2023 marks 40 years since the 1983 US led invasion of Grenada. This historical-political moment remains an important one in Caribbean history. Join us for a conversation with Grenadian community practitioners and scholars as they share reflections on Grenadian history as well as situate Grenada as an ongoing site for thinking about community grounded intellectual production.

Guiding this dialogue is an intellectual praxis grounded in grassroots community transformation through education (Rodney 2019, Freire 2000, Hooks 1994). This conversation also seeks to put into context Concordia University’s recent apology for its “mishandling” of black Caribbean student protest in the 1960’s and takes seriously the mandate to “encourage Black knowledges and nurture mutually beneficial relationships with Black communities beyond the university”.

How can you participate? Join us in person or online by registering for the Zoom Meeting or watching live on YouTube.

Have questions? Send them to info.4@concordia.ca  

10:00am - 11:30am

with Dr. Lerona Lewis, Peter Antoine, Simon Green, and Tesfa Peterson, with opening remarks from Dr. Percy Hintzen.

On the work of community education: a conversation with the Institute for People’s Enlightenment, Grenada.

For this panel, we will be exploring the vision and evolving work of the Institute through a Q&A style panel with members of the community. Here, we want to explore the pedagogical possibilities of linking community engaged grassroots organizing to intellectual production more broadly, taking Grenada as an example. 

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Merle Collins and Laurie Lambert in Conversation

For our second panel we invite two Grenadian scholars to respond to the first panel by reflecting on their own pedagogical practices and to explore the possibilities that emerge when community and academia engage in grounded dialogue.

2:00pm - 4:00pm

“THE HOUSE ON COCO ROAD is an intimate documentary exploration of heritage and history against the backdrop of a brewing Afro-centric revolution as the U.S. government prepares to invade the island nation of Grenada. First hand accounts from activists Angela Davis, Fania Davis and Fannie Haughton weave together director Damani Baker’s family portrait of utopian dreams, resistance and civil unrest with a film score composed by music luminary Meshell Ndegeocello."  (Array Now)