Letters
When Patience Runs out by Etty Cameron
A bird’s eye view of black lives
It’s a truism that unresolved issues in the lives of people never go away. Instead those issues lie dormant like sores festering under the skin. And then – poof! A burst of pent up emotions find release in an incident like that of George Floyd in which four hundred years of similar treatment come rushing back. Four hundred years when black slaves had no name, no identity, and the only voice they had was that of acquiescence, ‘yes Master, yes Missis.’ Slavery has become the root of all the evils that black people face today.
The slaves were totally subjugated to the whims and fancies of plantation owners who held them in abeyance with the whip for not working fast enough in the hot sun even when they were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. Lives of slaves were important only to the extent they were of service to plantation owners. While both male and female slaves were treated severely, the male slaves were degraded and vilified. Male slaves watched their women and children being called to the mansion to fulfil the sexual gratification of the ‘Backra.’ Male slaves were impotent in that they could not complain to anyone nor could they protect their women or children.
A popular weekend activity at Codrington farm in Barbados, was the herding of female slaves into an enclosure where white men went for a joy ride with slave women for the sole purpose of impregnating them. The more children that were born, the more hands there would be to work the plantations down the years. Children were not born as children, but as slaves. Their work started at the age of three years and prolonged into a wearisome, tiresome, and inhumane existence from which there were no recourses as evidenced in the case of Dred Scott vs. Sanford in the Supreme Court in Minneapolis, 1856, when all slaves were legally emancipated.
Sanford moved from Atlanta to Minneapolis with his freed slave, Dred Scott. After Sanford’s death, Dred Scott wanted to go his own way, but Sanford’s family refused to let Dred go free, causing the matter to end up in court. In the Minneapolis Supreme Court, chief justice Brooke Taney said- “African Americans had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. No slaves, no blacks, free or slave could be citizens.”
So, the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis shows us what happens when justice is denied and patience runs out. The resurgence of protests in which black folks, joined by many others from the establishment, are making their voices heard in support of the demands for change, equal justice for all, defunding the police, eliminating racism, are demonstrative of the citizenry desiring to live out, to fulfil the clause in the constitution that “all men are created equal.” The protest has become a movement that transcends the death of George Floyd. It has forced governments around the world to take stock of their treatment of blacks, people of color, the underprivileged, the indigenous populations and many others who are victims of racism.
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama says, “when we feel empathy to others it shakes us out of our complacency, we are all forced beyond our limited vision.” This protest is like an awakening, it calls for better ways to deal with conflicts, show respect to all persons, provide equal opportunities for all irrespective of the color of their skins. It is a call to engage blacks at all levels of society not only in conversations but in practical ways. Their worth and their merit must be tangibly acknowledged.
For example, governments can start with equal pay for equal work right across the spectrum of society. All workers should feel the same sense of pride when a co-worker gets promoted because he is fully deserving, not because someone more qualified is passed over or the more qualified is a black person whose status quo must remain unchanged. When justice is fairly administered in a society, everyone should be able to breathe freely and ‘be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.’ (Martin Luther King Jnr.). Consider how beautiful the world will be when governments invest in practices that are geared to annihilate racial discrimination.
Professor Orlando Patterson, the head sociologist in the Harvard School of Divinity, reminds us that, “history can haunt communities… privileges from the past become the pain of the present.” The time has come when the faces of governments everywhere should begin to reflect the populace in their jurisdictions or political designations. Recipients who benefit from the avails of slavery cannot be content to rest on their laurels, they too, will be held accountable for not helping to support restorative justice.
A bird’s eye view of black lives
It’s a truism that unresolved issues in the lives of people never go away. Instead those issues lie dormant like sores festering under the skin. And then – poof! A burst of pent up emotions find release in an incident like that of George Floyd in which four hundred years of similar treatment come rushing back. Four hundred years when black slaves had no name, no identity, and the only voice they had was that of acquiescence, ‘yes Master, yes Missis.’ Slavery has become the root of all the evils that black people face today.
The slaves were totally subjugated to the whims and fancies of plantation owners who held them in abeyance with the whip for not working fast enough in the hot sun even when they were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. Lives of slaves were important only to the extent they were of service to plantation owners. While both male and female slaves were treated severely, the male slaves were degraded and vilified. Male slaves watched their women and children being called to the mansion to fulfil the sexual gratification of the ‘Backra.’ Male slaves were impotent in that they could not complain to anyone nor could they protect their women or children.
A popular weekend activity at Codrington farm in Barbados, was the herding of female slaves into an enclosure where white men went for a joy ride with slave women for the sole purpose of impregnating them. The more children that were born, the more hands there would be to work the plantations down the years. Children were not born as children, but as slaves. Their work started at the age of three years and prolonged into a wearisome, tiresome, and inhumane existence from which there were no recourses as evidenced in the case of Dred Scott vs. Sanford in the Supreme Court in Minneapolis, 1856, when all slaves were legally emancipated.
Sanford moved from Atlanta to Minneapolis with his freed slave, Dred Scott. After Sanford’s death, Dred Scott wanted to go his own way, but Sanford’s family refused to let Dred go free, causing the matter to end up in court. In the Minneapolis Supreme Court, chief justice Brooke Taney said- “African Americans had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. No slaves, no blacks, free or slave could be citizens.”
So, the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis shows us what happens when justice is denied and patience runs out. The resurgence of protests in which black folks, joined by many others from the establishment, are making their voices heard in support of the demands for change, equal justice for all, defunding the police, eliminating racism, are demonstrative of the citizenry desiring to live out, to fulfil the clause in the constitution that “all men are created equal.” The protest has become a movement that transcends the death of George Floyd. It has forced governments around the world to take stock of their treatment of blacks, people of color, the underprivileged, the indigenous populations and many others who are victims of racism.
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama says, “when we feel empathy to others it shakes us out of our complacency, we are all forced beyond our limited vision.” This protest is like an awakening, it calls for better ways to deal with conflicts, show respect to all persons, provide equal opportunities for all irrespective of the color of their skins. It is a call to engage blacks at all levels of society not only in conversations but in practical ways. Their worth and their merit must be tangibly acknowledged.
For example, governments can start with equal pay for equal work right across the spectrum of society. All workers should feel the same sense of pride when a co-worker gets promoted because he is fully deserving, not because someone more qualified is passed over or the more qualified is a black person whose status quo must remain unchanged. When justice is fairly administered in a society, everyone should be able to breathe freely and ‘be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.’ (Martin Luther King Jnr.). Consider how beautiful the world will be when governments invest in practices that are geared to annihilate racial discrimination.
Professor Orlando Patterson, the head sociologist in the Harvard School of Divinity, reminds us that, “history can haunt communities… privileges from the past become the pain of the present.” The time has come when the faces of governments everywhere should begin to reflect the populace in their jurisdictions or political designations. Recipients who benefit from the avails of slavery cannot be content to rest on their laurels, they too, will be held accountable for not helping to support restorative justice.
Spin-offs from COVID –19, Part 1. by Etty Cameron
As COVID-19 virus continues its surge, it remains important that we all stay focused on getting our primary information and advice from qualified health care professionals or specialists, many of who we have come to know during this crisis. Furthermore, we should learn to trust that they have our best interests at heart. Let us examine some spin-offs from the virus, that are publicly demonstrated by a large number of people.
Spin-off #1. Invincibility: Health care advisers concur that not all persons will suffer from the virus. Many people seem to claim invincibility from this statement. They feel they are among those who will not contract the virus, and if they do, it is no big thing. This could not be farther from the truth. Let us ask ourselves what guarantee do we have to prove that we are invincible when at present there is no vaccine to help those affected by this virus. Seniors especially should be wary of those who downplay the seriousness of the virus.
Spin-off #2. Selfish Acts: People who claim invincibility tend to practice reckless behaviors. In so doing they show blatant disregard for their own health and the well being of others around them. By appearing in groups, partying with friends, and staying in close proximity to folk who are not part of their household, such selfish acts jeopardize the health of those involved and may lead to community spread of the virus, while at the same time showing contempt for safety precautions and restrictions.
Spin-0ff #3. Prophetic interpretations: There are people who hold up signs along the road side with warnings of dire consequences. One such sign reads, ‘the end is near.’ How we interpret this sign is arbitrary. To some people it may be a confirmation of their beliefs, to others it might seem a preposterous assumption. Whichever way we look at it, we are forced to reflect, to ponder issues pertaining to our lives. Such a sign could become the topic of discussion or debate as you stay home.
Spin-off #4. Diarrhea: Before the medical advisers started their daily briefings, there was a rumor being circulated that a side effect of the virus was severe diarrhea in humans. This led to panic among people who went out stocking up on toilet paper and subsidiary products. Massive hording of select items led to a temporary shortage. Some hoarders tried to sell back these products at exorbitant prices until their illegally profiteering ventures were cut short by government intervention. To date, diarrhea has not been identified among the symptoms of COVID-19. Remember, rumors spread like wild fire. It is sometimes hard to establish the source and it cannot be readily contained.
Spin-off #5. Stress. COVID -19 causes disruptions in people’s lives around the world. As people are advised to stay home, self- isolate, quarantine, maintain social distancing, many get claustrophobic feelings. Others don’t adapt easily to new routines and many have lost their jobs among other things. And with many mouths to feed, with limited or no income available, stress becomes a factor in people’s lives. Ultimately, stress may lead to serious breakdown in health and compounds an already difficult situation. Since there is no certainty about the duration of the pandemic and when a vaccine will likely come about, some people become hopelessly stressed.
Scientists around the world are racing towards finding a cure, governments are putting relief measures in place to help alleviate the hardships, fears, and anxieties, that exist in all sectors of their population. We can relieve stressful situations by not becoming overwhelmed by excessive exposure to the COVID -19 news. We must establish and stick to our individual tolerance levels. Avoid listening to the news continually, get updates from reputable sources, lessen our visits to websites, and don’t entertain gossip that can confuse and create greater stress.
Watch for Part 2 in the next issue.
As COVID-19 virus continues its surge, it remains important that we all stay focused on getting our primary information and advice from qualified health care professionals or specialists, many of who we have come to know during this crisis. Furthermore, we should learn to trust that they have our best interests at heart. Let us examine some spin-offs from the virus, that are publicly demonstrated by a large number of people.
Spin-off #1. Invincibility: Health care advisers concur that not all persons will suffer from the virus. Many people seem to claim invincibility from this statement. They feel they are among those who will not contract the virus, and if they do, it is no big thing. This could not be farther from the truth. Let us ask ourselves what guarantee do we have to prove that we are invincible when at present there is no vaccine to help those affected by this virus. Seniors especially should be wary of those who downplay the seriousness of the virus.
Spin-off #2. Selfish Acts: People who claim invincibility tend to practice reckless behaviors. In so doing they show blatant disregard for their own health and the well being of others around them. By appearing in groups, partying with friends, and staying in close proximity to folk who are not part of their household, such selfish acts jeopardize the health of those involved and may lead to community spread of the virus, while at the same time showing contempt for safety precautions and restrictions.
Spin-0ff #3. Prophetic interpretations: There are people who hold up signs along the road side with warnings of dire consequences. One such sign reads, ‘the end is near.’ How we interpret this sign is arbitrary. To some people it may be a confirmation of their beliefs, to others it might seem a preposterous assumption. Whichever way we look at it, we are forced to reflect, to ponder issues pertaining to our lives. Such a sign could become the topic of discussion or debate as you stay home.
Spin-off #4. Diarrhea: Before the medical advisers started their daily briefings, there was a rumor being circulated that a side effect of the virus was severe diarrhea in humans. This led to panic among people who went out stocking up on toilet paper and subsidiary products. Massive hording of select items led to a temporary shortage. Some hoarders tried to sell back these products at exorbitant prices until their illegally profiteering ventures were cut short by government intervention. To date, diarrhea has not been identified among the symptoms of COVID-19. Remember, rumors spread like wild fire. It is sometimes hard to establish the source and it cannot be readily contained.
Spin-off #5. Stress. COVID -19 causes disruptions in people’s lives around the world. As people are advised to stay home, self- isolate, quarantine, maintain social distancing, many get claustrophobic feelings. Others don’t adapt easily to new routines and many have lost their jobs among other things. And with many mouths to feed, with limited or no income available, stress becomes a factor in people’s lives. Ultimately, stress may lead to serious breakdown in health and compounds an already difficult situation. Since there is no certainty about the duration of the pandemic and when a vaccine will likely come about, some people become hopelessly stressed.
Scientists around the world are racing towards finding a cure, governments are putting relief measures in place to help alleviate the hardships, fears, and anxieties, that exist in all sectors of their population. We can relieve stressful situations by not becoming overwhelmed by excessive exposure to the COVID -19 news. We must establish and stick to our individual tolerance levels. Avoid listening to the news continually, get updates from reputable sources, lessen our visits to websites, and don’t entertain gossip that can confuse and create greater stress.
Watch for Part 2 in the next issue.
Updated: August 2020