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

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

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".

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".

You think we'll get over it anytime soon?

I mean, look at it. All this noise about UBP this and racism that. Even here on this forum probably 100 posts mentioning Brent, but not one saying anything about his actual qualifications for DPM or PM. What is that?

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.

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!

whats that got to do with white people???
Im white too and they are just as stuck up to me ... i find Nassuvians "on a whole" very unfriendly .. white and black ..

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..)

While I agree with your observations, I must interject that the subtle indignation that black folk feel vibing from our white countrymen is very real.

Fact is, white folks in The Bahamas have always had the advantage, best schools, choice of land and houses, access to bank loans and plum jobs...long before Bahamian blacks were given access. Thus there is no reverse racism by Bahamian blacks...they (blacks) have absolutely no power to grant or refuse the privileges of the white population .

While I agree with your observations, I must interject that the subtle indignation that black folk feel vibing from our white countrymen is very real.
Fact is, white folks in The Bahamas have always had the advantage, best schools, choice of land and houses, access to bank loans and plum jobs...long before Bahamian blacks were given access. Thus there is no reverse racism by Bahamian blacks...they (blacks) have absolutely no power to grant or refuse the privileges of the white population .

now you just talkin crazy dread .. :footmouth

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...

[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]

Since you mentioned Freeport, thats where I grew up, and as a white Bahamian faced racism in the schools all the time. I was attacked simply for being white, white boy this, white boy that (oh yeah, I always won). Also turns out my best friend at Freeport High was not white. I didnt judge everyone just because of a few morons.

I cant remember if Freeport high is a government school or not (long time ago) but i do remember there only being a very minute existance of caucasion kids there.

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

And ... ive been in more altercations (self defence i promise) with White Bahamians ... besides the odd armed robbery and kidnapping.

Its the person's mind and manner that matters, not the color of the persons skin ...

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!


What areas are you talking off? Cause i mean if you mean the Ghetto, why would anyone, any color skin, want to live in the Ghetto if they can help it .. :confused: Sorry I dont like strewn garbage and back yard fires, and the sound of gunshots and potcakes kind of mess up my sleep cycle, which is already non existant .. ;)

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!

i dont think anyone is saying if it's white, its right! and i think very few of us spend our lives hoping to attain a 'seal of approval' or validation from our white peers! the fact is, we have an election coming up. it sad that the only 'debate' going on is about the colour of a candidate's skin. noone seems to care about qualifications, ambition, plan and leadership qualities. as a bahamian abroad, i used to find pride in telling people.."oh! we dont have any racial issues in my country! we all mixed up like conch salad!" so sad to see i was wrong.

also, i read your little story about your encounter on bay street...TWICE. what does that incident have to do with race? if i had a business, you better believe ALL PERSONAL RUNS BETTER BE DONE ON YOU OWN TIME. any successful bussiness person would tell you, you dont let your staff run free. and you know how some bahamians are, they taking lunch AND want leave early! WTF? no buddy. also, about the teen daughter operating the cash register...again nothing to do with racism - in my view. it could be that the other lady couldnt operate the register? and so what! you may say she could learn...but really in a country where (apparently), employee theft is a real issue, i would have my daughter on the register too!

Since you mentioned Freeport, thats where I grew up, and as a white Bahamian faced racism in the schools all the time. I was attacked simply for being white, white boy this, white boy that (oh yeah, I always won). Also turns out my best friend at Freeport High was not white. I didnt judge everyone just because of a few morons.
I cant remember if Freeport high is a government school or not (long time ago) but i do remember there only being a very minute existance of caucasion kids there.
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
And ... ive been in more altercations (self defence i promise) with White Bahamians ... besides the odd armed robbery and kidnapping.
Its the person's mind and manner that matters, not the color of the persons skin ...

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. Colour prejudice exists! Coming from all directions. At a school that is virtually all black I have seen light skinned students discriminating against dark skinned students. I have seen light skinned students discriminated against and picked on to the point that their grades dropped, they got into fights all the time.

People need to wake up to the fact that The Bahamas is a colour divided society. Any person in power who seeks support by playing on those reprehensiblel feelings is unworthy of leadership. I was betrayed by my party at the last election over this issue - I am sad to see they are doing the same again.

When will we learn?