The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

“I could see planes circling in mid-air. They grew in number and hummed, darted and dipped low. I could hear something like hail falling upon the top of my office building. Down East Archer, I saw the old Mid-Way hotel on fire, burning from its top, and then another and another and another building began to burn from their top,”- Buck Colbert Franklin. Following World War I (1914-1918), Tulsa was recognized nationally for its affluent African American community known as the Greenwood District. This thriving business district and surrounding residential area was referred to as “Black Wall Street.” We can only imagine the hatred many whites harboured regarding this wealthy black township in the State of Oklahoma. We can also envision how the whites schemed to get their hands on the assests of the African Americans who lived in Greenwood District at that time. Tulsa is the second-largest city in the State of Oklahoma. In June 1921, a series of events nearly destroyed the entire Greenwoo...

"Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected."- Kofi Annan. The lack of positive values in the Jamaican society is of grave concern. There is hardly any respect for person or property; intolerance is absent from our vocabulary. Statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) shows in 2017, 1,647 Jamaicans were murdered; 1,287 Jamaicans lost their lives due to homicide in 2018; in 2019, 1,339 Jamaicans were killed and 1,323 Jamaicans were murdered in 2020. Given the lack of a hate crime bill it is difficult to know what percentage of homicides committed are hate crimes. Positive values and attitudes are not innate; they must be purposefully woven into the education system, as well as through other agents of socialization such as the church. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer Jamaicans attend church and as such the education system appears to be the medium b...

“I feel strongly that we have to have an education system that starts with preschool and goes through college. That’s why I want more technical education in high schools and in community colleges, real apprenticeships to prepare young people for the jobs of the future.”- Hillary Clinton. There is a global concern regarding the continued stigmatization of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The bias against vocations, from cosmetology, carpentry and welding is very obvious in the education system. It can be argued that this discrimination is borne out of ignorance as well as a historical association between slavery and manual work. Unfortunately, we have internalized this trauma and as a result generations after generations have had to deal with this discrimination in post-slavery societies. The jobs available after Emancipation were manual and back breaking; similar to what existed on the sugar plantations. After Emancipation in 1838 parents did not wish to see th...

Youth fades, motherhood lasts a lifetime. The worth and work of a mother are incalculable. Whether past, present or mother to be; society owes a debt of gratitude to mothers. Mothers hold a special place in our hearts and thoughts; And rightly so; mothers are always there for their children. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond estimate. The love of a mother frowns upon jealousy and embraces forgiveness. Faith of our mothers; strengthen the social fabric of society. Prayer of our mothers; provide guidance. Discernment of our mothers; separates truth from fallacy. Beauty of our mothers, radiate and enrich our lives. The spirit of our mothers lives with us for eternity. © 2021

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”- Ephesians 4:11-13. Recently my mom asked whether there were any Biblical grounds for a congregation to refer to the wife of a pastor as First Lady. Those of us who have knowledge of the church are fully aware that wives of the pastor and the bishop are referred to as First Ladies. Have you ever thought about the office of First Lady in the church? Do you call the wife of your pastor First Lady? Undoubtedly, to have first ladies in our churches automatically relegate all other women to Second, Third, even Fourth Ladies. To do so elevate that spouse above others, puts undue pressure on her, and goes against biblical inst...

“Freedom of the press is the staff of life, for any vital democracy.”- Wendell Willkie. The month of May is known for many international days; among them is World Press Freedom Day. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s General Conference. Since then, May 3, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. After 30 years, the historic connection made between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good remains as relevant as it was at the time of its signing. Special commemorations of the 30th anniversary are planned to take place during World Press Freedom Day International Conference. May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about...

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.”- 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5. I am a huge fan of detective television series. Among my favourite television series is CSI New York. Recently, I watched an episode which opened my eyes a bit more to the world of sexual fetishes. I am very much aware that many folks have fetishes, most of which are tabooed. On this particular episode of CSI New York the detectives investigated the deaths of a number of individuals who attended the same party. At first the detectives thought the murders were random acts, however as the plot unfolded we were in for a treat. Nonetheless, the more the detectives investigated and put the pieces of the puzzle together they realized the common thread. This episode of CSI dealt with the phenomena called sploshing. Many of you m...