Category Archives: Race and Identity

General T&T, Law, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Religion, UNC

Discourse and diatribe

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By Raffique Shah
September 27, 2009
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

Raffique ShahIt is depressing, to say the least, watching men and women who hold high offices, eschew discourse in favour of diatribe as they engage each other in matters of national interest. The latest salvo fired by Attorney General John Jeremie as he responded to statements by the Law Association, is a case in point. Clearly, the AG believes he and his colleagues in government are being targeted by political opponents, which is why he must descend into the gutter to snipe at the “enemy”.
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Complaints, Finance, General T&T, Politics, Race and Identity, Religion

Govt to pay Maha Sabha $3M for radio licence delay

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By Sacha Wilson
Published: 23 Sep 2009 – guardian.co.tt

Satnarayan MaharajThe State has to pay the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, which operates Central Broadcasting Services Ltd, close to $3 million in damages for its unequal treatment and delay in granting them a FM radio broadcasting licence.

Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh awarded compensatory and vindicatory damages yesterday by way of a video conference at the San Fernando High Court.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity

Answer me, oh my friend

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By Raffique Shah
Sunday, September 6th 2009
www.trinicenter.com/Raffique

Kamaluddin MohammedIN this post-national-awards week and on pre-budget day, most of my columnist colleagues would focus on one topic or other. There is a whole lot to be said about the awards system, much of which has already been ventilated. The issue I found most amusing was the brouhaha over Kamal “Charch” Mohammed being nominated for the nation’s highest award, but being denied it by those on high.
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Africa, Caribbean, Culture, Race and Identity

William Hardin Burnley and the Glorious Revolution

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 24, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

EmancipationIn an interesting article, “The ‘Glorious Revolution’ of August 1, 1838” (Express, August 2nd 2009), Selwyn Ryan presents William Hardin Burnley (1780-1850), the largest slaveholder in Trinidad and Tobago, as one of the “more forward-looking” planters in terms of human resource management strategy. He suggests that after the emancipation of the enslaved Africans Burnley felt that “the extinction of slavery has created a mighty revolution, in that, in this island, the master was now the slave and the former slave the master.” He quotes Burnley as saying that “God and nature were conspiring to render the island of Trinidad ‘a little Terrestrial Paradise for the African race.’ He insisted that he was not guilty of hyperbole when he said that the African was like the ‘Midas of Greek Mythology.'”
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Culture, Features, General T&T, Politics, Race and Identity

Securing Our Future in Turbulent Times

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 01, 2009 – trinicenter.com
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

Emancipation(A lecture delivered by Professor Cudjoe at the 9th Annual Emancipation Day Dinner of the National Association for the Empowerment of African People [NAEAP] at the Center of Excellence, Tunapuna, Trinidad, July 31, 2009. Professor Cudjoe is the president of NAEAP.)
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General T&T, Health, Race and Identity

Discrimination, doc, not ‘ethnic cleansing’

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By Raffique Shah
July 26, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

Dr. Tim GopeesinghON the few occasions I spoke with Dr Tim Gopeesingh, I found him to be an amiable, intelligent person. He is one of the few high-profile members of Basdeo Panday’s parties who are bold enough to actually converse with me. I add this since I’m sure Panday has some unwritten clause in his party’s regulations that deems interaction with this not-so-humble writer “high treason”. But that’s another story. Today I focus on Tim’s injudicious statement about “ethnic cleansing” of Indo-Trinidadian doctors at the Port of Spain General Hospital.
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Culture, General T&T, Race and Identity

Race and Identity in T&T

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
July 24, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

TrinbagoniansDr. Tim Gopeesingh’s recent public baseless and ridiculous accusation of “ethnic cleansing” of Indian-Trinbagonian doctors at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital speaks volumes as to the total misunderstanding of issues concerning race and identity in T&T.

The fact of the matter is that official government census statistics reveal that 42 percent of T&T’s population consists of Indians, Africans comprise 38 percent, Europeans (Whites) are 2 percent, etc.
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General T&T, International, Race and Identity, Religion

Freemasonry: Ancient Afrikan/Kemetic/Egyptian communal way of life and being

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
March 09, 2007
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

AfricansThe purpose of this article is to examine the evolution of Freemasonry, its purpose, education process and communal way of life.

At the outset, one cannot talk about the origin of Freemasonry; the discussion must focus on the evolution of this system and the unique, original ancient Afrikan/ Kemetic/ Egyptian way of life.

The word “free” means “without hinderance”; the word “mason” refers to “one who builds, a bricklayer.” As such, Freemasonry is that system, craft or art of building, not a physical building but building spiritual, an edifice within the human being. The ancient Kemites/Afrikans/Egyptians refer to this spiritual concept as the “Temple in Man.”
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Africa, Caribbean, General T&T, Race and Identity

Dealing with Colourism

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A Step Towards the African Revolution

By Leslie, africaspeaks.com
October 05, 2006
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

EmancipationThe session at the last Moonlight Gathering in September was highly profound and without a doubt, edifying and interesting. Usually, after a period of song, poetry, drumming and other chosen activities, the group at the Moonlight Gathering would engage an issue; any issue that we feel worth discussing and for whatever reasons. However, the last gathering was the first time that the discussion was so heated; so much so, that some chose to ‘stay out of the kitchen’.
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