By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
March 19, 2015
The recent firing of Board Member of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) Jaishima Leladharsingh by the Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dt. Bhoe Tewarie speaks volumes as to the overt misunderstanding, albeit confusion, between race and ethnicity in Trinidad and Tobago.
At the outset, it must be stated quite categorically and equivocally that the public remarks by Mr. Leladharsingh via Facebook were not racist; instead, they were downright “chupid”, unacceptable, foolish, insane, insulting, irresponsible and ignorant to the nth degree.
The salient ethnic reality is that after Mr. Leladharsingh had labeled Mr. Anthony S. Mcleod a “stinking nigger”, he should have immediately taken the time to “look at the man in the mirror” wherein he would have also seen/noticed a Xeroxed “stinking c…”
More specifically, Mr. Leladharsingh should be extremely glad and lucky that he uttered those words to a Trinbagonian because those would have been regarded as serious “fighting words” by an African-American.
The fact of the matter is that according to the 2011 population census figures: Indians comprise 35.43 per cent, Africans 34.22 per cent, Mixed Other 15.16 per cent, Mixed African/Indian 7.66 per cent and Caucasians (Whites) 0.59 per cent. Ergo, the majority population in Trinidad and Tobago is non-White, non-European, Black/African and people of color.
By way of elucidation, if a Prime Minister of African descent were to deny a radio license to a citizen of Indian descent, then, that is not a racist/racial decision. Instead, it represents ethnic discrimination/victimization because the two entities are of the same racial hue.
Conversely, the incidents that took place in the United States between police officers and unarmed African-American teenage males were indeed racist discrimination/victimization because the two entities are not of the same racial hue. Such racist incidents took place in Sanford, Florida; Ferguson, Missouri ; and Madison, Wisconsin.
African-Americans only comprise 13 per cent of the national population (minority). Ipso facto, the majority population of the United States is White.
This is the overt confusing correlation that has been and is still being made to describe events, decisions and/or public remarks/comments in the country.
Truth Be Told: The United States has a racial problem because of its minority-majority population paradigm/dynamics. Trinidad and Tobago has an ethnic problem because of its majority population paradigm/dynamics. And any attempt to equate the two scenarios tantamounts to mixing apples and oranges. Or as MC/comedian Sprangalang once put it: “mixing roti and egg.”
The fact of the matter is that “foreign” is neither the solution nor frame of reference in which to analyze the myriad of unfortunate incidents/decisions/issues/ public remarks that confront Trinidad and Tobago ; in fact, its use is the problem.
Indeed, now is the opportune time for all Trinbagonians “to get with the program” and to decease and desist from casting/painting such abhorrent Euro-centric labels on each other.
As the erudite, Afri-centric African-American scholar/historian Dr. Marimba Ani surmises: “You’re not an African (Indian) because you’re born in Africa (India). You’re an African (an Indian) because Africa (India) is born in you. It’s in your genes… your DNA… Your entire biological make up. Whether you like it or not that’s the way it is; that’s the way it is. However, if you embrace this truth with open arms… my, my, my, what a wonderful thing ” for all Trinibagonians to live by 24-7-365.
In the final analysis, the Afri-centric perspective on race versus ethnicity in Trinidad and Tobago strongly contends that the blood that unites us is thicker than the diasporan water and culture that seek to separate and divide us. Furthermore, we might have been brought violently, involuntarily and inhumanely from Africa and/or come mostly voluntarily from India in different slave/indentured ships but as Trinbagonians “to D bone”, we can only achieve national unity/identity and positive/potent nation-building in the same Pan Trinbagonian boat.
Shem Hotep (“I go in peace”).
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies.
‘he should have immediately taken the time to “look at the man in the mirror” wherein he would have also seen/noticed a Xeroxed “stinking c…”’
Wow, just wow. What a racist rant by another Pseudo-Intellectual.
You should be terminated from your employment just as he was.
Come Stewart… Koli: Koli, also called Kori, caste with many subgroups who inhabit the central and western mountain area of India. The largest groups of Koli live in the state of Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai, and in Gujarat state. The traditional occupation of the coastal Koli is fishing, although many are now employed in schools and government offices. The other land-based Koli are chiefly concerned with agriculture. The Koli are largely Hindu but retain some aspects of their former animism. They are listed as a Scheduled Caste in the Constitution of India, though their status remains ambiguous, with some members working to remove the Kolis from the Scheduled Caste list because of the stigma it carries and others enjoying the benefits of that status, such as more financial assistance and better educational opportunities.
People of African descent has benefitted the most under the Partnership government. Without going back too far about two weeks ago an agreement was made to give Civil Servant 14% increase and $1.9 billion in collective bargaining agreement. The Civil Service is controlled by people of African descent. The Partnership also settled 43 outstanding agreements left by the PNM to the tune of several billions. The PP gave them first access to government housing plus large pension and other goodies.
Compare that to the PNM putting 9,000 cane farmers mainly indians on the breadline with the closure of Caroni Ltd. A PNM minister proudly boast “we bust dey throat”.
To the issue of Jaishima, those comments was made to a particular individual last year March in a fit of rage. The person did not take offence but a PNMite researching the board of Jaishima came across those comments on facebook. The story really is comments made attributable to an individual remains as part of a person communication history. Ten years from now those comments can prove to be your downfall. The words that he used is today used as a term of endearment by young people in TnT. I have come across “I luv my nigga, get lost nigga etc”. The reason why youths are comfortable with that word is because they don’t understand the history of that word. Those who understand the history of the word in association with slavery in America finds it very, very offensive. As Bill Crosby once said there is nothing wrong with the word is just the hate that goes with it. I tend to agree.
What a lot of hogwash! It would appear that the word “Racism” is a No-No in TnT and the Government would go to any length (including the above “whitewash’ to “prove that it does not exist in TnT. Calling any person of African origin a “stupid nigger” is blatant racism and don’t insult my intelligence by telling me that it has a lesser effect on a Trini than on an African-American The writer is also trying to tell us that only Whites can be racists because of the wide disparity in skin colour. What trash!
And you will always find the Euro-supremacist trash about Africans benefiting from a Government comprised of those whose racial praxis are one and the same. It is the double entendre argument that black people should always be submissive to the power of those with this Aryan complex.
The measure of what Trini blacks receive from the PP regime, coming from little eichmen like Mamoo, has to be measured on a curve, because his understanding in this regard starts off from the premise that blacks are not entitled to anything in T&T. And so whatever he perceives that they might have received, will always be considered an excess of benefits by him. I mean what else can you expect from those whose greatest aspiration is to assume the role of the European Slave master in T&T, and whose perspective have already been shaped to accommodate attaining of that role.
Race is a human construct, racism is not. Racism is a behavior, and attitude formed on cultural beliefs that your group is superior to another. So you are more likely to see its manifestations from those whose heritage is cemented in this, and in whom it was brought to these shores as an extension appendage to what existed during slavery.Africans have no connection with such beliefs, and the two groups in this world in whom it is provable existent as a stratifying human social and discriminating system, are Europeans and Indians. So in terms of sharing the roots in a cultural belief system that Humans Groups are inherently superior and inferior, there is no daylight between the understanding of European and Indians, particularly those who are descendants of the indentured in T&T and Guyana.
I do not agree with the writer’s perspective, because any close examination of behavioral trends would establish that Whites are far less racist than Indian racist. Whites are more likely to rally with blacks against racism from their own kind than Indians are when the racism is against blacks from their kind, or from Whites. That is a reality that is inarguable every where in the world.
I believe that blacks need to cease this obsession with trying to convince Indians that we share some racial similarity. Indians do not accept this, so why are we wasting our time. Indians identify generally with the white end of the racial continuum, and neither hell or high water will move them from there. So we need to forget that, and understand that the same Aryan supremacist complex that fuel white racism, also fuels white racism. So when that racist used the “N” word against the blackman, he was channeling centuries of racist beliefs and practices that has become so imbedded in his psyche he might as well had been white.
And yes, he is lucky did not say that to an African American, or even a Jamaican. Blacks in T&T and Guyana are more tolerant of those kinds of pejoratives being used against them than Jamaicans and African Americans, who would kicked his ass seven ways from Sunday over it.
“Truth Be Told: The United States has a racial problem because of its minority-majority population paradigm/dynamics. Trinidad and Tobago has an ethnic problem because of its majority population paradigm/dynamics. And any attempt to equate the two scenarios tantamounts to mixing apples and oranges. Or as MC/comedian Sprangalang once put it: “mixing roti and egg.”
The Americans if they don’t like you they let you know. That is just the way they live there. In Ferguson where there was some racial tension despite a majority black population, the police force is overwhelmingly white. Toronto had a similar problem but they appointed a diversity officer and task him to provide minority support. This did not happen over night years of claims against police brutality and protest action effected this change.
If there is an effort to change things can change but sometimes the culture of fear and suspicion prevent such change.
In Trinidad for the most part racial equity is being achieved. The years of PNM pro city development saw alienation of the indian population living mainly in rural areas. Under the PNM rule jobs were really hard to get for rural folks and when they did, promotion was non existent because ” we party in charge”.
Dr Eric Williams observation of indians being “recalcitrant” was correct at that time because the people in the rural areas lived virtually independent of government. Everyone had a house a few acreas of land purchased from indentureship and so rice was grown and vegetables. Sugar cane was sold and families lived off the land not needing anything from the government. When their children left the land got an education they could not get a job because of entrenched institutional racism based mainly on fear.
Today all of that is changing and Trinidad will be better for it. The word recalcitrant is no longer applicable to the Indian population…. Is there a race problem, I would say no yes there are times when people talk foolishness…..but we kiss and make up.
One of the things that I notice about some of the people who blog is that they don’t understand that we did not just drop from a tree and arrive where we are today. My good friend TMan thinks that I am a dinosaur because I use history as a guide to today’s dilemmas. You see Mamoo, who and what we are has everything to do with our experiences. You only regurgitate what you read and hear. Part of the Indian mantra is that Eric Williams is responsible for leaving them is the rural areas ands that he called them a recalcitrant minority. The dictionary describes the word as “noun –
a person with an obstinately uncooperative attitude.” Independence was not handed to us on a silver platter or the white man got up one morning and decided that it is time to give those colored folks in Trinidad and Tobago their independence to do what they want. Dr Eric Williams, the intellect, the professor, the politician, the historian, the
author, the prime minister left the lofty teaching profession at Oxford, the university jobs in the U.S, and Chair at the Caribbean Commission to take us out of the colonial bondage from “mother Britain”. He fought the Americans and the British single handedly. When he asked for Chaguaramas, the British laughed at him, they (the British) reminded him that they signed a 99 years lease with the Americans and if he wanted it, he would have to wait till then. That did not stop him, he continued fighting and fighting both the British and the Americans for Chaguaramas, then the British for independence. He was solo in his quest for these achievements. Since you guys so like the quotation “recalcitrant” maybe you can inform us who on your side provided the cooperation with Dr Williams in his fight the things you guys boastfully enjoy today. You guys feel so enlightened and pompous about the power that you enjoy that you just decided to give away the land that Dr. Williams fought so hard to retrieve. Where was your help? You even employed a racist on your board of directors, calling people “stinking nigger”. Just imagine that that unqualified UNC activist, racist and board member enjoying the sweat of Dr. Williams then Dr. Williams people “niggers”. Mamma, please don’t offer any explanations about thing you know nothing about. Chaguaramas did NOT just become ours. Dr Williams deliverd that that for us and now you guys a giving it away as though it was just a piece a land that you just “acquired”, give me a break!
“Part of the Indian mantra is that Eric Williams is responsible for leaving them is the rural areas ands that he called them a recalcitrant minority”
Eric for the record took care of the rural areas. He ensure that there was a truck borne supply of water, roads were fixed and water ways cleared. It was Chambers and Manning who severely punish the rural areas. No water, no fixed roads, no water ways cleared. Eric understood the value of local government and made sure the funds was there. Rowley said he will get rid of local government, the PP has increase funding to local government.
Mamoo, I do not care for your choice of politics, nor do I care for your party of choice, but I do however, care for facts and how they are interpreted and disseminated. The way the word “recalcitrant” has been portrayed in your community, it carries a negative connotation. I just want to explain that based upon proper English translation of an act, the description he (Eric Williams) used to convey non-cooperation from your community was in fact proper. English is a beautiful language, let us not tarnish it as is presently being done by your prime minister, who has told us that the figurative use of animals like “dog” and “cat” shows disrespect and is insulting. I read where those words are now being translated as being nasty and disrespectful by the UNC leader, her women’s group and the Muslim Women’s group. Is there something particular about these organizations’ understanding of Words that the rest of us don’t know? I ask because they seem to take umbrage to so-called picong or colloqualism when spoken by the PNM and don’t seem to have any problem when the same type of figurative language is spoken by the UNC. Kamla is famous on the campaign trail for speaking about “Mr Bissessar’s pipe” and qualifies it by saying that it is the only one she has taken. I hear no such groups asking for an explanation or taking umbrage with her “piecing’. Recently on her campaign appearances in Barrackpore she mentioned that she has given away 95,000 laptops “not 95,000 lap dances”. Is such language spoken in good tastes with these groups who are now calling for Dr. Rowley to apologize for him saying that “if she bark at meh dog, I will ignore her cat”? If so, what is special about Kamla’s cat? Is it derogatory? Should we ignore her cat as Dr. Rowley is suggesting or is it only derogatory when spoken by the PNM? Without knowing exactly what kind of measuring standard they are employing to determine morality, we can go on forever with these innuendos. The need to tell exactly what is their understanding of piecing when Kamla gives it and piecing when given by PNM people. If per chance, they are saying that this kind of language is demeaning to women, why don’t they simply ask Kamla not to use it? On the other hand if women’s dignity is what they are concerned about, why did they not make a fuss when Kamla disgracefully dismissed Mary King? Why did they not question Kamla’s treatment of Eleanor Honeywell, when she passed on Ms Honeywell’s letter addressed to her and she gave it to Anand to investigate? Why don’t didn’t they speak up about Sharma’s treatment of his girlfriend and child’s mother and being a pundit at the same time? Why haven’t they questioned the morality of Ramadharsingh’s inviting women to his office and have them perform oral sex on him before he listened t9 their complaints? What kind of a morality message are they sending to us? Are they saying that morality has a double standard? If so, what kind of standard are they living by and who are they to speak about public morality? It would seem that when taken into context, these requests for apologies from PNM men are empty, when compared to the morality exhibited by the UNC. If we are talking about dog and cat, it would also seem that PNM men have no liking to Kamla’s cat, especially when she barks at their dog. So folks, stop being silly and be serious when you come out in public and speak about public morality!
According to the Law using your political office to lie, waste tax dollars and promote falsehood carries with it a 20 year jail term. Do you think Dr. Rowley should go to jail for lying?
FACTS ABOUT THE E-MAILS
1. anan@gmail does notexist and cannot be created due to gmail “6” characters requirement.
2. The dates in some of the emails do not match real calendar dates.
3. The time zone is not consistence
4. Rowley has changed his tune about Thomas Smitham of the US Embassy involvement
5. The date format “9/06/12” are wrong
6. You cannot send one email from 2 different email addresses and the recipient would receive it as one email. In other words you cannot send an email from anan@gmail.com and anand@tstt.net.tt to kamlapb1@gmail.com and Kamla would receive one email.
7. The Judiciary has denied any request was made to promote DPP Gaspard to a judge.
8. The US Embassy has denied any knowledge of a conspiracy.
9. Sunday Guardian editor Debra Wanser has denied anyone from the Government ever asked her to pull or suppress any story in connection with Section 34.
10. The DPP has denied anyone from GOVT approached him about appointment as Judge
11. United states information technology expert Jon Berryhill says the emails are fraudulent
12. Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams admits emails fake
13. US court Docs citing Google data: anand@tstt.net.tt DOES exist, but alleged Emailgate emails were never sent.
14. US court docs, citing Google data: kamlapb1@gmail.com DOES exist, but Emailgate emails were never sent.
15. January 15, 2015. AG Ramlogan wins emailgate defamation claim against Opposition leader Dr. Keith Rowley. Rowley and Al Rawi failed to file a defence in the law suit and asked for an extension. They did not honor the deadline date AGAIN and the judge has ruled against them.
CONCLUSION: FAKE
The author is clueless about race issues in the USA. Take a deep look into violent crime statistics. A LOT more goes on every damn day that never gets reported due to the political correctness of the American news media. Meanwhile Ferguson gets 24/7 coverage.
To propose that in any country with three centuries of chattel enslavement where one group was the victim, where there were constitutional rules that relegated that group to less than human, were there is an abundance of evidence of racial preference, that there is not a racial problem after barely 50 years of reformations is not only silly, it is obscenely ludicrous. Racism is a product of cultural belief systems that some group is inferior and another is inferior, and as i constantly reference, the evidence of origin and existence is graphically present in any objective examination of the religious and cultural belief systems passed down from generation to generation in line with this premise.
I have also argued that when examines the similarity between the perspective about black people by some Trinidadian Indians and Right Wing Whites from Apartheid South Africa to Jim Crow and current America, the shared perspective and prejudice is too poignant to ignore. So the resort to the “N” word to describe a black man, and the rationalizing crap that the PPP did more for blacks, or that Indians were discriminated against by the PNM when any economic or social measurements of distribution and growth shows no evidence of the economic edifices conditioned by such transference of resources, that is no different than in the US right wing arguments that reverse discrimination is the most prevalent form of discrimination in the US, when by every measurement the benefit gap continues to favor the population group on whose behalf those disingenuous arguments are being made. I mean, one can predict with 100% degree of certainty what one will see in the reaction of some when evidence racism from an ethnic affiliate is exposed, by just harkening back to what obtains in the US under similar circumstances.
I hold very strongly to the credo postulated by Malcolm X, that he is prepared to enter into brotherhood with anyone, but he will not waste his time seeking brotherhood with those who unequivocally are not interested with it. And for my, this is unconditional, unapologetic and unrestrained. I am not going to pander to your guilt trip crap that I am racist just to silence my voice from pointing out, “hey, check the trail of your cultural heritage that arrived in T%T intact”. I am also not going to allow myself to accept the dumb and illiterate propositions that the definition of racism is contextually and subjectively malleable.
There is one salient and irrefutable historical fact in the behaviors of population groups all over this world. And that is, in every theater of racial discrimination against non white groups, Africans have always been virtually alone in the vanguard taking on the forces of that racism. Of course I must pause to give credit to the minority of Indians in South Africa who were able to get past their inherited prejudices to join the ANC in the struggle against apartheid, who went to prison because of that position, while the vast majority of their ethnic brethren took a position that they would prefer to live under a white racist system as long as they were not classified in the same row as blacks. But excepting for that, the fact is, when blacks charged the barricades of racism and discrimination and oppression in those theaters, the only other group that joined and even today join them, are whites.
Just watched the movie SELMA. If the portrayal is accurate, there were more Whites and other races than Blacks walking over that bridge in support of the Civil Rights movement.
Malcolm X refused King’s offer of joint forces in this very significant and symbolic march. I am basing my comments on the contents of the movie and I readily admit that I am no expert on this topic.I was deeply moved by the struggle of Blacks in this movie.
“She could jump high, she could jump low, she could drink this, she could drink that, she could bark at meh dog, I go ignore she cat”……… These are the words reportedly used by Dr, Rowley in reference to Kamla’s incessant name calling and and derogation of him. Kamla has described it as an insult, the UNC women’s league has called it disrespect and many other UNC operatives have taken umbrage to this statement. The newspapers has reported the language as colloquialism. I have read the statements over and over again and my best analysis of it is that it is English spoken not in literal language but spoken to mean that “you should mind your business and if you continue, I will ignore you”. If I were to be given that statement in English Literature and asked to associate it, I obviously would think in terms of animal. A question like this “If you bark at meh dog, I will ignore your cat” and words were given to associate the dog and cat, like “what would you replace the words “dog” or “cat” with – house, car, room, sex, luggage, fowl, ambulance. My honest answer would naturally be fowl. because dog and cat are animals and fowl as an animal would be a natural replacement. But still, there is a hue and cry about the meaning of the language, if I were a fool I could swear that most people criticizing would replace the word with “sex”. To me the context is too vague to be associated with sex. I remember that that same woman, Kamla on the campaign trail used the word “pipe” in reference to her husband and much was made out of it. I am still at a l;so to understand exactly what she was talking about when she explained that she was only talking about her husband’s pipe. Now people, tell me, was Kamla referring to her husband’s pipe or was she referring to a sexual innuendo? Because words can convey so many different meanings, I will always MAKE SURE THAT I understand context before commenting. I would like to use this forum to ask those who take umbrage to Dr. Rowley’s comments to please explain, what exactly do they think he meant by his comments? Any takers? Before we can make any meaningful conversation of the matter, I think that it ia a prerogative that we all understand what those opposed to the statement, think it means. There is no doubt in my mind that he was talking about dog and cat. To those who think otherwise, could you please exaqggerate, so we can take this conversation further? Your turn……
“Dr. Rowley’s comments to please explain, what exactly do they think he meant by his comments?”
In words of Donna Cox that man P*nis hard, she reasoned “I don’t know why women would not vote for him”. The PNM campaign has been based on Rowley’s endowment so far, within PNM circles it is a topic of conversation especially amongst the woman, we can assume that because of the comments above. Mojo and sex appeal has always been potent combinations for women when they go to the polling booth. Dr. Rowley comments about the PM plays into that narrative. So far he has presented no new ideas to the nation and he is asking people to vote for him…lol
Mamma your statement lacks logic and any sense of purpose other than to ‘talk Dr Rowley bad’. The reason why I keep asking for an explanation is that I know those who take umbrage to it, have SEX on their minds. And that is the dirtiness of your thinking. It is NOT what Dr. Rowley said, it is what you interpret it to mean. Your are a dirty old man for going in that direction. Besides I don’t think any right thinking young man will have a ‘ha*d on'(as you interpret it) for Kamla. The problem with people Trinidadians is, that they always think they know what you are saying without examining what is being said. Plus it seems as you know what everybody is thinking eh? Nasty thoughts Mamoo, cleanse you inner thoughts, it is shameful that you get paid for thinking about SEX.
Let’s ignore the contents of Rowley’s crude comments for a moment. The deragatory tone and suggestive mood emanating from these words are unbecoming of anyone aspiring to lead a nation and speaks volumes about the questionable strategy and quality of someone who would use a political platform to “bark”.
“Let’s ignore the contents of Rowley’s crude comments”, now, lets see, I ask again, explain what is crude about the words “She could bark at meh dog, I go ignore she cat”?. I suspect that in this country we all speak the same language – English. I am yet to hear an explanation of those words, but there are lots of opinions relating to Dr. Rowley’s aspirations to be prime minister. OPINIONS – mind you. I WANT AN E-X-P-L-A-N-A-T-I-O-N of the words uttered by Dr Rowley. I have printed it so many times and asking for an explanation and all I get is opinions. I know the opinions of the people writing even before they write, but I need an explanation of the derogatory, insulting, crude, suggestive and whatever the impulse is to describe Dr. Rowley’s choice of words. Why is everyone afraid to render an explanation of the words? I do have some insights but it would be unfair to look into people’s minds and suggest what they are thinking. I am awarer that the official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English, I am also aware that in calypso there is English in the form of double-entendre, there is also mauves langue and then there is colloquialism to which the newspapers intently categories the statement but they were careful enough not to offer any suggestions. In order to engage in meaningful discussions I am sure most would agree that we must all be on the same page. Speaking for myself, I consider the statement plain English and took it for what it is – Dr. Rowley’s dog and Kamla’s cat. I will leave it at that!
Well probably every black person today interested in civil rights struggles have seen the real life images of those marches, since they do exist. Whites are the only racial groups who blacks could count on to have their backs, so blacks need to change the entire priority rankings of “their friends”. Because although they should never forget the history of their oppression, they must understanding that there is nothing in this present to indicate that their lot might not have been worse if the oppressive group was one of the aspiring new slave master groups.
Hell, What the hell do I care about the pratings of these little eichmen. I mean look at it. Can it be any closer to what you see coming from the crazies on Fox to every word that comes from Obama or any national black figure. It is what they do, it is how they are mentally configured.
Obama pointed out that Australia had compulsory voting and voting was high there, and said ruefully that politics would change if more people voted in the US. That is what he said. He did not advocate compulsory voting in the US. But the right wing immediately jumped on him accusing him of calling for the violation of Americans basic freedoms and right.
These guys are clones of the right wing Tea Party elements in the US, or the right wing tea party elements in the US are clones of them. The similarities are too vivid to be coincidental.
So when I read their rantings, I do so with the understanding that our dear Trini homeland also produce a similar crop of mindsets like those African Americans have to contend with in the US. And the sooner this understanding becomes ubiquitous among Africans across this Caribbean Geography, the less time we will spend pursuing that elusive dream that people will one day manage to separate themselves from the crutches of ethnic prejudice that has been cemented in their psyche for generations, and without which they might be pulling their hair out, stripping their clothes off, and running stark naked down the street.
Because when your entire psyche, your sense of self is constructed on an inverse proportional set of ideas that you are superior merely because your origin is Mother India, and these ideas are reinforced by religious and cultural socialization, doctrines and interpretation of those doctrines, and you loose it voluntarily or involuntarily, aint nothing left for you to elevate your group ego. So you go bonkers.
Two thoughts Rodwell. We need to constantly remind our people the importance of Dr. Eric Williams book ‘Capitalism and Slavery’. It has all the ingredients that there is to know of our brown cousins. They were brought here not to be friends of the black man, they were brought here, knowing that they don’t give a damn about them. It pity those who has high hopes that ‘we can all live together’. There are pockets of ‘living together’ but as long as there is the Kamla’s, Sat Maharaj, Ramlogans, Rambachans and Gopeesinghs, that and God’s face they will never see. I am in agreement that inspire of the white man’s ill treatment of us, he does have a heart. When the struggles are for the common good and decency of mankind, the white man, despite his cruelty will come to the aid of the black man.