Baba Eusi Kwayana turns 100
Apr 04, 2025
Kaieteur News- One Guyana’s historian, educator, political activist, and so much more, Baba Eusi Kwayana (formerly known as Sydney King), celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday.
He recently arrived in his home village of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, from the United States, where his family will be hosting a celebration on Saturday.
Baba Eusi Kwayana turns 100
Kwayana had made Significant contribution in Guyana’s development especially in the political arena.
Here is a brief history of Baba Eusi Kwayana.
At the age of 15, Kwayana began his career as a primary school teacher, marking the start of his lifelong commitment to education. In 1956, he founded and became the principal of County High School in Buxton, which was later renamed Republic Cooperative High School.
Kwayana’s political activism began in the 1940s at the village level. By 1947, he had fully immersed himself in politics and, under the name Sydney, joined a group of politicians led by Cheddi Jagan to form the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Kwayana later went on to establish the African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent Africa (ASCRIA), a grassroots political organization with a Pan-Africanist agenda.
ASCRIA eventually merged with the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), where Kwayana played a key role in the party’s collective leadership. He collaborated closely with the late Walter Rodney and made significant contributions to the political landscape of Guyana.
In addition to his political and educational achievements, Kwayana’s extensive body of work as a writer stands out. He began contributing articles and editorials to the PPP’s Thunder in the early 1950s. Over the years, he would serve as the editor of several publications, including the PNC’s New Nation, ASCRIA’s ASCRIA Drums, and WPA’s Dayclean and Open Word.
Now, at 100 years old, Baba Eusi Kwayana’s life remains a testament to his relentless pursuit of social justice, education, and political change. His contributions continue to shape the cultural and political fabric of Guyana.
(Baba Eusi Kwayana turns 100)
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