C.L.R. JAMES
C.L.R. James is regarded as one of the most celebrated thinkers of Trinidad and Tobago, and indeed of the whole Commonwealth Caribbean. He has described himself as being a rebel even from his childhood years. While still a young man, he pitted himself against colonialism and against racial prejudice in all its forms and he began to formulate his thoughts on the just and classless society.

Meanwhile, he became very prominent in Trinidad cricket and he began seeing his life philosophy in terms of that game. He became a great admirer of Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani, who, on his return from World War I, became known as "the champion of the barefoot man." James’ admiration of Cipriani led to his writing The Life of Captain Cipriani, published in 1932. That year James left Trinidad and spent the next several years in Lancashire, England, with his cricketing friend, Learie Constantine. He reported widely on cricket and in fact earned his living during this period as a cricket commentator.

Apart from his preoccupation with politics, he was also of a poetical and literary turn of mind, and the next year, 1933, he published a book of verse called Pascall Bowled. The Victor Pascall named here was the noted cricketer, who was the uncle of Learie Constantine and one of James’ early heroes. Five years before, in 1928, James had been awarded a British prize for the "Best Short Story of novel 1928." In 1935, James published the novel, Minty Alley, a novel of Trinidad life amongst the poor. In 1936, while civil war was being fought in Spain, he produced the book, World Revolution 1917–1936: The Rise and Fall and Communist International. In 1938, he showed his social concern for the black man with two books: The History of the Negro Revolt, and Black Jacobins, the latter being the story of the campaign of Toussaint L’Ouverture against French rule in Haiti.

In November 1938, James undertook an extensive speaking tour of the United States, travelling to Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, with his main theme being what was known in America at the time as “the Negro Question.” His other themes were the mass organization of the working class, and the imminence of war in Europe. (World War II broke out less than a year afterwards in September 1939).

At the end of the tour in April, 1939, James went to Mexico where he spent some time with Leon Trotsky, one of the key men in the Soviet revolution of 1917. Trotsky, who had broken with Stalin and had been exiled by him, was to be assassinated by an agent of the Soviet Government in 1940. It was clear that James saw communism as the salvation of the black masses, which he was trying to organize. James remained in the United States lecturing and establishing himself in left wing politics, relatively unmolested.

But in 1952, during the high point of the Senator McCarthy anti-communist “witch-hunt,” James was arrested for what was called anti-American activities, and was interned for a while on Ellis Island. It was during this period he embarked on the study of Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, and arising from this, he wrote the book Mariners, Renegades and Castaways. He was not detained long and when he returned to England in 1953, he found himself immersed in cricket affairs again, reporting matches ceaselessly.

A few years later, C.L.R. James was invited back to Trinidad by Dr. Eric Williams, newly appointed Chief Minister, who wanted this great figure to play a part in the march towards independence, and, in general, to be an inspiration to the youth of the country. James arrived in Trinidad in 1958, the year the Federation of the West Indies came into being, and he worked as editor of the newspaper of Dr. Eric Williams’ party, a newspaper called the PNM Weekly. He used its pages for an intensive political debate, sometimes bringing cricket into the fray, like the very important campaign he waged for the appointment of Frank Worrell as West Indies captain who, in that era, would have been the first black man to receive that honour. James also became secretary of the West Indian Federal Labour Party. He was soon to differ with Eric Williams on ideological and other grounds and the break-up of these two old friends remains an unpleasant chapter in the annals of Trinidad and Tobago politics.

James returned to England early in 1962, not even waiting for Trinidad and Tobago to attain independence in August that year. In 1963, he published one of his best-known books, which is a book of memoirs, as well as a study of cricket and life, Beyond a Boundary. In 1965, he came to Trinidad to cover an English cricket tour of the West Indies and found himself under house arrest. A public outcry forced his release after a few days and he was able to resume his coverage of the tour.

In 1966, he re-entered active politics in Trinidad and founded the Workers and Farmers Party, which did not get wide popular support. From 1966 to 1968, he traveled a great deal in and around the Caribbean, lecturing on literature and politics but he turned his face towards North America again, holding several university posts there between 1968 and 1975. He had been a great friend of Kwame Nkrumah in London and had carefully watched the course of the Gold Coast, which as Ghana became in 1975, the first independent, and in 1977 he published these articles as a book called Nkrumah and the Ghana Revolution. Following after were The Future in the Present(1977), Spheres of Existence (1980) and At the Rendezvous of Victory (1984). James was posthumously awarded a NALIS Lifetime Literary Award in 2012.

Despite James’ feud with Dr. Eric Williams, he was always regarded by the people as a hero of Trinidad and Tobago, and indeed as a man who had made a significant contribution to the world. As the 1980s went by, James was sought after more and more and many called on the government to offer him a home in Trinidad in which to spend his last years. In 1986, the in-coming government of the National Alliance of Reconstruction – the Government which succeeded that of the People’s National Movement – publicly expressed great admiration for James, and the committee looking into national awards thought fit, in 1987, to reward him with the nation’s highest decoration, the Trinity Cross. James died in England on May 31, 1989, and was brought home and buried at Tunapuna, his birthplace.

  

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Source: 

• Anthony, Michael. Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago. London: The Scarecrow Press, 1977. 310 - 311, 312 - 313

Eugene Joseph has over 55 years experience in transforming and bringing new perspectives and dynamics to peoples’ lives. An internationally acclaimed Cultural Ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, he has traveled throughout the world conducting seminars and workshops in Cross Cultural Training, Communication Techniques, Dance and Movement Therapy, and Arts Education and Integration. His life experience has served him well in becoming a Consultant, Master Instructor and Arts Presenter in the field of Dance and Culture.

 

From the tender age of nine, Eugene Joseph dedicated his life to the study of dance and the use of dance as a catalyst for transformation (Mind, Body & Spirit).  In his relentless pursuit of excellence, Eugene has become well known for bringing creativity and innovation to his performances and choreography. As a dancer and choreographer, he toured Europe, UK and the United States of America with the Folk Ballet production “Ambakaila”.  In fact he was the first Black Choreographer to present his work to the renowned Royal Festival Hall in London. Also as a dancer, he performed at the 1967 Expo in Montreal, Canada, and at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, USA. Mr. Joseph has presented his choreographic works to various Presidents, Prime Ministers and Royalties throughout the world, including Queen Elizabeth, the Shah of Iran and the Vice President of India, the Prime Ministers of Ghana, India and of course Trinidad & Tobago.

 

Since 1969, Mr. Joseph has worked in the Public Service of the Trinidad and Tobago Government - Ministry of Culture where he retired in 2004 in the capacity of Director of Culture. As Director of Culture, he implemented many national and community-based programmes, including the “Open School for the Arts”. Through his extensive work with Government, Non-Government and the Corporate Sectors Mr. Joseph has presented papers, lectured and conducted master classes in Hong Kong, Mexico, Senegal (Africa), England, Europe, Canada, thirty-two states in the United States of America and throughout the Caribbean.

 

In 1972 he founded his flagship company, the Eugene Joseph’s Trinidad Dance Theatre (TDT), with  the mission of “Teaching the Nation to Dance”. TDT has established a Performing Company and four dance studios with an annual registration of over 1000 students, enrolled for Ballet, Modern, Caribbean Folk, Ballroom and Latin classes. Students of TDT also receive internationally recognized certification through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD – UK) and Dance Vision International Dancers Association (DVIDA – USA). TDT is also the Caribbean representative for DVIDA, a member of UNESCO International Dance Council and a member of the National Dance Education Organization (USA). In 2008, TDT opened its new spacious Ballroom and Conference Centre at its headquarters in San Fernando. As the ultimate student of dance, Mr. Joseph has mastered the art of providing solutions to individuals in their quest for transformation. In 2009, Dance Vision International Dance Association appointed him Regional Examiner in American Style Rhythm & Smooth Dance. His credentials include Fellowship in Theatre Arts from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, United States Branch, Grand Master of Dance Degree in American Style Rhythm from Dance Vision International Dance Association (USA) and Executant’s Certificate in Ballet from the Royal Academy of Dance (UK).  

 

In addition to these credentials, Mr. Joseph has received certification in Cultural Administration and Development, Project Management and Budgeting, Conflict Resolution, Social Work, Events Management, Artistes Management and Environmental Management. In 2012, he received his Master of Arts in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Dance Research. He is also completing a master’s program in Dance/Movement Therapy at the 92Y Harkness Center in New York, USA.

 

Mr. Joseph has also provided solutions to the corporate world in the areas of team building, executive, management and administrative professional training, in-house dance classes, specially commissioned works, impresario services and corporate entertainment.  Clients include the National Institute for Higher Learning – Science & Technology Fair, Ernst & Young, First Citizens Bank, Housing Development Corporation, Queen’s Hall and the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board.

 

In the 2001 Trinidad and Tobago National Awards, Mr. Joseph was honored to receive the Humming Bird Silver Medal in national recognition of his contribution to enhancing the Arts. In 2008, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) further honored Mr. Joseph by conferring upon him the Honorary Distinguished Fellow Award.  

 

Mr. Joseph was a foundering member of two national associations – The Trinidad & Tobago National Dance Association (also past President) and the National Ballroom Dance Association of Trinidad & Tobago. He has also consulted and served on various national boards and committees – Trinidad and Tobago National Emblem Committee, Trinidad and Tobago Pageant Company for the Miss Universe Pageant 1999, Trinidad & Tobago 35th Independence Anniversary National Committee, and the National Committee for drafting the National Cultural Policy. 

 

In 2009, Mr. Joseph was contracted by the Ministry of Local Government to direct, co-ordinate and choreograph the Entertainment for the Spouses Programme for both the 5th Summit of the Americas (SOA) and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) hosted by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

 

Also in 2009, Mr. Joseph was appointed the Dance Director of the theatrical production “Dance Meh Lover” performed by the newly formed Trinidad and Tobago National Theatre Arts Company at the formal opening of the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA)  

He is currently conducting classes in Dance and Movement Therapy with the members of Trinidad and Tobago Association of Retired Persons (TTARP), San Fernando. Through his Outreach Programme and work with community and special interest groups, Mr. Joseph has taken “dance to the people”, reaffirming his belief that Dance is for everyone: it is a catalyst for transformation of self and the society.

MARK THOMAS INSKIP JULIEN
Senator Mark Thomas Inskip Julien was born March 6th 1910 and attended the Arouca Boys’ R.C. school as well as St. Mary’s College. From August 10th 1935, he served as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago and was President of the Law Society for 30 years. He was also close friend and chief legal adviser to the late Dr. Eric Williams.

In August 1971, he was awarded Chaconia Medal (Gold) for Law and in 1976 played a valuable role at the 1976 Law Conference in Chaguaramas. Mr. Julien was an Independent Senator in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago from 1957 to 1976. He died on February 4th 1985.

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Source:

• Khan, Carlton.  “Julien Dies at NIPDEC House.” Trinidad Express 5 February 1985: pg 3

Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo

Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo was born in San Fernando on December 1, 1961, to Carlyle and Barbara Kangaloo. She is the fifth of their seven children.

Her Excellency attended Grant Memorial Presbyterian Primary School, St. Joseph’s Convent (San Fernando) and the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine and Cave Hill Campuses). She qualified with Honours in Law from the University of the West Indies in 1983. In 1985, she obtained her Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to the practice of law that year. From 1985 to 1992, she worked with her father, Carlyle, in his law practice.

In 1992, President Kangaloo entered the service of the Judiciary as an Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court. She served in that capacity for four (4) years, until 1996 when, following her father’s untimely passing, she returned to private practice to wrap up his practice. In 1998, she joined an established law firm in San Fernando.

President Kangaloo commenced Parliamentary service in 2001 when, in that year, she was appointed an Opposition Senator. She was appointed Vice President of the Senate between January to August 2002, Government Senator and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister between 2002 to 2005; Minister of Legal Affairs between 2005 to 2007, and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education between 2007 and 2010. She was also the Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Pointe-a-Pierre between 2007 and 2010.

In 2015, Her Excellency was elected to the position of President of the Senate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago – a position in which she served continuously until January of 2023. As President of the Senate, she acted as President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on thirty-three (33) occasions. President Kangaloo was the first person who served as Vice President of the Senate, to become the President of the Senate. Similarly, she is also the first person who served as President of the Senate, to become the President-Elect of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Her Excellency President Christine Carla Kangaloo, O.R.T.T. became the seventh President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on March 20, 2023.

As a result of her long and varied career in multiple incarnations of public service, President Kangaloo has acquired an acute, a singular and a comprehensive appreciation of the system and the mechanics of government, of public service, and of the needs of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. For her significant contributions to public affairs and her efforts in strengthening India’s global reputation, she was honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), by the High Commissioner of India to Trinidad in 2025.

Her Excellency visits schools across Trinidad and Tobago to educate students about the presidency. She has advocated for the recognition of the steel pan as the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, and in 2024, started a ‘Pan Camp’ at the President’s House which aims to teach young persons to play the steel pan and life skills. She has also launched ‘Storytime’ to promote literacy and confidence in children, and hosts numerous school tours and cultural and religious events at President’s House. In keeping with her pledge to make the Office of the President more accessible, the Band Stand next to the President’s House regularly showcases various aspects of the country’s culture to the public.

President Kangaloo is married to Mr. Kerwyn Garcia S.C., First Gentleman of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. She is a cancer-survivor.

Sources:

Arora, Dimple. “Christine Carla Kangaloo Recieves Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.” EBNW Story, 31 Jan. 2025,

https://ebnw.net/empowerment/success-story/christine-carla-kangaloo-receives-pravasi-bharatiya-

samman-award/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.

“Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT.” AMCHAM Trinidad & Tobago, 2024,

https://www.amchamtt.com/WLC2024Speakers . Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.

“Her Excellency Receives the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.” The Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 26 Jan. 2025, https://otp.tt/her-excellency-receives-the-pravasi-bharatiya-samman-award/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.

“The President.” The Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,

https://otp.tt/the-president/thepresident. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

“T&T President Awarded Nation’s Highest Honour.” Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation,

1 April 2023, https://www.cbc.bb/news/regional-news/tt-president-awarded-nations-highest-

honour/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.

LENNOX KILGOUR (Weightlifting)
Lennox Kilgour, popularly known as "Gour", was born on May 5th, 1928 and commenced his weightlifting career at the tender age of 15. In 1946, he won the Trinidad and Tobago Junior Championships but suffered defeat in the Senior Championships.

Kilgour made his international debut at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala in 1950. From there he went on to the Pan American Games in 1951 where he came second to John Davis of the United States in the heavyweight division. He followed this up winning bronze at the Helsinki Olympics of 1952. "Gour" finally gave up competitive lifting after the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia, when he came sixth in his event.

See more information on Trinidad and Tobago's Olympic medalists

Dr Joanne Kilgour Dowdy: Metamorphosis of a Literary Giant

The year—1959—the day, 22 November to be precise, bore the birth of an extraordinary literary giant whom we know as Dr Joanne Kilgour Dowdy.

From the bustle of St James to her grandmother's house in Woodbrook, Dr Joanne Kilgour Dowdy's humble beginnings were influenced by her older brother, sister, father, and mother. She attended Newton Girls’ Roman Catholic Primary School and then Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain, one of the prestigious all-female institutions in North Trinidad.

Whilst attending Holy Name Convent, she enrolled with the Caribbean School of Dance and received an invitation to perform in the Banyan Television Workshop. Dr Dowdy also made an appearance on the ever-popular Twelve and Under talent programme, hosted by the renowned Ms Hazel Ward-Redman.

With her growing passion for and calling to theatre, Joanne pursued the opportunity of a lifetime at the Boston Conservatory of Music, Dance, and Theatre in the United States, alongside private tutoring from Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott in 1982.

Her dynamic drive took her to the prominent Juilliard School of the Arts in New York from 1983 to 1987, with a primary focus on Classical Theatre. Joanne also achieved academic milestones with a graduate degree in English from Columbia University in 1988 and a PhD in Literacy Studies from the University of North Carolina.

Growth results from learning and mentoring, and Dr Dowdy's journey in teaching commenced in 1989 in the roles of teacher, reading and writing instructor, and literacy consultant. Over the years, Dr Dowdy has worked as a Professor of Adolescent/Adult Literacy at Kent State University in Ohio, within the Department of Teaching, Leadership, and Curriculum Studies. Her work embraces her background in theatre and enriches her instruction in literacy education by employing drama techniques to revitalise classroom engagement and writing development.

To this day, Black women's educational experiences, from adult basic literacy to higher education, are the primary focal point of Dr Dowdy's research. She has authored and edited several books, such as: In The Public Eye, The Skin That We Speak, Olympic Hero, Artful Stories, Ph.D Stories, Teaching Drama in the Classroom, GED Stories, Connecting the Literacy Puzzle, and Readers of the Quilt. These titles are available at the Heritage Library Division of the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS), where one is encouraged to delve deeper and explore these amazing works by such a distinguished and decorated woman.

Works Cited

“Author Kilgour Dowdy Pays Tribute to Olympian Father.” Trinidad Express Newspapers, 14 Dec. 2024, https://trinidadexpress.com/features/local/author-kilgour-dowdy-pays-tribute-to-olympian-father/article_fedf65ac-ba90-11ef-bcc8-7fc74ab1dad0.html.

Choy, Darcel. “Joanne Kilgour – a Life of Teaching and Learning - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday Archives.” Trinidad and Tobago Newsday Archives, 6 Apr. 2009, https://archives.newsday.co.tt/2009/04/06/joanne-kilgour-a-life-of-teaching-and-learning/.

Emrit, Ronald. JOANNE KILGOUR-DOWDY, 28 July 2025, www.bestoftrinidad.com/profiles/dowdy.html.

“Joanne Dowdy, Ph.D.” Kent State University, https://www.kent.edu/ehhs/tlcs/profile/joanne-dowdy-phd.

Paulalindo. “Dr. Joanne Kilgour Dowdy | Next On the Monday Night Theatre Forum.” The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network, 22 May 2017, https://ttpanetwork.com/2017/04/20/dr-joanne-kilgour-dowdy-next-on-the-monday-night-theatre-forum/.

Information File – Kilgour-Dowdy, Joanne

EARL LOVELACE: AUTHOR
Earl Lovelace was born in Toco, Trinidad in 1935 and spent his childhood in Tobago and Port of Spain. His first job was as a proofreader with the Trinidad Publishing Company. Later, he joined the Civil Service, serving first in the Forestry Department and then in the Department of Agriculture.

Lovelace's first novel, While Gods Are Falling, won him the BP Independence Literary Award which enabled him to study in the United States as visiting novelist at Howard University. His second novel, The Schoolmaster (1968), drew on his experiences in rural Trinidad. Forty years later The Schoolmaster still resonated with young people as the 2008 NALIS One Book One Community selection. The promise evident in these novels of the sixties was fulfilled in The Dragon Can't Dance (1979) and the Wine of Astonishment (1983) which a West African magazine argued “put him in the front rank of Caribbean writers”. The Dragon Can't Dance has been translated into five languages and is one of the most widely recognized Caribbean novels. This was followed by a collection of plays, Jestina's Calypso, published in 1984, and a short story collection, A Brief Conversation & Other Stories, published in 1988.

Lovelace was awarded the 1997 Commonwealth Writer's Prize for his novel Salt. His novel Is Just a Movie (2011), was the winner of the 2011 Grand Prize for Caribbean Literature by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe and the 2012 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

Lovelace has worked as a lecturer at UWI and a visiting novelist and writer-in-residence at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1980, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has been recognized nationally with a Trinidad and Tobago Chaconia Medal (Gold) and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. In 2012, Lovelace received a NALIS Lifetime Literary Achievement Award.