There is no doubt that Pa Dixon is one of the greatest Journalist in our
life time.Uncle Dixon  was a man of principle,his life and time was
dedicated  to the struggle of the ordinary people reflected both in his
paper and in his relationship with them.
Dixon Colley introduced me to the world of Journalist.I was just interested
in writing poems and get them publish in his paper as a student,he never
hesittated but when further than that and I was convinced.He introduced me
to the works of his friend,the Hegelian Marxist-humanist philosopher , Raya
Duyaveskaya,who visited uncle Dixon in 1962 in the Gambia and they together
travelled the whole country to meet and discuss with ordinary Gambians,trade
Union leaders,youths,students,political leaders etc during the struggle for
independence.The impact of this meeting and tour on the ideas of this great
thinker would not only be found in her many  works ,I have never met a
friend of this woman who have not heard of Dixon Colley.Dixon and Raya met
each other in London and from there developed close political
relationship,they have had many correspondence with each other and News/
Letters newspaper will be publishing in their coming issue one of these
correspondence in tribute to Dixon.
I have also had the opportunity of travelling with Dixon to the
country-side, from there i knew that he know  his country well.
      When Dixon was to returned back home from London,his passport was
confiscated by the British Home Office,they would not let him return back
home,his case was to be fought in the British Parliament before he was able
to get his Passport back.This was an evidence of his active role as an
African student and a political activist and a potential threat to the
British colonial rule and Ideology.But Dixon will always tell  you that he
had never had any political ambitions,he was never to become a prime
minister or so,he was going to be a journalist,but the fact is he was not
only a journalist.But perhaps one of  his most exciting experience on his
way home to the Gambia,was when he visited the liberated Zones in Algeria
during the liberation struggle.
Among  his close acquaintance were also  those who do not read his
papers,these were workers,market women,ordinary people who were not able to
read or write but one would always read the minds of these people in his
paper.Dixon will always tell you to be a good journalist one  have to be
good at listening to the ordinary people.This is why you always find him at
places you least expect him and he enjoy it.Dixon was not only a
journalist,he will tell the market women to organise them selfs,he will tell
it to the Women Gardeners,to workers activist,to students and youths and not
only that he will offer you services and exchange ideas.I could remember
when the Organisation of Revolutionary Students (ORS),a clandestine student
organisation ran into printing difficulties,he will tell me this place(The
Nation Office) was at my disposition.
Dixon had been arrested and detained many times and did face almost two
liable cases in court but what frustrated Dixon most ,was the tireless
efforts of some of his Journalist colleagues to make him look like a funny
Socialist,they failed and he ,a martyred.For decades,Dixon have been running
the only News Paper were the voices of oppressed Gambians could be
heard,despite all efforts to isolate him.Dixon will tell you "thanks to my
Wife" for she always tell him not to give up ,it was his country and has
nothing to lose.
Those of us who have worked closely with Dixon,know very well that if it was
not his stubbornness to stick on principles,certain part of the history of
the Gambia Press Union(GPU) would have today been a laughing stuff.Dixon
sacrificed lot of time and energy to make the GPU not only a recognised
Union but also an instrument to further the interest of journalist.The GPU
will come to miss him.
Sometime back I met a friend in London who wanted me to negotiate with Dixon
for him to buy the archives of the Nation newspaper,after investigating the
case,I found out that Dixon had already deposited this archive at the
National Library,I personally believed that there is no better place than
here and those of you who might at one time or another want to write about
the political history of the country have no better place to go than
here.The political history of the Gambia will be an incomplete records
without Dixon and The Nation newspaper.
If anything had worried Dixon during the last decade of his life,was The
Nation after his dead.For many years Dixon have been looking for
alternatives,he on many occasion did ask me to return home.He found  a young
Gambian who is prepared to take up this task.This young Gambian have fine
ideas to developed the Nation and he need the help of all of us,The Nation
is the property of all those who believed in the truth and justice and it
must remain that to fulfil the wishes of Dixon who have sacrifice his life
and time to the struggle of his people through this paper.
I extend my condolence to the Family,colleagues and friends of this Great
hero.May his soul  rest in peace.
Dixon was a friend,I will always come to miss him,he has inspired me,his
school was different,no black boards or writing desk,but you learn and get
inspired.

For Freedom
Saiks
----- Original Message -----
From: Ndey Jobarteh <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: William Dixon ColleyMartyred


> My sincerely condonlences to the entire family of Pa Dixon. As Saul has
said
> the Old man was a valued institution all by himself. He was a man whose
> expeierence in journalism would have been an institution for all Gambian
> journalists. I hope he will be remembered for all his contributions to the
> country.
>
> My Deepest Sympathy and Heartfelt loss of a man, who has dedicated all his
> live in the struggle to inform the people.
> Ndey Jobarteh
>
> >From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: William Dixon ColleyMartyred
> >Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 23:36:15 -0000
> >
> >To the entire Colley family and members of the Gambian Press, I extend my
> >deepest condolences. Uncle Dixon was a valued institution -all by
himself.
> >May his soul rest in eternal peace.
> >
> >Saul.
> >
> >
> >>William Dixon ColleyMartyred
> >>A Principled Journalist, Humanist, Nationalist, Pan Africanist and
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
> >
>
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