The Emancipation Struggle Continues

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”- Marcus Garvey. Jamaica is often viewed as a Christian nation yet; many of us turn to sources other than God for protection. Disturbingly, even in the church there are members who adorn themselves with items of protection as they seek to shield themselves and their families from negativity such as bad luck and influences of evil among other things. If ever there were a paradox, Jamaica is a prime example. Whether we agree or disagree, obeah is part of our African retention given that most of us can trace our ancestral lineage to the continent of Africa. It is often said that obeah is a thriving business in Afro Caribbean societies, and surprisingly the belief in obeah spreads across all socio-economic and educational levels within the society. Obeah is sometimes referred to as ‘science’. We have all heard the phraseologies, ‘someone inna yuh life’ or ‘go look bout yuhself.’ Defining Obeah Interestingly, obeah is both a verb and a noun. Obeah is a religious practice based on a combination of multiple religions; in other words a creolization of religions. The practice of harnessing supernatural forces and spirits for one’s own personal use, known in some parts of Africa as ‘Obeye’ (an entity that lives within witches), has taken on many names in the Caribbean islands, such as Shango (Trinidad), Santeria (Cuba), Vodun or Voodoo (Haiti), Ju-Ju (Bahamas), Obeah (Jamaica). In almost every community, urban and rural there is someone who is readily identifiable as an obeah man. Of course the practicing of obeah is not gender sensitive. There are women who are also practitioners of this religious form. In March of this year the country was plunged into mourning upon learning of the murder of a grade10 male student who attended a high school located in Martha Brae in the parish of Trelawny over a guard ring. Guard rings were quite popular in Jamaica a few decades ago. It appears the popularity of this item of jewellery has made a reemergence, especially in a context regarding the belief in some quarters of the power and influence such rings have on the Jamaican culture. In local folklore so-called guard rings are said to provide the wearer with protection from a range of ills. Guard rings are not cheap. One therefore must ask the question, how is it that students can afford to acquire these rings. According to a media source, a guard ring costs in the region of $100,000 to $150,000 or approximately US$1,000. One senior police officer in Trelawny told a media outlet that the wearing of guard rings has been linked to lottery scamming. The police have, in the past, said that some scammers in Western Jamaica have been turning to the world of the occult, obeah and black magic for protection. "Our investigations have revealed that a number of these students are active in the lottery scamming, and these guard rings are purchased through scamming," the senior cop stated. He reasoned that the constant suspension of face-to-face classes over the past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, amplified the problem of youngsters participating in the illicit trade. History of Guard Rings Evil has always existed. The use of guard rings to protect people from human and supernatural threat to life and limbs have been in practice for many decades in Jamaica. These rings are said to be found on the fingers of some of Jamaica’s most notorious criminals over the years. We should be fair in our discussion in that guard rings are also worn by upstanding blue collar workers. Interestingly, the discourse takes a different tone when uptown folks are seeing adorned with guard rings. This separation of criticism based on social class is hypocritical. It is said that when the rings get warm, it means that danger is looming near, and it is time to go into hiding, or prepare for a confrontation. The ones that were regarded the most potent were those ‘loaded’ by practitioners of de Laurence (called ‘Deelawrence’ locally). The name de Laurence drives fear into the heart of many. He is widely regarded as among the best in witchcraft and evil. De Lue Laurence was a pioneer in the business of supplying magical and occult items by mail order. Essential Ingredients In an interview with a local media house, ‘Loaderman’ determines what the ring is going to be loaded with. Essential to the ingredients is something from the client’s body, be it urinary waste, sex fluids, tears, hair, a piece of skin, blood, saliva, etc. In addition, there might be “a piece of dead man headstone, grave dirt, dead man tissues, dead man ashes,” etc. Loaderman stated you use a dead person to guard you, so when the blow comes, the spirit in the ring will be attacked and not you, because it is an image of someone else that the attacking spirit will see, and not you. Racist History of Obeah Laws The adage belief kills or belief cures is a timely reminder of the persuasion those who are involved in necromancy have over the society. The strangulation hold on our culture is not unique to Jamaica; it is also quite pervasive across the Caribbean, all of which were once part of the plantocracy of European colonization. Many of the laws that made obeah illegal during slavery were part of ‘slave codes’ and expired when slavery was abolished. However, most Caribbean islands replaced them with other laws criminalizing obeah as they became independent. Trinidad’s Summary Conviction Ordinance of 1868 made obeah punishable with whipping and imprisonment for men and whipping only for women. Interestingly, the anti-obeah clauses were removed from the law in 2000. In Guyana, an 'Ordinance to repress the commission of Obeah practices' was passed in 1855, and obeah was incorporated into laws against vagrancy from 1893. In Barbados, there is no current legal prohibition on the practice of obeah; the 1840 Vagrancy Act that had made it similar to an offence of vagrancy was repealed in 1842. In Jamaica, The Obeah Act of 1898 makes it illegal to be a ‘person practicing Obeah’, which it defines as: ‘any person who, to effect any fraudulent or unlawful purpose, or for gain, or for the purpose of frightening any person, uses, or pretends to use any occult means, or pretends to possess any supernatural power or knowledge. Most of the Obeah Laws authorized flogging for men as a punishment. Obeah was initially criminalized to protect slavery against uprisings; the current law was made to symbolize Jamaica’s hostility to its African connections and to suppress poor people’s religion. Obeah was first made illegal in 1760, as part of a sweepingly repressive act passed in the aftermath of Tacky’s Rebellion, the largest uprising of enslaved people in the 18th-century British-colonized Caribbean. Tacky’s Revolt or Rebellion (1760-1761) is regarded as the most significant British Caribbean slave rebellion in the eighteenth century, and second only to the Haitian Revolution in comparative resistance. It began in Jamaica’s north-central parish of St. Mary. The law was a direct response to the fact that the rebellion’s leaders were advised by obeah men who attempted to give them courage, solidarity, and spiritual protection. The call for the Obeah Act to be repelled is often done so given the racist origin of the law. In practice, the law was used almost exclusively against poor Jamaicans, mostly black but also sometimes Indian. The spiritual guarding of one’s self is not confined to so call guard rings; rosaries are also used in the guarding against evil spirits mainly by those in the upper echelons of society. This practice stems from the period of enslavement throughout the Caribbean during which Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion of Europe. Joseph Williams describes the plantation owners’ view of the Africans from the earliest days of legislation in Jamaica: "a serious source of danger to the peace of the colony was recognized to be ever present in the assemblies of slaves where the old religious tribal dances were openly accompanied by drumming which aroused the fanaticism of Africans to such a degree as to endanger a general uprising." In the event that your recollection of history might be a bit unclear; between 1838 and 1917, European governments allowed their planters in the Caribbean to import an estimated 500,000 Indian indentured servants from India to work on their sugar plantations. The arrival of these indentured laborers was in direct response to a so-called labor shortage emanating from the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies which occurred in 1838. Popular Culture Popular culture can be understood as a set of cultural products, practices, beliefs, and objects dominating society. Popular culture has the ability to influence those individuals it comes across with, and incorporates, various elements of a culture from music to dance, movies, literature, and fashion. It encompasses everything that is believed and consumed by the majority of people in any society. Popular culture cuts across socio-economic and political lines. Oftentimes we view popular culture negatively however; this is not always the situation. Socialization begins with the family. However, most families are dysfunctional and this adds to the problems the wider society face given the high homicide rates and uncouth behaviour among our people. The school is expected to continue the process of socialization; however, the current education system is not impacting a significant number of students, especially our boys. Contrastingly, it appears that popular culture is impacting our students more so than the education system. Given the inequalities of the education system which have been exacerbated with the COVID-19 pandemic this is not surprising. Policy-makers should take into consideration that schools operate on a gendered regime and as such the expectations are different for the sexes. Understandably, this is problematic for policy- makers as efforts are being made to close the learning gap as well as learning poverty of the current education system. While it is worrying the society should not be surprised that our students are ‘guarding up’ as they pursue their educational interests. Our students are acting out what they see adults around them do. The practice of obeah has been glorified in popular culture. Among the popular dancehall songs which address the issue is ‘Guard Up’ by Insideeus and Intence by Yahoo Boyz. As we plan ahead for the future, it is imperative that we are aware of our history. As we celebrate Emancipation Day we must never forget the history of our indigenous peoples who were obliterated due to genocide carried out by the Europeans. As a region we must lend our collective voices for reparations and hold accountable those European powers who carried out crimes against humanity in the Anglophone Caribbean. Unquestionably, the task for the current generation is to ensure that economic independence is realized. May Emancipation Day be one of reflection. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., freedom is never voluntarily given by the Oppressor; it must be demanded by the Oppressed. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #EmancipationDay #Jamaica60 #AnglophoneCaribbean