Bigelow,John (Author) and Scholnick, Robert J. (Author)
Format:
Book, Whole
Publication Date:
2006
Published:
Urbana: University of Illinois Press
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
Originally published: New York & London : Putnam, 1851., 214 p, After Jamaican slaves were fully emancipated in 1838, the local economy collapsed. Driven by a belief in the innate inferiority of the black race and bolstered by this apparently disastrous Jamaican example, Americans who defended slavery convinced many that emancipation at home would lead to economic and social chaos. Collecting John Bigelow's vivid firsthand reporting, Jamaica in 1850 challenges that widely held view and demonstrates that Jamaica's troubles were caused not by lazy blacks but by the incompetence of absentee white planters operating within an obsolete colonial system.
For the last three weeks, the readers of this column have been able to follow Dr. [Anthony P. Maingot]'s speech about Haiti's history of war of liberation and internicine struggles which have been such a burden for the First Black Republic. He began with "the issue of the moment," namely the reparation from France for 200 years of slavery. Haiti's political culture, its "developed legacy of behavior, " is not conducive to development. The second issue studied by Dr. Maingot is the U.S. occupation of Haiti, which "rested on the idea of the White Man's burden" - its Manifest Destiny. But, on balance, the occupation was not entirely negative. The very racism of the White invaders was a reality check for Haitian society. Yes, by treating all Haitians (whether dark skinned or light skinned Mulattoes) as "Niggers," no more no less, the foreign invaders reconciled the subjective ideas of superiority and/or inferiority of the Haitians with their own, i.e., their more objective, non involved, opinions as powerful occupying forces. Thirdly, Dr. Maingot analysed a cultural element that had, and continues to have, a great impact on Haitian society. That major cultural factor, of course, is the syncretic religion called vodoo.
Although discussions of race disappeared from Cuban literature after the revolution of 1959, they reappeared as a result of Cuba's difficult economic situation in the 1980's
N'COBRA insists that the Haitian People be the ones to be entrusted - as an honest, hardworking and brilliant nation that they are - in the whole of the recovery and rebuilding effort in Haiti. No sovereign nation can depend on another for such an effort. While it is true that desperately needed aid to Haiti from all corners of the world is always to be appreciated, we firmly believe that it is up to the People and only the People of Haiti to direct and implement this effort as a resourceful nation to whom Re-parations have been long overdue due based on the past history. Contact: Fanuel Seku - 786 539 8239 Ayiti Tamn Tamn/VeyeYo, K.X.A. Rashid - 786 402 5286 N'COBRA National Representative, Sababu K. Shabaka - 443 622 3440 N'COBRA InternationalFatima Mevs - (786) 768 8812 N9COBRA International/ Miami-Dade Green Party.
Provides international comparisons of black seniors in South Africa, Ghana, Jamaica, Bermuda, and the United States, focusing on policy and program issues
