"Walking the difficult road of nationalism: Amy Bailey's World War II philosophy"

Teacher, feminist, social worker and nationalist, Ms. Amy Beckford Bailey (1895-1990) is a noted stalwart of 20^th century Jamaica. Her immense body of public writing has been recently examined as part of her multifaceted strategy to coax nationalist sentiments out of a population under the iron fist of colonialism. This paper analyses the under-researched aspect of her views on Jamaica during World War II (1939-1945). Using archival sources and copious newspaper articles written by Bailey herself, it will illustrate that Bailey’s nationalist fervour was not dampened by the overwhelming support of the colony to the British Empire’s cause. Indeed, she used the war to demonstrate the need for a more robust nationalist movement. As a critical thinker and strategic activist, her unpopular and atypical views of the time were in conflict with the status quo and were testament to the diverse nature of the response of Jamaicans to World War II. Her stance during the war is also proof of the contribution of women writers and activists to the growth of Jamaican nationalism in the early to mid 20^th century.