Guyanese industrialist, William Thomas Dalgety is a ‘Special Person’

Jul 31, 2022 News, Special Person

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For his unwavering efforts to raise the cultural consciousness of Afro-Guyanese…

“…there still exists a need for the people and descendants of Africa to be unified towards achieving their common goal of attaining socio-economic and other forms of liberation and empowerment.” – William Thomas Dalgety

 By Rehanna Ramsay

Kaieteur News – “History teaches us that unity is strength and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.” These are words ascribed to Haile Selassie, the last Emperor of Ethiopia.

Though today Haile Selassie is regarded by some religious factions as a deity, during his reign as Emperor, Selassie was among a group of outspoken proponents of Pan-Africanism – the idea that peoples of African descent have common interests and should be unified.

This ideal for the unification of Africans has been perpetuated by several African leaders across the globe and passed down from generation to generation. This week’s ‘Special Person’ considers himself a Pan-Africanist in true form.

In fact, Mr. William Thomas Dalgety was born at a time when the liberation and unification of African Peoples dominated the lips of African diaspora groups across the world. Growing up in the socially-conscious era and having parents who were very much engrossed in African cultural activities and groups led him to develop a strong sense of belonging to his ancestral roots.

“I grew up in a time when the cries for the liberation of all peoples across the continent of Africa resonated with those in the diaspora thereby creating the global Pan-African movement…Many renowned Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Guyanese figures were a part of the struggle for a free Africa,” explained Dalgety.

He added too that his parents in part influenced his interest in the movement because of their involvement in cultural societies like Negro Peoples Association in Guyana. “…Then, there were people like Guyanese poet Martin Carter, whose poems and literature about struggle and resistance were a part of my everyday learning. I remember walking the corridors of Queen’s College as a student and having to recite his work,” he continued.

His connection to the history and current affairs of Africa led Mr. Dalgety to visit the motherland on many occasions.

“I have sailed the Nile River in Egypt, been to Sudan more than once, visited Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Ghana and each time my appreciation for the people and continent of Africa becomes stronger,” he intimated.  These visits also led to his conclusion that while the struggle for the freedom of Africa in the physical sense may not be as potent as before, the ideal of Pan–Africanism is still relevant today.

 

“…there still exists a need for the people and descendants of Africa to be unified towards achieving their common goal of attaining socio-economic and other forms of liberation and empowerment,” he said, as he agreed that Africa and the African peoples of this world still face a vast amount of discriminatory systems which to help prevent the realisation of their true potential as a people.

He agreed too that until there is a revolution against the system that oppresses the Black people in this world, the Pan-African ideal of true liberation will remain relevant.  In the meantime, Mr. Dalgety’s dedication to the culture has led him to take on roles that will help raise the social and cultural consciousness of the Afro-Guyanese society.

He is credited for founding at least two well-known cultural programmes which were broadcasted on radio and television: “Music of Africa,” which was broadcast on radio in the 1970s and “Dalgety’s Africa,” which featured a collection of African films on television. In fact, it is believed that Mr. Dalgety should also be credited for introducing African movies or what most Guyanese refer to as “African Moods,” to local television in 1999.

In his personal capacity as husband and father to five children, who are all now adults, Mr. Dalgety is credited for helping to raise his children to be independent, strong, and culturally aware of their roots.  These ideals are also being passed on to his grandchildren. In this regard, he is in total conformity with the belief that “charity begins at home.”

For his professional life, Dalgety chose to work in the field of science and technology and has served the industrial sector of Guyana in various capacities for many years.

‘LESSONS OF MY CHILDHOOD’

As a child, Mr. Dalgety recalled that he grew up in what he refers to as “Pan-Guyana” – having regard to many places he lived in the country.

He explained that “As a boy, his family moved a lot, we lived in Nurney Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Suddie, Essequibo and Leguan – an island in the Essequibo River, Stewartville, Vreed-en-Hoop, Nismes Villages in the West Demerara, Golden Grove on the East Coast, Providence on the East Bank, Bartica in Region Seven, and Lodge, Georgetown.”

He noted that childhood had a lot to do with travel and experiences in all those locations.  He said, “It had to do with cattle, watching military drills, attending League of Coloured People Fairs with my parents, and practising Christianity at home and in a church.”

According to Dalgety too, “I had a background with looking after cows owned by my father, and reading, writing and arithmetic because my mother was an itinerant teacher.  My Father was a policeman and my mother also grew a kitchen garden, sewed, pressed hair, played the organ, and was a fairly good public speaker.”

Hence, his entrance to Queen’s College (one of Guyana’s top secondary schools) was inevitable. He said, “I was fairly comfortable in a science laboratory doing experiments, and outdoors at athletics and football.”

After completing his secondary level education, Dalgety continued his academic pursuits at a tertiary level.  He attended the University of Guyana and then the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He recalled, “I travelled to the UK in 1962, and worked at a laundry and as a lab technician before entry into the university where I earned a BSc in Natural Science.”

He recalled too that, “I did a lot of hitch-hiking with a German girl and dancing in Europe during my student years.  At university, I was the librarian of my hall and a member of both the West Indian Student’s Society and the African Students Society.   University years were ‘wild’ – full of protests and learning science.  I returned to Guyana in 1971.”

SERVICE TO GUYANA

On his return to Guyana, Dalgety taught at the Guyana Technical Institute (GTI) and studied at the University of Guyana before heading to Linden to work in the bauxite industry in 1975.

There, he was employed as a chemist where he assisted with the control of bauxite, and alumina production before he was transferred to the research and development section of the bauxite company.

He said, “Guymine, [Guyana Mining Enterprise Limited] was my fourth Alma Mata. Self-reliance was a leading philosophy during those years.  And, I matched philosophies with the technologies that were before my very eyes.”

Mr. Dalgety said too that since “Technology has to do with the application of science and the equipment and plants, I saw that bauxite had to do with the science I did at Queen’s College, so, my work experience at Guymine was both exciting and full of pain.”

Without elaborating on the challenges he faced, Mr. Dalgety said that he resigned from Guymine at the end of 1980. But according to him, “my industry career climbed to unknown heights after my resignation from Guymine.”

He continued, “I opened a business, Dalgety Processing Enterprises Limited (DPE).  The processing we did had to do with liberation, separation, and disposal of waste, hence the name.  I drilled a philosophy into my workers that our company will manufacture “only with locally available raw materials.”

According to Dalgety, everything the company produced was from materials manufactured and sold in Guyana.

“We produced pulverised clay, Putty for wood, sodium silicate, fire gum, aqua tight. Our favourite raw materials were clay, kaolin and rice husk ash. The rewards from DPE were bountiful beyond finance – a Commonwealth Award to India where I also partook in Management of Technology; I also received many invitations to countries in Africa to conference with my colleagues on appropriate technology.  I became a member of INAT which is the International Network on Appropriate Technology and hosted Professor John Trimble and Kinyua Ngegi in Guyana on the topic of How Appropriate Technology matters,” he recounted with pride.

CULTURAL AWARENESS

Since Mr. Dalgety regards himself as being very culturally aware, he prides himself in having descended from a long line of culturally aware Afro-Guyanese.

Underscoring his involvement with the material aspects of culture, he said, “I inherited farming from my mother and livestock development from my father. I had a grandfather who was a balata bleeder and sold balata at Rose Hall, Berbice, and one grandmother who planted coconuts and rice and sold produce at Port Mourant Market, Berbice.

My other grandfather owned Plantation Maida, Berbice, he was into cattle and was buried on his land,” Mr. Dalgety shared.

As part of an appreciation for their heritage as cultivators, Mr. Dalgety said his son is continuing the tradition. He produces herbs and processes them into tea bags.  According to Mr. Dalgety too, he is in possession of his ancestral relics which date back to the 1800s.

“I have in my possession the baptism certificates of my two grandmothers – Eva was baptised in 1887, Emily Fields was baptised in 1888. In my position also is the Deed of a farm that belonged to my ancestors Thomas Lyte, Caroline Lyte, and Henry Lyte inherited a property E1/2 Lot 2 Plantation Phillipi, Corentyne, Berbice.  This belonged to Henry (Brother Willie) who is my grandfather. After his parents were freed, they trekked from the Canje and bought this farmland just after emancipation,” he revealed.

On the spiritual aspects of his culture, Dalgety revealed that while many people wear gold jewellery to display wealth and power, he wears it for health and protection.

He said, “As a boy of about eight years, I was given the book Agrey of Africa to read… I have since passed over some gold jewellery heritage to my son, Mark Dalgety.”

Further on the spiritual side Mr. Dalgety also holds several Rastafarian ideals.  “I speak of bauxite, sand, kaolin as Rastafari minerals because it was through Rastafari that I developed wealth in Guyana with these minerals.”

DALGETY’S AFRICA 

Even while his intentions in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of African people were good, Mr. Dalgety recalled having to face a certain level of resistance.

He recalled that, “When I decided to do a radio programme called ‘Music from Africa’ in 1973 several radio stations refused to play the music but I persevered and purchased airtime and eventually that show became a staple on Radio Demerara in the mid-1970s.” Later in 1999 when he wanted to introduce African films to local television, Dalgety faced similar issues.

He noted that at that time, Guyana’s television was dominated by American movies and Indian movies. He added, “I was aware of African films that were just as entertaining. I started to look for ways to get them on television but I faced many roadblocks.”

Dalgety noted too that even African organisations in Guyana sought to shut down the idea when he approached them for support. As a result, Mr. Dalgety took it upon himself to purchase airtime and introduce Dalgety’s Africa films to TV in 1999.  “Now, all races in Guyana look at African movies and some are aware that I introduced it to Guyana,” he said.

For his efforts to promote the culture, Dalgety revealed that he has several cherished awards including awards from the Pan African Movement (Guyana Branch) and the African Guyanese Achievement Award.

“I have a prayer mat given to me by an African refugee in Guyana which I treasure and being nominated to the Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission [GGMC] by the People’s National Congress party, are among my special memories – I was on the GGMC Board for 16 years…”

Mr. Dalgety was also a member of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) in Guyana and helped with the success of the Folk Festival usually held on August 1, Emancipation Day.

He noted that as part of the transatlantic slave trade commemoration committee, “We became Friends of the Museum of African Heritage…and raised funds and renovated that building.  I had my role in many developments with the [local] Pan African Movement and made many presentations in Africa and once even at Howard University in the US.”

While his contribution to the culture is noteworthy, nothing brings this week’s ‘Special Person’ more happiness and satisfaction than knowing that he was able to influence and pass on his strong African ideals to his five children: Mark, Eva, Ayodele, Odetta, and Sonetta.

 

 

 

 

 

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