In remembrance of David Walcott

THE EDITOR: Farewell to Brother David Walcott and condolences to his family, friends and associates. He had been ailing for some time and died on August 18. Walcott was a former resident of Point Cumana, Carenage. He was born on November 12, 1949 and had fathered two children, a boy and a girl.

He once worked as a photographer at the Trinidad Express. He became a documentalist quietly following and photographing events and festivals everywhere. And it is my sincere hope that someone would collect and catalogue his photos. Or maybe it could be done by one of the institutions like Nalis or the National Archives?

No doubt many people have misjudged him as a controversial person, because he had insatiable concern about going to the court house for redress but those of us who came out of the movement of the 70s and 80s knew him differently.

Walcott held a great passion for the welfare and development of Caribbean and African people. His list of achievements is impressive in spite of terrible odds.

Kwasi Mutema, the political leader of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), mentioned that sometime in the 80s Walcott joined the organisation. Babu Ketema recalled that Walcott became one of the leaders of NAC’s western zone, jointly with him and the late Jomo Akinyele.

At some time, Walcott became a member of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians' Organisation (TUCO).

He was one the founders of the Traditional African National Association (TANA). For those who may recall, in 1987, TANA was responsible for organising the very first Emancipation Day procession through the streets of Port of Spain.

Walcott went on to publish and edit the African Option, which was a newspaper that focused on issues related to the African community in TT and the Caribbean. Ketema remembers how almost singlehandedly Walcott produced and distributed the editions.

I have a good idea of how difficult it was for him to keep the newspaper going, to get advertisements, to maintain offices and to keep staff. In fact, in his declining years, he tried to place the African Option in the hands of a succession of people but with its immense problems no one could meet his terms.

Walcott had a passionate interest in the fate of African migrants incarcerated in TT. Going back as early as 2006, his work among them predated the advocacy of Khafra Kambon and the Emancipation Support Committee or for that matter attorney Mathew Gayle, of New City Chambers in Port of Spain.

I don’t know how well our nation recalls that at one time there were African migrants languishing for a long time at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo.

Attorney Jawara Mobota remembers that it was Walcott who urged him to visit the Golden Grove Prison and take instructions from certain brothers.

It is a pity that only on June 20, 2019, during the visit of Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had said a lone Ghanaian at IDC would be considered for the registration amnesty which was afforded to Venezuelans as part of the Venezuelan registration process and which ended on June 14 that year.

Let us please remember Brother David Walcott. Though unheralded, he lived a life which, in my estimation, was a metaphor of concern for Caribbean and African humanity.

AIYEGORO OME

Mt Lambert