Today marks forty-five years since the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has issued a strong statement commemorating his life and legacy while renewing its call for national unity and deeper recognition of Rodney’s contributions to Guyana and the Caribbean.
Though nearly half a century has passed since the tragic events of June 13, 1980, the WPA emphasised that the emotional and political wounds remain open, particularly for Rodney’s family and comrades. The party described Rodney’s death as a turning point that exposed the deep contradictions of post-plantation, post-colonial societies across the region.
“Walter Rodney was a victim of the political degeneracy that accompanied attempts at post-colonial nation-building,” the statement declared, underscoring the historical context of his assassination.
Describing Rodney as a “fighter, visionary and apostle of people’s power,” the WPA affirmed that his revolutionary ideas remain as relevant today as they were in the 1980s. According to the party, Rodney continues to serve as both a warning and a source of inspiration as Guyana confronts the enduring challenges of its postcolonial identity.
The WPA also reiterated its commitment to what it called the “Rodneyite vision”—a vision of a free and independent Guyana grounded in racial and class equality. It praised Rodney’s unique approach to the country’s class-race dilemma, highlighting his ability to engage with multiracial politics without denying either his racial identity or the importance of class struggle.
As Guyana prepares for upcoming elections, the WPA announced its continued advocacy for a “grand coalition,” rooted in what it calls a historical drive for “national jointness.” The party said its campaign will carry the banner of “People’s Power/No Dictator,” drawing directly from Rodney’s legacy of political activism.
In a significant move, the WPA called for the renaming of the University of Guyana to the Walter Rodney University of Guyana, citing the absence of a major national institution bearing his name. “Renaming UG in his honour and memory is a most fitting recognition of Rodney as a scholar and educator who took Guyana into the wider world of education as liberation,” the statement concluded.
The WPA’s message reflects not only a commemoration of a pivotal historical figure, but also a renewed commitment to his ideals in the ongoing political and social life of the nation.
