Afro-Guyanese
Encyclopedia
Afro-Guyanese people are the inhabitants of Guyana
of Black African
origin (as, formerly, as the Afro-Guianese they were the inhabitants of British Guiana
). When planters made land or passage home available to East Indians
as part of the terms of indentured labour in the late 19th century, when they had denied land to the Africans as emancipated slaves several decades earlier, Afro-Guianese resentment of other colonial ethnic groups was reinforced. (Note, however, that the emancipation
process had provided tutelage by way of compensation, and that indentured labourers released by the termination of the indentured labour system received nothing, according to V.S.Naipaul.)
By the early twentieth century, the majority of the urban population of the country was African Guianese. Many Afro Guianese living in villages had migrated to the towns in search of work. Until the 1930s, Afro Guianese, especially those of mixed African and European descent
, comprised the bulk of the nonwhite professional class. During the 1930s, as the Indian Guianese began to enter the middle class in large numbers, they began to compete with Afro Guianese for professional positions.
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
of Black African
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
origin (as, formerly, as the Afro-Guianese they were the inhabitants of British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
). When planters made land or passage home available to East Indians
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese are mostly descendants of indentured labourers from India who are citizens or nationals of Guyana. They are often referred to as Indians or East Indians...
as part of the terms of indentured labour in the late 19th century, when they had denied land to the Africans as emancipated slaves several decades earlier, Afro-Guianese resentment of other colonial ethnic groups was reinforced. (Note, however, that the emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
process had provided tutelage by way of compensation, and that indentured labourers released by the termination of the indentured labour system received nothing, according to V.S.Naipaul.)
By the early twentieth century, the majority of the urban population of the country was African Guianese. Many Afro Guianese living in villages had migrated to the towns in search of work. Until the 1930s, Afro Guianese, especially those of mixed African and European descent
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, comprised the bulk of the nonwhite professional class. During the 1930s, as the Indian Guianese began to enter the middle class in large numbers, they began to compete with Afro Guianese for professional positions.
Notable Afro-Guyanese people
- Akara, leader of the Berbice slave rebellion at Plantation Lilienburg
- John AgardJohn AgardJohn Agard is an Afro-Guyanese playwright, poet and children's writer, now living in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
, playwright, poet and children's writer - Terrence Alli, former NABF light welterweight champion
- Clifford AndersonClifford AndersonClifford Anderson was a prominent Georgia politician.-Biography:Anderson was born in Nottoway County, Virginia. He served as a state court Judge in Georgia from 1856 to 1858 and in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1859. He served in the Confederate States Army and represented Georgia in the...
, former British Empire featherweight contender. - Forbes BurnhamForbes BurnhamLinden Forbes Sampson Burnham was the leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death, first as Premier from 1964 to 1966, then as the Prime Minister from 1966 to 1980 and finally as President from 1980 to 1985....
, President of Guyana, 1980 - 1985. - Basil ButcherBasil ButcherBasil Fitzherbert Butcher is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 44 Tests from 1958 to 1969. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970....
, former Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. - Ashton Chase, Guyanese politician and legal scholar.
- Hubert Nathaniel CritchlowHubert Nathaniel CritchlowHubert Nathaniel Critchlow was born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1884. Little is known of his early childhood but in his late teens, after leaving school, he was a dock worker. At the age of 20 he began his struggle for the interest of waterfront workers' wage negotiations and rights. His struggle...
, father of the trade union movement in British Guyana. - Colin CroftColin CroftColin Everton Hunte Croft is a former West Indian cricketer. He provides expert analysis on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Test Match Special.-Cricket career:...
, former Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. - CuffyCuffy (person)Cuffy, or Kofi , was an Akan person who was captured in his native West Africa and sold into slavery to work in the plantations of the Dutch colony of Berbice in present-day Guyana. He became famous because in 1763 he led a revolt of more than 2,500 slaves against the colony regime...
, leader of the Berbice slave rebellion at Plantation Lilienburg - DamonDamon-Given name:*Damon Albarn , British songwriter and musician*Damon Allen , American football player *Damon Berryhill , Major League Baseball catcher*Damon Dash , an American music industry executive...
, leader of the Essequibo rebellion - Adrian DutchinAdrian DutchinAdrian Angelo Frank Dutchin is a Guyanese singer with musical influences from Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Reggae and RNB. Adrian is currently signed to Kross Kolor-Biography:...
, popular Guyanese Soca artist and one half of duo, X2. - Roy FredericksRoy FredericksRoy Clifton Fredericks was a West Indian cricketer who played from 1968 to 1977....
, former Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. Highest average for Guyana. - Lance GibbsLance GibbsLancelot Richard Gibbs is a former West Indies cricketer, one of the most successful spin bowlers in Test cricket history. He took 309 Test wickets, only the second player to pass 300, the first spinner to pass that milestone, and had an exceptional economy rate of under two runs per over...
, former Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. - Jack GladstoneJack GladstoneJack Gladstone was a Guyanese slave who led the Demerara Slave rebellion of 1823, one of the biggest slave revolts in the British Colonies.He was tried after the rebellion, and was deported.- Biography :...
, leader of the 1821 Demerara Slave Rebellion - Eddy GrantEddy GrantEdmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...
, popular musician. - Roger HarperRoger HarperRoger Andrew Harper is a former West Indies cricketer turned coach, who played both Test and ODI cricket for the West Indies...
, Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer - Former Kenyan Cricket coach. - Wesley Holder, political activist based in Brooklyn, New York.
- Desmond HoyteDesmond HoyteHugh Desmond Hoyte was a Guyanese politician. He served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1984 to 1985 and President of Guyana from 1985 until 1992.He was born in Guyana's capital, Georgetown...
, President of Guyana, 1985-1992. - Sam HindsSam HindsSamuel Archibald Anthony Hinds is a Guyanese politician who has been Prime Minister of Guyana almost continuously since 1992...
, former President of Guyana, Prime Minister of Guyana. - Carl HooperCarl HooperCarl Llewellyn Hooper is a former West Indian cricket player and captain.-Career:He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler, who came to prominence in the late 1980s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh and represented...
, former West Indian Cricket Captain. - Ezekiel Jackson, professional wrestler (real name Rycklon Stephens) who currently performs for World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and was the final ECW Champion. - Colin Klass, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)
- Eusi KwayanaEusi KwayanaEusi Kwayana, born Sydney King, is a Guyanese politician. A cabinet minister in the People's Progressive Party government of 1953, the British Army detained him in 1954...
, former Guyanese cabinet member and veteran politician. - Clayton LambertClayton LambertClayton Benjamin Lambert is a cricketer for the West Indies and the United States.Lambert first appeared in the West Indies team for a One Day International against England in Georgetown, against whom he also made an unsuccessful Test match debut at The Oval in 1991...
, American, Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. Scored the most runs for Guyana. - Lincoln LewisLincoln LewisLincoln Clay Lewis is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing the role of Geoff Campbell in the Australian television series, Home and Away from 2007 to 2010, and Kevin Holmes in the film Tomorrow, When the War Began....
, trade union leader - Clive LloydClive LloydClive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
, former Guyanese and West Indian Cricketer. - QuaminaQuaminaQuamina Gladstone, most often referred to simply as Quamina, was a Guyanese slave, a Coromantee, who was father of Jack Gladstone. He and his son were involved in the Demerara rebellion of 1823, one of the largest slave revolts in the British colonies before slavery was abolished.He was a carpenter...
, leader of the 1823 Demerara Slave Rebellion. - Ptolemy ReidPtolemy ReidDr. Ptolemy Alexander Reid was a Guyanese veterinarian and politician who served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1980 to 1984....
, former Prime Minister of Guyana - Walter RodneyWalter RodneyWalter Rodney was a prominent Guyanese historian and political activist, who was assassinated in Guyana in 1980.-Career:...
, historian and political activist.
Notable people of Afro-Guyanese descent
- Red CafeRed CafeJermaine Denny , better known as his stage name Red Café, is an American rapper. He was born to Afro-Guyanese parents and is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik, Diddy's Bad Boy Records and DJ Clue's Desert Storm label.-Biography:...
, Brooklyn rapper. - Deborah CoxDeborah CoxDeborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on...
, Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. - Jason DavidJason DavidJason Aeron Walter David is an American football cornerback and is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Canadian-born American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback. - Peter DavisonPeter DavisonPeter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
, played the Doctor in Doctor Who, has a Guyanese father of mixed race. - JDiggzJDiggzJonathan Matthew Poirier, better known by his stage name JDiggz, is a Canadian hip-hop MC and producer of Guyanese and French Canadian descent...
, Canadian rapper with an Afro-Guyanese mother. - Melanie FionaMelanie FionaMelanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian R&B and Grammy-nominated recording artist from Toronto, Ontario. She was born to Guyanese immigrant parents of African, Indian, and Portuguese descent and grew up in the inner city of Toronto. Living in a music filled household, Fiona says she always knew music...
, Canadian R&B singer-songwriter, also of Indo-GuyaneseIndo-GuyaneseIndo-Guyanese are mostly descendants of indentured labourers from India who are citizens or nationals of Guyana. They are often referred to as Indians or East Indians...
descent - Eddy GrantEddy GrantEdmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...
, British reggae artist. - Leona LewisLeona LewisLeona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, British singer with a Guyanese father. - Derek LukeDerek LukeDerek Luke is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance in the 2002 film Antwone Fisher, directed and produced by Denzel Washington.-Early life:...
, American actor. - MaestroMaestro (rapper)Wesley Williams , better known as Maestro and formerly Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have led to him being referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop".In 1989 he became the first Canadian rapper to have...
, Canadian rapper and actor. - Nicole NarainNicole Narain-Career:She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in January 2002 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos.She has appeared in music videos like R.L's song "Got Me a Model", LL Cool J's "Luv You Better", Mario Winans's "I Don't Wanna Know" and Fabolous' "Baby"...
, PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
model, Afro-Guyanese mother and father was 1/2 Indo-Guyanese and 1/2 Chinese-Guyanese. - Trevor PhillipsTrevor PhillipsTrevor Phillips OBE chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is a former television executive and presenter...
, British politician. - RihannaRihannaRobyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, singer with an Afro-Guyanese mother. - SaukratesSaukratesKarl Amani Wailoo , better known by his stage name Saukrates , is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln...
, Canadian rapper/singer - Simone DennySimone DennySimone Denny is a Canadian Pop/Dance/House/Techno vocalist, who was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.-Personal background:Simone Denny was born in Toronto, Ontario. She is of Guyanese and Surinamese heritage...
, former lead singer of Canadian based electro-dance pop trio, Love Inc.Love Inc. (band)Love Inc. was a dance music act from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The group was formed by DJ/remixer/producers Chris Sheppard and Brad Daymond, with Simone Denny on vocals. The Sheppard and Denny combination previously worked together in the Quality Records dance outfit BKS, an acronym using the... - Eon Sinclair, bassist of Canadian rock/ska/reggae band Bedouin SoundclashBedouin SoundclashBedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...
- Sean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick Thomas is a Guyanese-American actor. He is perhaps best known for his co-starring role in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and also "Barber Shop".- Early life :Thomas is the son of immigrants from Guyana and was...
, actor (Save the Last DanceSave the Last DanceSave the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main...
and BarbershopBarbershop (film)Barbershop is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Tim Story, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 13, 2002. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, the movie revolves around social life in a barbershop on the South Side of...
) - Phil LynottPhil LynottPhilip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
, the frontman of the rock band Thin LizzyThin LizzyThin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
, with an Afro-Guyanese father.