The sad passing of my dear friend and brother, Priest Philip Blyden, has made me reflect on how crucial he has been to progressive social consciousness in the Bahamas and beyond. A descendant of Edward Wilmot Blyden, a guiding light in the development of PanAfrikan philosophy, Priest Blyden, or Jah B as he was affectionately known in the Rastafarian community, has always been faithful to the ideals of Afrikan nationhood and redemption through repatriation to Mother Afrika and just reparations for over five hundred years of enslavement, oppression, underdevelopment and disempowerment of the Afrikan people at Home and Abroad.
His passionate advocacy in defence of the Rastafarian community was second to none and he was a beacon of inspiration in the unity of the various Houses (or Mansions) of the Rastafarian community, helping to forge a path of collective action and corporate organizational development. He was a distinguished royal priest and administrator of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC) ever faithful to the teachings of His Imperial Majesty Holy Immanuel I Emperor Haile Selassie I Jah Rastafari selah and of the founder and President of the EABIC, the Right Honourable Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards.
A man of many talents, Priest Philip Blyden was a most competent and inspirational educator and professor, teaching at the Akhepran International Academy in Fox Hill. He was also a most talented artist and was one of the few, if not only, Bahamian artists who mastered the working of artistic creations on glass. His brewing skills in making roots wine was legendary and his roots wine was sweet nectar.
Jah B was beloved by his family and the collective Rastafarian community. We are diminished by his sad passing, which has left a void in not only the Rastafarian community, but also in the wider Bahamian society. In our collective sadness we may shed tears but we soon smile as we remember what he meant to us and our precious pleasant memories. He left an indelible mark in our lives and was integral to who we are as a people. To know Jah B was to be subsumed in his love for humanity and his dedication to truth and justice.
Priest Philip Blyden was indeed a man for all seasons, who had great pride in his African identity and his life's work was ever faithful to his ancestors, this generation and generations to come in perpetuity. I am honoured to salute our beloved brother, father, uncle and friend, as a hero and patriot of our PanAfrikan revolution. In this moment of his sad passing, I am reminded of how Jah B in his life exemplified the stirring words of Idowu Koyenikan, in his book,
, when he declared: “ Most people write me off when they see me. They do not know my story. They say I am just an African. They judge me before they get to know me. What they do not know is The pride I have in the blood that runs through my veins; The pride I have in my rich culture and the history of my people; The pride I have in my strong family ties and the deep connection to my community; The pride I have in the African music, African art, and African dance; The pride I have in my name and the meaning behind it. Just as my name has meaning, I too will live my life with meaning. So you think I am nothing? Don’t worry about what I am now, For what I will be, I am gradually becoming. I will raise my head high wherever I go Because of my African pride, And nobody will take that away from me”. Free The Land! Forwards Ever, Backwards Never! A Luta Continua!
Ras Boomshack
Dion Hanna