Guyana: Opposition Party Calls to Rename National University After Slain Scholar Walter Rodney

The opposition Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has reignited a call to rename the University of Guyana in honor of Dr. Walter Rodney, the celebrated historian, activist, and founding member of the party who was assassinated 45 years ago.

In a statement released Friday, the WPA proposed renaming the institution the Walter Rodney University of Guyana, arguing that such a tribute would be a long-overdue recognition of his intellectual legacy and revolutionary spirit.

“While some small, often opportunistic steps have been taken to acknowledge his contributions, his name is still absent from any visible national institution,” the party said. “Renaming our national university after him would be a fitting tribute to a scholar whose life and work profoundly shaped our understanding of justice, equality, and liberation.”

Walter Rodney, a renowned academic and advocate for social justice, was killed on June 13, 1980, when a bomb exploded inside the car he was sitting in. His assassination occurred during a period of intense civil unrest aimed at toppling the Forbes Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) government.

Subsequent investigations revealed that Rodney’s brother, Donald, had retrieved a walkie-talkie shortly before the bombing from Sergeant Gregory Smith, a then-electronics expert with the Guyana Defence Force. Smith fled to French Guiana days later and lived under an assumed identity – Cyril Johnson – until his death from cancer in 2002.

The WPA acknowledged that nearly half a century after Rodney’s death, the pain of his loss remains deeply felt by those who knew him best.

“Although four and a half decades have passed since that fateful night, the wounds are still fresh in the psyche of those who lived through those times – especially Walter’s family and closest comrades,” the statement read.

The party described Rodney’s murder as emblematic of the political strife that plagued post-colonial Guyana. “He was a victim of the political degeneracy that accompanied attempts at nation-building in the aftermath of colonial rule,” it said.

“His assassination forced Guyana – and the wider Caribbean – to confront the deep contradictions of post-plantation societies.”

Notably, the WPA has formed electoral alliances with the PNC-Reform (PNCR) in previous elections – including those in 2011, 2015, and most recently in 2025 – despite the historical tensions tied to Rodney’s killing.

In its latest move, the WPA announced it will contest the September 1 general election in coalition with PNCR, framing the alliance as an embodiment of Rodney’s vision for national unity and reconstruction – now commonly referred to as “coalition politics.”

“This is more than just an electoral strategy – it’s rooted in our longstanding commitment to national reconciliation and collective progress,” the party emphasized. “The WPA will carry forward the banner of Walter Rodney: People’s Power, No Dictator , into this campaign.”

Describing Rodney as a visionary and champion of people’s power, the WPA reaffirmed its dedication to his ideals of a free, independent Guyana built on principles of racial and class equity.

“He confronted the complex realities of race and class not through denial, but through active engagement – both intellectually and politically,” the party stated. “He embraced multiracial solidarity without compromising his own racial identity.”

As Guyana navigates the challenges of becoming a petrostate in the post-plantation era, the WPA says it remains committed to the Rodneyite path – one grounded in unity, justice, and the enduring fight for people’s power.