first set of non-white candidates, and became one of 500 young men recruited from the Caribbean for aircrews in World Warr II. After the war, he decided to pursue his original ambition and study law, seeing it as a way to challenge racism and social injustice. He became a member of the Middle Temple in London and qualified as a barrister in 1950. Despite his distinguished war record and legal qualifications he was unable to find work at the Bar and decided to take up acting.

His first role was for a tour in which he starred in a play called 13 Death St., Harlem. He career received a boost after successfully auditioning for Laurence Olivier and his Festival of Britain Company, which led to appearances at the St. James Theatre in London and the Ziegfield Theatre, New York.

But faced with limited roles for black actors, he decided to increase his earning potential by becoming a singer, having learnt to sing and play the guitar as a youngster in Guyana. This proved very successful and he was soon appearing in revues and top cabaret venues like Esmeralda’s Barn, singing Caribbean and other folk songs, as well as on BBC radio and on his own Associated TeleVision series, For Members Only.

In 1957, Grant was asked to take part in the BBC’s daily topical show, Tonight, to sing the news in calypso. The journalist, Bernard Levin, provided the words and Grant strung them together. Tonight was hugely popular and turned Grant, the first black face to appear regularly on TV, into a household name.

His acting career continued until 1972. A brief return to the Bar reflected Grant’s disenchantment with show business as well as his growing politicisation. In collaboration with Zimbabwean John Mapondera, Grant set up the Drum Arts Centre in London to provide a springboard for black artistic talent in 1974. Considered a landmark in the development of black theatre, among its highlights was a series of summer workshops in 1975 at Morley College run by Steve Carter of New York’s Negro Ensemble Theatre.

In 2007, Grant published Blackness and the Dreaming Soul: Race, Identity and the Materialistic Paradigm. Part autobiography, part cultural study and part philosophical exposition, the book tells the story of Grant’s long journey of self-discovery and the major influences upon it.

This post is in thanks to the men and women who, like Grant, dedicated their lives to ending discrimination.

A team of officials from India have conducted a week of testing the Guyanese shoreline and determined that Berbice will be the most feasible location for a deep water harbour: “the Indian Government concluded that the Berbice area was most suitable for construction of the facility as waters bordering that area have the necessary depth and the area is not congested.”

But that’s not the interesting part. It seems that “the deep water harbour initiative is not new to Guyana but owing to the growth of the economy and external activities construction of the facility was seen as necessary.”

This harbour could perhaps bring in a new wave export business. Or so Stabroek believes: “One of the attractions of the port would be to allow faster access from Brazil’s landlocked northern states to the Atlantic Ocean.” But Indian officials believe the real business will be in exporting Guyana’s rich bauxite, timber, and agricultural products.

Let’s hope some money comes in to support this effort soon. Expanding Guyana’s export market will be critical in the economic growth process…

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The Peace Corps website recently featured Ashley Benson, who served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Guyana. Working through the Catholic Relief Services, Ashley provided 6 months of much needed support to the “Program on Abstinence for Guyana”. Working with the goal of prevention in mind, Ashley found the experience to be rather rewarding. ” With this opportunity, “Ashley wrote, “I was able to include topics regarding not just the message of abstaining from sex; rather, abstaining from anything that could affect you in a negative or unhealthy way. This broader message developed into a 15-session curriculum encompassing topics such as self-esteem, goals, healthy lifestyles, discrimination, peer pressure, violence, sexuality, volunteerism, and much more.” Click the link above to learn more about Ashley’s experience.

(via radiojamaica.com)

Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana will play each other in a fund-raising Twenty20 match to aid victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti.

The match will be played on Wednesday at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The teams to be involved in the charity match are currently playing each other in a historic day-night first-class game at the Sir Viv Richards Ground in Antigua.

Yesterday, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and it’s estimated that up to three million people have been affected. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has joined other government and non-governmental agencies to mobilize resources and staff to the disaster. ICRC’s head of delegation in Haiti, Riccardo Conti issued the following statement:

“Our ability to help depends largely on the situation in Port-au-Prince,” Mr. Conti continued. “It is extremely difficult to move around the city to assess needs. What is certain is that the quake has had a massive impact on a population already reeling from other recent disasters.”

The ICRC is working with other local and regional Red Cross groups to provide medical aid for survivors and support for efforts to recover and identify the dead. Donations for the Haiti Earthquake relief effort can be made at the ICRC website.

(via peacecorps.gov)

Director Aaron S. Williams is pleased to announce the launch of Peace Corps’ Digital Library – a searchable collection of electronic Peace Corps materials from 1961 to the present – and invites current and returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) to share their unique service experiences through firsthand narratives and personal photos.

As the Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary in 2011, the Digital Library is a living collection that represents the agency’s legacy of public service. Since 1961, nearly 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. The digital library can be accessed at http://collection.peacecorps.gov.

“The Peace Corps has always been an agency rooted in shared experiences – the volunteers share their perspective and expertise while our host-country communities share their languages, friendship and culture,” said Director Williams. “This unique collection will educate and inspire the next generation of volunteers. I look forward to watching the collection grow in scope and depth as the nearly 200,000 Americans who have served with the Peace Corps share their photos and stories.”

Current volunteers and RPCVs can contribute up to five photos and one story to the Digital Library via online submission forms. The Digital Library is searchable through several built-in features. Visitors can either browse the Digital Library’s individual collections or search by keyword, the host country name, or a specific period of time. The individual collections include press briefings; congressional reports and legislation; posters and graphics; speeches essays and letters; newsletters; volunteer stories; volunteer photos; brochures; and agency photos.

(via morepeacecorps.org)

The United States Congress is beginning final action on Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations. According to Congressman Sam Farr, speaking tonight at an event in Washington to celebrate the Peace Corps, negotiations on the State/Foreign Operations appropriations bill have closed. Congressman Farr says the final bill contains $400 million for the Peace Corps.

“This wonderful news represents a tremendous and historic investment for a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps”, said National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley. “Our congratulations to the many lawmakers on Capitol Hill who championed this cause, and also to the thousands of members of the Peace Corps community who took action over the past two years. As we prepare to continue future advocacy to improve, embolden and expand the Peace Corps, we applaud everyone who helped secure this initial victory. You really made a huge difference.”

Not really news, but I thought it was neat

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