Grenada Once Again: Revisiting the 1983 Crisis and Collapse of the Grenada Revolution

The twenty-fifth anniversary in October, 2008, of the tragic killing of Maurice Bishop and his associates and the subsequent invasion of Grenada, followed closely by the release on September 5, 2009, of Bernard Coard and the six remaining prisoners convicted of his murder, has been cause for a flurry of new conferences, papers, letters and communiqués on the Grenada Revolution and its tragic demise. Following the September release of the Seven, things picked up pace. Thankfully, many of the letters on the ubiquitous websites and email circuits, particularly those written by Grenadians, suggested wariness with the recriminatory monologues that have been typical of many reflections on the tragedy. Understandably, all commentaries did not comply with this tone. This chapter revisits the 1983 crisis and collapse of the Grenada Revolution and the various narratives which shape the discourse.