The Commission of Inquiry on the Death of Walter Rodney

Dr. Walter Rodney (1942-1980) was a historian, scholar, educator, prolific author, Pan-Africanist, and political activist. He is recognized as one of the Caribbeans most brilliant minds his scholarly works and political activism engendered a new political consciousness. Walter Rodney is widely known for his seminal work, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, that established a new paradigm for understanding the enduring impact and legacy of colonialism on the development of African countries.

Between 1974 and 1980, Rodney emerged as a leading figure in the resistance movement against the increasingly authoritarian and repressive Guyana government led by Prime Minister Forbes Burnham. On June 13, 1980 Walter Rodney was killed by a bomb hidden in a walkie-talkie.