On this day in history, October 15, 1968, the government of Jamaica, headed by Prime Minister, Hugh Shearer, barred Guyanese UWI lecturer Dr. Walter Rodney from re-entering the country.

A brief overview of events of why Walter Rodney was banned is below.

In 1968, Dr. Rodney was a professor at UWI Mona where he taught in the Department of History. Apart from been popular among students, Dr. Rodney would go in Rasta & poor black communities where he would educate residents on black history, black philosophy & black liberation

Dr. Rodney spoke out against capitalism, western ideology & the lack of black history taught in Jamaican schools which put him on the radar of the then very conservative JLP led government headed by Hugh Shearer. This was during rise of the Black Power movement in the US

On the 14th of October 1968, the Cabinet invited the Vice- Chancellor of UWI, Phillip Sherlock, to terminate Rodney's contract of employment. The Vice-Chancellor informed the Government that this was not possible since there were no professional grounds for Rodney's dismissal.

Phillip Sherlock stated that he will discuss the matter with his senior colleagues. But Sherlock was denied that time as Shearer banned Rodney the following day saying it was urgent to do so. It would seem a perfect time in Shearer’s eyes as Rodney was out the country.

The aircraft which brought Rodney back from Montreal where he was attending a Congress of Black Writers landed at 2:20 PM on Tuesday 15th October. Stranded on the plane, Rodney worried over his pregnant wife, Pat, their unborn child & his young child who were all in Jamaica.

However, it was not until 9:00 PM that day that UWI students learnt that Rodney was refused re-entry & confined to the aircraft. Soon thereafter a meeting of students on the campus was advertised for 11:00 PM on Mary Seacole Hall. Almost 900 UWI students showed up

On the late hours of that faithful Tuesday night of October 15, 1968, the student decided that they would march the following day on the offices of the Minister of Home Affairs, Roy McNeil & the Prime Minister and to deliver two petitions in favour of Dr. Walter Rodney.

The march was organized by Guild Undergraduate president from St. Vincent & the Grenadines, who would become the country’s future PM, Ralph Gonsalves, with assistance from future Minister of Culture in the PNP government, a then graduate student & Guild president, Arnold Bertram

The march that took place the following day would erupt in what would be come to be known as the Walter Rodney Riots of 1968. For a more detailed look at Walter Rodney & the riots that took place, please check out our historical podcast #LestWeForgetPodcast most recent episode.