Guyana

Dear Audrey,

Peace and love sister. Thanks for your letter, and I hope you excuse my late reply, but due to pressure with work, I just couldn't find it earlier opportunity to reply. But as the saying goes better late than never. Well Audrey its [sic] good to know you and that you are for the advancement and equality of the blacks. When I received your letter I was a bit puzzled as to who you were and how you got on to me, so if you don't mind explaining in your next letter, you'll clear up the mystery. Anyway Audrey it was nice hearing from you and I thoroughly enjoyed your letter. I'm glad that we have the same views as regards our blackness. Though I am not as revolutionary as I think I ought to be yet. I believe that the black man must be given a chance to prove that he is just as good and even better than some of those white folks. I am proud that I'm black. I wear quite a lot of African prints and the traditional African Turban. Do you? Have you ever heard of the “Harambee singers?” They are four Afro American girls who came to Guyana last year on a tour organized by our black cultural organization “Ascria,” [African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent Africa] which caters for the upliftment of the black man both academically and culturally. I graduated from Teachers Training College last year, but I'm not practicing my profession at the moment. I am presently employed at the Commonwealth Caribbean Secretariat and I am hoping to do some further studies in library science. Do you know any College which offers a first degree or short courses in this field? I was hoping to make a trip to New York this year summer but I cannot get my vacation leave this August so I'll probably [next page] try to see if I can make it up next year. I am afraid I do not know your friend Felicia Scotland, she probably left Guyana, some time ago. So you visited the West Indies, so some day I can look forward to seeing you again in this region of the world. Guyana is quite a nice place, quite different from the States in that there is less haste and speed and less money, but yet nice in its own way. So I hope I'll see you sometime. Afro-weddings are becoming quite fashionable in Guyana. I've never attended one but I've read about the ceremonies which are performed in typical African style, which I think is great. At least it shows that we are recapturing that culture, which was taken from us when we were taken from our homeland centuries ago. Well Audrey, so long, and write soon. Peace. Hazel.