Excerpts of Caribbean Thought 3 2026: Caribbean Thought, Dependency, Revolution and Sovereignty P.2
Part 2: In today’s lecture, students were asked to define the Caribbean and their place within it. The class began exploring questions of identity, heritage, belonging, and the meaning of Caribbean existence within the modern world system. Students reflected on their own heritage while examining the idea that the Caribbean itself may be an invention shaped by colonialism, imperialism, and external power structures.The lecture questioned whether the Caribbean is truly independent given its economic dependence, reliance on aid, and the continued challenges to its sovereignty within the postcolonial order. The Professor argued that life is fundamentally about people and human relationships, yet life is also shaped by structures of power and by what societies make of themselves. Within this framework, the Caribbean’s position in the global order has often been constructed to maintain the region in a position of servitude, dependency, and vulnerability.Students explored the ideas of Mutabaruka, particularly his statement that “God is a creation of man.” The Professor discussed this position as emerging from the colonial experience and from the imposition of European religious traditions upon Indigenous and African peoples as though they possessed no spiritual systems of their own. This led to broader discussions about colonization, faith, spirituality, and the psychological effects of colonial domination.The class also examined the continued divisions within the Caribbean and questioned whether Caribbean unity may provide a path forward. Responding to a student’s question about solutions, the Professor connected the discussion to the work of Ama Mazama and the Afrocentric paradigm, arguing that one of the Caribbean’s major problems is the dominance of Western frameworks and ideas that cloud the minds of colonized peoples. The lecture emphasized the need to reconceptualize Caribbean thought and identity outside of inherited colonial assumptions.The Professor, Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, argued that Caribbean peoples have always possessed a roadmap toward development and liberation, but have often privileged European models, institutions, and values instead. At the same time, local elites and institutional powers within the Caribbean have historically acted to preserve the existing order and prevent transformative regional change.The lecture concluded by emphasizing that these structures are strategic and that Caribbean peoples must themselves become strategic in determining how to truly free themselves, grow, and develop. The Professor pointed to Cuba as an example of a nation that attempted to pursue its own path despite international pressures and economic punishment. While this choice affected Cuba’s wealth and development, the argument was made that Cuba sought to preserve dignity, sovereignty, and an alternative vision of life rather than fully surrendering itself to external powers and global capitalism.This is an excerpt of the full Lecture made available for The Neoliberal Round. The Lectures are held at Jamaica Theological SeminaryThis is published by The Neoliberal Corporation. The text for the class is Neoliberalism by Renaldo McKenzieVisit JTS at https://jts.edu.jmVisit The Neoliberal at https://theneoliberal.com
