Letter published in Stabroek News, June 19, 2001, reprinted, edited only for punctuation.
Six Head Lewis' achievement a triumph for race relations
Dear Editor,
When "Six Heads" Lewis arrived at the City Hall for his initial
reception he made a significant, surprising, sobering and timely
introduction.
There he was, a black talent, introducing his Portuguese
managers and identifying an Indian man, Fiesal Ali, as the person
responsible for him reaching the USA.
Note, were it not for his training
and campaigning presence in the USA his chance at becoming a world
champion would have been extremely remote. Privately, Mr Ali said to me
that the credit should really go to several persons who were in the
background, such as the late Robert Gangadeen, former leader of the
United Republican Party.
In essence, Lewis' achievement is a triumph for race relations among
other things. It demonstrates what could be achieved individually and
collectively if the people of this country focus on building political,
economic and social linkages for the common good, and disengage
themselves from their "racial stupidities", "racial backwardness" and
"racial utopia".
We cannot hope to destroy, marginalize, frustrate, nor
oppress others without inducing the same deeds towards ourselves. We do
not have to love each other, to cooperate with, learn from, support and
respect each other. In real life, even in the church , temple, mosque and
the family, people are not generally motivated by love but interests.
In real life, the people who often impede our aspirations are those of
our own kind.
As Lewis spoke I also reflected on my engagements with the late
Professor J.O.F. Haynes, widely considered the premier West Indian
lawyer. Unexpectedly, at the University of Guyana, about nine months
before his death he called me into his office and said "Young man you
have a problem , what is it?".
As I pondered on the whys and buts of his
question he subtly suggested that I am an intellectual talent that was
either indisciplined or flippant. Then suddenly he remarked, "...if it
weren't for a Portuguese man I wouldn't have been a lawyer today." He
did not elaborate but insisted that we hold at least bi-monthly
meetings.
His commitments to the Maurice Bishop case in Grenada
significantly affected those meetings but from our limited interaction I
deduced that he held a sense of gratitude, like Lewis, to persons
unknown to me.
Yours faithfully,
Lin-Jay Harry-Voglezon
