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

"Although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle still continues."- Harry Belafonte. More than 200 million people in the Americas alone identify as being of African descent. Millions more are located worldwide outside the African continent. Whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade, or as more recent migrants, they are among some of the poorest and most marginalized groups. Nevertheless, people of African descent have a rich multicultural history, resilience and provide substantive contributions to every field of human endeavour in supporting sustainable development and nation building. Around the world people of African descent have been experiencing an uptick in discriminatory practices and racism. At the same time people of African descent are speaking out and leading collective action to end racism and the injustices it perpetuates. Ending racism will take every one of us, working t...

“Environmental justice is the movement to ensure that no community suffers disproportionate environmental burdens or goes without enjoying fair environmental benefits.”- Vance Jones. We want justice has become a common rallying cry not only in Jamaica but across the geopolitical sphere where the voiceless and vulnerable always seem to get left behind. Oftentimes the environment is sacrificed on the altar of so called development. Big businesses and even small businesses are often allowed to negatively impact the environment by the political directorate. Notwithstanding there is always a reaction for every action. The matter of the environment is often not taken seriously by anti-environmentalists and viewed as a hindrance to development. This problem spans across continents and governments. Regrettably, those in charge of policies have become masters in paying lip service to issues concerning the environment. Unfortunately, quite a number of our policies are reactionary in nature as t...

"It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual. Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies."- Audrey Azoulay Director-General of UNESCO. The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on 23 August yearly. In 1998 the United Nations designated August 23 an official observance. This day marks a crucial moment in the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the abolition movement. The Haitian Revolution began on the 22nd and 23rd of August in 1791 with thousands of slaves rebelling against their French Colonial masters. It was these events that paved the way for Haiti to become the first black republic, the first country to abolish slavery, and the only country in history to be run by former slaves. This significant day is used to draw attent...

The world is no longer a place of black and white. In fact there are many shades of grey in this ever-changing world. Folks are no longer ashamed to discuss tattooed subjects. Women are no longer afraid to push the boundary regarding relationships. The days of being passive and submissive have long gone. No one is a silent observer anymore. Relationships have changed and continue to do so. Those who are married are always seeking new ways and means of adding spice to their marriages; of course in many instances the spices they add end up scorching or even burning them. There seems to be a selfish preoccupation concerning the self. Many persons in relationships are foremost attuned to what makes them happy and satisfied; the satisfaction of the other party comes in at a distant second. Recently, there have been a plethora of television-based reality shows for audiences to salivate over while viewing the colourful and complicated lives of social media influencers. It is safe to say too m...

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”- Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The Jamaican society is far-removed from what National Hero Marcus Garvey stood for. There is not much national pride and our values and attitudes are grounded in a selfish and self-centered manner which is rather alien for those of us who have been around for a long time. Jamaica of 2023 is rich in various forms of development, such as those associated with road network and Information and Communications Technology (ICT); yet sadly the society is poorer in terms of tolerance, respect for others and a sense of community. Marcus Garvey if he were alive would not recognize this Jamaica and this is painful. But, do we care? The jury is still out regarding this question. One might ask what are the values and message? of Marcus Garvey. Garvey's Philosophy . Marcus Garvey was a charismatic, black nationalist and leader of the Pan-Africanist Movement, which sou...

“A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess.”- A. Philip Randolph. Many times we only watch the television for purposes of entertainment. However, there are many informative and thought provoking programmes that deal with serious and life changing topics. One such series is The Porter. The Porter follows the journeys of a group of characters who hustle, dream, cross borders and pursue their ambitions in the fight for liberation on and off the railways that crossed North America. The Porter is a gripping story of empowerment, struggle and determination that highlights the moment when railway workers from both Canada and the United States joined together to give birth to the world's first Black union. The series is set primarily in Montreal in Canada and the US cities of Chicago and Detroit. It is set in the period shortly after the First World War (1914-1918)...

“Learning is never lost, though it may not always be “found” on pre-written tests of pre-specified knowledge or preexisting measures of pre-coronavirus notions of achievement.”- Rachael Gabriel, Associate Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Connecticut. The start of each academic year brings with it a buzz of excitement as students, teachers as well as other stakeholders anticipate examination results. Perhaps one of the least known and least anticipated results is that concerning the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).The PISA programme was launched in 1997 and was first administered in 2000. PISA is now administered in over 80 countries including Jamaica. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15 year old students. The PISA assessment examines the extent to which education systems are preparing students ...

“The biggest problem Haiti has is the weakness of its public institutions.”- Jovenel Moise. To declare that Haiti has had problems is an understatement. Haiti’s recent history has been tragic. Natural disasters, poverty, kidnappings, social and political instability have plagued this French speaking Caribbean country. Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, with the Dominican Republic in the eastern two-thirds. The major cities are: Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie, Les Cayes, Hinche, Gonaïves, Jacmel and the capital city Port-au-Prince. There are two official languages: Haitian Creole and French. It is documented that when Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola on December 6, 1492, he found a kingdom ruled by a cacique or Taino Indian chief. Interestingly, when Haitians took their independence in the early 19th century they changed their colonial name from Saint Domingue (the name given by the French) to its Taino name of Haiti. After the French arrived in the sev...

"Utterances from some in the political sphere and positions of authority belittle us as a nation and also undermine respect for all. Public respect is rapidly descending to an all-time low. The language used routinely is distasteful, disgraceful, and comments are derogatory.”- P.J. Patterson. The introduction of vulgar, crude and rude remarks in the public space is nothing new. Over the years we have seen our parliamentarians behave in a manner that is unbecoming of elected representatives of the people. The Jamaican Parliament has become a haven for all sort of toxic remarks and disrespectful comments from both sides of the political divide. Civility is about more than just politeness. Patterson argues that it is not to Jamaica's benefit that our citizenry should disengage from public discourse because of the fear of vulgar personal abuse, or reduce the available talent pool from which successive effective leadership will emerge. Perhaps we should however be thankful given th...

“May we never forget or take for granted the hardships our ancestors faced under slavery and in the fight for freedom. The struggle for total emancipation is not yet over.”- Mia Mottley. Another Emancipation Day is here. For many of us the historical meaning and significance of Emancipation Day is lost. This is rather unfortunate as Emancipation Day is to a large extent viewed now only as a day off from work in which fun and frolicking takes center stage. It has been 185 years since the abolition of chattel slavery in the British West Indies. While the physical shackles have been removed; we are still shackled and mentally imprisoned by a myriad of neo-colonialist views and experiences that has kept the majority of dark-skinned Jamaicans in our place. Regrettably, an entire generation of Jamaicans has been around without a deep sense of patriotism and identity especially given that the teaching of history education is optional in our schools. To add insult to injury we have an on and ...