Talented Afro-Guyanese Do Not Need to Be ‘Lapdogs’ for the PPP

Afro-Guyanese, you are brilliant. You are talented, resilient, and full of potential. So why should you reduce yourselves to being lapdogs for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)? Why should you, with your gifts, bow to a system that undervalues you, manipulates you, and expects your loyalty in exchange for scraps? It’s time to recognize that the power to shape Guyana’s future lies within us, not in political patronage or public displays of submission to a corrupt government.

Guyana is at a pivotal moment. As a developing nation with newfound oil wealth, we face tremendous opportunities—and serious challenges. Corruption, inequality, and infrastructural decay are weighing down our country, while the PPP squanders billions on short-sighted projects and handouts designed to pacify, not uplift. But the problems facing Guyana are solvable, and Afro-Guyanese are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and creativity to help solve them. We don’t need to beg for a seat at the table. We can build our own.

We have doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators—people who have the potential to transform this country for the better. Yet some within our community have convinced themselves that they must align with the PPP to succeed. They think that in order to secure opportunities, they must publicly fawn over a government that has shown little interest in real development beyond enriching its own circle. This is a dangerous lie. The PPP thrives on fostering this culture of dependence, on making people feel that their only option is submission. But Afro-Guyanese are stronger, more capable, and more independent than that.

Throughout our history, we have never been strangers to adversity. Afro-Guyanese have endured enslavement, exploitation, and systemic oppression, and still, we have risen. We have contributed immensely to the building of this nation through our intellect, hard work, and cultural influence. Yet today, it feels like some are willing to throw that away, opting to become mouthpieces for the PPP rather than agents of change.

But let’s be clear: the PPP’s strategy is not to empower you. Their goal is to use you as tokens, to put a friendly face on their incompetence and corruption. They dole out contracts and grants as a means of control, creating a system where success is measured not by your talent or contribution to society, but by how well you play along with their political games. This is not empowerment. This is exploitation.

Afro-Guyanese, we must realize our collective power. We have the talent to create solutions that address Guyana’s biggest challenges—solutions that don’t rely on the whims of a government that only sees us as tools for its own agenda. We don’t need to be beholden to a party that uses its resources to buy silence and subservience rather than investing in real, sustainable development for all.

Guyana is ripe for innovation. We can address issues like poverty, education, healthcare, and infrastructure through grassroots efforts, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. We can push for policies that actually benefit the people, instead of lining the pockets of the few. But this will not happen if we continue to see political loyalty as the only pathway to success.

It is time for Afro-Guyanese to stand tall, to stop selling our dignity for temporary favors and handouts. We should be using our intelligence, our expertise, and our drive to uplift our community and, by extension, the entire country. It’s time to recognize that we have more to offer than just our votes or public praise for a system that doesn’t serve us.

We must stop being passive and start taking an active role in shaping Guyana’s future—one where every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation, has access to real opportunities for growth and success. This will only be achieved by demanding transparency, by holding leaders accountable, and by working together to build systems that are fair, equitable, and inclusive.

There is no need to bow to political masters when we have the talent and drive to create our own path. We should be leading the charge for change, not standing on the sidelines as cheerleaders for a broken system. We are more than what the PPP wants us to be. We are innovators, builders, and leaders.

The future of Guyana doesn’t belong to the PPP. It belongs to us, the people. So let’s rise to the occasion. Let’s break the chains of political dependence, and show that Afro-Guyanese don’t need to be lapdogs for anyone. We have the brilliance, the talent, and the power to shape the future on our own terms. And when we do, no political party will ever be able to take that from us.