Identity is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. This ‘fact’ could be one’s religion, race, nationality, gender, employment, and so on. Over time, identity can change. Remarkably, in today’s world, even one’s gender can be blurred...
It is sticky hot and it’s merely 9 a.m. I am at the entrance to the slave museum, also called the Ouidah Museum of History, once home of the Portuguese slave fort. It appears small in comparison to the palaces of Abomey and Porto Novo that I...
Recently, Trinidad was more entertained than frightened by the tale of a family pestered by a spirit referred to as a buck. The distraught family went to the media detailing the buck’s impish and threatening behaviour. It appeared and disappeared,...
The November 6, 2018 Midterm elections in the United States saw a record turnout that many pundits attributed to dissatisfaction with the current administration. As a whole, blacks have become social justice warriors for the Democratic Party,...
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education recently released statistics showing the disparity in black male and female educational achievements. It highlighted that black women hold a large lead over black men in almost every facet of higher...
Has America waged a systematic war to annihilate the black male? Far-fetched, one might think, but history is witness to the genocide of peoples.What's left of the 500 Indian Nations that once thrived on what is now called the United States of...
I hid under the covers, curled up in a fetal position, wrestling invading images and thoughts. On a cold, wintry night, my pillow was wet from beads of sweat.In this tortured dream, I walked alongside John Allen Chau, a Christian missionary. I could...
Lord, I am troubled by the misdeeds in the Black Church. I wrestled with my anger, my disappointment. The lies and deceit weigh heavily on my shoulders. My spirit is broken. I am forlorn.I seek refuge in your book but my pain I cannot allay. It is...
History, long forgotten, bears witness to the genius of the many slaves of Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina in the United States.Amid the throes of terror they developed a mystifying art that was stealthily used to ease the burden...
Having lunch with an unswerving feminist can be quite interesting. We had hardly settled down when she began discussing spirituality and the many fraudsters who pose as enlightened leaders.She was spot on. Yogis of India attract thousands of...
I was dazed for a moment, unable to make sense of the many scenes that just flashed before me. I was not dreaming nor was I delusional.Newspapers surrounded me. And again, I reflected on all that I read, stitching together the avalanche of...
With assuredness and poise during live performances, when it matters most, Ariana Grande clearly emerges as the compelling female vocalist of today.Her performance of No Tears left to Cry at the Live Lounge could sway any naysayer.One of her songs,...
Much has been written about the unsurpassed accomplishments of Marcus Garvey.Historians, sociologists and cultural critics have all explored how one man was able to successfully navigate choppy waters and emerge bruised but triumphant. Little,...
The Transatlantic slave trade was unique, not because of the millions raped and killed, but because it served as the economic lifeline of every global power today.From the Americas to...
"In this era of political correctness, your very thoughts are vetted by self-appointed moral arbiters; but you need not worry if what you think and write is sanctioned by your sacred traditions."Glenville AshbyLike the proverbial chameleon, Western...
"In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine complaining of being disheartened, dispirited or depressed, they would ask one of (these) questions: When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by...
"You have a strong attachment to the traditions handed on by your ancestors. It is legitimate to be grateful to your forebears who passed on this sense of the sacred, belief in a single God who is good, a sense of celebration, esteem for the moral...
"Without commerce and industry a people perish economically. The negro is perishing because he has no economic system."- Marcus GarveyToday, as it did in 1571, Africa is faced with an existential crisis, the likes that threatens to culturally and...
A couple of years ago, I began psychoanalytic training and it required that I undergo personal analysis (therapy).This was a giant step for me, having spent my formative years in Trinidad where family therapy, marital counselling, and related...
The Psychology of oppression - Why it is important to challenge the myths surrounding slavery (The Sunday Gleaner, July 8, 2018) stirred widespread interest among readers.Of the many emails I received, there was one that more than stood out, an...
Christian leader Pat Robertson insulted our ancestors when he blamed the 2010 Haitian earthquake on voodoo. Not a single black pastor responded. Shameful.Psychologists, sociologists, historians and students of slavery in the Americas must add Fred...
This is the conclusion of an interview with educator and author Dr Fred Kennedy.In your book 'Daddy Sharpe' there is confusion among slaves, particularly those born in Africa. When presented with Christianity they resisted, while other slaves (...
Dr Kennedy, you have written extensively about 'Daddy Sharpe', what does that name mean to you?The Honourable Samuel Sharpe, deservedly one of Jamaica's seven national heroes, represents for us the greatness of our people. He exhibited the qualities...
As a critic, I have been fortunate to receive books from the boundless talent in the region.Recently, a young writer sent me material that while exemplary on many levels, included an assertion that, in my opinion, yearned for clarity. In fact, her...
