Trevor Munroe
Encyclopedia
Trevor St George Munroe (b. 10 December 1944, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican political scientist, labour activist, and politician
.
Munroe went to high school at St. George's College and later studied political science at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and won a Rhodes Scholarship
to Oxford University where he obtained the D.Phil
in political science for a landmark study of the process of decolonization in Jamaica between the 1930s and 1960s, published as The Politics of Constitutional Decolonization in 1972.
On his return to Jamaica in the late 1960s, he became involved in the political ferment which followed on the Rodney Riots
of 1968. He founded a trade union, the University and Allied Workers' Union, initially to represent janitorial and service staff at the UWI. In 1974 he founded the Workers' Liberation League (WLL), an explicitly pro-Soviet Marxist-Leninist
organization. In 1978, working with Elean Thomas and others, Munroe transformed the WLL into the Workers Party of Jamaica
(WPJ), and Munroe served as its general secretary.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union
, the WPJ dissolved in 1992. Following the elections of 1997 he was appointed an independent senator by Prime Minister Percival Patterson. In 2002, he was reappointed to the Senate as a member of the People's National Party
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Munroe went to high school at St. George's College and later studied political science at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and won a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
to Oxford University where he obtained the D.Phil
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in political science for a landmark study of the process of decolonization in Jamaica between the 1930s and 1960s, published as The Politics of Constitutional Decolonization in 1972.
On his return to Jamaica in the late 1960s, he became involved in the political ferment which followed on the Rodney Riots
Rodney Riots
The Rodney Riots were riots and civil disturbances in Kingston, Jamaica in October 1968.The riots were inspired when the Jamaican government of Hugh Shearer banned Guyanese university lecturer Dr. Walter Rodney from returning to his teaching position at the University of the West Indies...
of 1968. He founded a trade union, the University and Allied Workers' Union, initially to represent janitorial and service staff at the UWI. In 1974 he founded the Workers' Liberation League (WLL), an explicitly pro-Soviet Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
organization. In 1978, working with Elean Thomas and others, Munroe transformed the WLL into the Workers Party of Jamaica
Workers Party of Jamaica
The Workers Party of Jamaica was a Marxist political party in Jamaica. WPJ was founded on 17 December 1978, by Trevor Munroe, along with Elean Thomas and others. Munroe, a Rhodes scholar from Oxford University, served as its general secretary. The forerunner of WPJ was the Workers Liberation...
(WPJ), and Munroe served as its general secretary.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the WPJ dissolved in 1992. Following the elections of 1997 he was appointed an independent senator by Prime Minister Percival Patterson. In 2002, he was reappointed to the Senate as a member of the People's National Party
People's National Party
The People's National Party is a social democratic and social liberal Jamaican political party, founded by Norman Manley in 1938. It is the oldest political party in the Anglophone Caribbean and one of the main two political parties in Jamaica. Out of the two major parties, it is considered more...
.