Annotated Bibliography
- Honychurch, Lennox. The Dominica Story: A History of the Island. Macmillan Caribbean, 1995. Print.
Lennox Honychurch’s book “The Dominica Story”, traces the origin and development of Dominica, from its volcanic formation to 1994. Honychurch interweaves the island's history with geography, ecology, folklore and social custom to inform readers about both Dominica and Caribbean history as a whole. He also gives a reflection and description of life in island from the days of slavery to this modern era.
Despite, his father, Ted Honychurch, being caught up in the bloody events of 1981, historian, Dr. Lennox Honychurch objectively reports on those unfortunate years in his book. He also writes about the period under the Dread Act, which will be a great secondary source to be implemented in the project “The Rastafarian Movement in Dominica”.
2. Ras Albert Williams. DREAD, RASTAFARI AND ETHIOPIA. Commonwealth of Dominica: ALBERT AND TEMPIE LTD, 1991. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Ras Albert William’s online book gives a definitive historical report of the beginning and the rise of the Rastafari Movement in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Chapter 1 gives a basic introduction of the history of the island. Ras Albert Williams recounts a description of the Dominica including geography, location, statistics, etc. In chapter 2, Ras Albert refers to the birth of Dreadism and Rastafari synonymously in Dominica, and the cultural and social impact that the movement had, and continues to have, on a former slave colony in the middle of the West Indies. In chapter 3, the whole idea of “Dread” is explained, using experience, examples, and primary and secondary sources. Chapters 4 and 5 give an account of the Desmond Trotter trial, a key event to be highlighted within this project. Other useful elements of this book include primary sources such as pictures and interviews, and a timeline put together by the author himself.
The author, Ras Albert, a Rastafarian himself, has proved authenticity in his work by providing evidence from travelling, carrying out interviews with related persons, and stating his sources. Because the book resembles the project “The Rastafarian Movement in Dominica”, it will be a source used very closely throughout (the project’s) undertaking. The interviews carried out will be examined by the researcher, and applied to her project. Relevant information and pictures will also be used.
3. Wessinger, Catherine. Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases. Syracuse University Press, 2000. Print.
In this book, a cross-cultural volume, Catherine Wessinger reveals three patterns within millennial groups that are not mutually exclusive: assaulted millennial groups that are attacked by outsiders who fear and misunderstand the religion, fragile millennial groups that initiate violence to preserve the religious goal, and revolutionary, millennial groups possessing an ideology that sanctions violence. These essays bring academic expertise to bear on the operation of social order and in aiding law enforcement agencies. The book sets an agenda for academics and policy makers alike.
The chapter on “Shooting Dreads on Sight”, addresses many key elements of the researcher’s project “The Rastafarian Movement in The Caribbean”, including the development of the Rastafarian Movement, the effect of the Dread Act on the Rastafarian Movement, and some Rastafarian culture. Specifically, Wessinger describes the social differences between the Rastafarians as a result of persecution promoted by the Dread Act. She then describes how the Rastafarians addressed this problem, and the events following their actions. Most, if not all, of the content in this chapter proves to be very useful to the researcher, and this book will serve as a secondary source in the project: “The Rastafarian Movement in Dominica”.
4. Clement Jolly. “Dread, My Brother!” The New Chronicle 30 May 1981: n. pag. Print.
“Dread, My Brother!”- an article by Fr. Clement Jolly, from the local newspaper sharing feelings about suffering in society and the woes of dreadism.
5. “Dreads, Come Home!” The New Chronicle 19 July 1975: n. pag. Print.
“Dreads, Come Home!” is an article found in The New Chronicle and will serve as a primary source for this project. In this article, the Dreads were given an amnesty of 38 days where they were called on to return to society and to start programs for jobs. The article shared that most people thought that it was a benevolent gesture by the government, and others (possibly the minority) thought that it was ‘condescending’.
6. “Honychurch Is Dead.” The New Chronicle 6 June 1981: n. pag. Print.
Ted Honychurch is murdered by a Dread. The article makes front page of a Dominican newspaper, The Chronicle.
7. 02 - Nasio Fontaine: Talks About Rasta, Dreadlocks and Reggae Music. N.p., 2009. Film.
An interview by Dominica’s very own, Nasio Fontaine: Nasio comes to the understanding that he is Rasta, what it means to be Rasta, the meaning of dreadlocks, and about message of the reggae music -how Nasio chose Reggae; where he got the inspiration and ideas behind the songs. This primary source found on YouTube will help contribute towards the project: “The Rastafarian Movement in Dominica”, where the culture of the Rastafarians will be discussed.
8. “Dread Role in Coup Attempt.” The New Chronicle 17 Oct. 1981: n. pag. Print.
An article about a certain dread who was allegedly asked to partake in a coup: “A leader of the dread cult has testified that Malcolm Reid has asked him to organize a fighting force of dreads to help overthrow the Dominica government."
9. Christian, Gabriel. “In Times Crucial: (Radical Politics in Dominica 1970-1980).” N.p., n.d. Web.
Christian discusses the political atmosphere of Dominica in the 1970s to the 1980s, which was under the Labour Party at the time. He then discusses the Black Power movement, and recognized “...Dominica's colonial status, and the unresolved issues of color prejudice, interwoven with the economic imperatives of class ”. Apparently, there was still colour prejudice in Dominica at the time; mulattoes were still ‘inferior’ and the blacks were ridiculed for being black. Businesses were owned by free coloureds at the time; Because of supposed affiliations with the Freedom party, their business did not flourish. The Dominicans of Arab extractions gained more because of contracts with the Labour party, who was, as previously stated, in power at the time. Christian also mentions the blacks who coalesced to form the Movement for a New Dominica, with the purpose of raising black consciousness in the island. Desmond Trotter, a prominent figure in the project “The Rastafarian Movement in Dominica”
10. “Dread September, 1977,” SPAT Memory Project, accessed March 26, 2015, http://spatmemoryproject.org/items/show/180.
Digitized copies of a local newspaper from the 1970s. Feelings about dreads and the dread act are discussed throughout various publications of ‘Dread’.