Afro-Grenadians or Black Grenadians are
Grenadian people of largely
African descent. This term is not generally recognised by Grenadians or indeed
Caribbeans. They usually refer to themselves simply as
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or possibly Black Caribbean. The term was first coined by an
African Americans history professor, John Henrik Clarke (1915–1998), in his piece entitled ''A Note on Racism in History''. The term may also refer to a Grenadian of African ancestry.
Social interpretations of race are mutable rather than deterministic and neither physical appearance nor ancestry are used straightforwardly to determine whether a person is considered a Black Grenadian. According to the 2012 Census, 82% of Grenada's population is Black, 13% is mixed European and black and 2% is of Indian origin. (Europeans are less than 1% of the population.)
History
On 17 March 1649, a French expedition of 203 men from
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
, led by
Jacques Dyel du Parquet
Jacques Dyel du Parquet (1606 – 3 January 1658) was a French soldier who was one of the first governors of Martinique.
He was appointed governor of the island for the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique in 1636, a year after the first French se ...
who had been the Governor of Martinique on behalf of the
Compagnie des Iles de l'Amerique The Company of the American Islands (french: Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique) was a French chartered company that in 1635 took over the administration of the French portion of ''Saint-Christophe island'' (Saint Kitts) from the Compagnie de Saint ...
(Company of the Isles of America) since 1637, landed at St. Georges Harbour and constructed a fortified settlement, which they named Fort Annunciation. By 1700, Grenada had a population of 257 French (whites) and 53 coloureds with 525 enslaved Africans to work on 3 sugar estates and 52 indigo plantations.
More than half a century later, when Grenada was captured by the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...
(1762) and formally ceded to Britain by the
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
, the English began the import their own enslaved Africans for use on their cotton, sugar and tobacco plantations. It is believed that most of the slaves who were imported to Grenada embarked from
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, NaìjÃrÃyà , yo, Nà ìjÃrÃà , pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
(specifically
Igbo
Igbo may refer to:
* Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria
* Igbo language, their language
* anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria
See also
* Ibo (disambiguation)
* Igbo mythology
* Igbo music
* Igbo art
*
* Igbo-Ukwu, a ...
and
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
,
[The Fédons of Grenada, 1763-1814](_blank)
/ref> more than 37,000, 34% of the enslaved people of the island)
/ref> and Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
(Fante people
The Mfantsefo or Fante ("Fanti" is an older spelling) are an Akan people. The Fante people are mainly located in the Central and Western coastal regions of Ghana. Over the last half century, due to fishing expeditions, Fante communities are fou ...
, more than 18,000, 19% of the enslaved people of the island). To a lesser extent, enslaved people were also imported from Senegambia (more than 5,000, 4.9% of the slaves of the island), Guinea, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
(more than 12,000, 11% of the slaves of the island), Windward Coast
The Windward Coast was used to describe an area of West Africa located on the coast between Cape Mount and Assini, i.e. the coastlines of the modern states of Liberia and Ivory Coast, to the west of what was called the Gold Coast. A related re ...
(more than 14,000, 13% of the enslaved people of the island), Bight of Benin (more than 5,800, 5,4% of the slaves of the island), Congo (specifically Kongos) and Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
. The slaves of Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo ...
numbered more than 12,000 people, 11% of the enslaved of Grenada. Many of the enslaved people were also Mandinka.
The first British census of Grenada, in 1700, recorded 525 slaves and 53 freed from slavery living on the island. Julien Fédon, a mulatto plantation owner of the Belvedere estate in the St. John Parish, led a violent rebellion against British rule on the night of 2 March 1795.
Clearly influenced by the ideas emerging from the French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, especially the Convention's abolition of slavery in 1794, Fédon and his troops took control of all of Grenada (except the parish of St. George's, the seat of government), who afterwards freed the slaves who participated in the rebellion. The struggle of the enslaved for their rights continued for a year and a half (between March 1795 and June 1796), until the British regained control of the island. The British, as a punishment for disobedience and rebellion, executed the alleged leaders of the rebellion, however, Fédon was never captured. Slavery in Grenada was finally abolished by British law in 1834, and all enslaved people were freed by 1 August 1838.
Religious groups
Most black Grenadians are Christian, with the largest groups being Roman Catholics and Anglicans
Anglicanism is a Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia ...
. There is also a Muslim minority of black Grenadians.
Notable black Grenadians
* Antonio German
Antonio Timothy German (born 26 December 1991) is a footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for Leatherhead and the Grenada national football team.
Club career
Early career
Born in Park Royal, London, German progressed through the Quee ...
, (Grenadian parents)
* Ricky German
Ricardo de Niro German (born 13 January 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chesham United. Born in England, he plays for the Grenada national team.
Early life and education
German was born in Harlesden, and attend ...
(grenadian parents)
* Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome (born 14 August 1986), known as Cameron Jerome, is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Luton Town.
Jerome began his career as a trainee with Huddersfield Town, Grimsby Town, Sheffiel ...
, (Grenadian parents)
* Eric Matthew Gairy
*Herbert A. Blaize
Herbert Augustus Blaize PC (26 February 1918 – 19 December 1989) was a Grenadian politician and leader of the Grenada National Party. When Grenada was still a British Crown Colony he served as the first Chief Minister from 1960 to 1961, ...
* Ben Jones
* Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Edwin Clyne (born 5 April 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Clyne began his career at Crystal Palace, playing regularly in four Championship seasons, before a ...
(Grenadian parents)
*Nicholas Brathwaite
Sir Nicholas Alexander Brathwaite OBE (8 July 1925 – 28 October 2016) was the head of government of Grenada for two periods, first as Chairman of the Interim Advisory Council (1983 to 1984) established after the United States invasion of Grena ...
*George Brizan
George Ignatius Brizan, CMG, CBE (31 October 1942 – 18 February 2012) was a Grenadian politician who served as Prime Minister of Grenada for four months in 1995. He moved to the top post in February, upon the resignation of Nicholas Brathwai ...
* Amanda Seales (Grenadian mother)
*Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...
(Grenadian grandfather)
*Keith Mitchell
Keith Claudius Mitchell (born 12 November 1946) is a Grenadian politician who served as Prime Minister of Grenada from 1995 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2022. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Grenadian history, holding the office for more ...
*
*Kirani James
Kirani James (born 1 September 1992) is a Grenadian professional sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He won the 400 m at the World Championships in 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics. In the 400 metres James also won the sil ...
*Paul Scoon
Sir Paul Godwin Scoon (4 July 1935 – 2 September 2013) was a Grenadian politician who served as Governor-General of Grenada from 1978 to 1992. His tenure is notable for its hectic events related to the rise and fall of the People's Revolutiona ...
* Alister Hughes
*Maurice Bishop
Maurice Rupert Bishop (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary and the leader of New Jewel Movement – a Marxist–Leninist party which sought to prioritise socio-economic development, education, and black liberation â ...
* Johnson Gideon Beharry
*Yazmeen Jamieson
Yazmeen Alexis Jamieson (born 17 March 1998) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Simcoe County Rovers FC in League1 Ontario. Born in Canada, she represents the Jamaica women's national team.
Early life
Jamieson was born to a Jama ...
(Grenadian mother)
*Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
(Grenadian mother)
*Craig David
Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single " Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ''Born to Do It'', was released in 2000, after which he has re ...
(Grenadian father)
* Jason Roberts (Grenadian Parents)
* Stella Parkes(Black/Blood-Pudding specialist(Grenadian Mother))
* Fitzroy Parkes(Former Cricketer,Taxi Driver)(Grenadian Father)
* Geoff Mitchell (Grenadian parents)
* Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford (born 9 December 1983) is an English Football pundit and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career as a trainee at Chelsea, and played for Wealdstone, Uxbridge, Leeds United, ...
(Grenadian mother)
* Josh Gabriel
Josh Gabriel is an American electronic dance music DJ and producer, most known for his collaborative partnership Gabriel & Dresden with Dave Dresden.
History Early years (1988–2000)
In 1988-89, a 20-year-old exchange student from Californi ...
References
External links
"Dellums and Grenada" - Ludington Daily News
"Political parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s" - Google Books
{{African diaspora
Grenadian
Ethnic groups in Grenada