By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
August 26, 2012

The Euro-American re-colonization of aspects of life in Trinidad and Tobago is further compounded/exacerbated in the overt, wanton adoption of American-NBA names for this country’s men’s and women’s pro-basketball league teams such as Detour Shak Attack, Caledonia Clippers, Trailblazers, CIL Cavaliers, Falcon Crest, BM Spurs, Londdenville Warriors, Valencia Kings, Chaguanas Wizzards, and Cosmic Raptors. Roxborough Lakers.

Is this an indicator of a real independent people who have emancipated themselves from mental slavery?

Moreover, in October 2004, there was a daily newspaper caption that read: “Halloween creeps up on T&T”. Euro-America’s costumed “trick or treat” celebration is now alive and kicking big time in Trinidad and Tobago. Halloween make up is also readily available.

In addition, the “luck of the Irish” as in St. Patrick’s Day has also become an annual day of celebration on 17 March with Trinbagonians decked out in green.

Indeed, from an Afri-centric perspective, one can safely conclude that Trinidad and Tobago has now been re-located from the tropical zone to the temperate zone as evidenced by the fact that both UWI and the School of Business and Computer Science (SBCS) are now offering Summer Courses, while Trini kids can have “summer fun” in summer camp.

And this ubiquitous Euro-American re-colonization can also be noticed as young and mature adult Trinbagonians are seen wearing heavy/thick Winter coats in T&T’s boiling hot sun, while females are wearing very thick leather, knee-high boots.

However, this Euro-American re-colonization does not stop there. Around this time of the year, daily newspapers are replete with businesses, on the one hand, offering “Super Summer Sale”, “Summer Flea Market Sale”, “Hot Summer Sale”, “Computer Megastore Summer Savings”, “Summer Splash Sale” and “Summer Scorcher” while others offer/preview “Fall/Winter Collection”, “New Arrivals Spring/Summer Collection”, and “Fall/Winter Sale” — “We like it.”

Furthermore, on 10 November 2011, a daily newspaper carried a headline that read: “Lee Sing’s vision: To make PoS like New York” accompanied by a subtitle: “Planning Minister says ‘door is open’ for discussion.”

And not to be outdone, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has publicly declared that he wants “to establish Judge Judy and Judge Mathis type courts in Trinidad and Tobago to deal with small claim cases and petty civil disputes.”

It is at this crucial juncture that Trinbagonians need to be reminded of the poignant admonition of Osagyefo Kwame Nhrumah, deceased President of Ghana) thus: “Political independence is only a means to an end. Its value lies in its being used to create new economic, social and cultural conditions which colonialism and imperialism have denied us for so long.”

This historically significant notion is corroborated by the “Father of the Nation”, Dr. Eric E. Williams in his famous “The Chaguaramas Declaration : Perspective for the New Society” speech (1970) as follows: “We must preserve our political independence in the Caribbean not only from the former metropolitan powers but also from the new substitutes that threaten to emerge.”

In the final analysis, these articles have sadly revealed the salient truism that Trinidad and Tobago has been virtually transformed from Sparrow’s “Model Nation” in 1962 into the bona fide 52nd State of the United States of America in 2012.

Does this reflect/represent real or imagined political independence and/or national sovereignty of a people?

Happy 50th independence anniversary birthday to Trinidad and Tobago.

Shem Hotep (“I go in peace”).

Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies.