Afro-Guyanese continue to be marginalized in Guyana – Alexander

Apr 15, 2025 News

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…chides Labour Minister for making “hypocritical” presentation

Kaieteur News-   Chairman of International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly -Guyana (IDPADA-G) Vincent Alexander told a United Nations forum on Tuesday that while the Government of Guyana continues to call for reparations, the administration has failed to implement a single, dedicated national policy to repair the internal legacies of enslaved Africans in Guyana.

Describing the government’s disposition as nothing but “hypocritical,” Alexander noted that Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton’s presentation to the Fourth Session of the Permanent Forum for people of African descent earlier Tuesday was devoid of substance which proved lack of support for persons of Afro-Guyanese roots.

Addressing the same forum, Alexander noted that Afro-Guyanese – the descendants of the enslaved – continue to be systematically marginalized and remain disproportionately at the bottom of the economic and social order.

The IDPADA-G chair pointed out that education, land rights, entrepreneurship and political representation in Guyana all reflect this exclusion. He told the forum that the government of Guyana has not taken any equitable action to address the state of people of African descent.

“Allow me to paint a true narrative about the state of Afro-Guyanese… our school curriculum continues to omit the history and contributions of the Guyanese of African descent…” Alexander said.

The IDPADA-G chair said too that, Ancestral lands acquired through the historic village movement are being seized without compensation through institutional and legal manipulations.

He stressed that in spite of legal provisions, a functioning Human Rights Commission is yet to be constituted, 20 years on.

“The Government of Guyana whilst vocally supporting reparations abroad as was done here today has not implemented a single dedicated national policy to repair the internal legacies of enslavement. Instead, African Guyanese are blamed for their circumstances and demeaned by public officials as lazy or unworthy. The current governance structure entrenches this exclusion even within the Ethnic Relations Commission which is in attendance. Which is here today represented by someone other than someone of African descent notwithstanding the African community asking otherwise…” Alexander said as he called on the forum to support a quest for justice and equality for the people of African descent.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton told the forum that the development of Afro-Guyanese, and Guyanese as a whole, in Guyana’s multi-ethnic nation, is a priority for the Government.

His presentation did not focus on lived experiences of Afro-Guyanese. He instead generalized his statement to the forum but speaking broadly of government initiatives.

He said “We have embarked on a transformative agenda which is rapidly changing the economic and physical infrastructure of the country. This is deliberately matched with initiatives that ensure greater inclusion and participation of all citizens in the goods, services and opportunities available, to reduce poverty, geographic disparities, ethnic insecurities and inequality.”

Hamilton focused on education and human resource development and how this approach has transformed the lives of Guyanese, including persons of African descent.

He noted that the Guyana Online Academy of Learning has awarded thousands of scholarships over the last 4 years, providing free online education.

“This is aimed at creating a modern workforce, including by facilitating access for residents of rural and remote areas. As of this year Free Education at the tertiary level is now offered to all Guyanese. An Annual Cash Grant is given to every child from nursery to secondary levels Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) is free at all technical institutes, thus making people more skilled and employable. Guyana is moving towards the increased use of AI including by establishing Digital Academy,” Hamilton told the forum.

In terms of the right to housing and shelter, the Minister said that Guyana’s massive national housing programme over the last 4 years alone has distributed over forty-four thousand house lots benefitting over 200,000 people.

“Notably 43% of the owners are women. No ethnic group is excluded. In addition, several subsidies are provided for low-income households such as mortgage relief at low interest rates,” Hamilton said.

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• Government of Guyana, national policy, United Nations forum, Vincent Alexander

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