Thirty-eight years ago today, Parliament passed the Prohibited and Unlawful Societies and Associations Act, which many argued started one of the worst chapters in Dominica’s history.
The brunt of the Act was felt by the Rastafarian community on the island, who wore their hair long and matted, commonly known as dreads. Hence the Act was infamously known as The Dread Act.
Under the Dread Act, individuals wearing dread locks and who appeared in public were guilty of an offense and subject to an arrest without warrant. The Act protected from civil or criminal liability, any civilian who killed or injured a member of the Dreads who was found illegally inside a dwelling house. Additionally, the security forces received immunity from the law for killing members of the rastafarian movement.
The act was passed in 1974 by the Patrick John-led Labour Party administration following violent attacks by certain members of the group against tourists and farmers, particularly in the southern part of the island. The legislation was enacted in response to a mode of panic that had hit the island.
There are many reports of atrocities committed against the rastafarian community with the House of Nyabingh in Dominica estimating that at least 21 members of that community were killed during the period of the Dread Act.
Although the Act was repealed in 1985, outspoken attorney and rastafarian, Henry Shillingford, believes more should be done to educate the public on the period surrounding its implementation and enforcement.
At minimum, he is calling for an apology from officialdom for the Act which according to him, was passed in the highest office in the land. “Up to now there is not one paper, assessment, no atonement for the passing of the Dread Act,” he told Dominica News Online.
He said apologies should come from the Dominica Labour Party and the Dominica Freedom Party since the Act was passed by the Labour Party with no opposition from the Freedom Party.
But most importantly, Shillingford is calling for what he described as “an intellectual discussion and assessment” of the Act and the period surrounding it. “The University of the West Indies, the media houses and so on should come together to discuss, debate, and assess the period of the Dread Act,” he argued.
Shillingford is not the only one calling for something to be done concerning the Dread Act. The Rastafarian community in Dominica has called on education officials to incorporate lessons on the Act in schools saying that not only would this history serve as a way to let the youths learn about their country but the 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,” Peter Alleyne, a member of the rastafarian community said.
He said Dominica has never revisited and analyzed the period of the Dread Act to hear “both sides of the story.” “It was a troubling time in our history and we have never revisited it to get a true understanding of what really happened,” he said.
Peoples’ hairstyles should not be the basis for anything. The dreads were criminals and DA is still loaded with thieves and liars that bring the place down. The police are no help to the situation. 85% of the people on this island are a problem due to their prejudice and racism and that is pretty bad.
the problem is:the police was not educated to differentiate between “dreads” and “rastafarri”.and there are many policemen who simply believe they are above the law.where as they are there to serve the country with dignity!!
Anyone else find it weird PJ passed this and his son has dreads?
lè ou kwashay en ho i ka tombé en lè né a vou
Were the dreads the only ones committing crimes? Never! YET a law to brutalize the “look” and not any other. The ignorance so complete that no differenciation between criminals who SPORT dreads versus rastafarianism. WOW!!!! and many of you are here agreeing with that so christian are we here in Dominica. Everything is bible and church. Every meeting is prayers. stupes.
You people remind me of groups like the Nazis and KKK and the tea party who try to camoflage their bigotry and pyschopathic souls with “patriotism” and self righteousness emphasis on SELF because nothing righteous at all about evil.
Seriously why dominicans soo gullible for? I dont know about those times personally but its obvious that the men who committed these crimes were not rasta even if they did have dreads. Therefore targeting persons who happen to have dreads, either for religious reasons or just a hair style is absolutely foolish. Murders and crimes continue to occur regardless of how someones hair looks. I personally think it was just convenient for that law to be put in place since dreads and rasta were much more hated in those days. Dominicans need to let go of such trivial hate and i hope that retarded ideology dies with the older generation and doesnt get passed on. WAKE UP!
THE GROOVE OF THE BAT may well serve as a clue as to what actions had been taken that lead to this ACT.
Persons had their dread locks cut and some were killed abd beaten. Remarkably there are some policemen who fled our shores and others were reputed to have been involved in a series of Criminal activities in the heights of Giraudel Beaubois etc.
I think a TRUTH COMMISSION is needed to look at such atrocities. Quite clearly there is a lot of hurting families who still cannot accout for their love ones.
We just have to ask people especially those from NEWTOWN and Environs as to what they know and you will be shocked. The same exists for LOUBIERE and KINGS HILL and parts of GRAND BAY etc.
There are now some persons who are pretending to be what they are not as some kind of disguise for what they appear to be but its evident they were known perpetrators and blood is on their hands.
I call for PEACE and RECONCILIATION in my country. I also call for JUSTICE.
There were also persons from the Roseau Valley region, very youngmen at the time who were victims to such atrocities.
LET JUSTICE FLOW DOWN LIKE WATER and RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MUGHTY STREAM.
REPEAL the ACT.
Yours truthfully
ROSEAU VALLEY
they should teach in school as dominica’s history that will show the youths of today the truth about days of long ago and how the law maker was just as ruthless and reckless as the criminals of today. they were nothing but thugs, its a shame that till today no effort has been made to apolagise to the rastafarian comunity in dominica.
So why are we not fearful of rasta today?
Is is rasta dat kidnap de two youths in yampiece?
Was rasta dreads involved in de murder at Pagua recently?
Who burn G.O.N Emmanuel house? Rasta dread?
Who molesting our little girls at home and elsewhere today? Rasta dread?
Who murder de elderly woman at Giraudel? Rasta dread?
Who steal de guns from de police armory? Rasta dread?
Who getting free for murder on technicality? Rasta dread?
WHO TERRORIZING OUR SOCIETY TODAY? Rasta dread?
Who have cooections with Iran, Venezuela, de FARC and some of the dirtiest, ruthless modern day rogue states? Rasta dread?
Patrick John and de Dminica Labour Party had strong connections to Klu Klux Klan.
De terrorists were on de DLP side and today their bonds are stronger.
u see all u words eating all u now? All U want to live natural and healthy?
Whilst the response of the security forces and government was harsh at the time, you have to appreciate that it was in response to dreadful(pardon the pun) situation in social mayhem that occurred. The main culprits are those who hijacked the rasta movement for their evil deeds. You have to admit the dreads were preventing farmers from accessing their farms, and Galaway and crew did kidnap some young girls in the Possie area. The economy took a hit from a decline in agri production at the time. Tourism, though marginal was decimated.
What would you have done? sit on your hands and hope for the best, whilst society crumbles.
That period during the 1970s was a very traumatic time in our history. The police used that act to commit a lot of atrocities.
I remember a friend of mine who was picked up by the police. One of the police officers was a notorious one from Mahaut ( a fair skinned one who had straighish hair – I dont remember his name). Anyway, my friend was a rasta and while he was being transported to Roseau, one of the cops put a revolver to his head and pulled the trigger numerous times. The gun was empty, but who wants to hear the click of a revolver pointed at your head?
On the other hand, the rasta committed a lof of crimes and people were genuinely afraid. The dread act went too far, but the government had to do something to return the island to normalcy.
The period of the dread act is quite interesting. What is not fair here is that the majority if not all of the Rastafarian community are being penalized for the actions of a few. I think it is only right that after 35 odd years of being oppressed or being judged for the colour of our skin and for how we choose to wear our hair that this act be abolished. Slavery has ended people!
I don’t believe that the entire Rastafarian community should apologize for the actions of a few. Now if those few are still alive and want to tell of the history and apologize tot hose families who lost land and even family then they should do so and it doesn’t even have to be publicly.
The truth of the matter is God is all knowing, all seeing, all hearing. HE is the one who judges and it doesn’t matter what anyone on here thinks really.
I think the period of the dread act needs to come alive in history books, I believe our young people can learn a lot from this. Dominica’s history is vast, we should never hide the truth.
I think dread locks are beautiful, I think people who are courageous enough to wear their hair dreaded are beautiful. They possess a certain air which is calm and peaceful and most of them are highly intelligent people.
Give them a chance, show love…
I fully support the action taken at the time against these ruthless, brutal and criminal elements called the dreads.They killed, abducted stole etc etc. Apology… For me NO!
It’s quite apparent that the level of ignorance displayed poorly articulated ‘mini’ rant that you are a complete imbecile. Please educate yourself about what truly occurred during that time period. Don’t just take other people’s opinions as the gospel truth but do your own research. Many innoncent men and women were murdered simply because of the way they wore their hair. Had that been the “Stupidity Act” many people would have met their maker during that time.
@Real Cominican… Stop your garbage. These men were ruthless,brutal and criminal. I need noone to tell me anything about what was going on at the time. My village was the centrepiece of it all. Go dump your filth somewhere.Praises to the government of the day.
Dear Diva, I assure you that I and many others only know too well what did occur. After all, many were victims of lawlessness at the time, and not only on the side of the “dreads”!. Many of these so-called “dreads” were not true followers of Rastafiri and simply jumped on the band wagon for their own wanton gain. They gave the true believers a bad name, which persists to this day. Your proposition re “stupidity” is purely rhetorical of course and should not be used to try and confer hero status on those, who did wrong. Peace be with you.
Tell that to the first innocent mappn shot to death in front of Pebbles Park during Carnival. Remember John Jirasek?
Educate him sista. The ignorance is just amazing.
Before making any statements people should read the contents of the Act.
One could not even go on the street dressed in African-style attire without being subject to arrest, brutalization and thrown into prison.
Read the Act first before running here and talking about how it was justified.
To rama
I think I remember that incident. Think it was an Alleyne guy, a Trotter guy and someone else who allegedly did so. I believe a charge of murder was brought against them but somehow dropped because of an identity problem. But I’m sure you can remember too, when meeting were being held thereafter at Lagoon, with people shouting ‘free Trotter’ and so on. I think they went down to River Street and showed persons the Gun they used. And following, they were searched somewhere up Antrim and found that same gun in a butter tin, and then tested to see if it was the gun, and it was. You see, we’ve got an interesting piece of History and needs to be brought out there in complete detail
@him, a million thumbs up. The nation was transformed into a peaceful one after the law was passed; and every body was happy. I became a goodclean head man. I changed my ways, and was able to get a job.
@him… You hit the nail on the head… These were ruthless people.
This is mere generalisation. Were all dreads criminals? Were the crimes commited by rastas, who are peace loving natural people? Wearing ones hair in locks or natural does not a dread or rasta make.
Were the percentage of ‘non dread’ criminals not greater than ‘dreads’.
We should all learn from the episode and move on and grow both in knowledge and tolerance.
The Dread Act had to have taught us a lesson, otherwise we would have gone down the same route with the so-called “anti-social” youth of today. Criminalizing a behavioural pattern has not worked to the benefit of most democratic countries on the globe. What is considered a crime today often is decriminalized some time in the future. See what’s happening to marijuana use in Washington state today. Both in Washington and another State, marijuana has been decriminalized. We learnt in school that a norm is also a deviation from a norm, meaning, when a society or parts thereof deviate from a norm, this deviation eventually becomes a norm. Today, wearing of dread locks is a norm. Rough tops became a norm recently but is now a dorm. The Roman Catholic Church is guilty of much atrocities and crimes against humanity for its intolerance against other faiths. Read “Fox’s Book of Martyrs” for historical and factual information of the role the church played in medieval times. The point here is that we need to exercise some tolerance to diversity and different ways of thinking and living. Those different ways have a habit of becoming acceptable over time.
To all that don’t want to see this most atrocious piece of legislation disappear, I ask you, would it be justified to pass similar legislation against the youth of today who are committing the same and in some cases, worst acts against tourists and locals alike? It’s all about HATE and PREJUDICE towards the Rastafari community, isn’t it? There is no giving up on this and you all can rest assured that Rastafari is here to stay and justice will be served, one way or another! So get used to the topic and educate yourselves wisely!
Your fool these were not Rastafari at all…. These were terrorists. Stop your crap. If it existed now, yes i would like the same legislation, so that i would be able to go to my farm as i am doing now. In the part of dominica where i live i could not go to my farm.
the act was necessary at the time…the dreads were really out of control causing chaos through the land
True, so would it be justified to pass legislation against the youth of today who are committing the same and in some cases, worst acts against tourists and locals alike? It’s all about HATE and PREJUDICE towards the Rastafari community. There is no giving up on this and you all can rest assured that Rastafari is here to stay and justice will be served, one way or another!
I believe that a documentry of that period “the 70s” should be done so people will know what really happened. my mother told me a lil bit once about it – as to what she remembers, an i am very much curious to know the full story… Mr.Felix Henderson this one is something you should consider making a story on. you did the prison, you did the elderly and others. i think this one is a very intrested one to document. please do.we the youth love to hear what went on is the past in dominica… please i beg you, do some interviews, have some talks and get the real deal out for us to know…. long live rasta an all other denominations…
I was afraid of going to our garden. some people never went back to there garden, The dread act help no apologies. Tell Mr. do something to build Dominica.
Rasta it’s all water under d bridge just let the past stay in the past,,,
Them incidents that lead up to that case was very isolated cases and should not have blanketed a whole movement but oh well,,,
Look at Dem man today dat passed dem Arbitrary Rules, especially D One call John “the evil that One does to his fellow man to cause him injury will come back to haunt him Ten folds”,,,
What Marn should start doing is bring back the days when RatarMarn would go plant his food and grow his garden and teach dem young Ones true Roots and Culture,,,
Not all RastarMarn have that matted-up hair you know some of dem carry their Dreadlocks in their Heart it’s more a spiritual uplifting than fashion statement,,,
you are right Rasta Man.
Discuss the Act, as much as you want.
Ted Hornychurch was taken from his home and killed.
His killer is alive and walking the street of Dominica today.
So apology for the Act, NO.
that was an isolated case, it was a grave crime, one which Dominica will never forget, but my god, because of one white man, people had to loose their sons, fathers, daughters? and Patrick John still there living in big house? I can never stop damning dat man, his soul has to burn in hell, he will die like a dog just as the policemen like scotland from woodfordhill, heawood from possie and the rest that there in isolation waiting for their fates
You see Possie, racial prejudice is still with you. What did it matter what colour skin mr. Honeychurch had? Aren’t you all preaching that all men are equal? I remember that time as dreadful, with your brothers and sisters in the bush like guerillas and everybody so scared. Mr. Shilling ford can commemorate all he wants but I’d rather forget that awful nightmare.
dread my
Dread my baby donkey
Personally, not withstanding the attrocities of some of the dreads at the time, I think DOMINICA, missed out on the true concept of rasta. If some to the things that rasta were preaching then were taken into consideration, some of the social and health problems we have now would not be chronic in the population.
First rasta (the true rasta) preached love.Whether you knew a rasta or not and you met each other, he would greet you…..Hail brethern.
Rasta preached exercise…. rasta preached stay off the imported foods particularly meat…. deaders….. rasta grew what they eat and eat what they grew….. Breathern would meet together and socialize….. I hope not all really smoked the ganja (lol) All in all I think the rasta philosophy was good but the evil influences just had to be identified and eradicated.
Now everybody wants to be a rasta ………HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
For ME…. I will always be rasta….. a true rasta, conscious of the Most High God and of my brethern. One love…. Rasta4Ever.
You so Rasta and what you doing on computer??? Stupes!!! Have a seat!
a discussion well needed on one of the harsher topics of our history. why are people preaching ignorance. everything is politics well look it. it was de dominica labour party led government that implemented the ‘dread act’ so who better than the dominica labour party led government to removed the ‘dread act’. does not matter what generation it is.
Let us get the opinion of those the dreads murdered, like the Canadian Brights, Mr. Laurent, Ted Honychurch, farmer at Belles, policeman Lugay,Defence Force soldier, etc.
,
It is so interesting eh. Take for instance “groovy bat” Angelo Alleyne at that time was a cop who enjoyed cutting fellars dreads with dull cutlass, now take a good look at what he has on his head…hahaha
At that time the dreads had the country under fear, alot of eveil thing was done to innocent people who did no harm to others I was young a teenager there was a murder here,kidnapping there, rape, farmers were scared to go to their gardens, but alot of policemen at that time saw an opportunity to wipe out some innocent young men for no reason like the on from MAHAUT Johnrose he did not deserve to die the way they did it and dump is a landfill we must move past the 70s
dreeds me boi
ABSOLUTELY NO APOLOGY…It should be the other way round. The sufferings these so called dreads/terrorists caused to so many families,will never be forgotten. They were brutal heartless souls. GOOD JOB PJ AND THE OTHERS.Love you all for clamping down on these brutal men.
foolish washbrained soul
A guy who was a butal policeman back then and now has a certain talk show( 6am to 7 am) on one of the stations and is locks man today, was a brutal police officer haunting Rasta in the bush with the Defence force and police. O my how things change with time. I wonder what he has has to say about this discussion.
Those Rasta bring that on them> remember What Joey, Marcus and Pocosion did to the old man in Giraudel on his farm and so many others? At that time the action taken was right….now its no longer needed though.
All that started when the Roseau BOOjwazs made complain after complains to the police that the guys were standing at 4 corners with long dreadlocks, and that they were afraid to walk in the (town at the time)city, and the police harassed the guys day and night causing them to move to the hills, a small number of them did commit crimes but most of the guys were peaceful people and again because of those BOOjwazs PJ an them pass that foolish law, and we can see it happening again in a deferent form what the BOOjwazs say goes.
pj did the right thing at that time in dominica history,so people think what would you all do at that time.It is easy to say p.j was bad,but only time can tell,so many people could not go to there garden,what about that there is two side to a story some 30 pluse years later.so mr.Herny tell the people the full story.John was not a bad man.thank you for doing what you did at that time.Iam happy for saving my family life,for going up hill and dowm valley to there garden,think da think.
I can still remember when prople were afraid to go in their own garden.People who had no problem with dread.The tourists didn’t even know what was going on and these guys used to attack them.You guys lucky they didn’t ban dread for good in dominica.
The Infamous List….the names I remember….Pocoshion….Tumba…Galaway…Mal…please help me those of you who remember the names of the men who terrorized our community back then. They don’t deserve no apology.
its really time to get rid of that stupid law, dreads are worn all over the world, lawyers doctors, teachers and all works of life, here in Canada, dreads all over the place and they are peacful loving people, are the present dreads in DA violent?. WE ARE SO BACKWARD IN DA
Didn’t you read in the article that “‘the Act was repealed in 1985.’?” Read again!!
Are you daft?