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Carolyn Cooper | Grace ‘Spice’ Hamilton a Talk Di Truth

Published:Friday | November 16, 2018 | 12:00 AM

 

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

 

Spice done know seh plenty people nah go like fi ar big chune, Black Hypocrisy. Shi no bizniz. A so it go. Who waan bex, mek dem bex. Hear weh shi seh:

"I was told I would reach further

If the colour of mi skin was lighter

And I was made to feel inferior

Cah society seh brown girls prettier."

Wi no like hear dem deh argument eena Jamaica. From yu start talk up di tings, certain people waan mek yu feel seh a yu a di problem. Ascorden to di national lie, di whole a wi a one fambily: 'Out of Many, One People'! An all a di people dem eena di fambily get good treatment same way. No matter how dem look: black, white, Chinese, Indian or mix-up! Nobody nah tell dem pikni dem ya tings: Fi yu lip thick lacka liver! Wat a way yu white an ugly! A weh yu get dem deh ackee eye? How yu hair dis tall an heng dong so? Yu mix-up, mix-up bad! No sa! Wi no put up wid dem deh breed a slackness eena fi wi fambily. Everybody look good same way. Level vibes!

Nutten no go so! Plenty pikni eena Jamaica a go through nuff sufferation sake a how dem look! One time, fi mi owna modder look pon mi an aks mi how mi nose look like seh smaddy tek one lump a clay an dis clap it awn pon mi face. Well, since mi did facety from long time, mi tell ar seh a shi an mi father mek mi. So a shi ha fi go answer dat deh question. Oonoo see how big people provoke pikni to wrath - ascorden to di Bible! Or to rahtid, eena fi wi language. Anyhow, mi forgive ar. But mi nah figet.

 

MARCUS GARVEY DID WRONG?

 

A long time Marcus Garvey did warn wi bout mental slavery. But wi nah listen im. Garvey gi one speech eena Canada eena 1938. Im seh, "We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind." It look like seh Garvey did wrong. Becau plenty a wi nah free wi mind. Wi a heng on pon di long time, backward cuss word dem: 'Nutten black no good.'

So wen Spice she, wid ar bright self, a fly up eena people face a talk bout black hypocrisy, shi a go get a big fight. Shi a mash nuff corn:

"I get hate from my own race

Yes, that's a fact

'Cause the same black people

Dem seh I'm too black

And if yuh bleach out yuh skin

Dem same one come a chat."

Fi di video, Spice plaster on some white-colour make-up fi mek up fi ar 'dutty' colour. An shi tek di hypocrite dem mek poppyshow:

"Now I'm gonna see if you gonna say

I'm too black for you

Or do I look pretty to you?"

Mi know seh if wi did a teach Marcus Garvey philosophy eena primary school from 1962, Spice woulda never ha fi a chant down black hypocrisy eena 2018. Garvey a national hero an wi nah tek im serious. Too much hypocrite a run tings eena dis ya country!

 

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

 

Spice don nuo se plenti piipl naa go laik fi ar big chuun, Black Hypocrisy. Shi no bizniz. A so it go. Uu waahn beks, mek dem beks. Ier we shi se:

"I was told I would reach further

If the colour of mi skin was lighter

And I was made to feel inferior

Cah society seh brown girls prettier."

Wi no laik ier dem de aagyument iina Jamieka. Fram yu staat taak op di tingz, sortn piipl waahn mek yu fiil se a yu a di prablem. Azkaadn tu di nashanal lai, di uol a wi a wan fambili: 'Out of Many, One People'! An aal a di piiipl dem iina di fambili get gud chriitment siem wie. No mata ou dem luk: blak, wait, Chainiiz, Indiyan ar miks-op! Nobadi naa tel dem pikni dem ya tingz: Fi yu lip tik laka liva! Wat a wie yu wait an ogli! A we yu get dem de aki yai? Ou yu ier dis taal an eng dong so? Yu miks-op, miks-op bad! Nuo sa! Wi no put op wid dem de briid a slaknis iina fi wi fambili. Evribadi luk gud siem wie. Levl vaibz!

Notn no go so! Plenti pikni iina Jamieka a go chruu nof sofarieshan siek a ou dem luk! Wan taim, fi mi uona mada luk pan mi an aks mi ou mi nuoz luk laik se smadi tek wan lomp a klie an dis klap it aan pon mi fies. Wel sins mi did fiesti fram lang taim, mi tel ar se a shi an mi faada mek mi. So a shi a fi go ansa dat de kweschan. Unu si ou big piipl provuok pikni tu raat - azkaadn tu di Baibl! Ar tu raatid, iina fi wi langgwij. Eniou, mi fagiv ar. Bot mi naa figet.

 

MARCUS GARVEY DID RANG?

 

A lang taim Marcus Garvey did waan wi bout mental slievri. Bot wi naa lisn im. Garvey gi wan spiich iina Kyanada iina 1938. Im se, "We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind." It luk laik se Garvey did rang. Bikaa plenti a wi naa frii wi main. Wi a eng aan pan di lang taim, bakwod kos wod dem: 'Notn blak no gud.'

So wen Spice shii, wid ar brait self, a flai op iina piipl fies a taak bout blak ipakrasi, shi a go get a big fait. Shi a mash nof kaan:

"I get hate from my own race

Yes, that's a fact

'Cause the same black people

Dem seh I'm too black

And if yuh bleach out yuh skin

Dem same one come a chat."

Fi di vidiyo, Spice plaasta aan som wait-kola miekop fi mek op fi ar 'doti' kola. An shi tek di ipokrit dem mek papishuo:

"Now I'm gonna see if you gonna say

I'm too black for you

Or do I look pretty to you?"

Mi nuo se if wi did a tiich Marcus Garvey filasafi iina praimeri skuul fram 1962, Spice wuda neva a fi a chaant dong blak ipakrasi iina 2018. Garvey a nashanal iiro an wi naa tek im siiryos. Tu moch ipokrit a ron tingz iina dis ya konchri!

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.