By Suszanna Clarke
Tuesday, August 19 2008
newsday.co.tt
Back when I had decided I had grown tired of having straight hair, I’d cut it all off, leaving just an inch or two of my own naturally curly hair remaining.
I had loved it — the ability to wash it everyday, not having to worry about the wind messing it up and not having to buy any styling products other than a bottle of gel. The reaction of others was different; some loved it, others hated it. It also had the unpredicted benefit of getting rid of an ex who had been hovering hopefully in the background for years. Later he told me the first time he saw it he’d swore I had a male twin. My boyfriend at the time loved it. It reminded him of Maracas. He’d said. All the waves.
One of my co-workers at the time was upset when he saw my new haircut. Oh God Clarke, I hate it, he informed me. He also told me that I’d made a big mistake. Before, when my hair was long and straight I could have passed, he’d said. Now I couldn’t. When I’d asked him what he’d meant he’d said with my hair the way it was before I could have fitted in to any crowd – Chinese, whites, Indian, mixed. Now, he informed me, I looked like I was from behind the bridge. Then he promptly ended the aggressive/passive track he’d been putting down for a couple of years.
A few weeks after this he’d come up behind me and pulled my hair. “But Suszanna”, he’d said, “You have good hair! Not as good as mine of course but it real soft. I didn’t think that was your natural hair at all.” I didn’t see him for about a year after this incident; I guess my vociferous reaction to this comment may have been part of the reason why. With my hair back at an acceptable length and my ability to “pass” restored (since my hair was still curly but apparently a “good” curly), his interest in me rekindled. He was once again eager to be seen with me in public. I however, remained unimpressed.
Years before this incident and at a different place of work, another co-worker – a woman this time – had stood watching a woman and a little girl walking past our office one afternoon. The little girl’s hair was done up in little plaits and on each plait was a bubble with a clip on the end. After they had walked out of sight my then co-worker turned to me and asked why do black people put so many things in their children’s hair. Very young and at that time too polite to answer her in the manner that she deserved I’d told her I don’t know. Oh I’m sorry, she’d responded, I didn’t realise you were Indian. And she’d laughed hysterically. She’d then went on to talk, once again, about the straightness of her sister’s hair, that she never had to comb it, that clips fell right out of it. It was a source of great pride for her, which I hadn’t been able to understand then, and a topic she brought up often, together with the fairness of the sister’s husband.
Recently a girl I know was called into the manager’s office at the bank where she worked. When she had been looking for a job before she’d been advised to relax her hair as it would make her more “acceptable” to potential employers. When she started her new job she’d gone back natural after a few months. The manager had called her in to tell her that she had to relax her hair in order to keep her job. Hers was not the look the bank was trying to portray. They moved her away from customer services until her hairstyle was more “satisfactory”. When she refused to change her hair they declared her position redundant and fired her.
Racial prejudice takes many different forms. There’s the overt – the Spanish Basketball Federation picture that showed the national team pulling back their eyes to make them look Chinese and the London mayor’s description of black children as “picaninnies” with watermelon smiles. Then there’s the covert. I had a co-worker who only spoke to me when she realised my dad was black. She thought my father was Indian and she refused to have anything to do with “those people”.
The irony of all that was she was terribly proud of her thick, black hair, the result of a grandmother who was part Indian.
The worse thing about racial prejudice is how much it narrows us and how it stunts what we are and what we can become. When we see someone in only stereotyped terms, we deny ourselves the chance to know that person as they really are. If we expect someone to be good in something, bad at others, to eat certain foods or be a certain way because of their race, that narrows both us and them. The sad thing is, the very nature of racial prejudice is that most times, we’re not even aware of what we’re doing and what we’re perpetuating and so we pass it on, for another generation to continue the cycle.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/commentary/0,84682.html
Kerry
There is nothing ignorant about Heru’s comments or my presentation of counter points. These views are real and widely held by both races.
Racism without power is virtually impossible, and to think otherwise is nothing short of simplistic reasoning. Since East Indians and African make up almost 98% of the public service since 1956 , it is misleading to try and accuse the PNM of pushing racism simply because it held political power for most of the country’s history. The PNM was not created like the ULF/UNC as an ethnic party that was geared to the needs of any one particular group of people. Instead it was aimed at making a transition from colonialism and benefited or failed everyone dependending on how we wish to divy up our assessments.
Not much more needs to be said about our business entity dominated by the East Indians that was not said before.
Although a few of the points that I presented can apply to both groups, some of what you reversed does not fit in a general way (by general, I mean apply to the majority of Africans).
T.Man said:
This does not clearly fit as Indians in Trinidad mostly have dealings with Christianized Africans and most Indians are familiar with Christianity as it was well-popularized. Even if they do not subscribe to Christianity, they are familiar with it. Also, many Indians can see similarities between Hinduism (minus the caste system) and other African forms of worship. This is also the case with Africans as several African forms of worship have incorporated elements of what Indians brought to Trinidad. Baptist and Rastafari groups, for example, have incorporated what Indentured Indians brought to Trinidad and Jamaica.
So while I would agree that some Indians would be distrustful of Africans based on ignorance of African cultural practices, such practices are not in the mainstream and are certainly only accepted by a minority of Africans in Trinidad. Indians are not ignorant about Christianity which most Africans in Trinidad subscribe to.
T.Man said:
This reversal also does not fit. It is Africans who traditionally protested against the colonial overlords, the PNM, for increased wages and even apartheid in South Africa etc. Africans also protested against the UNC when they were in power. A few more Indians started protesting during the UNC term in government but some of those protests seemed contrived to pave the way for the government to do what it wanted to do.
It is Africans who have always been vocal about the perceived wrongdoings of other Africans, even if many Africans still supported the PNM. Large numbers of Indians did not traditionally join in protests in Trinidad. As a matter of fact, several called on radio shows and spoke of how undignified most protests were. They were trying to show some form of superiority for not joining public protests to mask cowardice and not wanting to mix with Africans.
Most importantly, Africans do not have any teachings that demonize people based on race or color of skin. There were never such programs by African religious leaders.
So while some of the reasons for the distrust would fit people on both sides in a general way, there are still major differences.
Please allow me to clarify. When i spoke of stories, it was not about your political or racial points, Tman/Neil etc. I was merely referring to stories such as the “Taxi driver” who didnt pick up the “African,” or the lazy arse brother-in-law etc. Somehow those stories don’t reasonate as being substantive. I would tend to agree of such a story in the US, not in T & T. In my experience and view, when a Trini is on the hustle, the last thing on his mind is colour or race, ethnicity in general, hence my skeptical overview.
This frank discussion that we are attempting is certainly healthy and encouraging indeed. Perhaps in time we can see more of it taking place in the wider society, particularly among those with the power to help shape policies to address some of our many concerns. The reality is that the two groups that make up the dominant majority are seeking the same thing- social, economic and political power. It is unfortunate that many still believe that these should be obtained at the expense of each other.
There are obviously some misleading perceptions that are being thrown around that can in time do more harm than good if changes do not occur soon. Heru did a wonderful job in attempting to put that put to the fore a balanced and lucid historical analysis of prevailing realities.
It is worth rereading, as many of us – including myself – could not have articulated the facts so well. Let’s continue the frank dialogue, but also make some more attempts speaking honestly. In short, leave revisionism alone where it belongs; as we pursue the truth and reach out for solutions as progressive across the globe have done.
Frankly Neil, I believe those discussions do take place but, among the Elite. Those that don’t have anything hanging in the balance or have their metal gates with two way intercom and body guards. I believe to Heal T & T we have to start from the bottom up!!
Those of us who has everything to lose and only moral and ethical rewards to gain,that would or could benefit the future generation have to come forward and make the changes we so desperately need. We can’t depend on those who’s glass is full and in some cases over-flowing to do anything to our benefit. Those of us who are blogging and having heart wrenching, gut busting discussion are almost up the hill and looking for a nest egg for when we finally get over it.
The only way for us, in my opinion, for us to make any kind of change is to get a new breed of politicians that are angry,disappointed, vexed, hungry and ready for change to pick up the cross and we stand behind them. To rely on the old school of barracudas and alligators for progress, we will all along with the future generation continue to suffer beyond repair.
I can see your point Felix and agree wholehartedly. One should remain optimistic,and do what is in our individual power to make some difference. Regards.
Hey felix just wanted to let you know that there are now two Neil’s in the T&T blog. NEIL spelt with an “E”and the Neal with an “A” that you are refering to hear.
Neil are you trying to mislead these extremely busy bloggers on this board? I believe you meant NEIL spelt with an ‘N ,E, and L,’ correct? Just kidding my friend. Rest assured that neither Felix or anyone else on this forum will make a mistake between the views expounded by Neal vs Neil.
You are the intelligent historical visionary figure , as for me- just someone with too much time on his hands that sometimes is afraid to ‘put water in his mouth,’ as he speaks the truth -devoid of an agenda.
No worries “Neil” I think i’m competent enough to tell the dirrenence. I look forward to your contributions on this blog. I think a nerve has been struck on each forum of discussion and I see a chance of something good coming from it. This could perhaps end up being the next generation of leaders of our hurting nation. Many are called but few are chosen, so far we’re still looking for the chosen one to lead our people to the promised land. Once we were close but someone turned the bridge over to a captain named Manning and the bow is already under water; we need a new captain; please don’t even mention Panday or any of those other deep pocket traitors.
It was so refreshing to see so much high spirited, good natured, unselfish and deep rooted patriots on this blog searching and expressing the need for a better nation. We will not always agree with each other’s ideas or issues but it’s a start of positive diologue that could very well end up making a difference. So blog away and like “Neil” don’t put water in your mouth. Say what you mean and mean what you say.