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Profile for David Hinds Ph.D
Senior Producer/Principal Anchor

David Hinds joined the CaribNation family in February 1996, a mere two months after the initial show. Since then he has been an integral part of CaribNation, having hosted more than 60% of its programs. He has developed into a confident and competent interviewer who is not afraid to ask hard, controversial, but sensible questions. David's strength is his grasp of the issues, especially in the areas of politics, economics and culture.

David Hinds, one of the regular hosts of CaribNation, is a teacher by profession, but he is equally committed to the field of journalism. This is not surprising for one who calls himself a "Public Academic." According to Hinds, "Journalism affords me the opportunity to take my scholarship beyond the halls of academia into the public arena. What I do on CaribNation and other media is what I prefer to call Public Education."

Although Hinds has been contributing to the media since 1978, when he started as a "stringer" for a political newspaper in his native Guyana, it was not until 1993 that he became a regular media person. Apart from his work on CaribNation, he has written a regular column for the New York based Caribbean Daylight newspaper and two Caribbean websites; writes regular Book Reviews for the Guyana Review news magazine; hosted a radio program for almost two years; and appears as a Political Commentator on Caribbean Exchange, a Baltimore-based radio program.

Ever the unorthodox, though effective interviewer, he seldom leaves the audience in doubt about where he stands on the issues he deals with. "I consider myself a fair, sometimes aggressive, but balanced interviewer, but I am not a detached participant. I feel strongly about issues and without upstaging the guest, I let my views be heard." says Hinds.

For David, CaribNation carries out a most important task; it informs and educates Caribbean people and others, and advocates on behalf of the Caribbean Nation. Says David, "What continues to attract me to Caribbean Nation is its capacity to break new ground, to get our Caribbean people to view themselves in a serious manner, to realize that we are not just about "jam and wine," but a people constantly grappling with our existence and survival."

David enjoys what he does on CaribNation. He relishes the challenge of sitting across from some of the top Caribbean politicians and thinkers, and he has interviewed quite a few. Asked about his best interviews, he quickly answers "Eugenia Charles, Edward Seaga, and Desmond Hoyte" former Heads of Government of Dominica, Jamaica, and Guyana respectively. "I enjoyed these interviews because these are all politicians who I don't like politically.

In the cases of Seaga and Charles, I resent their right wing, anti-progressive ideological stance and the damage it has done to our region, and of course I consider Hoyte a sort of political enemy, given my involvement in anti-PNC politics in Guyana. But I found all three very charming, very human, and very reasonable. Charles and Seaga answered all questions; they did not dodge any, and I love that. I came out of those interviews with a new assessment of them." David also singles out Tim Hector, Rex Nettleford, Acklyn Lynch, Franklyn Knight, Rupert Roopnarine, Barbara Gloudon, Eusi Kwayana, Clarence Ellis, and Richard Bernal as some of his most knowledgeable and articulate guests.

David is equally at home interviewing workers and ordinary people and can slip into Caribbean vernacular with ease. " I like interviewing ordinary working people, they have a native intelligence that mesmerizes me. I learn from them. I fed off their energy and creativity. Three of my best moments were interviewing two banana farmers in St Lucia, a group of Maroon descendants in Jamaica, and three women involved in a small business enterprise in rural Grenada."

David is currently a Visiting Professor of Political Science at Claremont Graduate University in California where he teaches Caribbean, African-American' and Pan African politics. Although he currently lives in far-off California, he keeps in close touch with the Washington DC base. "

Our director and leader, Larry Sindass, is very good at keeping me informed and involved in key decisions. Larry is a wonderful guy, who has taught me all I know about TV. I know it wasn't easy, because I can be very rebellious and strong headed, but he persevered with me. Credit must also be given to the rest of the camera crew, especially David Grant and Melvin Parsons, who constantly stroked my ego, even when I did a lousy interview. And Derrice Deane, my co-host, with her quiet, easy style reminds me how unpolished I am."

Apart from his academic and journalistic work Hinds he is heavily involved in Caribbean community organizations and causes. He is also a political activist who takes an active interest in the region's politics, especially in his native Guyana where he is affiliated with the Working People's Alliance (WPA), the party of Walter Rodney.