Prejudice in Jamaica

I've always boasted that living in Jamaica has shielded me from being subjected to racism and the ONLY time i had ever experienced racism was in the United States of America. As i grew older i realized that we Jamaicans are indeed prejudiced against each other when it comes to what shade of black we are and its quite alarming how we treat our fellow Jamaicans. I've also realized that alot of us are VERY hypocritical when it comes to our views on skin colour.

I'm sure in conversation we've all said or heard someone say "Yeh man mi aunty a half coolie u kno" or " Mi grandmodda hair did long down har back, dats why mine have di likkle curl" or " Mi daughter yeye fayva chiney, lawx she cute!". Everyone......well let me say ALMOST everyone is more than proud to associate themselves with a race other than Black. I dont know what it is about us, but we have been doing it since forever. When you go out on the road, men seem to always call to the "brownin"...rarely do they call to the darkest of women.....which is why now the Bleaching trend is so strong amongst downtown and/or inner city females these days. Everybody waan be brown it seems.

So why is it that we Jamaicans treat the naturally brown or light skinned as if they are walking scum? The amount of times i've heard the phrase "Di damn brown gyal.....(kiss teet) dem gwaan like dem betta dan ppl" or " A tru dem brown and have money mek dem a gwaan so". When the Miss Jamaica World pageant chose Kerri Baylis as our winner and representative for the Miss World pageant, Jamaica was in an uproar. "Is a rhatid white gyal dem go choose?!?"...."She nuh look Jamaican!!"

I have to pose this question to Jamaicans....we all live here, we walk the streets, we see different people everyday, yes? What does a Jamaican look like? While you're thinking of the answer, please keep a mental note of our national motto, "Out of many, one people".

Jamaica is what i call a cultural pepperpot soup, from the day slaves were emancipated, Jamaica has been home to generations of Africans, Indians, Chinese, Arab, Irish, German and a horde of other nationalities....and they stayed here, made this country their home and today, so many people carry genes of at least one of these nationalities. So why is it that so many of us are ignorant enough to think that only a black person can represent Jamaica? Why is it that so many people, want the brown skin, want the long hair, want the straight nose (like miself yah wid dis rhatid potato pon mi face...ehem)...BUT we cannot accept those who are born with these features naturally? Are we THAT oppressed? Are we so unwilling to emancipate our minds and accept our fellow nationals? Why do you think Americans spew the same garbage out their mouths when they see a mixed person talking with our accent? "You dont look jamaican!" **confused face**...and when asked what THEY think a Jamaican looks like, the common answer is, "Black, with dreads....and smoking a spliff"

Its time we learn to understand the meaning of our motto, each and every one of us, and stop treating light-skinned Jamaicans as if they are frauds. They went to the same prep/primary schools as us, the same high schools, the same universities, ate the same food, attend the same sessions and go to the same clubs. Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery people, rise above ignorance.