Isaac Barrant: I heard he did an excellent job

[Tropicana]

Let's see if I can find independent confirmation....and the people who told me he did an excellent job were PNP. I will share whatever I find and if anyone knows more, come share it.

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Isaac Barrant Deserves More Appreciation

ISAAC BARRANT was a distinguished Jamaican politician and trade unionist - the island's first minister of agriculture (MP) - Eastern St Thomas' first member of parliament under Adult Suffrage, a BustamanteIndustrial Trade Union (BITU) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) pioneer.

His success confounded many since he had limited education and rose from a manual worker. He beat the colonial stigma to become MP and a government minister. St Thomas, especially the eastern section, is stigmatised as a place of 'obeah workers' and 'no-good people', simply because of the Paul Bogle rebellion

- Barrant was from eastern St Thomas.

His grass-root connection with the people was meticulously used to whip up support for the BITU and to win his first election in 1944 by the third-largest majority in the island. Ivan Lloyd of the PNP for Eastern St Ann and the JLP's Clarence Campbell of Western Westmoreland won with bigger margins.
Big winner
Barrant was the fourth-biggest winner after Bustamante, Lloyd and Campbell in the 1949 elections. In 1955, he was still a big winner. Barrant died in 1956, but bequeathed a foundation that gave the JLP seven consecutive victories before Violet Thompson, a resident of Eastern St Thomas, won the seat for the PNP in 1976.


Barrant's work impacted, in a big way, the JLP's return in 1980. In 1993, the 'Barrant Age' and the JLP dominance of Eastern St Thomas finally ended. Dr Ferguson, a dentist and social worker serving in the parish, won the seat that year for the PNP and is now in his fourth consecutive term.
Colonial sentiments have shadowed any meaningful celebration of Barrant in Eastern St Thomas. The Princess Margaret Hospital glorifies the monarchy, for over 55 years, while the Isaac Barrant Hospital was relegated to a clinic. Dedicating this Morant Bay hospital to the monarchy is also an insult to Paul Bogle as he was executed less than two miles away for fighting monarchical injustice.
Barrant's achievement unmatched
Despite Barrant's achievement, the JLP has not since used a St Thomas person to contest this seat. Most candidates sent there have earlier lost in other constituencies: L.G. Newland - East Kingston in 1949 and 1955; Pearnel Charles in a by-election in St Ann, the parish of his birth; and Dennis Wright, East Portland in 1989.
A St Thomas labourite contesting the eastern seat is both a commemoration of Isaac Barrant and a bold statement against colonial legacy - none of which the JLP is ready for. Inherently, Jairzenho Bailey, of the constituency had to resign as JLP caretaker to give way to Patrece Freeman, an outsider.
However, Jairzenho is the most credible Labourite, since Barrant, to have made a bid at that seat. It is not until the shackles of the colonial past are removed from the people of eastern St Thomas before the likes of Jairzenho will be given equity in politics and the work of Barrant will be appreciated

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110920/letters/letters5.html

[Tropicana]

G2K needs to learn some of its own JLP history. The JLP's Isaac Barrant was Jamaica's second minister of agriculture, a post he held from 1947 to 1955. He represented Eastern St Thomas between 1944 and 1956 when he died, having won his seat in 1944, 1949 when the JLP formed the Government, and 1955 when the JLP lost to the PNP led by Norman Manley.


Barrant was a sideman on a truck and in those days very few people at that economic level could read and write. So he was ridiculed a lot, especially for making clumsy statements like: "de palicy of my guvament is simple: ABC; A fe orda, B fe 'bedience and C fe sense".

But Norman Manley warned his supporters not to ridicule him because first, he was a very good minister of agriculture, and second, any ridicule of him would make the people feel ridiculed also.


And that was a time when there was only one radio station and one newspaper, which was not read by many because they simply could not read. Incidentally, Barrant died of asthma because he walked out of St Joseph's Hospital to get some old-fashioned bush medicine and home remedies rather than official medical treatment.



After Barrant died, one source said that his wife placed a chair at his grave so that no 'duppy' would interfere with him. She also left a large bowl of rice and peas for the 'duppy' to feed on rather than upset her husband's grave.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/The-JLP-fell-into-the-PNP-s-trap_10498362

[Tropicana]

Op-Ed: Three Forgotten Architects of Jamaica’s Independence

Jamaica has many heroes about whom we spend a great deal of time writing and teaching. However, there are some who contributed mightily to the development of the new Jamaica who tend to be forgotten.Isaac Barrant was born in 1907 in Bath, St Thomas. He started his career as a labourer working on parochial roads in St Thomas. He eventually became a banana dealer for the United Fruit Company in St Thomas.

In 1938, he became the first secretary of the fledgling Bustamante Industrial Trade Union in St Thomas. Under the new Universal Suffrage Constitution of 1944, he was the first black man to be appointed to the House of Representatives.

Barrant had limited formal education, but had great courage and organizational ability. Bustamante, acknowledging Barrant’s abilities, appointed him the Minister of Agriculture and Lands from 1950 to 1956.


During this time, Barrant pioneered the expansion of the Overseas Labour Program between Jamaica and the United States.

Although he was frequently lampooned for his difficulties with the English language, Barrant broke through many racial barriers and compelled the British colonial Civil Service to respect him.


Barrant did not live to see Independence. His progress inspired many black Jamaicans to join the trade union movement and, ultimately, the civil service, and helped open the doors to black enrollment in the civil service. Barrant never left Jamaica until he became a Minister, he did not have the exposure of his legal contemporaries JAG Smith and Norman Manley, but he was, in every respect, a significant contributor to the independent Jamaica that we know and love.

Father Allan Coombs was a dynamic co-founder of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union. Thereafter, he formed the Jamaica Worker and Transport Union, which was the first union to have an island-wide network. He was one of the movers and shakers of the labour movement during the crucial 1938 riots.

Coombs served as Minister of Communication and Works under the pre-independence Manley Government. Some scholars think of Coombs as the founder of the Jamaica Labour movement.

His description of the Jamaican working class with the words “starvation, nakedness and shelterless,” is instructive of his philosophy. When he died in 1969, he died without a pension and penniless. This lion of the Trade Union movement was buried like Mozart, in a pauper’s grave.

Alfred Rattray was a giant of post-independence commercial Jamaica. Rattray was a quiet and effective builder of the People’s National Party and founder of NAJAASO, the precursor of today’s Jamaica diaspora organizations. Rattray served as Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. He was Chairman of the Jamaica Port Authority from 1970 to 1975. This true legal luminary and political visionary , had a touch for the common man and insisted on banking opportunities for black Jamaicans at a time when black Jamaicans were shut out of these opportunities. Rattray was so positively influential in Jamaica’s commercial and legal circles (including his input in the development of the Companies Act) that one wished that he would live forever.
Barrant, Coombs and Rattray, three great builders of Jamaican Independence, should not be forgotten at this time of Jamaica’s 50th Independence celebration. Barrant, the rambunctious side man on a truck who rose to become a Minister, Coombs, the brash labor leader, formed a national union network in Jamaica and Rattray, the commercial giant, played different roles, but all helped to build the independent rock which we now call Jamaica.

http://www.caribjournal.com/2012/08/06/op-ed-three-forgotten-architects-of-jamaicas-independence/

[blugiant]

neva heard aff imm beefore

affii doo likkle research

[Tropicana]

Well I have jumpstated your research. I first heard about him from a lady in Jamaica I boarded with who was a strong JLP supporter.

She also told me that, during an election campaign, Rose Leon (I am not even sure what party she was with have to look it up) lifted up her dress showed her panties and told the women "Is panties like dis you fe wear". Apparently she was voted in to represent her constituency.

Man we have some characters in Jamaican politics.