The Africana and Latin American Studies Program and the Caribbean Students Association hosted Brown University Professor Brian Meeks to deliver a keynote speech for Caribbean Week on Thursday, April 8. Meek’s talk, titled “The Caribbean and the new Predatory Moment: Revisiting Sovereignty,” was a reflection of his extensive research on Caribbean political culture and his own identity as a Jamaican scholar in a post-colonial world.
Meeks began his address by reciting a line from Kamau Brathwaite’s famous poem “Negus.”
“It is not enough to be pause, to be hole, to be void, to be silent, to be semicolon, to be semicolony,” he said.
He explained how Brathwaite wrote this poem to represent the dawning revelation that society is still not doing enough to combat its colonial roots, practices and mindsets. Meeks invoked current conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Iran, and called for his audience not to settle for the resurgence of what he called predatory imperialism.
“America capturing the Maduros in Venezuela,” Meeks said, “is a prime example of a rather bizarre, old policy coming back.”
Associate Professor of LGBTQ Studies and Africana and Latin American Studies Paul Humphery, who moderated the Q&A session, underscored how Meek’s timely expertise provided not only scholarly insight but also an opportunity for the Colgate University community to critically examine contemporary issues impacting the Caribbean. He noted this keynote as an essential academic highlight of this year’s Caribbean Week, contributing to both celebration and reflection.
“The incursion into Venezuela earlier this year and the ongoing blockade of Cuba are examples of the US administration’s renewed application of the Monroe Doctrine,” Humphrey said. “We wanted the campus community to engage in a conversation about both the historical context and the consequences of these recent actions because this week is all about celebrating the diversity of the Caribbean and fostering community among the student body at Colgate.”
Meeks highlighted three significant historical events that he believed best represent American colonial history in the Caribbean. First, the U.S.’s early intervention in Haiti’s slave revolt and subsequent creation of a premier Black nation displays a racial aspect of colonialism. Second, he said that the establishment of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823 characterized the closure of the Western Hemisphere from European powers. Lastly, America’s long and complicated relationship with Cuba portrays the transformation of American isolationism to expansionism and global tyranny.
“There was a recent letter from the Deputy Secretary of the United States that outlined a strategy for America to monetarily quarantine Cuba and change their economic system,” Meeks said. “That is the type of disenfranchisement and disaffection that has persevered.”
Meeks then transitioned into a wider analysis of the contemporary global socio-political order. He traced the emergence of far-right regimes arising from “late-stage capitalist” developments, urging his audience to question why these particular powers are emerging now and what the implications are for Caribbean economic equality. Meeks concluded that the most efficient way to understand how the Caribbean’s economic situation influences its status as an ex-imperial country is to question who economy was created for.
“Is it [built] for the Caribbeans? Or is it [built] for America?” Meeks said.
Meeks ended his keynote speech by reciting the line from Brathwaite’s poem once again, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the predatory colonialism that plagued the Caribbean and continuing to honor that history by mobilizing forces to reimagine a more productive social order that decenters imperialism.
In the subsequent question-and-answer session, Meeks was asked to reflect on the intersection between his identity as a Jamaican man and his scholarship on the Caribbean.
“I have a sense of pride for my people in a Black country that has fought to find its place in the world,” Meeks said. “It has certainly given me a sense of belonging and respect for other post-colonial nations.”
Sophomore Liz Felipe Robles, an organizer for the Caribbean Student Association, echoed a similar sentiment to Humphery’s evaluation of Meeks’ keynote address in the context of Caribbean Week.
“Brian Meeks opened my eyes to the many challenges being faced in the Caribbean in a post-colonial world regarding sovereignty. Despite being Dominican-American and taking classes which talked about the Caribbean, I found myself learning new things. He made me realize how there’s constantly outside forces trying to take control and power over the Caribbean and its resources,” Robles said.
As the Caribbean Student Association concluded another impactful, community-building Caribbean Week, the group recognized the significant role such events play in fostering cross-cultural dialogue at Colgate. They look forward to inviting more esteemed academics like Meeks to further explore Caribbean culture on and beyond campus.
