[COLOR="Purple"]Gully, while defending your right to participate fully in
Bahamian society with all the freedom you desire, I must point out that it is not a simple reverse racism scenario that is prevalent in The Bahamas.
White Bahamians, privileged or not always had access to the things I listed in my previous post. If you do not subscribe to that notion, then our argument may have reached a stalemate.
/COLOR]

You are obviously very angry at being discriminated against by white Bahamians. I feel those very same feelings. When I meet a white Bahamian for the first time I still feel a sense of distrust. You can't lose those feelings overnight. Understand, though, that when you let those feelings determine for you how you react to someone about whom you have absolutely no prior knowledge save their skin tone you are PRE-JUDGING them by definition. This is prejudice (by definition). I will admit that there is a different dynamic when power and wealth is involved and the truth is that much of the power and wealth in The Bahamas is held by white Bahamians. Black Bahamians do hold very real political and social power in the Bahamas, though, and can and do exercise that political and social power in a discriminatory manner.

Bottom line - prejudice by one group cannot justify prejudice by another group. Not only is this wrong, but will lead to disaster. Look at Zimbabwe.

Why are we black people scared of a white prime minister or deputy prime minister?

interesting question...

Well I'm not scared. I doubt people are scared. But there is still a black/white thing in our minds. Why cant we look at a white man, and say thats a Bahamian, or thats a person. No, we put on our radar, 'white man over white man alert'. We see a white/black couple, and what do we think "boy how dey chirren ga look".

hmmm

Typical of the self-depreciating psyche of the Bahamian....'If it's white, it must be right!'
Has anyone thought about what the white elite of our country think of the average black Bahamian?
No, but I know what the black elite think of the average black Bahamian...
Black elite refuse to associate with the average black Bahamian, in fact they moved East and West in order to be neighbors with their new class...

Typical of the self-depreciating psyche of the Bahamian....'If it's white, it must be right!'
Has anyone thought about what the white elite of our country think of the average black Bahamian? And that the fear of that same average Bahamian is actually based in reality, a reality that many of us do not want to face up to: 'dey don't like us, dey tink we're boarish and unsophisticated. And the ones who don't tink like that...don't tink about us at all....to them we do not exist because we do not affect their favoured lives in no way.
My ire was raised to its limits last month while on Bay Street. We stoped in Pyfrom's (I beleive it's called). Here, in the middle of Nassau in 2005 blatent disgrace. Two white women one stuffy (Ms. Piggy) and about 40, the other suck (Olive Oyle) and abot 55. Both standing behind the area of the cash register. As we entered the shop, Ms. Piggy was laying into an employee for asking permission to run out to the bank before it closes. The employee was and elderly (50ish) black woman, standing there, eyes brimming with tears as her employer Ms. Piggy berated her with Olive Oyle giving encouragemnet. Telling here, even with patrons present, that she shoulda use her lunch time to go to the bank and not the company's time.
Now ordinarialy this would not be a big deal for me..but you should have heard their tone and seen the hurt in the employee's eye. And, when the employee - some 10 years older than the older of the two winches -answered "yes Maam" to her tormentor....well I was ready to buss!
We've always been taught to respect and honour our elders. It was obvious that these women did not get that lesson. Adding insult to injury was the fact the these women were the only ones allowed to handle cash at the busy shop. Like all a'we does teef! They even had a pre-teen doughter of Ms. Piggy cashing.....It just felt wrong and weird....
Nassauvians need to fix that issue of the Bay Street merchants....too many massas opressing folk....too many 'Yes Maam's!

Bey, you is one nut, dread!
dat's wrong with all yinna gov'ment 'employees nah, wanting two and three lunch break...
The woman works down town near all the banks, had an hour lunch break, and still want go run personal errands...that's just wrong...

Personally, I would have sent her home for the day for being so assified to ask such a request...then she would have done all the banking she wanted to do.

I've been in a store in Nassau, standing in the checkout line, and had a black employee look behind me and serve the black customer who should have been after me..not because I'm white, but because thats the way it works..first come first serve..I had stood behind black people to wait my turn! whats up wid that ****! But I dont think all black people are like that! You cant take one incident and brand everyone because of it! Fools and rude, no manners people come in all colours, shapes and sizes..and cartoon look alikes (ms. Piggy, olive oyl..)

gully rock you conchie joe too...dang...
yall make up a third of the board members...
Just joking...lol

now you just talkin crazy dread .. :footmouth

man, you just learn he talking fart?

Fact is not all white people come from privlege and are able to afford choice land, choice schools, etc..Fact is white Bahamians ARE discriminated against in this country. How many white Bahamians have jobs in the civil service..these are the secure jobs..and don't give me that line about not wanting to be a part of anything..we know it een likely to happen! I have applied for a govt. job and I know for a fact that I was more ACADEMICALLY qualified than the person who now holds that job!! My child attends public school and faces discrimination every time he is told by some ignorant person that the black in the flag represents black people...or he uses one of those beautiful Bahamian textbooks that does not include any white people...or watches that ad on ZNS that shows all the children..the future of our country..and not one white, biracial, oriental, indian Bahamian child is shown! ANd in national celebrations a white Bahamian face is not found...often asked to donate, but never to participate!
Despite all of this I have a lot of black friends and the vibe you talk about doesnt come from me... The vibe I get from some people is that white Bahamians should just GO! Go where? Our passports and birth certificates say we are citizens of the commonwealth of the Bahamas. We een got no where to go! This is our home too! And I am proud to be Bahamian...

wow, powerful aye...
Man I been hearing the triangle in the flag black because of the people for years; And trying to convince people other wise is impossible...they hiding information from the masses man, its a plot to stay in control. And if the white people leave...who will run down town? lol just kidding...I know the Cubans and the Haitians will step up to the plate.

Rory I sure agree with you here. In schools (public and private) where whites are in the minority color prejudice is rampant. In all but a very few private schools, blacks are in the majority.
Name me one school where blacks aren't in the majority?

Ofcourse if I get called White boy now (would be nice cause i dont look that young anymore), i simply answer back, what's up black boy, yellow boy, green boy, red boy ...whatever ... only to show them how "ignant" that sounds .. :D

Man Rory, you wrong for that...

Man Rory, you wrong for that...


:p

[COLOR="Purple"]Gully, while defending your right to participate fully in
Bahamian society with all the freedom you desire, I must point out that it is not a simple reverse racism scenario that is prevalent in The Bahamas.
White Bahamians, privileged or not always had access to the things I listed in my previous post. If you do not subscribe to that notion, then our argument may have reached a stalemate.
While attending high school in Freeport, a public institution, I always marveled at the fact that while my school was know to have the most advanced curriculum and was known to produce a disproportionate amount of top tier scholars, the student population of 1300 only contained 2 white students; a rambunctious boy and his harping sister. At the same time, the private institutions were predominantly white with an average of 500 students. you must admit that there is almost no representation of the white Bahamian populace in the public school system.
Also, why are there certain areas of all islands in The Bahamas where white folk choose to live. Blacks live everywhere, even in areas designated (unofficially) as white areas. Don't see too many of our white brothers moving into the thickets with blacks though!
Living in Canada I am the alternate to what you must be feeling (although this country is becoming increasingly multicultured). /COLOR]

Hey Jessup, sorry but I agree with gullyrock and disagree with you. Seems you never lived here! How come you are not aware of the gross reverse discrimination in this country, particularly Nassau!? Ever heard of the Goon
Squads!? If it were not for reverse discrimination, the PLP would have a big problem to win elections! they preach and play the race card every chance they get!

You talk about the whites finding the blacks boorish and unrefined. Well, well -- I am black and I myself find some blacks to be that way also. At times I come across a few who are so uncouth and rude, I wonder what kind of rock they born or grew up under!!!

You talk about whites not wanting to live among blacks! Tell you what, just a little secret between us: Check the proportion of Bahamian whites compared to Bahamian blacks residing at Her Majesty's Prison and that should give you an idea why! :shhh:

Name me one school where blacks aren't in the majority?


Spanish Wells!! Guana Cay! Man of War!!!

OMG! Das three!! Must be a conspiracy to overthrow the Government!!!

Jessup, I might invite you to Gullyrock, where white and black people go to the same school, churches, restaurants, parties, celebrations and even marry each other!! There are a few of these places in our country and some are very successful! When you come over, I goin let you sleep in my house in my almost white neighbourhood, eat conchie joe food ( you know we cant cook, hey??) and I promise not to give you the vibe!
As a white Bahamian who grew up with wonderful black friends, when I read some of these perceptions about US, I feel we are SOOOO misunderstood!
As to whites not wanting to live in a ghetto, get real..anyone who has a chance tries to better themselves, and no disrespect to persons who live in the ghetto, but ghetto is usually synonomous with a lower standard of living! Truth is my friends most of us, black or white, are class prejudiced!!

Jessup, I might invite you to Gullyrock, where white and black people go to the same school, churches, restaurants, parties, celebrations and even marry each other!! There are a few of these places in our country and some are very successful! When you come over, I goin let you sleep in my house in my almost white neighbourhood, eat conchie joe food ( you know we cant cook, hey??) and I promise not to give you the vibe!
As a white Bahamian who grew up with wonderful black friends, when I read some of these perceptions about US, I feel we are SOOOO misunderstood!
As to whites not wanting to live in a ghetto, get real..anyone who has a chance tries to better themselves, and no disrespect to persons who live in the ghetto, but ghetto is usually synonomous with a lower standard of living! Truth is my friends most of us, black or white, are class prejudiced!!

This is what I'm trying to say. We need to treat every person on his or her merits, not worry about about their skin color their, nationality, their political or religious affiliation, etc. Goodness knows we are a small country and have so few human resources to begin with. We cannot afford to have our people working against one another. It just don't make sense. That is why it hurts when politicians (and religious leaders but that's for a different discussion) divide us in order to win elections.

And we go right along with them because we want to be able point the finger whenever something goes wrong.

I'm glad to hear that there are some Bahamians who have moved beyond that.