- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 03/Aug 06:08

The Mighty Chalkdust reflects on Emancipation Day, reparations

Ray Funk and Ray Allen AS we celebrate Emancipation Day – August 1 – and ongoing efforts for reparations continue, it is appropriate to remember two of the seminal calypsoes the Mighty Chalkdust composed and review the lyrics, Grandpa’s Backpay (1985) and Reparations (2016). These two calypsoes written decades apart focus on these issues and remain relevant today. Chalkdust researched and taught Caribbean history and the history of slavery in the Caribbean for many years but he saw as equally important to consider the effects after slavery. “I was trying to show how many Afro-Trinidadian people suffered during the post-slavery colonial period, especially under the whites who owned much of the land in the country. For Chalkdust, this wasn’t just an abstract issue but was the story of his grandfather Isaac Liverpool. He was a common labourer who worked for many people cutting cane and grass, harvesting grapefruit and oranges, mixing cement and working on the roads. They worked him like a mule, and in the end he had no land, no pension, no healthcare, nothing but arthritis. Chalkdust went with his grandfather to help when young, to Manzanilla to help cut and dry copra and to Tortuga to pick oranges. “I saw firsthand how that back-breaking work wore him down. He died poor, that he had no money on his society burial card.” In the decades since, as the issue of reparations became a cause across the Caribbean and Grandpa’s Backup was seen as an early rallying cry and he would be asked to perform it. But over the years the cause has been championed around the Caribbean by leaders and scholars, especially by Barbadian historian Hilary McDonald Beckles, who is currently the head of the Caricom Reparations Commission. Chalkdust returned to write a more explicit calypso, focused on Reparations. His friend Eintou Springer reminded him, “Chalkie, you know we Africans really need land, and we never got it.” Yes, he thought reparations should not just be about money but land. And again he wasn’t just thinking as an academic professor but of the effect on him and his family. “I got to thinking, that’s right. If my Grandfather had been given some land of his own, he wouldn’t have lived in such poverty and he would have had something to pass on to his children and grandchildren.” This calypso looks to the cities built by slave labour, or on the wealth generated by the transatlantic slave trade and he called them out the industrial capitols of Europe built by slave labour, or on the wealth generated by the transatlantic slave trade. Other races were given land but not Caribbean people of African descent. The calypso contrasts that many people around the world had received land reparations but not the families of African slaves. As the Emancipation activities proceed, he supports the work of the Reparations Commission and its work. Mighty Chalkdust’s Grandfather Backpay (1985) Mi grandfather work like a mule on Stollmeyer Estate Cutlassin’ and lifting dem heavy grapefruit crate Mi grandfather, work hi life out for all dem French Creoles Cutting cane, picking coffee and burning coals. But while mi grandfather was perspiring The wealth the French Creoles were gathering Now their grandchildren living in luxury And, making style on me, and mih five picknee. CHORUS - Ah want mi grandfather’s backpay They owe mi grandfather backpay De Verteull, Gomes and de Lima O’Brien, Grant and O’Connor Fill their bankbooks and built their empire From the sweat of mi grandfather. Mi grandfather work like a horse. It was blood, sweat, tears and brute force No house, no land, on bankbook, no pension To leave for his grandchildren. Mi grandfather, cut latro and dance cocoa in the Yard By Mr Gibbs, Mr deMontbrun and Montrichard Mi grandfather, had to cut grass, feed and clean the horses, And run errands for the wives of his white bosses. And while mi Grand Dad outside gardening He wife inside the white woman kitchen, Cooking, washing starching, bleaching, ironing And, on she head dey pin, Piece of white linen. Dem Englishmen, left Yorkshire and came down here as paupers Scots and Germans were a set of pimps, touts and beggars. Jews and Syrians, de Nazis had dem ketching dey nenen All dese men suck mi grandfather to the end. Dese foreigners made Grandpa ketch hi rear To buy dey rum, dey food and clothes to wear And with all Grandpa money dey collect here Dey buy land in St Clair, with big winding stair Mi Grandfather use to carry me to Manzanilla To dry copra for Gaston de Gannes the French planter Sometimes we’d walk from Todds Road to Tortuga, ‘bout 12 miles To pick orange for Mr Adrian de Verteuil When William Gordon founded Gordon Grant Mi grandpa mix cement to build that plant And tote cement in crocus bag by the tons For D Hope Ross and Sons and also Alstons Alstons work him until he get old Grandpa take so much hot and cold. In the night if you hear the poor man groan Arthritis dry up all he bone. No medicine, no doctor fee He society card empty He bury in Lavantee (Laventille) cemetery Unceremoniously. Mighty Chalkdust’s Reparations (2016) For Eintou Springer, take this one my sister For all your years of hard work in the Black community. I’m glad, I’m glad that Caricom They beating an African drum, Demanding reparation For enslavement in the Caribbean. But for what them Whites did to we (us) Calls for more than apology; Caricom must make new demands And tell Holland, France, Spain and Britain. Tell them; tell them: Jews and Amerindians all of them get land: All we (our) old sugar plantations, you give the Indian man. All the hills and forest lands, all the oil and gas underhand, You take all this rich resource and hand to the White man. So Britain if you are serious about reparation, Hand over Sheffield and Nottingham to the African man. Is my ancestors’ sweat create them, this you must understand; So hand over London and Birmingham to the African man. Hand them over. Ah glad Gonsalves from St Vincent Make Caricom leaders listen And come to the conclusion: Europe must pay we reparations. Cause the Enslaved worked for nothing Except the whip upon their skins, Leaving them with tears in their eyes, While Europeans sucked the orange dry. So tell them, tell them: Jews in Israel and Poland, all of them get land. All we (our) sugar and the rice lands, you give the Indian man. All the beaches with white sands, all the minerals to pan, You gave all this wealth over, over to the white man. So Frenchmen, if you are serious about reparations, You’d hand over La Rochelle and Nantes to the African man. If you understand how Blacks slaved, and how the Whites behaved, You’d hand over Westmoorings and St Ann’s to the African man. Hand them over, hand them over, hand them over. I’m glad leaders in Caricom Opening up to hear their drums, And now get to realise The white man’s deception and his lies. So, when today Blacks live poorly While the Whites live in luxury, Though my ancestors shed every drop Of blood to build the wealth of Europe. Tell them, tell them: All them native Australians all of them get land. Castro restored landless Cubans after their Revolution. Yankees gave back Japan, France fix up Vietnam But they leave all of their patients in destitution. So Holland, if you are serious about reparations You’d hand over Amsterdam to the African man. Is my ancestors’ sweat create them, this you must understand; So Holland hand over Rotterdam to the African man. Hand them over! I’m glad that Prof Beckles Fighting for our peoples And brought to the House of Commons The need for African Reparation. But though he raised that ten point plan The salient point he missed as man: Beckles must now say to Britain, Every Black man needs a piece of land. Tell them, tell them: Dem (those) Native Americans Yankees gave them land; Comanche and Apache redman, Get their own reservations. African and Maori tribesmen Now occupy New Zealand; And Britain gave the poorer white man nearly all of Zululand. So Britain if you are serious about reparations Hand over Manchester and Lisbon to the African man. The first thing Britain must sanction for all Barbadians: Hand over Gabby’s “Emmerton” to the African man. Tell them Dr Beckles as a historian, Port of Spain and Morvant we demand for the African man. If we truly, truly, understand the meaning of reparations Canada and Mali we demand for the African man. The first thing ‘bout reparations Europe must sanction: Hand over Roadtown and Savanne to the African man. If you truly, truly understand the meaning of reparations, Hand back Basseterre and Kingston to the African man. * Ray Funk and Ray Allen are currently working with the Mighty Chalkdust on a calypso biography with selected annotated lyrics. The post The Mighty Chalkdust reflects on Emancipation Day, reparations appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.