Teia-Marie Alexander on The Greatness of George Odlum

Teia-Marie Alexander
Bonne Terre Preparatory School

I regarded this opportunity to research and take a position on an archaic politician who had died before I was even born as abstract and irrelevant. This writing assignment seemed out of touch with our modern circumstance and living conditions. I questioned the relevance of researching the significance of this politician who had what can be described as a meandering career. That is one purpose of education though, to push us out of our comfort zone and force us to find connections and applicable positions in our history. So, it is no surprise that my research gave me insight into the ideals of a leftist politician with a great sense of social equality, with a vision of a self-sufficient Caribbean establishing a global presence through regional integration.

“The Greatness of George Odlum” is a summative blanket statement. Although his career was thwart with political losses and he was quite often outmaneuvered by opponents, his driving force of service and his vision of the Caribbean as a strong, integrated region made him a national hero. It is my position that the “Greatness of George Odlum” is evidenced in his hindsight position of the irrelevance of political differences to effecting social change and the importance of establishing meaningful social relations in communities and across borders. Although he took this stance at the end of his political career, his ability to testify to his mistakes truly makes him a memorable politician.

George Odlum was born before the Second World War in 1934 and defied difficult social conditions to attain advanced tertiary education in England at the University of Bristol and Oxford University. Through this achievement, George Odlum showed ambition and resilience, traits that would endure throughout his life. Through hard work and skill as a gifted orator, he established his presence as a black Caribbean student at these institutions and honed his theoretical background in economics and politics. With great resilience, he established himself as a formidable presence amidst the backdrop of a racist and oppressive British culture.

Upon his return to St. Lucia in the late 1960s, he aligned himself with the Black Power movement and pursued political prowess through the integration movement of The West Indies Associated States. He was politically aligned with socialism and was known for his association with the Caribbean political left movement in cohorts with Maurice Bishop of Grenada. George Odlum was instrumental in the resurrection of the St. Lucia Labour Party in 1970 and became Deputy Prime Minister of St. Lucia under the Labour Party in 1979. However, due to his political stance and being influenced by the ruling regimes of Cuba and Libya, “Brother George” as he was known by followers, was perceived by some to be somewhat of a social nuisance, using military demonstrations and shenanigans to win power, in the process weakening the standing of the St. Lucia Labour Party (Caribbean Elections).

After this brief stint in power, George Odlum focused his efforts on regaining political notoriety. He became a target for political enemies. He left the SLP in 1981 to form the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) with which he contested the 1982 general elections. An election that he and the PLP lost and that returned John Compton and his UWP to power.

Without politics how could he make his voice heard? How effective was his journalism in spreading his ideas and influencing the public? As a journalist and editor of his own newspaper, “The Crusader,” he shared his political ideas, criticized politicians and the ruling United Workers Party, and developed his ideas on the importance of regional integration.

In 1995 he became St. Lucia’s Ambassador to the United Nation. He used this new position to create political leverage and he helped the new St. Lucia Labour Party win elections in a sweeping victory in 1997. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position that matched his passion for regionalism.

However, apparently George Odlum was not content to work within the confines of this new government. In 2001 he parted ways with the SLP government and teamed up with John Compton to form the National Alliance, a party of national unity, indicative of his socialist background and his willingness to work with opposing politicians.

Were Odlum’s ideas self-serving or was he indeed a great visionary with a vision of a politically united nation? It must have been difficult for many to see the “greatness” in George Odlum in what at the time seemed to be his betrayal of the St. Lucia Labour Party. It was reported that Odlum received his 2001 dismissal letter from Prime Minister Kenny Anthony immediately after he had submitted his own letter of resignation.

My position that George Odlum cemented his political significance and greatness when he advocated for unity among politicians for the betterment of the nation stems from an article by Rick Wayne detailing his 2001 budget address to the House of Assembly. He is quoted as follows:

We cannot resolve the crime problem if we keep eating each other up, party against party. We cannot solve the unemployment problem unless we get the productive talents of the country to come together. I want you to understand that unemployment, crime, drugs, these are things that outstrip the capacity of the United Workers Party and the St. Lucia Labour Party. We don’t have the talent. We have not got the political will. We have to take our best talents and bring them together, regardless of where they came from. If they come from the private sector; if they come from other parties, or no parties, we must take them. We must use the collective resources and talents of this country in order to get a solution for all the people of this country.
Wayne, R. (2022, September 23). George Odlum a Visionary in the Land that Will Not See by Rick Wayne. The Star. https://stluciastar.com/george-odlum-a-visionary-in-the-land-that-will-not-see/

I think this statement calls for an awareness of the position that politicians alone cannot solve social problems, but these solutions must come from the collective actions of all stakeholders. This statement suggests that we must treat our social plight as more important than political affiliations, and we must be able to put such affiliations aside for the development of our nation. This selflessness is representative of a truly great politician.

Although this position came at the end of his political career, it was in my opinion, the beginning of his revelation. George Odlum suffered with cancer and died in a debilitated state only two years after this budget debate. Family members reported that he maintained his regret at playing politics instead of focusing on social commitments to aid our development. He is quoted by his daughter Yasmin Odlum as having as his deathbed redemption statement:

I made a mistake. I thought everything was about politics. But I was wrong. It’s about redeeming your country from the inside out. It’s about creating communities where people love one another, where political differences don’t divide us in a way that we cannot recognize we are all brothers and sisters, that we are responsible for one another.
Wayne, R. (2022, September 23). George Odlum a Visionary in the Land that Will Not See by Rick Wayne. The Star. https://stluciastar.com/george-odlum-a-visionary-in-the-land-that-will-not-see/