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“It is clear that R De Verteuil was referring to Afro Trinbagonians when she criticised Laventillians. Not once did she mention the contributions of Africans to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.
“She praised the Indians, the Chinese, the Syrian/Lebanese community and, of course, her people the Europeans. The contempt for people of African descent is palpable.”
The following Letter to the Editor was penned by Cecil Paul and Gerry Kangalee and first published by the National Workers Union:
Jabloteh won 4-2.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
We refer to a letter to the editor in the Express of October 27, 2016 in which one R De Verteuil is “sick and tired” of Laventillians complaining “about how neglected and disadvantaged they are, and how much more money the government should throw in their direction.”
She said “we all came from different parts of the world without a penny and a lot of hard work was required from the first settlers who cleared land and planted.” She continued that “those who settled in Central Trinidad worked hard, ate flour and water, channa, pumpkin, potato and bodi—to educate their children etc.”
De Verteuil then wrote that “the Chinese came with a sack on their back, opened shops etc; worked hard and made their way in the world.” She then praised the Middle Easterners who “came and started off on bicycles, with suitcases of fabric. Look where they are today.”
Ms De Verteuil then stated that “Some of us of European stock started out without a penny” and said that her ancestors were killed by republican revolutionaries during the French Revolution over 200 years ago and mentioned reimbursement if her relatives were to demand reparation.
She revealed her work history from the age of 17 starting with a typist job and small salaries and described herself as a descendant of French Creoles. She went on that she had neither government housing nor any of the assisted peoples’ programmes except for paying her NIS and other statutory payments which are mandatory and paid for her mortgage and never used the general hospital.
(Courtesy Frenchcreole.com)
The only freeness she said she got from the government was two years of A-Level education.
De Verteuil finally called on the “lazy touts to get off your butts, get an education, get trained and start working like everyone else, stop waiting for hand-outs which only encourage laziness!”
It is clear that R De Verteuil was referring to Afro Trinbagonians when she criticized Laventillians. Not once did she mention the contributions of Africans to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.
She praised the Indians, the Chinese, the Syrian/Lebanese community and, of course, her people the Europeans. The contempt for people of African descent is palpable. It’s nothing new and it isn’t going away any time soon.
Enslaved Africans came to this country in chains far less “without a penny.” The French creoles came here, fleeing the Haitian and the French revolutions and the British military, which was seizing French–held territories in the Americas. They came from, among other places, Grenada, Guadeloupe Haiti, Louisiana, St Lucia, Acadia in Canada in the latter third of the seventeenth century. They came with their slaves.
Nationality: Trinidad/Martinique Rank: Surgeon Regiment/Service: Royal Navy Unit (Her Majesty’s Service).
They got free land in proportion to the number of slaves they brought and had the protection of the state in the form of colonial rule based on military force and the protectionist policy of the British government toward the trade in sugar. The French creoles exploited a brutal slave regime based on the exploitation of free, co-erced labour under the worst form of violent barbarism.
According to Besson and Brereton’s Book of Trinidad: “They were white, Catholic, of legitimate birth, and an aristocratic family… These families lived in large estate houses, with many servants and ornate furnishings. They dressed formally for dinner, and strict manners were observed… It became accepted for the French planters to have colored mistresses. The resulting offspring were sometimes legitimized and educated…”
The De Verteuil family, unlike most of the other French Creole slave-owning refugees, did not come to Trinidad as a slave owning planter. The first De Verteuil came as an officer in the British navy that established British colonial rule. He fought against his own country.
The De Verteuils were large land and estate owners, even owning oil lands, benefitting from the labour of oil workers who laboured under primitive conditions to produce the black gold that enriched the elites.
Ms De Verteuil states “lot of hard work was required from the first settlers who cleared land and planted.”
Yes a lot of hard work was required, but by enslaved Africans who planted and reaped the crops and produced the finished products that enriched the ancestors of our letter writer: all for free and with the violence typical of plantation societies. Now we are being called lazy!
When the free Merikin and the Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, American, West Indian and West African indentureds came to Trinidad they met thriving estates of sugar cane and other crops controlled by the French Creoles and the British.
Ms De Verteuil should be aware that her ancestors were not the “first settlers” as she put it. The French Creoles were given the lands of the First Peoples for free by the Spanish cedula; lands the Spanish seized by sword and cannon over the two hundred and seventy five years it took them to subdue and ethnically cleanse those who had lived here for thousands of years. Even the Spanish pre-settled the French creoles.
When slavery was forced to be abolished, the French and British Europeans got compensation (reparations) for enslaving Africans, yet Ms De Verteuil tries to trivialise Africans’ international struggle for reparations. De Verteuil yells “get off your butts” when we were off our butts enriching her European ancestors for hundreds of years.
Post-emancipation Africans became agriculturists, artisans, trades men, service providers of all kinds, industrial workers, business people, unionists, civil rights activists, revolutionary intellectuals and revolutionaries; professionals, musicians, sports people and artists, among other things.
Integral to the colonial economy was that the financial/banking system, jobs in the public service and the private sector and land were controlled by the elites. The then-colonial state, which has always been, and still is, the largest landholder and the arbiter of who gets land and who doesn’t, enacted laws to discourage former enslaved people from owning land.
(Copyright Django Unchained)
The ridiculous situation, then, developed whereby after emancipation, though Trinidad was a virgin territory and there was an abundance of land, you had the phenomenon of squatting.
The shape of all societies is historically determined; the interacting social groups in the society did not fall from the sky just so! We are what we have become. As the inequality in the relations between dominant and subordinate groups in the society increases, as it must in the logic of capitalism, the stridency in the tone of the class conflict increases.
Opposing perspectives emanating from different narratives of History lock horns in the arena of class conflict which in the Caribbean is heavily influenced and coloured by race and ethnicity.
Individual effort is all well and good and is to be admired. But once the power relations between social groups are not shifted to serve the interest of all the people, then economic and social inequality will continue their rapid growth and will inevitably lead to social and political eruptions such as we have not seen since 1970.
(Courtesy Embau Moheni/NJAC)
Editor’s Note: Below is R De Verteuil’s Letter to the Trinidad Express:
I am sick and tired of hearing Laventillians complain about how neglected and disadvantaged they are, and how much more money the Government should throw in their direction.
For heaven’s sake, we all came here from different parts of the world, many of us without a penny; some, from other islands, with a few dollars. Trinidad was a wilderness, an undeveloped land. A lot of hard work was required from the first settlers—the pioneers who cleared the land and planted.
Those who came here later and settled in Central and South Trinidad worked hard, ate flour and water, channa, pumpkin, potato and bodi—to educate their children and teach them the value of hard work and sacrifice. The Chinese came with a sack on their back, opened shops and laundries and restaurants, mostly in country towns and villages. They worked hard and made their way in the world.
The Middle Easterners came and started off on bicycles, with suitcases of fabric. Look where they are today.
Some of us of European stock, despite popular belief, started out without a penny. My great, great grandfather lost his entire family (his parents and all his siblings were killed by revolutionaries) and all his possessions to French republicans.
If my relatives were to demand reparation for what happened during the French Revolution, over 200 years ago, the French government would have to reimburse us for what was unlawfully taken. As a descendant of French Creoles, at age 17, armed with a good education and good family values, with no money from my parents, I set out in the world. I have worked ever since, apart from a few years, to provide for my needs and those of my family.
No Government housing, no CEPEP dollars for an hour’s work, no food card, no stolen vehicle. I paid for my car, helped pay for my mortgage, fed myself, have never used the general hospital—although I paid national insurance, health surcharge, unemployment levy, income tax—and educated myself (no GATE). The only freeness I ever got from the government was two years of A-Level education.
On my first day at work, despite having three A-Levels, I typed envelopes in a typing pool. I did not complain. I was happy to have a job and a salary at the end of the month—$180 or $220, I can’t remember. Six years later, after getting a degree, I was earning $350 per month. I thought I was a millionaire!
But I digress. To come back to my original point… many of us have had to work hard to get where we are today. So I say to those lazy louts who soot me from every street corner (“Pssst”, Darlin’”, “Family”, “You lookin’ nice today”, “I must make a white chile”, etc), get off your butts, get an education (offered to you free by the Government), get trained in a trade or do OTJ training (not only offered free, but with a stipend!), and start working like everyone else.
Whether it be washing cars, planting a garden or being a handyman—get a job so you can gain experience, which is what employers look for. Stop waiting for handouts which only encourage laziness!
There, I’ve said it. I don’t care how politically incorrect this is, it is the truth. And, actually, what I love most about this blessed, lawless country is its political incorrectness. I am grateful I can express myself without fear of being arrested or shot.
R De Verteuil
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I’ve edited the headline and blurb–admittedly after a complaint–to read “One French Creole’s shocking revision.” We don’t want to spread the idea that R De Verteuil speaks for all French Creoles. So sorry for any discomfort that initial headline might have caused.
Are there French Creoles speaking out against her view? Just asking, eh? And I mean FCs. Not all light skinned ppl. I know the distinction.
Well, one Ferreira pointed out that we ought to make the distinction from a literary standpoint and I agreed. I can’t say that I’ve seen any speaking out. Not that I can easily tell who is or isn’t French Creole from just a profile pic anyway.
I’ve seen a De Verteuil criticizing this letter and the views expressed therein.
I don’t know if tha De Verteuil is of French Creole stock though.
Extremely upsetting that people still stereotype in 2016! There are lazy, ambitious, bigoted, transparent, dishonest, greedy, hardworking, egotistical, people of ALL races and ALL creeds.
That article was satire, right?
Nope
Sad, and racist. (Did she know that “cutlass” was French in origin too? or ironic coincidence?)
Its the free labour that they are missing .
Let’s call this arseness! Knowledge of the history of your country would certainly have prevented your ‘PC’ rant from being thought of far less published.
Sooo…the question I would ask and I suppose the author would ask as well would be…”so does this mean that the lazy louts should not get off their asses???”…cuz it would seem to me that that’s the greater point of her article. The response to ‘everybody had it hard so stop whining and adopt better habits’ can’t be ‘well actually we had it worse and I can prove it so ur ignorant and misinformed’….cuz that duznt solve the obvious problem of the lazy complaining lot being lazy and complaining…jus saying
I see your point Jude, and I don’t think the general response is to that of defending the lazy. One commenter even made note that all French Creole shouldn’t be painted in one brush, in comparison to the letter painting the residents of laventille.
Now to touch on some things, we know all residents of the area aren’t of the lazy ilk. To use incorrect historical context to make that point is dangerous in itself. For her to say “everyone had it hard” when in fact, her ancestors had gone so far as pushing legislation to make life harder for African predecessors shows that the bootstraps she wants these people now to pull up on aren’t the same ones that she was afforded.
Should the lazy get to improving their circumstances? Indeed. But the privileged have said this in many places, situations and times throughout, while providing very little answers or means.
You can never get to the right place if you are heading in the wrong direction Jude.
The article is full of inaccuracies and degrading stereotypes for starters.
Now tell me who is lazy? There are good and bad, productive and slack people in ever race.
You think “Laventillians”–a metaphor for Afro-Trinis I’m assuming–should be grateful that she took time out from her privileged life to throw insults and racist lies at us?
There are many ways to help the downtrodden if she or anyone else is really interested. This isn’t one.
If you think “Laventillians” are upset because they want to remain lazy, then you need to expand your mind.
well i would argue that the ‘rebuttal article’ is the one filled with inaccuracies. ok maybe inaccuracies isn’t the right word but purposeful and convenient misinterpretations..definitely! for one it purports to be exposing the revisionist nature of the original article but largely ignores most of the background stories contained in it. essentially de Verteuille talks about how several different ppl came here with virtually nothing and had to work hard to acquire wealth and property which is for the most part irrefutable..the rebuttal chooses only to focus on refuting the position of the french creole, during the course of which i believe the biggest ‘inaccurate understanding’ occurs. the author speaks of her relatives not her ancestors!…and she speaks of her personal experience and to the fact that SOME ppl of European stock did not land here wealthy. Again…something I don’t believe is inaccurate. To take that and launch into a lecture about the history of all French creole settlers and suggest that the author is completely off-based cuz she ignored those things is a bit of sophistry to me rooted in some racial insecurity. And I don’t believe the author is attempting to characterise all ppl of predominantly African decent as lazy….but I do beleive that she’s suggesting that most of the people of the type she resents i.e. lazy and complaining are of predominantly African decent (true or not i don’t know but nothing in the rebuttal article speaks to that). And Kerry Thompson I dare say it is not the role of the priviledged to help the lazy or downtrodden nor do I think thats the author’s objective…to help anyone that is. she quite frankly couldn’t care less whether they help themselves or not she’s just tired of hearing their whining apparently and thought they should be aware that it is possible to improve your circumstances without government handouts…as so much have done before throughout history not just in T&T.
It was not my intent to place the role of improving the circumstances of the poor on the backs of the rich. My point to that was that yes, you’re tired of the lazy, yes some Europeans have come here pockets out, but, similarly as Lasana said, lazy can be found in all societies, including hers. Just as some of hers, arrived poor, some of the others worked for theirs and prospered, but no mention of such. So, what are her solutions or suggestions other than pull yourselves up by the bootstraps, when the bootstraps haven’t been equal in centuries?
But Jude, that’s a given. I’ve mentioned that. It’s just a farce to paint an entire geographical region the lazy moniker then use inaccurate historical references to justify the coded malicious statements.
She complains of “sooting” and being harassed. You honestly think she is IN laventille when this happens or at any other given moment?
And despite those bootstraps being unequal many have been able to take their place at the table of the landed gentry here in Trinidad & Tobago and thats the point everyone keeps missing. human beings are very prone to resisting the inroads of useful information and insecure human beings even more so…so we will ignore the obvious merit in studying how other socially deprived and downtrodden advanced up the social ladder and instead focus on moaning about inequalities in world where complete equality either of opportunity or outcome cannot be found ANYWHERE in this world. That is not to say that we should not be concerned with addressing inequalities when and where we can but no one advances anywhere unless they adopt the culture that allows for advancement..and that is far easier to address than imbalances in power.
And Jude that is where you are wrong. The “virtually nothing” is a myth. Once you start with that false idea you are never going to arrive at the right conclusion.
The other myth would be that “Laventillians” are not succeeding and don’t have genuine success stories despite the other classes who sometimes intentionally try to keep them off the table.
A myth???..how so????…so everyone but Africans came here well positioned to succeed????…this is threatening to become really silly now eh. and secondly no one says Laventillians aren’t succeeding and I’m sure if one was to ask the author she’d probably say ‘Exactly’!! they succeed cuz they adopt a culture that encourages success..i.e. embracing hard-work and sacrifice!!! so why can’t more of them follow suit???..I really should stop trying to speak for someone i don’t know eh but I’m trying to keep this discussion on track here.
WHat madness I readiing here?
Insanity is alive oui
First of all you are comparing people who came as slaves to people who came here looking for a job or with jobs already waiting for them.
So I’d agree with you that this is becoming very silly.
If a Trini was the Mayor of New York and there were many very influential Trinis throughout New York who owned massive companies like Walmart, train companies, restaurants…
And if I showed up in New York with $5 in my pocket and a Trini passport and ready to network. Would you say I was just disadvantaged as an another people there who were scorned by society and purposefully kept on the fringes?
Jude, continue to enjoy your enlightenment. Thanks for the chat and I’m glad that you voiced your thoughts.
i think it is important to know what those around us REALLY think.
Hear nuh.. I need to read this !
I is in shock.. complete utter shock.
Awareness is a helluva feelin. Almost surreal, this convo in 2016 on a Trinidad & Tobago forum.
Ms Price , indeed in 2016 we still must have these conversations, and sadly still we haven’t found a better way forward for all, together.
Kerry Thompson we are already LIVING the “better way forward” the biased jaudndiced eye of the racist would never see it.
Mr liburd Again…another purposeful misinterpretation..meant to advance ur narrative. I never attempted to equate anybody’s circumstance to another and this is where these discussions always begin to go in circles unfortunately…because people become hell-bent on proving they had it worse as if proving that at any point is useful to anyone, rather than understanding how an underclass in any society whatever their circumstance is able to rise. Tell them about How Japanese ppl advanced their situation in America in the face of post world war 2 discrimination hate and disenfranchisement… they respond yeah but that wasn’t as bad as slavery! Tell them about how the Chinese in Malaysia are able to become a dominant minority despite widespread hate and systemic racism (laws purposefully set up to marginalize them) and they say yeah but did they have their culture taken away tho??…and apparently tell them how Indian ppl came here with virtually nothing faced racism and discrimination from all including Africans but now are major players in the commercial class and they say yeah but that’s not like slavery tho! All the while ignoring usefulness of observing how these ppl advanced their causes..because it’s more important to prove that they had it harder than to learn how to improve themselves apparently.
Ok Jude. Let’s start with your quote here: “it’s more important to prove that they had it harder than to learn how to improve themselves apparently…”
Now prove that quote is the reality and not just a “romantic” notion you and De Verteuil share. Show me that “Laventillians” are less inclined to improve themselves than other races.
If you can’t, then your premise fails.
Jude Campbell yuh come back?
Because yuh could type and form a sentence ain’t mean you literate.
Me ain’t about discourse with vomit under the guise of nourishment.
Simple is always most & best effective… eg. yuh typin shit.
Lasana Liburd later luv… I have pastelle to make.
Christ came for sinners not the “saved”.
Yuh wasting time with Jude.
Mr liburd That was not directed at Laventillians that was directed at ppl that in response to suggestions that since others have done it in the face of adversities so can u/they seek to differentiate themselves from others as opposed to seeking to understand how those ppl did it…similar to what you are doing now. I am not saying laventille ppl can’t advance themselves at all..in fact I. Am saying the exact opposite! Those whose situation requires advancing that is…cuz as u pointed out and I would know as a former Laventillian myself not everyone there is a sufferer!
The reason why Mrs. De Verteuil could rewrite Trinidad history and purposely omit the contribution of Afro-Trinis is because Afro-Trinis have never seen themselves as a homogeneous group so she knows many won’t recognize the slight. When De Verteuil says “Lavantille” what she actually means is black, but she can get away with that because many Afro-Trinis themselves look down on Lavantillians as worthless “ole niggas” while harboring a natural affinity for African Americans with whom they have much less in common.
R de Verteuil sounded like Phillip eh…just saying.
She sounded not unlike many an Afro-Trini too Rhoda. She’s referring to black Trinis in general, but the Afro-Trinis who you and I know routinely disparage the residents of Beetham and Lavantille would not recognize that she is referring to them as well.
Few Afro Trinis would speak exclusively about the contributions of other groups. They would also distance themselves. De Verteuil sounds like a plant.
If you know how I had to compose myself to respond to this piece of shit letter.
I didnt bother to compose myself, nah. R de Verteuil needs to go fuck herself. That letter is racist bullshit.
Girl …. I couldn’t find the words, and I could always find the words.
I know.
She basically just included young hard working students like myself and many others into her “laventillian” stereotypes. I Wish i could secretly listen to those kind of people when they congregate among Themselves. I could only the imagine the scorn placed against “laventillian”.
And by extension all Trinidadians of African descent Kelisha. But mind you eh, I know Afro-Trinis who speak of Lavantillians in much the same way.
I dont deny that they exist but just the convenient use of laventillian to degrade a people is very appalling and somehow not surprising. We have to blame ourselves as a people because we have become so divided that it is easy for the enemies to pluck us out one by one. Only way a contribution like what was written by this person could be made is if she also thinks she got support from other races including our own. When will my people wake up? I guess the festivities yesterday got them all tied up to even look at what this entity has written about them.
You guys realize that had Donald Trump expressed those views about African Americans every Afro-Trini would have been beside himself with indignation right?
WE WANT WE GRANDFATHER BACKPAY…..
I am with Tanya Carr that the writer feels comfortable to sit, compose a letter and email it. Trump like…
Ha ha ha..
When I read the original letter to the editor, I nearly died laughing.
Couldn’t believe that in this day and age,with free access to research material on almost any topic, someone could be so ignorant.. Clearly,that woman doesn’t even know the history of ” La Ventille” / Laventille or even Port of Spain ,much less Trinidad..
My simple advice to her is,if she’s “sick and tired” of any particular race in this country,she ‘s free to go back to the land of her ancestors.
** say no to drugs** ???
Lol. TV6 should seek out Ms. De Verteuil and see if she wants to expand her views on the Morning Edition. If yuh name woman “come outside”! Although I suspect someone so ignorant and uneducated (miseducated??) would hardly be so brave. She content to hide behind the “R”
Please don’t malign all French Creoles based on this one.
Fair enough. As that would make us guilty of the same stereotyping.
Although it is fair to say that not all races had the same ride in this melting pot.
In a nutshell, yes
The level of ignorance is found in the people condemning Ms De Vertruil is disgusting. because she is “white” she must be wrong..
So let me post Dr. Eric Willimas saying the same thing, lets see how many people call Dr. Williams a racist and liar ..
I am sorry that so many people hate the truth so much that they must create a fictional history of T&T ..
the people of Laventille are NOT decedents of local slaves, They are Johny come latelty’s . The Indian people have been here longer than they have… Many fine former slaves did help develop T&T, and Ms De Virtule did point that out,,,,
here please take a READ of this before you start commenting :
https://archive.org/stream/historyofthepeop006593mbp/historyofthepeop006593mbp_djvu.txt
I’m assuming that you want to have a totally different chat. I think we have our hands full ideologically already. But just because all the people from Laventille were not in local slave houses does not mean they were not on slave houses elsewhere eh.
A shocking use of ambiguity in the headline.
How so?
It is syntactically ambiguous, somewhat like “big girls and boys” = “big girls, and boys” or “big girls and big boys”, the “big” governing either one or both nouns.
Here, it is two potential issues – is it the “a” that is the problem, or the “French Creole” as an adjective rather than as a noun?
Once you read the article, it is clear that “a” means “one” as in “one French Creole”, but “A Shocking French Creole Revision” can read like:
a) “A Shocking Revision of History from a French Creole perspective” (French Creole as a adjective here governing perspective, so all French Creoles potentially)
b) “A Shocking Revision of History by one/a French Creole with a crappy perspective (French Creole as a noun so clear that it is one offender).
Solution: It is one French Creole’s revision of history, so would be better as “One French Creole’s Shocking Revision of History” or “A French Creole’s Shocking Revision of History”, rather than using the noun as the adjective.
Jo-Anne, I agree with you. We often try to keep the headlines as near as possible to the one offered to us by our contributors. Also we do try to keep a particular word length.
But the headline could and probably should have been better.
I do hope that the story itself did not come off as nor encourage an attack on ALL French Creoles. That is not our intention. So we are sorry for the slip-up.
I understand – these things happen in writing and in speech. So my exciting solution re: number of characters is just change “A” to “One” and stick on an apostrophe s after Creole. 😀 😀 😀
Wait, that would be “One shocking French Creole’s revision of Trinidad and Tobago history” so that is messy. How about the first solution: “One French Creole’s shocking revision of Trinidad and Tobago history” (so just 4 characters more and a switching of word order).
I am sooo tired of seeing ad hominem attacks in either “camp”. Whatever happened to polite, respectful, measured, thoughtful responses (EVEN and especially when offended, to educate the offender), rather than all the shoot-from-the-hip anger? I real like the quoted M Obama – when they go low… But like some of us just want to wine down lower still.
Jo-Anne, when someone clicks on the link or shares the article from our website, this is what they will see now: http://wired868.com/2016/10/29/french-creole-revision-of-tt-history-why-de-verteuils-laventille-rant-is-dead-wrong/
People will get angry. It is just important to not become the thing you are angry with.
Lasana, wonderfully put. Nothing wrong with anger in itself, to be sure.
Thanks for the edit. 😀
Thanks for taking the time to point it out. We make errors from time to time and the quicker we can adjust, the better. 😉
We all do, so hope I can count on help when it’s my turn.? All in this together. One nation. One people
Agreed.
Jo-Anne S. Ferreira I think the anger comes from the food – the implications of eating GMO food is only now being studied and the results are frightening to say the least…
Eric, ha!
While we are on this discussion (still checking out the authenticity of it) I recently heard that Economics is being replaced by Entrepreneurship at 6th Form level. Say it ain’t so. We are extremist? why throw out the baby with the bath water? So everybody is going to be an entrepreneur, so where will the Economist come from,? I continue to say politicians make adhoc decisions in the short term and the country pays in the long term Example cease prayer in schools, where are we today. Stop corporal punishment, you took away the power of discipline from teachers and give it to students, who pulling guns on teachers?, who beating teachers. Who closed down all the youth camps so an ethnic groups will be disenfranchised and today we have to import Chinese and other labourers,because we have no tradesmen and the list goes on and on. We continue to do the same things over and over and are getting the same result. As a political scientist George Modelski said History is cylical. As my deceased daddy used to say Common sense ain’t all that common, but it sure beats the PhDs (false or purchased)
we have two of the greatest giants in the francophone caribbean,franz fanon and aime caesar who gives you an insight of the french colonial thinking ,we need to rap her on her knees
I’m currently teaching Caribbean studies “culture and society to 6th form students. The Mc Farlane debacle sent me to do research on the French role in Caribbean history. I learnt so much, I gave my, students to do research on the issue and they will be doing a presentation in two weeks. This article is timely especially, since we are always taught about the British and the Spanish. .I agree with St Bernard partially about the removal of History in schools,its’ one of my biggest peeve. Why are we hiding the truth from our kids . I don’t blame the PNM or UNC, When it occurred, as parents in this country, what did we do? Like everything else in T&T. Nothing (it was removed, but some schools I dare say prestige and private schools stiil teach history). Our kids are devoid of such pertinent information. Ms Deverteuil talked about reparation but do not think African are entitled to same. Also you have not walked in the shoes of any African person, so don’t judge maam,. Like myself you need to read, read ,but more importantly there are so many so called ‘historians’ out there, be certain thatI’ you are reading the correct information
Rosanna, could you share more on the removal of history in schools? I’m far removed from the system at the moment…
apparently, it was replaced by Social studies. I’m new to the teaching system. However a few years back while on campus I attended a discussion , and the feature speaker alluded to the same thing had occurred in Jamaican schools (the teaching of history) I always wondered if it had to do with the MDGs. You know we like to listen to the US , who I believe when it comes to Education is N#11 e,g the no child left behind, which President Obama just signed a rewrite. It failed to meet its objectives ( too much testing, and other things) which we adopted. SEA putting all children in secondary schools When they are not at all academically inclined, so they disrupt the class and then drop out , then hanging on the block, then to a life of crime.and now we complaining about CRIME. We ALLOW politicians to do these things and sit idly by . I read an article on line yesterday about Finland schools which is #3 in Education. the European way is more on interaction and games for children,than testing and the kids, mostly refugee kids are excelling.
This is a piece of trash written in an attempt to rewrite history,how can we right the historical wrong that has been perpetuated on our people who are seen as worthless ,no self esteem,the article simple adds to the list of wrongs committed against us,she needs to look inwardly,seem to be full of misplaced emotion,the poor sion of a white family trying to gain notice of her rich relatives,the poor cousin has been left out of the will.
R de Verteuil needs to explain how despite free land, free labour and subsidies white people still fuck up the entire sugar and cocoa industries.
be fair Rhoda, the sugar and cocoa industries worked fine, until that had to pay for labour, pay taxes on the land, and the protected European markets went elsewhere…
Kwesi Prescod then explain the bail out of 1846 and the need for subsidies and protected markets for centuries? If the industries were so perfect why did they need BOTH protected markets AND FREE Labour?
that’s my sarcastic point though 😉
How was this white people’s fault. Pretty sure it was the collective efforts of your local politicians
Dammit…I hate when I miss tone on social media. :p
It was caused by the Industrial revolution as stated by Dr Eric Williams. Their preferential access to the English market that paid higher prices was removed. Sugar prices had collapsed. Sugar was no longer sweet. The absentee planters were replaced by these industrialists as ‘new elites’ in England.
It became cheaper to use sugar beets & high fructose corn syrup. http://cropwatch.unl.edu/history-sugarbeets
What book is this Justin?
Thanks
Tomorrow I will post the tenets of the Cedula of Population that gave every white person 32 quarrées of land upon arrival in Trinidad just by virtue of whiteness and 16 quarrées for ever enslaved person they came with. As well as the list of subsidies and subventions.
R de Verteuil needs to explain how much more advanced black ppl would be if they got free land, subsidies and had a banking sector thst favoured them. Her story of hard work and sacrifice as the main virtues of white success is disingenous to the point of dishonesty. No wonder Makakfarlane feels comfortable fantasising about houseboys.
Rhoda, be sure to tag me for your history lesson.
I want that book!
Aye Rhoda Bharath didn’t I say that no connectiona should be made between this lady’s line of Mental Excretion and the Cazabon Mas
Justin Phelps I need to borrow this book asap
Mind boggling that each white settler got about 100 acres of free land just for being white (and Catholic I guess). Unless you were a spectacular failure that alone would pretty much “guarantee” the wealth of De Verteuil’s and their future generations. Mind boggling too that Ms. R would see a CEPEP work and food card as a “handout” but not 100 acres of free land plus perks.
No I wasn’t suggesting that. But human virtue often develops when it’s affordable, when the human is in optimum circumstances. And vice versa perhaps. I don’t know. My point is that the history as written is very kind. Not that any individual was good or bad.
First, I have limited interaction with him. Because he was a good principal doesn’t necessarily mean he was a good man although I’m not ruling that out.
Second, I won’t tote feelings because of something his pappy or grand pappy might have done anymore than I would for a kid in the ghetto with a mean daddy.
Life and bloodlines can be complex. I totally accept your point Justin.
And the ones who tell their own stories are invariably heroes. Ask Ken Gordon. Lol.
Or Jack Warner who strove upwards thru the nigh to go from zero to hero.
I didn’t write it. I shared it. But I think it is a good read indeed. 🙂
I think the thing that stuck out to me most is that this historical revisionism never escapes African people regardless of where they’re located.
Ignorance can be a monster.
Ms Barath said it best in the comments
?
Lol. Father Anthony De Verteuil was my school principal. And I don’t have a single bad word to say about him based on our limited interaction.
Just because I find Ms Bharath too calm tonight
Driving.
Well done man.
And engineers n pannists n humans n others
For real Hayden
This individual is misguided and simply adding to the injustice historically perpetuated against the people of laventille,there are documented cases of residents applying for jobs and once you were from behind the Bridge ,sorry your application was thrown in the waste Basket,my parents and others who came from the eastern caribbean were marginalised seen as been brought in by Dr Williams to vote for PNM.She needs to visit these communities and have conversation with persons who reside there to get their side of life,I don’t want to be to hard on her based on her french creole origin,Dr Bridget Bretton is outstanding in document the french creole,she is just playing out her emotions
What she does not know or does not want to know is how many scholars Laventille produced.
For my own record keeping can you name a few?
i am also curious. and maybe what percentage of the body of national scholars would that number constitute?
Peter Noel, Margaret and Jerome Jones, Raymond Luke, Kymone Hinds, Major Malcolm Nedd and the present American ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago 1
Just to name a few. You can
You can utilize the Trinidad Public Library for more information
what level fuckery that ass on ?? privilege fool she is..
I did a little expirement in work one day . I told four co-workers that i am going to describe two TV shows for them and i want them to say what comes to mind . The first show involves four nerdy super intelligent teens that star in a new comedy , and the second involves a group of young men who turn to selling drugs as a way to making it in life . All of them said the first show is definitely white actors and the second blacks . They now see what the media has done to them . Always observe people !
Her belief system is not shocking, she is merely stating what many like her and also wannabe whites believe deeply …. the shocking part is that she feels so comfortable making these statements in public …..
funny, I can defend everything she said, by quoting Dr. Williams …
yet you find her belief system “shocking” ..
her belief system is founded on facts and the actual history of T&T
https://archive.org/stream/historyofthepeop006593mbp/historyofthepeop006593mbp_djvu.txt
Blame the Trinidad Express Newspapers. They encouraged this shit. It’s a class thing. Because I couldn’t write that about any other race and have it published.
Onika Nkrumah-Lakhan you on d ball- this has not survived decades just so, it’s promoted by the same ppl who it holds in contempt
Justin Phelps we reactive too bad. Seldom proactive, the deadly flaw:(
From the super rich to the poor everyone depends on the state to provide contracts . That is why the business sector is lazy ?
It’s called racialized grammar and from the media to bigoted individuals its selectively applied to the African ‘elements’ in a society.
She referred to being cat called by “Laventillian” men and so on Justin.
Yes true I didn’t pick up on that
Very contemptuous and disdainfully written. With such scorn one has to wonder if shes descended from the De Verteuils that were allegedly a slaveowning family. Anyway Im always glad when people like this voice how they really feel. Because many of us Africans need a goddamned wake up call. Always begging for acceptance and inclusion, always supporting other people, always the laughing stock. Madame de Verteuil is NOT alone. Many of us will learn the hard way
I feel our people are waiting for them literally spit in our faces before catch ourselves. Sometimes i wonder if we are just plain dumb.
Well I didn’t see that, must’ve missed it.
Justin, your gender complexities may may be showing. She talks about being “sooted” by men on the street who fling snide comments in he direction. Do you get that too as a man?
The writer said she is female Justin.
What do you mean? There are indications that the writer is female.
Why does everyone refer to R de Verteuil as “Miss”?
The level of ignorance from R de Verteuil is astounding but expected. We do not explore our history and educate our citizens, a desperate necessity if we want diverse unity on any real level.
Hahaha
You know I can’t even laugh?
I don’t want to underestimate Mrs De Verteuil’s ignorance, Vernal.
You forgot “willful”. She and Google have a feud or what? In 20flipping16 I have to read this pablum passing as fact? Steups ad infinitum.
“Posing,” sir, not “passing.”
Irony that De Verteuil’s letter comes a day before Hal Greaves died and a week before statistics were released showing that serious crimes drastically decreased in the East POS area compared to the same period in previous years.
I suspect statistical data won’t have much impact on Mrs De Verteuil.
The issue is not related. Crime has reduced due to army patrols in the area. I wish I can see some justification for her position to point out Laventille specifically. I can’t recall seeing roads blocked in Laventille by residents seeking handouts. She should has point to facts(protests, groups or residents from Laventille seeking handouts etc) to support her claim.
I’m assuming Laventille is a metaphor for blacks who catching ass. I will give her that much.
Don’t worry the explanation will simply be that the people of “Laventille” have gone to Central to commit crime, I have heard that argument made a few times in certain quarters.
I think you’re overthinking a racist rant frankly. What’s there in this to engage your mind? She’s a dunce and an ass, and she should be labeled that and we move on.
The de Verteuils in 1840 thereabouts got a law passed to prevent free blacks from buying Crown Land. She could go fuck herself.
I really think she needs to fuck herself.
Stop fannying about and speaking in parables and tell us what you really think Rhodes!! ???
Lol. Ok. You weren’t so clear before.
Thats why it is hard for them to get my money but i want the govt to stop renting from them and then lets see what happens in a year time .
Our fortunes as a people are linked. All races. We just need to find a way to coexist that is more equitable.
As I said Rhoda, I often see such people lecture the “have-nots” about pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. Yet, they never offer said bootstraps to help the process.
What use is an even well-intentioned: “Get on yer bike” when all I have is a raggedy pair of shoes?
And whose fault is that, shiftless nigger? Why didn’t you bring some of Africa’s wealth with you when you came?
Look, just go back to Beverly Hills or Behind the Bridge, be quiet and accept that you got what you deserved, all that you worked for, “a raggedy pair of shoes.”
Here is something to make you go hmmmmmm
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-10-29/friend-kills-friend-row-over-rowley
Rhoda I’m genuinely so offended that I don’t even know how to respond.
She’s behaving as though all of Trinidad’s people began on an equal playing field.