Pan?Africanist and social activist Israel Lovell should be made a National?Hero.
The suggestion was made yesterday by David Denny, of the Israel Lovell Foundation during a wreath-laying ceremony at St George Parish Church, where Lovell’s remains are buried, during activities for the National Day Of Significance, celebrated on July 26.
Denny asked for a resolution to be drawn up and handed to the relevant authorities for Lovell, who is best known for his active participation in the social revolution of 1937, to take his rightful place in history.
“He [Lovell] led that struggle and created the conditions for others to participate, so that the people of Barbados [were] able to develop and lead that riot in 1937,” Denny said.
The Israel Lovell Foundation, based in My Lord’s Hill, St Michael, was formed to cater to the needs of marginalized people, and is best known for such activities as its senior citizens day-care and Meals on Wheels programmes.
President of the Foundation, Trevor Prescod, noted that Lovell’s contribution to the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and to the movement in general went beyond Barbados to other countries across the world and was recognized by Marcus Garvey, whom Prescod described as the most famous and important man of the 20th century.
“If Garvey knew him . . . then we must understand how large he is in the eyes of the black international community. He can’t be just simply ‘Israel Lovell’, written or mentioned in a book, in a few lines, or on one page.”
Acknowledging that there were several people in the fight who were unknown and have yet to be recognized, Prescod said a way had to be found to acknowledge their contributions.
St George North MP Clarke committed to ensuring that the grave would be spruced up in a way that was worthy of the man in it.
