In the words of others

Cliff Lashley died in February 1993. His sudden passing has overshadowed how we discuss his life and his contributions to Caribbean intellectual life. In response to this unfortunate reality, Cliff Lashley and Caribbean Studies turns to the people and the voices who shared personal and/or professional relationships with Dr. Lashley.

What began as an initiative to collect (hi)stories of the man and his adventures quickly turned into an initiative preoccupied with concerns about oral history, memory, and mortality, as many of the key figures and voices from Lashley’s time have passed away since the project was first initiated. For example, the scholar and writer Velma Pollard, one of Lashley’s closest living friends, and Sonia Mills, Lashley’s peer and dear friend during his time working at The Eagle Foundation, both passed away in 2025. They take with them the institutional memory and personal insights from a time when Caribbean cultural and intellectual life were undergoing monumental changes. They also take with them their stories and experiences of Lashley from that time.

But there are some figures who remain with us in the world of the living. The oral history dimension to this repository initiative is committed to seeking out and hearing from those very voices, many of them now Caribbean elders. Following this extended note, users will find a selection of oral histories from key figures who discuss their insights concerning Lashley and the Caribbean intellectual tradition. The archive, like every other aspect of this project, is a growing one. New histories will be added to the virtual database, even though it feels like the time is running out to do this work of recollecting.

Untitled Poem, Folio 21, no. 2 (1969).

Untitled Poem, Folio 21, no. 1 (1968)