By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
December 15, 2014
It was one of those riveting moments when a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Here they were, four young black boys, sitting forlorn, with their luggage around them looking as if their lives had come to an end. All their yearnings seemed to have been dashed, caught up as they were, in an unutterable moment of disappointment: their being unable to compete in a football tournament in Barbados.
The caption under their photograph read: “Members of the Laventille United Football team wait outside the Ministry of Sport yesterday after they were given less funding than promised to attend a football tournament in Barbados this weekend….The team will still get to go to the tournament after construction firm Kalico last evening funded the remainder” (Trinidad Guardian, December 13, 2014).
Ironically enough on that same page a story informed us that Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City and William Bratton, police commissioner of New York City will be returning to Trinidad and Tobago “to help improve the dismal detection rate of the police service.”
I do not know how much these crime fighters would be paid for their services. However, when the Guardian asked how their services would differ from those provided by the Scotland Yard agents who were in Trinidad earlier, Gary Griffith, National Security Minister, assured his fellow citizens: “We had a lot of foreign-used tired men who were basically raping the treasury from $150,000 a month with little training. You can’t compare the Scotland Yard with Mayor Guiliani and commissioner Bill Bratton who have become the most successful persons in the world.”
Griffith may have been correct. It is certainly true that Giuliani and Bratton have become famous but not only for the reasons Griffith cited. Giuliani is an implacable foe of black and brown people. On November 23, 2014, speaking on NBC “Meet the Press,” Giuliani called the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri “an exception” although over 400 black young men were killed over the past year by white police officers.
He said to Michael Dyson, a Georgetown professor: “The white police officers won’t be there if you weren’t killing each other…Why don’t you cut down your crime so so many white police officers don’t have to be in black areas.” In Ferguson, 67.4 per cent of the 21,000 residents are black; 29 per cent are white. The Police Department has 53 officers of which 4 are black. In 2013, the attorney general office of Missouri reported that black drivers in Ferguson were about twice as likely to be arrested after police stops than whites. Blacks made up 93 per cent of the arrests after stops. As far as Guiliani sees it the problem that faces black America is black on black crime.
Bratton was New York City’s police commissioner when Giuliani was the mayor. Now, he is back as the police commissioner under Bill de Blasio. It is under Bratton’s watch that Errol Garner was killed by a white police officer in Staten Island, New York.
As police commissioner from 1994 to 1996, Bratton embraced the “broken windows” theory of policing that aimed at attacking minor offences before they became big ones. When he was the commissioner arrest rate soared while serious crimes diminished. During his first year as commissioner the police shot and killed 31 civilians (up from 23 the previous year) and 23 civilians died in police custody; an increase from 15 persons the previous year.
Bratton was also the innovator of the “stop and frisk” policy in which 694,000 innocent black and Latino youths were stopped and frisked in 2011 whereas 400,000 black and Latino youths were stopped and frisked in 2012. In 2013, a federal judge ruled that the use of stop and frisk was unconstitutional and appointed a federal monitor to oversee the NYPD.
Bratton served as the head of the Los Angeles Police Department from 2002-09 using a similar “broken windows” philosophy. In LA there was an escalation of the stop and frisk policy of both pedestrians and motorists-from 587,200 in 2002 to 875,204 in 2008. A Harvard University study commissioned by Bratton found that between 2006-08 that “African Americans, and to a lesser extent Hispanics, were subjects of the use of force out of proportion to their share of involuntary contacts with the LAPD” (The Nation, December 6, 2013)
These are the men who Griffith swears will solve our crime problem. However, their disdain for black lives is notorious. They really believe that black lives are worth less than white lives. One does not quite know what advice these men can give to a black government that seems intent on criminalizing black men and whose policies have led to more crimes in black areas.
One would have thought our government would have encouraged these young boys from Laventille to continue their involvement in sporting and other activities so as to keep them away from a life of crime. Under Guiliani and Bratton’s tutelage one can only expect the further alienation of black men in our society.
God alone knows how much money our Government would spend on Giuliani and Bratton whose antipathy towards non-whites is extreme and well known. They have nothing to offer us. They will only take our money and run. Their racism ought not to be funded by the citizens of our society.
I recall Commissionner Bratton while I lived in Boston in the 80’s. He was young, determined and appeared to have great hopes for the city of Boston. Bratton is notorious for traveling abroad and I believe his trip to Dominica was cause for his resignation from Boston. He acts as if he is a world leader on the cannons of policing. His tenure in NYC was choppy because Guilliani was always in the spotlight. Perhaps Trinidad will be his next big job…let’s send him to the rural T&T..
Why do we need a USA police officer in T&T? well the USA controls T&t and its government so Prof. Cudjoe I think you understand the politics here..the government has lots of money to spend and why not use it for entertainment?? Perhaps Bratton will shed some light on the Police Department and on the mass police brutality, the corruption in the T&t police dept, the payoffs, the nepotism, the collusion and all the great things that makes the Police of t&T so great, will come to a nice brown light.
The Police Department in T&T is even more corrupt than the USA…Bratton may just be the guy to rescue T&T…
Another stupid misguided view. “? Perhaps Bratton will shed some light on the Police Department and on the mass police brutality, the corruption in the T&t police dept, the payoffs, the nepotism, the collusion and all the great things that makes the Police of t&T so great, will come to a nice brown light.”
That is the most asinine statement ever made by anyone on this board. All said without any proof….
Its called sarcasm…
As a little fellar, Gary Griffith was impressed with Tarzan, Jane and Boy. The name of their companion Baboon escapes me. It is apparent that he has not awakened from a stupor that continues to validate the inferiority of black people by non other than black people, especially in Trinidad and Tobago.
This malaise continues in the land of mimicry to the extent that our culture is being Americanized. We are not a selective people. We have a voracious appetite to consume that which is not ours and rubbish is always at the head of the line. It is tragic for Gary Griffith to continue to impose the validation of white superiority over perceived black inferiority. Worse yet, and it is quite apparent, that he lacks the ability to understand the dynamics of race relations in the United States by White law enforcement that enables him to arbitrarily add to the plunder of our national treasury. In the role of Santa Claus, Gary Griffith has not solicited from us options or choices. He has decided that Giuliani and Bratton are what we need for a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Only in T&T.
Errol F. Hosein
Transplantation has always been our downfall… transplantation of people and agencies and transplantation of laws and policies. It’s like online shopping… looks great, reviews are wonderful, but when you get it and you try it on, it just doesn’t fit or look like the website described!
As Dr. Cudjoe rightly highlighted, racists like Giuliani and Bratton cannot add any value to the stifling of crime in Trinidad and Tobago. I lived in the US from 2002 – 2008 and my friends and I were victims of The Stop-Question-and-Frisk program on numerous occasions when we were in NY.
Anyway… since we have so much faith in the NYPD system, I have some much more valuable advice from another former NYPD Commissioner, Patrick Vincent Murphy:
“…the root causes of crime [are] poverty, unemployment,
underemployment, racism, poor health care, bad housing,
weak schools, mental illness, alcoholism, single-parent
families, teenage pregnancy, and a society of selfishness and
greed.”
When we realise that crime is a result of societal decay, we will be able to fix it without the Ministry of Security getting involved.
Learned Professor, the Gov’t of T&T has a lot of programs available free of charge for the youths of T&T to better themselves. But the problem worldwide is single parenting or in too many instances no parenting at all.I don’t even have a GED, but I’ve raised three College students(one already graduated).We can’t get smarter than God, His program is for a man and a woman to raise children.Just to let you know in my days the mighty PNM did not have all these programs available especially for country boys like me.I tried to get into John D unsuccessfully. What I would like the learned professor to do is use his great intellectual learning to teach the youths of Laventille,go in and have some community workshops to help the youths. Just rent the community centers and speak to the kids.(I’m sure you could afford to do that for the poor black kids, after all all you see is black. I hate to bring race into this, forgive me for that. Hope YOU heed my call to help the youths!).
Hate to burst your bubble Country Boy, but the learned Professor will not heed to your reply. He is busy teaching the women of the esteemed College in Bean Town. This is what I have noticed about the children from Williams reign: they all had a free ride to foreign colleges and universities yet and they studied Anthropology, Psychology, Afrikan studies, Philosophy…etc
These are courses that wealthy children like because they have time to read and study about themselves and the behavior of others or the origin of man (these courses are also considered “easy A’s” because biochem students use these courses to pull up their GPA’s). I am not condemning literature or evolution and culture…I appreciate Keats, Hemingway, etc…I just don’t understand why at that time in history, why they relegated themselves to study such esoteric courses and not the practical ones that benefit poor people..Perhaps they were awaiting the folks from the Peace Corps to arrive and help the poor…
Williams loyalist did not study machine engineering, manufacturing, farming, or courses that would help the people or community of T&T. They studied courses that were conversation pieces to be used at board meetings.
Many of the expats living abroad, who came from working class families are making a difference in people’s lives.. they are doctors, lawyers, nurses, medical tech, dialysis techs, and many have attained their MBA’s and work at large companies in the USA. I look at those brothers and sisters with great pride. They know that they will not have a future in T&T. So they have earned a place in this country as divided as it is.
This blog is an eye opener for all expats who grew up in the working class under the blind and deaf commander of T&T. We get an introspective and at times…accidental understanding (to our benefit) of what really happened from 1969-2014..
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Howai-on-insider-trading-allegations-Waste-of-time-286305111.html
Yeah Larry,but if you walk like a Caroni duck,talk like a First Citizen suspect duck,and worst yet ,behave like a corrupt UNC dominant /PP duck,then you ain’t a Los Bajos Water Buffalo, are you?
Then again, you are one oh dem much admired, better educated Trini folks,this clueless ,naive ,delusional ,self loathing broad, has repeated blabbered on /incessantly away about-since apparently ,it makes her feel good about herself.
Hey Indrani / Indera Gandhi, we know de Faddah of your nation, in Papa Baz, of airport scandal/Secret London -illegal off shore bank account fame, ain’t have no pure science in his educational resume,and certainly did not acquire an MBA ,but we concern ,patriotic, progressive- Trinis wonder, if those two high end,crooked UNC financiers, Ish/Steve ,along with HCU bandit Harie Harinarine, and disgraced First Citizen big wig / Howai successor )Larry Nath did?
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Larry-Nath-resigns-as-First-Citizens-CEO-284839371.html?m=y&smobile=y
Their respective behaviors ,once in control of other people monies ,or some semblance of power,seems to follow a distinctive ,revolting pattern.
I take that back ,for anything these white color self aggrandizement obsessed social bums touched in the past few years ,became tainted , once their Siparia Queen Kamla, and or,Basdeo protégé, assumed power,si?
Tell you what folks ,with each passing week ,this neo tribal , budding cyber troligian ,is sounding more like a Barrackpore, pregnant every other year ,high school drop out,than de lofty Yankee educated lawyer, she professed to be.
Am I right ,or am I right folks?
Pray someone with some time to spare ,please ask her how many great inventions, those T&T working class,with engineering ,chemical ,and biology degrees , were able to initiate?
Tell her also, that the corrupt bastards, she idly boast about, weren’t be able to “take the money and run , “then cry ethnic /tribal prosecution forever. This too shall end.
I luv dis land,Y tu?
One of the greatest thing is a person’s name and to make a mockery of such is a lack of respect on your part. You earn respect when you give respect, regardless of disagreements of former leaders it is disrespectful to refer to Eric Williams as deffie and George Chambers as dummie as you tend to in previous submissions. You come across as a provocateur. Please accord some respect to Indira as she submits intellectual and factual submissions.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,204505.html
Another stupid misguided view. …… That is the most asinine statement ever made by anyone on this board. All said without any proof….” Mamboo
You know folks, unlike Indrani / Indera Gandhi, and her Siamese twin brother, Royal Trini , I instead,had the privilege of having the wisest woman, that ever lived, in form of my late, Tobago Granny , who would admonish me ,about the folly of trying to ‘play mass, and fraid fraid powder.’
Well, I am a better person for that.
Hey Trini Royal, you are talking to converted mi amigo. Remember however, dat respect must be earned.
For de record, let me state, dat I personally don’t give a hoot ,as to who you,or your phony female ,think you are-same treatment, especially when you choose to portray yourself as ungrateful,brown neo triumphalist, country hating bastards,who stupidly think dat the best African individual, is a dead one ,unless he or she has unlimited political power/leverage , or like Jack Warner,3 hundred million in a bank account,and wishes to kiss ‘you allze’ rumps.
What you should instead do is, give this your misplaced advice, to your misguided cuz Indrani / Indera Gandhi, for it is she ,who was the one who came on dis here Information Highway, calling folks uneducated,loony,PNM party hacks ,obsessed with philandering African heroes, while simultaneously attempting to heap ,undeserved praises on her own folks. Don’t take my word for it,you selectively outrage bozo.
Check out the Trini Center cyber scrolls.
The problem with you Trini comedians,is that you all like dishing out,and prefer to run to de hills ,like the coward zandolees that you really are,when true Mandingo/Hausa,Fulani,Kikuyu warriors, take off their symbolic gloves ,to strike ‘you allze,’ where it truly hurts.
Tell me folks ,if this cyber clown ,called Trini Royal ,was really concern about protecting some opaque honor of our Yankee trained, fake lawyer ,who would he attack,yours truly,or male chuvinist pigs such as Mamboo, and TMan, who referred to the comments of a delicate member of de tribe, as ‘stupid /misguided, and assanine?’ As well as told her, to quit blabbering away on Trini socio economic, com political issues,of which she knows absolutely nada about?
Translation :- Quit talking through all six sides of her mouth.
In contrast, ain’t it fair to say that I showed respect you Loyal Trini, by elevating your sobriquet to Royal Trini ,and simply told the once abandoned Miz Barrackpore Chica-still obviously bothered by Daddy issues -that she should stay in her lane ,don’t try to put her craw in grown folks business?
Maybe I am a sick bastard myself , ain’t that de truth, for I tend to get such sadistic pleasure, in exposing these frauds-wheresoever they emanate from, hmmmmmm?
Stay vigilant people!
“He said to Michael Dyson, a Georgetown professor: “The white police officers won’t be there if you weren’t killing each other…Why don’t you cut down your crime so so many white police officers don’t have to be in black areas.” In Ferguson, 67.4 per cent of the 21,000 residents are black; 29 per cent are white. The Police Department has 53 officers of which 4 are black”
That percentage stems from the historical nature of policing. Toronto suffered from a similar fate for many years with black activist marching at the death of the young black male. This was consistent with the black community a deep fear and suspicion of the police. About six years ago the police force underwent a transformation, more black, indian and Chinese officers were added to the list. The result is a diffrent police force and an end to the marching and accusations of police brutality.
Black and other minority officers undergo a rigorous background check even up to the six generation, undercover police officers go and inquire about the candidate in school and neighbourhoods. Both parents are interviewed. If any of the officer siblings are involved in drugs that is an automatic disqualification. Then there is the rigorous physical and mental training that the officer undergoes. If the officer pulls his gun he must submit a report detailing reasons why. The screening process is incredible because the police stands with that officer at all times after they wear that uniform…
You did not burst my bubble Indira. I know that the learned professor would not heed my advice. I think he’s referring to Cartey and company(“all ah we tief”) who took the money and ran.
Guliani and his sidekick are the wrong choices for T&T. The Doc is right.I have always advocated the recruitment of Raffique Shah as a special advisor to fight crime. He has all the attributes and qualifications required for the job.
http://m.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-12-25/strong-must-help-weak
Thanks China ,but where are the OVP replacement ships, you guys promised de PP blokes-some think , in exchange for full access to our fast depleting ,natural resources -after they reneged on a deal to bring the ones that were ordered previously?
Yeah Reema ,and you in your lofty position ,as Presidential Esposa,of Uncle Cameo,is best suited, to put pressure,where it can be truly counted ,namely on your PM,so as to encourage her, to finally do the right thing ,in aid of our poor,and neglected, scattered all across our underachieving country.
Somewhere out there in lala land, Mama Verna St Rose, is having a good laugh, for she was fired, only because she had de audacity to tell your footloose, & fancy free leader, to address this, and similar social neglect problems,be they domestic abuse,child neglect, incest,and underage child brides,that has become most prevalent ,not only along de East /West corridors,as parrotted by a co-opted media, but those unmentionable enclaves ,belonging to de tribe.
The record would show, that more women ,and kids ,were murdered, and suffered undue abuse,during her watch ,than was the case during the same time period of her 5 male predecessors,and is this the change the desperate voters, envisaged?
How about those self serving business owning, country leeches, who continue to suck our country dry,while expanding their off shore accounts ?
With the help of corrupt ,customs officials,they import substandard products ,then fleece consumers.
Since our agua,and land borders ,remain porous, as we are yet to find a Minister of National Security, who has a clue, they are free to import small arms weapons ,and drugs ,’willy nilly,’as we like to say on de streets,while paying no price ,as our law enforcement bodies ,including those in our courts ,have been lulled to sleep in a corruption tolerant,political climate.
Hey AG Rammy,we did not expect much on your Prisiongate debacles,but outside of stupid talks of hanging,anything on the horizon, to ensure that elite white color bandits ,such as Ish /Steve ,face the same brunt of de law,as simi educated, low end tugs?
110 illegals immigrants, have slipped into T&T,and are running around our country-many seeking marriage partners to acquire papers-while we have absolutely no idea,as to who are criminals ,foe, or enemies, and why? The tin pan soldier, turned glorified National Security big wig,in cuz Griffy ,is still talking up a storm ,and doing nada,to protect citizens.
No Griffy,spending more millions ,for escapist, security symposiums,on White , phony experts, such as anti- Black people / Boston Irish Braton,and Yankee Italiano -criminal cuddling Rudolph Gulianni, ain’t the solution.
Hey it’s de season to be jolly,and so we wish our people well.
Long live de Republic of T&T!
Happy holidays to you all:
Prof. Cudjoe (I enjoyed your blog and I admire you because you are a teacher and have dedicated yourself to share your knowledge…);
Mr. Shah (who is a die hard Trini to the end!)
and to all the contributors out there that share their experience with us and shed light on the true history of T&T!
I hope you all have a safe and happy 2015!
…and to all the politicians out there…here is a nice quote for the upcoming year..
“A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation. A politician looks for the success of his party; a statesman for that of his country. The statesman wishes to steer, while the politician is satisfied to drift. – James Freeman Clarke..
We need more statesmen and stateswomen in T&T!!
When people like Selwyn Cudjoe call people racist…you wonder..I live in Trinidad..and I have been given solid information (by persons of African descent)about his adventures in South Trinidad before the (2001-2002)General Elections..and why not Feroze Shah for Commissioner.
It’s amazing the influence ,leaders of a society, can have on others ,si? Take T&T por ejemplo,laden with a host of arrogant ,self serving ,neo elitist bozos ,who stupidly think they can treat ‘the other ,’ be they of a different class,race,regional /geographical origin,or ethnic /tribe -with utter contempt ,and condescending denunciations ,then come de festive XMas seasons, play kiss up ,and expect others in turn ,to follow suit.
Pray someone tell,Auntie Kamla , her adoring ,neo apologist minions ,handlers ,and business benefactors,that if citizens across wider T&T,ain’t falling for her hampers,and other ostentatious political overtures ,that are solely aimed at 2015 elections, we de more astute blokes,on dis here, Trini Center, Cyber Nations ,most definitely, won’t accept nada ,from one of her biggest fans.
As for the psyco babble over ,Statemen,vs politicians? Well,when it comes to our T&T, one should look no further, than de track record of two men,and since we are in a quoting mood ,let’s throw in two,to sweeten de brew.
1.”Politics has a morality all of it’s own.” Basdeo Panday,aka de National divider in Chief.
2. “Our country cries out for men and women who cannot be bought and sold; men and women who are prepared to put principle before personality, country before self, morality before power.” ANR Robinson,aka Ahhh wee Bouy/de Castaria kid.
Now if anyone reading this blog of yours truly,perhaps from say,… mars ,was attempting to figure out ,who was de globally admired Statesman-as laid out in Sistaz Indrani / Indera-Gandhi’s quote here- as opposed to who was a corrupt, narrow minded ,self serving ,vindictive ,greedy,dog with a bone ,criminal cuddling ,political bozo,think he/she would have a problem ,folks ?
Ummmmmm ,…well..if any of my cyber friends ,were still having such a problem,then a call to out dear ,respected,neo progressive, Cyber editor Uncle Shah-a former Brianna Sandhurst , Coup school trained hero, he might help,as he had extremely close encounters, with both national giants.
Hey folks ,I always find myself wondering, what if (heavens forbid ) Basdeo Panday,and not Eric Williams was the Faddah of our Nation, and therefore PM in 1970-until 81,where would a young idealistic Raffique Shah,or Tobago’s own,in ultra ambitious Robinson ,be today.
Well,we know what would have become of a fine PM like our Auntie Kamla.
Yep,most likely ,25 kids,and 200 grandkids,bare feet,and still selling bodie beans, cascadoo fish ,and roast corn along the Basdeo /Capaldeo highway ,in efforts to survive in a 1 room ,broken down,mosquito infested den, in Siparia,or the Couva capital.
Why do you wonder,re Kamla?
Well,the only female this British trained,neo imperial,elitist actor love ,are from his own family,or high end business cronies,si?
Speaking of which.As we look across de political landscape, at the fine stewardship ,of de Siparia Queen Kamla,who even a Central,or East/West corridor dunce, can recognize, closely adopted, an ideological policy, of her close mentor Baz ,of “dis is our time,” fame,are we then surprise ,as to who are the true beneficiaries ,of her 4 years at the political helm.
One thing we can be certain of Sistaz Indrani / Indera-Gandhi, is this,your political idol ,Auntie K, has a long way to go,if she were to ever assume ,Statesman /woman status ,hummmmm?
Luv humanity people, & forget the tribe!
Failure so to do, can have dire consequences. Trust me on that.
Unifying role of the doubles man
Sunday, January 4 2015
THE EDITOR: As we begin the new year, it occurred to me that there is an important institution that perhaps as a society we have not yet embraced its mass contribution: the doubles stand.
Recently, I visited a stand at which there was a vast demographic of people — rich, poor, Negro, Indian, adults, children, whites — in unison sharing a common goal: purchasing doubles. I chuckled. For some reason I felt like a true Trini.
The role of the doubles man involves more than simply providing that mouth- watering, savoury dish that has become an integral part of our weekend breakfast traditions. Indeed, he represents much more.
The doubles man epitomises all that is still good and innocent in our land. The doubles man shows our capacity to be civil and respectful, to be honest and demonstrate that deep-rooted vein of togetherness that we sometimes forget to remember. He shows that we are capable of much more than petty racial tensions and politricks.
At his stand, we are home. There is no pressure, rage or obscenity, just idle enjoyment. In some neighbourhoods, the doubles man has come to represent the “uncle” figure. You may ask how this is all achieved. Consider this: One rainy morning at the stand I saw people huddled together, not quarrelling, not growing impatient but simply waiting, sharing shelter, chatting and eating their hot doubles.
At Mr Frank’s Doubles in St Augustine, patrons are allowed to place their money in a brown bag and take their change. This is just how it’s done. No fuss, just respect and honesty. No one eats and then cheats.
The doubles man has singularly kept us in a delicate balance. There is an unwritten, untarnished relationship among all members of the community when we meet at the stand. There is a pulsating trust among our people when we meet at the stand. Let’s never forget it.
Sometimes as a society we overlook the small windows of hope that are open to us. Those small windows of hope that tell us TT is still sweet.
So TT, remember this the next time you visit the doubles man and smile. You are part of a great nation and when we stand together there is always hope.
KEZIA REECE
“The doubles man has singularly kept us in a delicate balance. There is an unwritten, untarnished relationship among all members of the community when we meet at the stand. There is a pulsating trust among our people when we meet at the stand. Let’s never forget it.”
Trini Royal
Yeah Trini Royal,but that’s because you have never visited a pan yard ,where folks of all race ,tribr ,and color ,set up until the wee hours, to practice ,for a pulsation ,”trust,”and whine,during our national festival.
Not disputing that your doubles may be all dat ,as claimed ,but it can never beat the impact of that melodious steel drum.
As for yours truly,I still get the chills listening to Scrunter’s classic ,woman on the base -as performed by Allstars-with the realization ,that her husband was stuck at home ,hugging his pillow ,all by his lonesome, while this independent minded woman of his,was out there in crazy Lavantille practicing with dem Desparados boys ,and gals.
Who could forget Jit Samaroo,most likely, defying papa ,and mama,and opting for the steel drum ,over the tassa drum,way up there in Lopino?
Well ,the Amoco Renegades folks on Charlotte street,our T&T, as well as the entire music world at large ,were the beneficiaries.
Need I mention Euro American Andy Narell,who learned his craft ,at the feet of Len Boogsie Sharp, with that melodious Phase 2 Pan Grove,then moved on to Music Grammy fame ,and glory?
Some 16 years ago ,I found myself -while working as a Peacemonger ,in war ravaged Angola- scouting the music stores in Johannesburg, and Pretoria South Africa ,looking for some art forms ,to give to my fellow UN colleagues ,and what did I stumble on?
You bet,music from Brooklyn’s own ,Andy Narrel.
His new album was out,which was entitled, ‘de river come down,’and he was on tour ,performing to sell out audiences ,in the country.
No Royal Trini,he was not referring to de Caroni River ,but de East Dry River.
That’s the steel drum for you. Converted from the hands of old African slave grand -picknies ,to find a place within the corridors of power,along the halls of the United Nations New York,as a symbol of national creativity,national ,and regional integration.
Ummmm,the only musical instrument,created in the 20th century,by dem same allegedly lazy,shiftless,good for nothing T&T Africans.
Well,…dem upstart Bajans claimed they invented it,then decades later,with Patrick Manning’s help, successfully stole Tobago Flying fish,and came close to doing the same re our oil ,and gas .
Not to be outdone ,stupid Jamaicans, such as Peter Tosh,once dismissed it, as ‘old noise,’long before his crime laden island ,knew what was ,or rather ,could even spell Carnival.
Our astute Brazilian,Latin American neighbors,was able to skillfully, use de African derived Samba drums ,and beat ,to pull their nation together ,while making it ,along with the exotic dance ,a much adored fixture across the globe ,for good measure.
Maybe there is hope for us here in T&T, with the Steelpan,and ummmmm…de Doubles.
Then again perhaps not,for last time I checked, under this regime ,finance for the steel pan art form , decreased immensely ,over the past 4 years,while subsidies were extended for oil ,and flour,by Her Madjesstrick Queen K,and her UNC dominant, carbal manipulated PP.
Hey Royal Trini ,does one have to ‘be a rocket scientists’-as we say in de streets -to truly figure out,why matters of importance to these two competing tribes ,as they relate to culture ,are handled so differently, by your leader,who came to power ,on a platform of change?
Somewhere out there in lala land, Sham Mohammed, and brother Kamal,are having a good laugh,and why? Mastana Bahar,has evolved into Chutney Soca,and appear to have more clout-in terms of state financing-than the national festival Carnival,even if Afro Trini-extempo, Gerry curl hair- Mayaro Kiaso ,UNC ,MP,lord Winston Peters,aka Gypsey,is the Culture Vulture Minister.
As for culinary delights,Bake and shark is $TT 45.00 a pop,from Maracas ,to Bacolet Tobago,while doubles remain at four.
Now I did not go to one oh dem high end ,Trini elite schools such as your boy TMan ,but maybe those recent food subsidies ,are paying huge dividends, ehhhh Trini Royal.
Hey folks,I’ve said it once, twice, and three times my lady, but it’s worth repeating -The person who can make me hate dis land of mine, ain’t born yet!
Luv Humanity people, & forget the tribe! Failure so to do, can have dire consequences. Trust me on that.
You guys need to understand that Guiliani’s racist view of black people coincides with the Mamoos and other Aryans whose only difference from people like Guiliani and other white right wing racists is the geography of birth. I have argued this from time immemorial, that there is no difference between the White Racist and the Indian racist. Their prejudices has a common origin, and its ignorance only differ in terms of sophistication. That is to say that the white racist has managed to finesse his prejudice, while the Indian racist emits a raw and primitive prejudice that is rank and odious.
And we need to understand that it is the fact of Guiliani’s hostility to blacks that renders him appealing to the T&T regime. Were he more affable and objective in his views about crime fighting he would be persona non grata.
Black people in T&T and Guyana will wake up one day and find themselves fighting battles against enslavement like oppression that they thought they had won a hundred years ago. And as long as we continue to allow political correctness and guilt trip reverse psychological gambits to stifle our resistance to the effort to use crime, discrimination and other forms of social stratification established a thousand years ago in India, as a means of according status based on how one looks, we will be enabling and speeding up the dastardly effort.
So rise up you mighty Sons and Daughters of Africa and make your voices heard. Be intolerant of the accusations from racist who seek to silence any exposure of their attitudes, their malevolent antipathy for black people. After centuries of seeing the same things, the same views, the same rationalizations that were fashioned in support of the enslavement of our ancestors, surely we will not allow ourselves to fall into the trap of somnolence, into the trap of trusting the wrong people, into the trap of illusory expectations that anything other than racial hate and domination represent the motivations of many in and from T&T.
I will not like to see Guiliani in our country.
A 25 year old man was seen by an officer throwing his 5 year old daughter over a bridge, who eventually died.
After leaving the scene, the man tried assaulting police officers, he was charges with assault with motor vehicle.
That man, a white man, was apprehended.
Many of our black youths are assaulted when stop, as we know, some youths even surrender and was killed.
The statements Guiliani made was very appalling, he should not be a public servant anywhere in society.
Trinidad and Tobago is very gullible. I think anywhere they could hide money they going.
We will better fight crime when we educate our people and find better job situation for them. We have to find honesty with civil servants and the public.
Nobody can be trusted in TnT. We need that back again
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely
believe that this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks
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