by Dr James Knight
It was way back in 1970 that I first met Franklyn ‘Frankie’ Francis, a teacher of West Indian History, at the Antigua Grammar School. I was attending the Princess Margaret School, but I came to know him through Harold Lovell, a new friend of mine, who had come to live in Gambles Terrace, just up the road from my school.
It was the Black Power era. A time of black consciousness, African awareness, the Civil Rights Movement and the recent assassination of Martin Luther King. It was the era of the Black Panther Party, the Peace Movement, the Hippies, etc. The young black working class in the Caribbean was in fighting mood.
The ‘conscious’ lyrics of reggae and the words of the Rastafarians were just getting here in Antigua and Barbuda, and calypsonians were not left out of the new cry for social justice and freedom. In the USA, in 1968, soon after MLK’s assassination, James Brown sang “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”. It was the first ever such bold and assertive statement to make a hit in the popular music.
Early in 1971, Lester Flax, Harold Lovell and I, under the guidance of Frankie Francis, our editor, began publishing a pamphlet called “Say it Loud”, with a cover drawing of Joseph Cinque’, who in 1839 led a successful slave revolt aboard the Spanish slave ship, the Amistad.
I can remember the late Leonard Tim Hector coming to teach West Indian history at the Princess Margaret School that same year, just after our first or second mimeographed issue, and donating the money to buy the paper for the following one.
I now hear Harold Lovell paying glowing tribute to King Franki as a “deep thinker” and “intellectual”, just as he paid glowing tribute to Tim Hector as a man of “intellectual honesty”. Lovell is also the man who ran in the 1980 general election on the ACLM platform, was a Central Committee member of the ACLM, yet claims that his politics began in the early 1990s with the UPP. I suppose then, that all that came before that time were just misguided associations of his youthful years.
For the ten years and three extra months that Lovell’s UPP was in power, did he remember King Franki’s intellect? Did he remember that the man with whom he traveled all over Jamaica, playing six-base “side by side” in UWI’s steelband, “jamming a wicked bass line”’ was at that time “doing post graduate work in Development Economics”? Or, that he had “a clear understanding of the global political economy?”
How comes it, that he’s not known to have recommended King Franki as the appropriate Francis when there was talk of a National Social and Economic Commission? How come King Franki’s “deep” thought and “intellect” did not seem to qualify him for any significant intellectual, or, any other role, when Lovell was in power? Well, at least, we never heard of any effort in that regard.
How can one disregard one’s early mentors, find them of little value while they are alive, see no contribution that their talents can make to the advancement of the society, even when one is in power, and then claim that one is grateful to them “for helping me become the person that I am”.
Obviously, you are not what those mentors would have expected you to become.
Long live our kings!
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This is a stinging and telling rebuke of Harold Lovell’s pretentious praise of the King. I have often observed Lovell’s recent pronouncements regarding his political career, and like Dr. Knight pinpoints here, he seems to suggest that there was no political career before the UPP. We all know that this is a blatant lie. Moreover, Dr. Knight rightfully points out that Lovell and the UPP did very little to use the talents of people like Frank-I. It makes you wonder why.
What else do you expect of Harold “King Lyadd, Limpy Joe” Lovell???
Condolences to the family of King Frank-I
Cannot find the answer to the following question on the web? Can someone please help me?
When was Harold Lovell the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda?
He will NEVER be!!!! He is a LOSER, LIAR and LAXMI. He is trying to distance himself from his ACLM roots, but he cannot change the past. He badplay Joanne and now he is reaping what he sowed. He has LOST MORE ELECTIONS THAN HE HAS EVER WON. What a perpetual LOSER .
Is it true that the roots of Harry Lovell are to be found in Marxist-Leninism??? Deep roots.
Sekunda X why don’t you enlighten me a little bit about Marxism-Leninism after which I would like to engage you in a discussion.
You don’t understand either so do a quick research and try to make a great come-back.
ROVI if your comment is directed to me I need to do no research. All I wanted to do is to debunk Sekunda X’s seemingly disguised criticism of Harold Lovell by his allusion to Marxism-Leninism. Yes, the ACLM advanced certain socialist ideas but it was not a Marxist Leninist organization.
Dr. Knight I am very, very disappointed in your characterization of Harold Lovell in this article. Also, your claim that Harold has said that his politics started in the 90’s with the UPP is nothing but a boldface lie. The entire society knowns that Harold was a member of the ACLM and ran as a candidate on an ACLM ticket, how then could Harold declare that his political life started with the UPP? Dr. Knight you and I go way back and I respect you and your achievements. We both attended the Ottos school and were classmates from form 1 until we both pass our exams to go to the Princess Margaret school. At the Ottos school, we would both alternate between first and second place in class. When we went to the Princess Margaret School, I ended up in the academic stream and you in the business stream. I could never understand why. Perhaps that was your choice because you were a brilliant student. Yes, Tim Hector taught us history and I was also a member of the ACLM. While I still respect you and your achievements, I am bewildered that you would have written such an damning and erroneous article about your former ACLM colleague. I am still rocking my brains to find an answer as to why.
Look and see what colour shirt he is wearing. If it is red, you have your answer. When was Harold prime minister to appoint people? Even so do you have to give all your friends jobs? UPP is not labour.
@answer “We must get rid of Birdism once and for all. Me nar gah feel good a work Inna nun affice wid fartee Bird neargah round me. We have to get rid of dem” ~Hilson Baptist UPP Minister.
Guy, ministers have the power to appoint persons based on the portoio the minister holds. The minister of aviation, Finance, Festivals etc has the power to appoint persons to related boards. Think you know Harold was at one time minister over such
@Charles Tabor: He has been SANITIZED.
Lovell a one waste them man only want power all the politicians are the same
Well said Dr. Knight. This is why most of his ACLM colleagues have nothing good to say of him. Its funny hearing some suggest that Lovel had no power during the UPP admin. Telling thing is he himself tells a different story when he speaks of his accomplishments. AS minister of finance he selects who serves on boards for entities under his portfolio (eg placing Donna and others on the FSRC board)
And what has Allister Thomas made of himself? Did he graduate from PMS or not?
He is excessively verbose to try and compensate for his failure in life.
Is he still hearing the voices of “his ancestors” at night time in the middle of his sleep?
Does anyone expect anything different from James Knight? He is trying to get back in the good graces of his new political masters, after they moved him into some fictional role at the Ministry of tourism with nothing to do.
Does anyone expect anything at all from you?? All you do is sing for your supper when dem pinch u libba
Why do you chat so much. You reply to every post with your BS.
I can almost bet you are one of those ghost workers that is being paid from the treasury, but only come on this site to spew your drivel instead of what you are paid to do. But then again maby this is what you are paid to do act like a Russian bot.
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