Submitted by Looking Glass
So England paid the Caribbean slave owners to release the African slaves they had “enslaved, brutalized and exploited. The freed slaves by comparison received nothing in comparison in recompense for their dehumanization, their cruel treatment, the abuse of their labour, and the plain injustice of their enslavement – BU April 14/2013
The Caribbean is a region with many countries many of whom had no relationship with England and or slavery. To write about Caribbean slavery without being specific as to the islands involved is to put it mildly is misleading.
In the case of Barbados the absence of history heightens our inability to think with clarity. The British discovered Barbados I believe in 1640. Indians were the only residents there. Some eventually migrated to British Guyana. The first English settlers the vast majority of whom were Jews wanted to grow coffee but England needed sugar. To this end they sent in some INDENTURES/white slaves, arranged for Blacks to be sent from Nigeria and paid them to work on the land. Unlike the USA they did not buy the African blacks.
The Whites not the Blacks developed the country and made it a democracy from about 1845. 18 year old George Washington first learned about democracy when he visited the island with his sick brother who came for treatment in 1895. He made America democratic I believe in 1950. That a sick American came to the country for treatment is an indication of the country’s development at the time. Among other things the Whites built the hospital, established social services and the business sector. Four Jewish indentures were instrumental in building the Bridgetown business sector. Their businesses are still in existence. A few Blacks set up their own business; one had a chain of six shops.
Elementary and the major secondary schools were established before 1900 to accommodate the kids/girls and boys the vast majority of who were and still are Black. This at a time when the Whites were not more than 20% of the population and 25% today. After school the White kids went to work in the family business, a few went abroad. The Black kids went to work in Bridgetown and the government; some became professionals others masons, carpenters etc. A few worked in their family stores but a many were unemployed. The economy as was structured then could not absorb them. Many migrated to the UK and North America to work and or to pursue higher education. Few Blacks went into big business. The same is not true today, but only a few can now migrate.
The Jews developed, built and governed Barbados until Blacks took over the government around 1925. They introduced and managed cricket and had three clubs, but only about 6 Whites ever played for Barbados. It is hard to believe that a racist group would devote so much time, energy and money in developing a country in which they were not more than 20% of the total population. It is unlikely that you would have done so had the situation been reversed. A few married black women and along with some others had Brown Skin children from black women. Like some Blacks not all recognized and supported their bastard kids.
They interacted and socialized with you at school, work and play, but did not generally entertain you in their homes. Could this be the reason why they are seen as racist? Black and White behaviour is similar in many ways. If so then Blacks are also guilty of what amounts ‘black class racism’ within the black community. Upper class Blacks do not normally entertain lower class souls at their homes. The same is true for the middle class. How you view and relate to the Brown Skin souls is another story.
Stop blaming the Whites some of whom were also indentures who like your fore parents worked on the land. They are only about 25% of the population. It is now your turn to develop to further develop the country. So far there is little to suggest that this is being done. As I said before our only natural resources are land, sea and sun. Use them to develop the country. Economically the country as currently structured cannot absorb the work-pool. Until you do the country will fall deeper in debt. And stop relying on foreign investment and Tourism to see you through. Despite what some think Tourism cannot save you. These days Blackie wants nothing to-do with the land that brought that brought their fore-parents to the island. Ultimately it remains their one salvation
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