Introduction
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, cutting the ties of British colonialism in 1973 has since claimed the title of an independent, sovereign nation whose government is only inferior to the people it serves. Prior to this struggle, in the 1960’s was a struggle of civil importance in which black Bahamians who faced prejudice and discrimination from the minority or white Bahamians fought to gain equality and at last cut the ties of inferiorities. This struggle was paralleled to that of the Civil Rights Movement in America and mimicked the tactics of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
(http://www.historyofnations.net )
Over forty years after the fights for majority rule there indeed have been great strides in maintaining equality amongst all Bahamians. However, it is my view that we as a nation have spawned a new form of prejudice amongst ourselves in two distinct avenues:
1) Racial Discrimination
2) Inferiority Complex
We as a nation have kept our colonial strings fastened. Black Bahamians or people as a whole come in a variety of shades as do other races. However we have still engrained in our minds that the one who is closer to the “Massa” is better or those who have a lighter complexion are superior to darker skinned persons. We have also latched to other state powers which have muddled our social identity and in turn make us a dependent, independent nation. Such a dependency adversely affects us as a people and creates an inferiority complex: Bahamians believing that “foreign is better”. We have adopted the mores and norms of this culture which in turn are destroying our value system and make a mockery of what our forefathers did some forty years ago.
Racial Discrimination: Discrimination amongst ourselves
Slavery
One of the most promising but yet darkest periods in Bahamian history is the introduction of slavery in 1783 by the resettlement of Loyalists and their slaves in The Bahamas. However, this beginning shaped the population to what it is today, with the majority of persons residing being of African origin. The population of not only the then British colony rose but the ratio of blacks to whites also transformed with blacks dramatically outnumbering the number of white permanent residents in The Bahamas. During this period slaves on average outnumbered their masters twenty to one.
Population of slaves in New Providence:
Total population: 6,084
Whites and foreigners: 1,820
Blacks and Coloreds: 1, 074
Slaves: 3,186
(Craton and Saunders 260)
The presence of slavery has also shaped our mindset as a nation in the way we have viewed ourselves as a black race.
There were four distinct classes of slaves in The Bahamas:
1. Seamen
2. Domestics
3. Petty farm slaves
4. Plantation slaves
Out of all of the class of slaves, seamen enjoyed the most practical forms of freedom with Domestic slaves also having an easier slave hood. (Craton and Saunders 258)
Because of the variations of jobs and their classifications it is also common amongst many of the slaves to have engrained in their minds that lighter skinned blacks or mulattos are superior to those of a darker complexion. In The Bahamas it was recognized that there were various genetic or racial gradation amongst black slaves and are as follows:
Mulattos: half white
Quadroon: quarter black
Octoroon: eight black
Samboo- a mixture of any those with another black
Due to the height or class system that was used in slavery, slave masters revered slaves with a lighter complexion or mulattos and because of this were preferred over darker slaves to work in the master’s house as domestic slaves: house maids and caretakers with women being preferred more. They also were more so closer to the slave master. Slaves that had dark skin were used in the fields and if at all, never were welcomed into the slave master’s house. This is due to the fact that slaves of a lighter complexion are seen to resemble or come closer in color to whites than darker skinned slaves that have no resemblance at all and because of this mulattos were highly valued. Mulattos were also a rarity with on average only two hundred twenty out of two thousand two hundred and fifty being mulattos, making them “gems” to the slave master.
(Craton and Saunders 276)
This same interpretation of mulatto supremacy has been resonating even today more specifically in The Bahamas and because of this has created a form of self discrimination or feeling of prejudice or inequity against someone’s color when that person is the same race as you. This retaliation can be deemed as a social ill and an ever increasing epidemic within the black community and is manifested physically, mostly evident in physical alteration in one’s skin color using harsh chemicals. One is dissatisfied with their skin color and may so use any form of lightening and bleaching creams, soaps, pills or injections to achieve a lighter complexion.
In my observation of the many beauty supply stores that are in New Providence specifically, all of them have a series of lines dedicated to achieving lighter skin. I decided to ask clerks or managers from the various stores, “How many persons on a weekly or even daily basis come to buy skin lightening products?” There was an overwhelming general consensus that persons come into the various establishments buying skin lightening products on a daily basis. One store in particular stated that almost every week to two weeks these products must be replenished because of how quickly they are bought, with many having “regular clients”. Taking into consideration the environment in which I asked this question it is evident that a vast number of persons who purchase skin lightening products from these stores are women.
It is my belief that persons who lighten their skin may do so because of self-hate due to the residue or loitering psychological scars of slavery. It can also be considered an assimilation practice in which skin lightening while achieving a “whiter’ appearance and being closer to the slave master’s standard of beauty smudges or tries to completely erase the any reminisce of negro inheritance.
Inferiority Complex
Ending of an Era
Hard work and sacrifice was nothing new to the now liberated slaves however it was indeed a new experience to work for their own wellbeing. 1838 marked the ending of slavery in The Bahamas and in the next half of the century opened these former slaves to economic development in other areas.
They were only familiar to subsistent work and with little to no education, former slaves and their descendants worked in such industries which included: sponging, salt, sisal, pineapples, tomatoes and citrus. They were people who depended on themselves to maintain stability and their way of life. By the beginning twentieth century spawned a new era when the Volstead Act was formed in the United States and helped to bring economic prosperity and livelihood to Nassau also with prohibition running. The 1930’s was a time of both devastation and commencement. By 1933 the Prohibition era ended and within another five years the sponging industry was impacted by a marine disease along with new innovations that made it difficult for it to return to its former glory. In the 1930’s however the tourism industry became an emerging force with the introduction of the commercial aircraft, bringing stability to the economy at that time. (http://countrystudies.us/)
The late 1940’s and early 1950’s this state of independency from foreign influence dwindled even more with the emergence of Tourism as a viable, large scale industry. The government went undeniably out of their way to promote tourism with the establishment of the hotel encouragement act encouraged private foreign investors in 1949 and the establishment of the tourism development board in 1950.
(Storr 118)
After these emergences encouraged by the government, The Bahamas became even more dependent on foreign influence: their support of their people as tourists and with them their income. The tourism industry marked what would be the dominance of service industries and the near extinction of the amount of farmers which promoted dependency on other nation’s imports for products.
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries but at what price? The Tourism industry accounts for approximately sixty percent of the nation’s economy directly or indirectly employing fifty percent of the labor force. The Banking and finance industry comes in as the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and accounts for approximately 36% of the economy. The manufacturing and agriculture industries, once the “bread and butter” of our nation contributes only a tenth.
( http://www.bahamasolympic.com)
The tourism industry being an obvious success for The Bahamas as a government has also adversely affected it as well, becoming almost solely dependent on it and because of this our economy is not a diverse one. Essentially the only thing the Bahamas exports or provides is are services and because of this relies on heavy importation for foreign states to sustain the wants and needs of the country. These include what is essential to human life: food, clothing and wants or desires such as electronics and other accessories. With this as a continued practice for over half of a century, everything we see, touch, hear is foreign. However, we as a nation are not alarmed, neither concerned by its overwhelming presence. In fact from my observation it is clear that this heavy dependence has created an “inferiority complex” in which Bahamians as a whole believe that foreign is better and the Bahamian identity is muddled. Specifically we are influenced by American, European and Jamaican cultures and on a regular basis consume these influences disregarding our own more specifically in the forms of fashion and music. I am not naïve to the fact that we do need importation because it is clear with a small population of only 300, 000 persons we cannot produce everything however it is clear that we have abused our importation power and imported almost everything, wants and needs.
(http://www.state.gov )
Baystreet is the epicenter of tourist shopping in The Bahamas and for cruise ship passengers it is the “gateway to paradise”. However it is from my observation that an overwhelming majority of the stores that are located on Baystreet are stores selling foreign products. Coach, Fendi, Gucci, Juicy Couture and others are front and center on Baystreet and are some of the first brands they are attracted to once there however where is the Bahamian brand? I thought of this question and immediately went in search of the “Bahamian brand” heading straight towards the straw market assuming that it will be a great representation of what is Bahamian. To my surprise what I saw first when entering the straw market is not a straw bag or anything Bahamian at all. I saw “knock offs” or interpretations of the same high end foreign brands that line Baystreet. A large percentage of jewelry, figurines, shades and other accessories also seem to be foreign. This exercise made me come to the conclusion that Bahamians have lost their identity or what it means to be Bahamian and because of this cannot effectively market this brand to visitors. This is due to the fact that engrained in our minds is the assumption that ‘foreign is better” or of higher quality and because of this an inferiority complex is developed in which being foreign is better. So in achieving a foreign persona we as a people immolate what is done by foreigners: from the way we dress to the music we listen to is a reflection of something not Bahamian but American, European or even Jamaican.
Conclusion
A prejudice and discriminative mindset towards one’s self is the underlying problem in Bahamian society and is one of the social ills plaguing our nation. After over one hundred years since the emancipation of slaves in The Bahamas there still lingers a slave mentality amongst Black Bahamians and because of this the fight to get closer to the “Massa” or Colonial standard of superiority is stronger than ever. However we as a nation must wake up from our slumber and pay attention to this disease that will soon if untreated will be an epidemic. This eradication first starts with love for one’s self whether being the purest of ebony or the fairest ivory it is about finding beauty in your own skin.
With the foreign competition being the most competitive it has ever been and with that the amount of money that can be earned by a single county being just as lucrative. The Bahamas seems to be going in the wrong direction but instead of being an exporter, is an importer and this represents a large percentage of what is consumed by Bahamians. However the excuse that we are a small nation and because of this cannot produce our wants in needs is by my view ridiculous because our nation has been founded on industries that not only supported our people but exported to other countries. So today, in the twenty first century let us reclaim this practice of “doing it for ourselves”. Yes we cannot produce everything, like the saying goes, “no man is an island” however we still can produce our wants. It is up to Bahamians to reclaim The Bahamas.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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