Own Way

Abstract The author came of age in the 1970s, an important period in her life and in the history of the Caribbean region. But seeds were planted and glimpses of her future were already visible from an early age. Her mother used to say that she was a lucky child; it didn't feel like it at the time, but on reflection, the author's life has been a series of new and pioneering adventures. This essay provides personal reflections on her life and work and the factors contributing to her personal and intellectual development. It provides insight into her education, upbringing, and the sociopolitical influences that shaped her life in the Caribbean and internationally. She reflects on the impact of the Black Power movements of the 1970s, her life-changing student experiences at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine and Mona, graduate studies in The Netherlands, and the political and social justice influences of the period. The author also traces the emergence and development of her feminist consciousness and the privilege to be part of the global emergence of feminist studies in higher education and its introduction to the University of the West Indies. Although still incomplete, the essay also traces her complex and creative life and the ways she sought to weave together her work as feminist and social movement activist, interdisciplinary decolonial scholar, university administrator, development sociologist, international human rights practitioner, and Trini mas player.