Editorial
Walter Charles Carrington’s Nigerian-born wife, Arese, aptly captured the dimensions of his significance when she announced his death, observing that “his life had length and depth.”
Nigeria notably experienced the depth of the former United States ambassador, who died on August 11 at the age of 90. His storied involvement in the country’s pro-democracy struggles following the controversial annulment of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida military regime demonstrated his role as a diplomat of consequence. He supported local activists who demanded the reversal of the annulled presidential election won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
Under the dangerously dictatorial regime of Gen. Sani Abacha, he displayed a principled and courageous opposition to evil, saying he was “concerned at the abuse of human rights, and the unfortunate descent of Nigeria under the military into a police state.” He had added: “I will continue to raise these issues with the regime because Nigeria represents many things to many people whose nationality is elsewhere.”
His African-American identity influenced his understanding of his diplomatic role as well as his performance as a diplomat representing a Western superpower in an African country. He had served as the U.S. Ambassador to Senegal from 1980 to 1981 before his ambassadorial stint in Nigeria from 1993 to 1997. Nigeria had a special place in his heart, having lived in three Nigerian cities from the 1960s; his marital connection solidified the attachment.
Carrington’s tenure in Nigeria, which coincided with a period of brutal military rule and intense resistance by pro-democracy forces, showcased the strength of his conviction. His pro-democracy stance in the face of a murderous regime was an inspiration and a lesson.
It is ironic that his pro-democracy exertions in Nigeria reportedly attracted criticism from his detractors in America, regarded as a model of democracy, who suggested that he had “gone native” and had become “more Nigerian than American.”
In recognition of his services to the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria, a street was named after him on Victoria Island, a prestigious area in Lagos, the country’s economic capital. Interestingly, he was also given the Yoruba name Omowale, suggesting a native who returned to his homeland.
His 2010 book, A Duty to Speak: Refusing to Remain Silent in a Time of Tyranny, a compilation of his speeches supporting democracy and human rights in Nigeria during the Abacha dictatorship, showed the place of his Nigerian experience in his life and career.
He remained interested in Nigeria after his years as a diplomat in the country. In a tribute, the National Consultative Front (NCFront) recalled “his last engagement with us when he delivered a keynote address at a virtual symposium organised by the June 12 Pro-democracy Movement of Nigeria to commemorate this year’s June 12 anniversary celebration.” Another tribute said that he “never missed” the ‘Nigeria and the world seminar’ at Harvard University, USA.
Carrington was equipped for diplomatic activism. He founded the first Harvard University chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), described as “the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organisation” in America. He was one of four black students at the university in 1948, and graduated in 1952. He later studied at Harvard Law School, and graduated in 1955.
He served in the Peace Corps from 1961 to 1971. This took him to Africa where he worked in Tunisia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. He was executive vice president of the Africa-America Institute from 1971 to 1980. His Africa–related activities reflected his sense of connection with the continent and his interest in its development.
He had a scholarly side, and held various positions in academia. He was a fellow of Harvard University’s W.E.B. DuBois Institute, and also a MacArthur Fellow. He became the first African-American Warburg Professor of International Relations at Simmons College in Boston, USA, in 2004.
Carrington will be remembered as a sincere friend of Nigeria, which he described as a “resourceful and endowed country.”a
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