The black lives matter movement is linked to the Caribbean, here’s why…

Source: Ngyuen, Lan. Picture Of People Protesting For Black Lives Matter Movement. 2020, https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-people-walking-on-street-4614509/. Accessed 19 July 2020.

Before we ever heard or saw the slogan ‘#blacklivesmatter’ trending all over social media seven years ago, many people were not familiar with the concept of equality for all regardless of your skin complexion. Today, many people still cannot understand this idea. The black lives matter movement first started on July 13, 2013 as a result of the the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. Even then, many black lives were lost unbeknownst to the public. However, this idea of racism did not start in 2013. This type of discrimination has been around for centuries. In particular, around 1492 when Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus made his way into the Caribbean. Spaniards removed some of these Africans from their homelands. They brought them through an awful journey called the Middle Passage where they became slaves and had to bare the full effects of Caribbean chattel slavery.

Is history repeating itself?

Although the black lives matter movement started a few years ago, prior to that, black people had always been protesting for the right to live. Our descendants of several generations had always acquainted themselves with the concept of ‘fight for freedom.’ It’s not just now black people have been losing their lives, this has happened for years, through slavery.

One can recall the history taught to us through education about the fight to abolish slavery which eventually happened after many rebellions, lives stolen and allies fighting for our freedom. The meaning behind black lives matter is the same meaning slaves would have had in their minds at the time they were alive. It begs the question, Do all lives really matter if black lives are constantly taken? This question has lingered in my thoughts for a very long time. The oppressors of our ancestors through Colonization, who believed black men and women were and should be treated animals, who also viewed them as uncivilized because their way of life, customs were different from theirs and because they were black.

In, America back in the early 19th century onward, the harsh reality was faced that black people would never be treated like whites. We learnt about Segregation of blacks and whites through communities, public transportation, voting rights, educational rights and much more. A prime and famous example of this was the separation of bathrooms, one for a black person and one for a white. Obviously, the white bathroom stall being the much better one. We could even think about the famous activist, Rosa Parks who sat in a seat at the front of the bus even though black people were not allowed to sit on public buses nor be at the front of them. These cruel methods are no longer around but in a way the reason behind them are still present in today’s society. These ignorant and prejudice beliefs have caused many people today to hold the same views towards black people. This is present when we see the news and we hear another innocent black life is lost because of the racist motive carried out by white polices. The reason behind why the slave masters believed they did not deserve basic human rights is the very same many whites today, especially in America believe black people living in their country should not be treated like them. The concept of Racism is still prevalent in the minds of the ignorant folks who refuse to accept that all humans are born equal and should be treated as equals.

The concept of black lives matter now is the same concept then. The only difference is that things were not so bad now as they were then. This still does not take away from the fact that both ancestors and descendants shared a common goal, equal rights for black people as it is for white people. Protests, rallying, activism and groups for justice are not new concepts to the world, they are not new concepts to America. The fight for abolition of slavery is eerily similar to the fight for social and criminal justice for black Americans and many other black people around the world having to deal with the harsh strokes of racism. It is not foreign that the oppressors today have the same skin tone as Colonizers hundreds of years ago. This explains why things are the way they are now because many white people have took on the horrible and inhumane idea that discrimination against black people is okay simply because they do not look like them and most importantly, because of history.

Black lives matter is not solely about a black person deserving to live, it is much more…

There is a term that describes the idea that because someone is white, automatically they are above black people on the social pyramid, they are given better opportunities, they are given less harsher treatments in situations of violence, to sum it up they are treated better in every aspect you can think of. This is called White Privilege. Educationally defined, white privilege is “a right, advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by white persons beyond the common advantage of all others; an exemption in many particular cases from certain burdens or liabilities.” (Clark) White privilege in the United States is exactly what it is defined as. Back then, this form of privilege was even more evident. This could be seen through education, the right to vote, housing opportunities, laws created to benefit whites and much more. As I constantly give examples, it shows a clear comparison of the life of whites in the era of Colonization in the Caribbean to life in America after independence and even now. How? The very concept of Caribbean Chattel Slavery in it self was already geared towards white privilege and no right for enslaved black people. Slave masters were educated, they could propose laws, they could walk freely and do just about anything they wanted because they were slave masters and every slave master was white. They set the rules and decided what went down on the plantations. Everything was always in their favor. On the other hand, slaves were black. Though, some were lighter than others which afforded them better treatment, collectively, they were still treated poorly. The color of their skin caused them forced labor, cruel flogging, rape, lack of physical care, death and other cruel treatments. They were not afforded education and other rights like the whites got because of their skin color. In the eyes of slave masters, they were not the same, therefore they were not to be treated the same, their purpose was to serve them.

When people stress the term ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ it is to constantly remind white and other races that black lives did not matter in those days and it still does not matter. It is a plea for basic human rights. It is a plea for the elimination of white privilege, a plea for access to better education, better treatment, better justice for black people. This movement has reincarnated and some argue that it has always been there in many forms fighting for equality in all areas of life and not just one’s mortality. It emerged in America in the 1800’s and the 1900’s with the help of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and other activists. These activists were not just fighting for the end of killings of black lives, they were fighting for the end of segregation, social injustice, better education, equal rights, equal justice, equality in general. Their goals were very similar to Caribbean heroes who refused to live as slaves. These heroes fought for many similar things, one that everyone can agree on is Equality. They fought for their culture, their children, their ideologies even though they were stripped of them and were forced to assimilate to the norms, values, culture, customs, mores and even language of the Europeans. Even today, activists have fought for equality. The movement has been repeating itself and has gotten bigger and more known over the years taking on the challenges of black people and advocating for change. It has always been there and does not seem to be stopping for now.

The irony of how Ethnocentrism and Cultural Appropriation tie together

“Ethnocentrism” …is thinking one’s own group’s ways are superior to others” or “judging other groups as inferior to one’s own…” (Barger) This was used to force the European culture onto enslaved Africans in the Caribbean. The Spaniards, French, Dutch and English believed their culture which included how they dressed, their language, their religion and how they acted was better and superior to the African culture and lifestyle. They were perceived as uncivilized and barbaric simply because their culture was nothing like the European. ‘Slave masters prohibited the use of African languages and the practice of African religions and customs.’ (Hamilton-Willie)

We can see effects of this today when we think about the fact that we speak English and not an African language. We can also look at the way how education is taught, our government system, our laws and even our religion, Christianity. Although Caribbean people have created their own culture, many of it is dominated by westernized ideas and customs.

The irony of this is that today, many aspects of our culture and history have been adapted by white people all over the world and it has caused an uproar as our culture has always been perceived as inferior to European and western culture. An example of this is wearing of cornrows, a black hairstyle worn in slavery days as a means of a map to escape from the plantation. Today, it is worn by many black people as a natural hairstyle and by white people as well. This is called Cultural Appropriation as it is taking aspects of a minority’s culture and incorporating it into your life for fun or because it is ‘trendy.’ Even using words as ‘nigga’ has become a part of the trend when this word was derived from the derogatory term ‘nigger’ in earlier years to describe black people.

This encompasses the concept of black lives matter because the movement is aimed at people understanding that black culture matters. The movement’s goal is to ensure that black culture is recognized but not used carelessly by ignorant or racist people to their liking.

Black lives matter movement today

Source: Matters, Life. Protest Against Police Brutality Of Black Americans. 2020, https://www.pexels.com/photo/crowd-of-protesters-holding-signs-4614165/. Accessed 19 July 2020.

The killing of the many black Americans, especially George Floyd who died because a white police officer kneeled in his throat for eight minutes made headlines. Many people around the world joined hands regardless of their skin tone and nationality to stand in protest against America’s corrupted and racist policing system. Various people used social media to show their support with hashtags such as #blackouttuesday, #blacklivesmatter #alllivesmatterwhenblacklivesmatter and even protests were done all over the world including the Caribbean. Many Caribbean people could relate in a sense because their ancestors were killed by whites and simply because it was wrong, any one with a conscience knew it was wrong. This has led to demonstrations, lootings and petitions . This is still ongoing as many Americans and the rest of the world have not stopped speaking out.

Conclusion

The movement was made for the very same reason that people like Nanny of the Maroons, Sam Sharpe, Paul Bogle, Martin Luther King and many other heroes fought for justice. They refused to die without trying to free themselves, they held on to their morals and the bits and pieces of their culture they had left and they led their people into revolts and rebellions to free themselves from the people who enslaved them. The black lives matter movement is doing just that but in a modern way. The movement was created to end white police brutality of black lives, strengthen the black community and ensure that racist people knew that the black community will not back down until they receive equality and justice for all black people.

References

Barger, Ken. “IUPUI, Barger: What Is Ethnocentrism?”. Anthkb.Sitehost.Iu.Edu, 2019, https://anthkb.sitehost.iu.edu/ethnocen.htm.

Clark, Kendall. “Defining “White Privilege””. Academic.Udayton.Edu, https://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/whiteness05.htm.

Hamilton-Willie, Doris. Lest You Forget : Movements Towards Emancipation. Jamaica Pub. House, 2001, pp. 3–4.

Hamilton-Willie, Doris. Lest You Forget: Resistance And Revolt. Jamaica Pub. House, 2001.

Matters, Life. Protest Against Police Brutality Of Black Americans. 2020, https://www.pexels.com/photo/crowd-of-protesters-holding-signs-4614165/. Accessed 19 July 2020.

Ngyuen, Lan. Picture Of People Protesting For Black Lives Matter Movement. 2020, https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-people-walking-on-street-4614509/. Accessed 19 July 2020.