For a sense of purpose, team spiritedness

Title: Black Race In Motion

Author: Wilfred Anthony Drummond

Publisher: Author House

Reviewer: Paul H. Williams

Who is Wilfred Drummond? Why should anyone want to read a 490-page book written by him? He's no Obama, no Mandela, no Marcus Garvey, and certainly no Bob Marley. The international repute that put these men at the top of who's who lists, Drummond doesn't have. He's small in physical stature and worldwide fame, but big on brains. Well, according to the man himself. Yet, the story of his life and achievements is no less interesting.

You might find that Drummond's book is more about him than the black race, but you can't help admiring his determination to succeed and to persevere. Highly self-motivated, he knew from very early in life that he was no dunce, and he was never going to sit back and be afraid to exert himself. And, with parents who were supportive, he was destined to be who and what he wanted to be.

Fascinating anecdotes

The book is replete with fascinating anecdotes from every stage of his life. They are the very reason why this quasi-autobiography is interesting. Some are funny, some poignant, but they are all pieces from his past from which we can learn. On page 481, he says: "The primary purpose of these writings is to draw the attention of the black man and black woman to themselves; and to encourage a sense of purpose and team spiritedness for future growth."

He seems to have inherited the art of and love for storytelling from his father (long deceased) about whom he says: "That great little man who took one of my siblings and myself in both arms and braced against the strong winds of that first-remembered 1933 hurricane; the same father who knelt beside me on the floor of our small dwelling, held my hand and taught me to write at age 2-3."

Central to his success in life were both parents, but you get the feeling that Drummond was greatly influenced by his father, Wilfred Sr, whom he adored and whose death shook him up. He ends the book by asking readers to help him solve a puzzle his father gave him when he was about six or seven years old. Still under his father's spell is this retired chartered accountant, born in Broughton, Westmoreland, and a graduate of Manning's School in Savanna-la-Mar.

Doesn't depict its real essence

However, the name of the book doesn't adequately depict it's real essence, as it's more about Wilfred Drummond's life experiences, rather than chapters of philosophies on how the black race moves. It's about his journeys from poverty to academic excellence, to many countries, to a successful career in accounting.

Chapters eight and nine are the only two that are dedicated solely to the state of the black race. In them, he laments the slow progress the black race has been making. "Chapter 8 is particularly of the racial negatives requiring attention. A number of success stories are highlighted, giving a glimpse of our potential," while "chapter 9 points out the challenges and our potential - latent and proactive".

"Our group tends always to be impatient with each other, much more than to other groups. This attitude is in keeping with the known mentality of pulling down rather than building up each other. Grudge and envy of success in our own people, and the well-worn pastime of backbiting and seeing the worst in each other is now a given," he observes in Chapter 9.

Jamaican jokes

In a book full of stories, in the penultimate chapter there are many 'Jamaican jokes'. The rationale for including this chapter may not be known, but one 'joke' stands out, 'Monkey and Lion in the Zoo'. It goes like this:

A Jamaican living in the United States of America was down on his luck. Out of work and broke. He started going around to various companies ... begging for a job, any job. Finally, he got to the zoo. The zookeeper looked stressed out.

"The monkey escaped last night," the zookeeper said, "if you are willing to put on a monkey suit and stand in the monkey's cage for a couple days, I'll pay you."

The Jamaican immediately accepted. The pay was OK and the work wasn't hard. He swung from tree to tree, and the kids fed him fruits and nuts. He actually started enjoying himself. He even started adding a few acrobatic moves that he had seen on TV. Later that afternoon he swung a bit too vigorously, lost his grip and flew clean out of the monkey cage and landed in the lion's cage next door.

The lion let out a huge roar and our friend in the monkey suit bawled out, "Lawd God, mi dead now." The huge lion immediately pounce on him, grabbed him by the throat and whispered, "Man, shut yuh mouth, man, if yuh evah mek mi lose the likkle wuk yuh a dead meat."

That is the black race in motion!