The local Rastafarian community has called on education officials to incorporate African history into school curriculums around the island, and also particularly to include the lessons of the ‘Dread Act’, a piece of legislation which saw the death a number of Rastafarians here in the 1970’s.
At a press conference to mark the 37th anniversary of the Unlawful Societies and Associations Act popularly called the ‘Dread Act’ on Monday, Rastafarian Peter Alleyne implored that not only would this history serve as a way to let the youths learn about their country but knowledge could be used as a tool to develop a better understanding of young people today.
“If we are able to revisit the 70’s where we were rebels with a cause, if the society is able to understand what our cause is and was and if we are able to talk through, reason through that period it might give us a better understanding For us to listen to the youths today rather than condemn them to jail and to further violence,” he said.
“Up to this day, African history is still not taught even in the secondary schools. You have people like Ferdie Blanc and a small group who have exposed us to a myriad of literature written by Africans about Africa. And he with his small group also have made a more formal representation to the educational authorities to include black history in the curriculum and have offered their extensive libraries to be able to expose our students to African writing” he said.
He hopes that these stories are documented in order to preserve the “rich history” of the country.
“We are more equipped now and we are hoping that as time goes on, before the elders have to move unto higher plains that they are able to relate their history in a more permanent form for the benefit of the rest of us,” he said.
Another Rastafarian, Ras Camille, also addressed the function. He shared Alleyne’s sentiments.
“We need to move on but before we move on the history of that Dread Act has to be told truthfully…I went to SMA and I never heard of that act in History. They taught us about Europe, all other heros, all other people of other cultures, but here in Dominica, our foundation the Rastafari movement has a foundation that can pave lives through the whole Caribbean,” he stated.
A release from the group describes that Dread Act as a “law is one of the most draconian 20th to 21st pieces of legislation passed in any part of the world.”
According to the release, the law gave citizens the right to shoot other citizens on sight without question. It was passed by the Dominica Labour Party under the leadership of former Prime Minister, Patrick Roland John and was supported and unopposed by the official opposition the Dominica Freedom Party under the leadership of Mary Eugenia Charles, the release said.
ObservingClient I agree with you I always asks his workers how do they work under those terrible conditions. The man need to uplift his work place instead of talking about stupid dread act.
I mean its amazing some times to read the hearts and minds of our people.
Admin, I wish that you could get a copy of the Dread Act and post it on the board so our eyes could open better.
Is Dominica Nazi Germany? I really want someone to explain to me what is it that happened in Dominica that was so terrible that justified a government passing legislation to kill on sight any citizen found with a certain hairstyle or clothing?(It wasn’t just the locks you know. You could be killed on sight if you were found wearing what others concieved to be African-theme clothing).
Anybody in their right mind have to agree that this was a government gone mad. If you are a law breaker, in any civil society you have the right to given your day in court to defend yourself. This was thrown out. Anybody could just kill you on the road without any fear of retribution from the law and you guys think that this was justified?
Do you know how much poor people children suffered. Peter paid for Paul. This gave rise to notorious police officers, as someone else mentioned.
When you look at people like Groovy Bat with locks on his head today or the children of the leaders of this piece of legislation, somewhere out there one have to believe that there is a little bit of justice and irony too.
Why the police officers who were killing rastas was never prosecuted ? Officers like Joshua James(shadow) deceased,(Grovvy Bat) Angelo Alleyne the well known radio personality,Sogo Fly, Govenor Cake He walked the balcony of the Grammar Schoolwith a 303 rifle hunting Rasta in school.The squad in the grey volkswagon bus lead by (Raddigan).All these cops should have gotten some kind of prison time time ,but they were protected by P J and the silent majority who said nothing about the police brutality to the Rastas.BaBa Richards got canned at the police station for having dreads he was taken right out of class and match too the the station.you couldnt walik the streets of Roseau with nappy hair.Still Rasta Lives.
Yes I , teach Dread Act in School? hmph, Peter Alleyne you must be insane in your membrane, why don’t you make your office more comfortable for your workers, I always feel sorry for those girls every time I walk into that office it’s hot like an oven my advice to you is install Air con and make working conditions suitable then you can talk about Dread Act. Wicked.
Don’t stray from the topic,no personal attack
Do you support the dread act or not?
We have our own history and that could be taught but what i have to say is this. Rastas pride themselves so much on being African – what you have to realise is that the Africans have no time for you. you know what they say in England – that we are the lowerclass blacks because we’ve been enslaved. Secondly, it sounds like Peter is only of African descent. Peter just from your complexion we can see you are mixed race like many other dominicans who would not admit it. So why not promote the others? Most Dominicans have ancenstry in Europe from slavery which we would rather not recall but has greatly influneced our culture and from South America via Carib ancestry – again more of us have this than we would like to think. Thirdly – you all say you smoke for religious purposes, but from what i see marijuana does no good to the brain. And last in a time when you were murdering and terrorising, the act was necessary. It is not something that we are proud off. it is a dark part of our history. I embrace all my backgrounds because that’s what i am made off. And could someone tell me why is it rastas like everthing roots and black, but every other one have a white woman????? So who you want to promote your culture to? My children? Awa!!!
Two thumbs up!!! Especially “but every other one have a white woman????”
@ Anonymous
I am proud to admit that I am of a mixed race. May no one try to tell me or deceive me otherwise.
Those who think they are solely Africans are deceiving themselves. We were not born in Africa. The majority of us have never visited Africa. We do not have African culture. Their culture is totally different from us. We do not think like Africans except for being human beings. We should not identify with Africans. They are full-fledged Africans and we are not.
We are Dominicans, West Indians from the Caribbean, whichever way we chose to look at it. By no means are we Africans. Those who think that they are Africans are deceiving themselves. I really do not know why they would consider themselves Africans. It is as if they are revolting against their country, their people and its customs of the Western World.
Rastas are radicals. They attribute and identify themselves to Haile Selassie and worship him, a human being. I am puzzled why they should. What has he done for them? God knows where his soul is in eternity.
You guys dont really want people to know the truth about those days. All these silly comments, Rasta bashing and generalizations get posted but real truth from people like me with very personal experiences that would shed a different light on those events, you hide from the masses. Wha u dealing with ADMIN? Thought we were in the information age.
Greetings to all;
While dialogue is a healthy culture and while the proponents must be armed with conviction and informatiom to be satisfied that the effort was worth it, the most striking observation is the apathy that is prevalent from comments that expose enough ignorance, we are comforted with the ancient quotation of “where ignorance is bliss it is fooly to be wise”.
Brethren and sistren, the easiest way to handle these vicious attacks is by reminding ourselves that if it wasnt for the treacherous africans, slavery and oppression wouldnt flourish for so long.
Our responsibilty now is to make excuses for them and set ourselves to continue the dialogue with immence humility, knowing the value of peace among sufferers is more dynamic than rage.
We know at the right time, every truth must be revealed and it was not RasTafari who brought us into bondage and discord.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE A BETTER LIFE FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION, AND UNDOUBTLY, THE REDEMTION MESSAGE…….THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS RASTAFARI….HAILE SELLASSIE 1-CHRIST THE KING… FOR THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE THE ANCIENT AFRICAN WAY OF LIFE.
In the meantime, we remain observers of the unfolding of times and events.
Yes every man owes himself repentance so even the RasTafari one must repent of his evil ways but the philosophy of RasTafari is higher than every dreadlocks or bald head man.
It is the spirit that brought and took away love/peace/justice warriors like Bob Marley, Nasio(blessed living) and countless messengers during this dispensation.
Be strong and continue counting the blessings from The Most High Creator.
Thanksgiving
Some years ago some people were given to their characters as Homos but now they are called Gays.
In the 70’s all locksman was Dread. Lately after that, all dreadlocks “name” turned into Rastas.
Yo tout say mem. Voler, lazy. Smoking allday long. We do not want to hear about those past terrorists from our schools.
We Need to know Dominican history. We are not Africans. The majority of us are of Arican ancestry. However, we are Dominicans by nationality.
A Dominican could have ancestry from anywhere in the world. We need to know about Dominica before we can talk about learning African history.
God bless Dominica!
that act should be repealed,it was placed at a particular time for a purpose…many innocent ones got killed by law and RASTA, too—good time to review lots of laws which aRE ON THE BOOKS WITH NO RELEVANCE AT THIS TIME
History is not suppose to satisfy everyone, its just the facts.There always going to have violence in every history, from the bible to today.Most time it takes a small group to do damage and the blame will fall on the whole group.I remember in my history class,”West Indian History”the caribs were said to have been canibals.WHY? Black People, were savages; WHY?, was for the authority to justify there brutal action; that said;i don’t support violence, iwas very opposed of the action of a few lazy bums, peter was like some of the present day instigators,who would encourage people to go do the action while they stay in their comfort zone, waitin for the dust to settled so they can come and seize power.When the history is written peter will not be an angel in that account,not if Lennox Honeychurch is the writer,but the Dread Act need to be taught in school to give the youte a road map to why we are how we are today.
Rastas’ are NOT HEROES nor are they role models!! Peter Alleyne need to teach his rasta friends a different way; you know, the fact that Rastafarian need to be a thing of the past! Their belief system is in need of an immediate re-evaluation, so it can stop the recruitment of more ignorance in the Caribbean!
Let us give this background. Thanks for the call to widen our curriculum, to include Dominica History, which a history where the parents of people like Peter Alleyne thought of themselves as better than people as the parents of PJ. John whose parents were stevedores, meaning his father worked on the bay front. The academy was the hotbed for activities against the Labour government because it was the working class party and the children who went to the academy was mainly the bougoise Roseau, they all hated the Labour Party because it was the working classes Party. Those same bourgoise children who went to Jamaica to University of West Indies,with all government money,poor people children did not get a look in before Leblance and the Labour Party. The church played a major part in who got educated and who did not, as we did not have state schools for the majority, Grammar School open later and Wesly High School later,so the political climate changed, and the small group of bourgoise potot l’eglise roseau had one plan to destroy the Labour party this they eventually did in 1979, they used the dreads, they use civil servant, they use everybody.When the bourgoise children come back, instead of helping the country they come back smoking weed, and sprouting dread locks, no body trouble them. They were not a threat,they were a nuisance. But somewhere along the line they decided they must kill people and put them out the land, dont ask me why they did it. PJ had one recourse, they were terrorising all Dominica, young girls could no longer go to the river and bath innocently as before, because these dreads, would rape, kidnapped, and kill people. So even Eugenia had to agree with the law, the bishop and everybody, because the Dreads, were terrorist, so Dominica had its law on terror which was the dread Law. That is the history it should be taught, so our young people know, when they go to study pick up the good not the bad. Because that is what happened in Dominica, young men who should have been in the lead, became drug adicts. Young men who should be farming became too strung up on marijuana to plant food, so they begin to steal, and kill to eat. Yes teach the children Dominica history also so they don’t repeat the mistake of these young men of the past, who allowed themselves to be used and in so doing destroyed themselves. Thankfully the Law became a deterrent to others not to join.
Our Law makers, have to revisit the Law and refine it, to make it relevant to today. Because locks is a hairstyle, Rastafarian is a peaceful religion. The Law have to be about peoples action, not appearance.
Peter Alleyne need to repent and redeem himself for his antisocial behaviour of the seventies and ask God for forgiveness. This is a man who made Paul pay for Peter, and now he talking about teaching the Dread Act in school. This is pure nonsense teaching dreadlocks in school.
P.S. The locks wearing men who did all that crime in the 70’s where not Rasta’s they where Rascals!
Imagine a law that allowed you to shoot a one legged man on site, what the hell can he do to conform? Rasta’s should’nt have to cut thier locks to conform to the narrow minded society in Dominica.
Again…..
“PLEASE TELL US THE WHOLE TRUTH”
“the law gave citizens the right to shoot other citizens on sight without question”.
Again…… like the earlier posting. This article is omiting the main reason for that law!!!
This article is making it seem like the DLP & DFP passed this law just to be wicked to the rastaman!! But there’s more to it!!
Please tell us the whole truth!
Some people actually read their history. Sadly you have chosen to delete key points in the dread act AGAIN!!
Today everyone is ok with the rastaman. That was not always the case in the 70′s. Tell us how the rastaman terrorized us in DA!! People were afraid to go to their own garden!
I welcome the whole truth of Dominican history {especially the rasta issue} being thought in all our schools. But let’s first be honest with our conscience and our history!
Please tell us the whole truth!!
Look,i dont know what peter’s motives are here but i think it is a wise call from him to teach black history and Dominican history in our schools-particularly about all the activities of 1979…the dread act.the strikes etc.its all timely especially when similar events loom ominiously on our shores and our youths in particular need to be reminded of those events so as to foster behavioral change in a time when crime,dishonesty,corruption,global unrests remind us all too sucintly of those dark and horrendous events of our past.
However, we must remember that as Michel-Rolph Trouillot explains, the ways in which what happened versus what is said to happen may or may not be the same which could also be seen as being historical. In terms of public apology they are ‘abortive rituals’ that will remain awkward and would only reposition us as a collective subject. INI apologies are really rituals that seek to create ‘pastness’ by connecting persons that were wronged or victimized. We want deeds and not words..
The Dread Act was an absolutely necessity when it was passed. The so-called rastas of the time were NOT rastas but rather CRIMINALS wearing dread lock. The prevented my family from going to their gardens and terrorized villagers who dared to go in the heights to reap the fruits of their labor. So yes Mr. Allyne, we need to teach the Dread Act as long as we are truthful about it. And please, dont equate rastafarism with criminal behaviour because the only thing they have in common is the wearing of locks which is an African hairstyle.
Is so it is in D A, when they have power and authority they doe care bout you or me. Because there were lazy bums who see it fit to put locks and continue with their assness, those that give a band of murderers friends of the P M at the time”special Constables” the right to kill peoples animals fo@@ up their garden, and blame it on dreads because a new trend of consciousness was coming to the country, and the jokers did not know how to deal with it?should the government kill all the crack heads in town because it look bad in the eye of the tourist? This is the arrogant of Patrick John and bad advisors which plagues Dominica’s governments up to today.
Good or bad I think it is our history….and it should be taught in school. I think we did west indian history and african history in school but our history stopped with the Arawaks and Caribs.
I agree we need to keep our young people informed of our history, but just in case Peter was thinking otherwise, it will be very unbiased and only factual.
It appears that some people are angry that Mr. Alleyne asked for our history classroom curriculums to be broadened. It did not seem to me that he was defending the acts of dreadlocks-wearing men of the 1970’s. Instead, he suggested that the issues of that time are discussed so as to educate the masses. I, for one, would like to hear the stories of those times…
afican history/black studies.. is relvant for our school since we are losing our pride and black ppl but i dnt knw about the rest he talkin about
I hope all you will include all the people homes they robed and the women they raped, stop being so damn hypocritical, Peter you know damn well that some of the “dreads” caused serious damage to hard working farmers who did nothing to them. As far as am concerned thats a part of my history i will be more than happy to forget. I guess we will start a lesson in weed smoking too? I hope you will also talk about how in Dominica its who know you and not who you know that will determine how far you reach in life.
I welcome the call for African studies. This is long overdue.For that matter it should be black studies in general. When calling for disclosure on the dread act we must also be mindful of the acts that precipitated the dread act. it is rather naive and deceptive to intimate that the ‘draconian’ dread act just dropped out of thin air. If we are looking for a truth and reconciliation session lets go all the way, lest one be accused of evangelizing hypocrisy
Peter Alleyne, like the dread he still is has got it all wrong. The Dread Act did not drop from the sky. It became a reality after Alleyne’s cohorts murdered the Brights, John Jirasek, Mr. Laurent, Ted Honychurch, etc. and terrorized innocent Dominica farmers. These atrocities cannot and should not be swept under the rug. These are historical facts!
you are actually supporting mr alleyne because if its not to be swept under the rug it must be taught to the youth so that they understand what happened in those times. the amount of idigenous people the europeans killed and enslaved black people and we read that with joy and praise the white man no wonder we are still mental slaves cause we don’t even know our own history
Thank you very much, Peter Allyne should be ashamed of himself as a man who is supposed to be upholding the law. You know how many times them bastards break and open my father’s house stealing every thing that we owned, causing us to have to start from scratch every time, was not for a neighbour with a gun one of them booso lavie would have stripped me from my innocence. F**** Peter Allyne and his trash
Crime was happening in Dominica long before the Rasta or Dreads came on the scene.
Having everybody pay for the wrongs of a few can in no way justify that law.
There are people who use to go and kill them farmer’s cow and Rasta would get blame for it, yet Rasta don’t eat meat.
The majority of Rasta people were peace loving people who wanted to live in the land and become one with nature. This was a new concept in Dominica and people usually fear what they don’t understand.
Rasta was made to pay for the crimes of other people man.
amen to that
If we want to be honest about this episode in our history, we first need to “understand” why innocent persons were brutally slaughtered by the rastas. Of course, no justification is possible!
did u know that christians slaughter millions in the crusades does that make all christians evil or should we ban christianity for that matter? stop stereotyping the whole cannot be assessed based on the actions of a few
Roseau citizen I support you on that.while they ask for history to be taught in our schools,and that our children should know why citizens were given the right to shot other citizens on site without question. I believe that our children should know all about the behaviour of the dread in the 1970’s,when citizens were afraid of going to their gardens in the wood’s.The dreads had their own act passed where they murdered those of whom they believed had taken their marijuana. Now I don’t have a problem for history to be taught. but in it’s entirety.
Agreed.
Our history classes have long since been void of teachings of African ancestors and their contributions to Dominica’s development. Local heroes are hardly known outside of a few small circles and this robs our society of relevant knowledge.
I see no reason why the Dread Act should not be included in history curriculums.
Man as a child of the seventies, I had some first hand knowledge and experience of this Dread Act, and this is a real dark stain on the history of our country.
Today when I hear people singing the praises of Patrick John, especially Rasta people, my blood boils man.
This part of history should be taught in school man so that the youths can have some foundation of their past.
With a piece of legislation like this can you just imagine the kinds of wickedness that was done to poor people’s children.
Imagine that today the present government would pass a law telling you that you can do anything to any locks man you see without any fear of being arrested. That you could just shoot them on site, no questions asked.
Dark history man…educate the people.
I watchin’ still!!!
I SUPPORT YOU 100% MY BROTHER ON THAT.
The Dread Act was not against Rastafarianism, but against people wearing dreadlocks. There is a big difference.
Rastas are peaceful people. Some people think that by having dreadlocks and smoking ganja they automatically become Rasta. The government and public had no way of distinguishing between Rastas and the dreadlocked ganja-smoking criminals.
Some criminals with dreadlocks were holding Dominican hostage so the government of the day made “dreadlocks” illegal. Hence the “Dread Act.”
It is time to teach Dominicans especially the youth what Rastafarianism really is.
You don’t have to be dread to be Rasta, and if you sit in a garage and say “vroom vroom” that doesn’t make you a Toyota.
Best comment thus far! It was a dread act, not a Rastafari act…. you see the difference already….
Through their own ignorance of who is what, and what is what, and their lack of caring or wanting to know, they passed judgement on all who wore locks, as they still do, and that was indeed shameful…
lol…. “You don’t have to be dread to be Rasta, and if you sit in a garage and say “vroom vroom” that doesn’t make you a Toyota.
” lol
and pumping your head full of ganga wont make u rasta
Well, that not exactly correct you know. The Government of the time made no distinction between a rasta and a dread. Once your hair wasn’t combed or in ‘afro’ at the time, then you were considered a target of the Dread Act.
In fact even if you were dressing ‘rasta-ish’ then you were subject to the dread act.
So because “the government and the public had no way of distinguishing between rastas and the dreadlocked ganja-smoking criminals”, was it ok to generalize and stereotype and to shoot any dreadlocks man on sight? So you do admit that many peace-loving rastas do wear dreadlocks. By the way the law was entitled ‘The Unlawful Society and Associations Act”. Dreads, rastas, leftists and the Black Power Mpvement were all seen as threats by Mr. John.
Your mentality reflects why many Blacks in the United States are assumed to be criminals. They are more often stopped and searched by police.
I an’I never said the act was the right thing to do. Dominica was at war with a group of people which could only be identified by the dreadlocks.
It was for the same reason all Japanese in the USA were incarcerated after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. That was not right either, but it was the only tool the US government had to defend its people. USA was at war with a group of people which could only be identified as being Japanese.
In both cases, many innocent people suffered greatly, and the scars have not healed.
War is hell.
One Love.
That was a simple case of ‘profiling’…. it’s the same way all turban-wearing muslims are assumed to be suicide bombers…what’s your point?? Any time there is fear in a country, ‘profiling’ takes place.