The trajectory of Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s political career is a cautionary tale to any who would assume that gender presupposes good governance. In the months before the 2010 election, there were valid queries about questionable construction projects and a frightening escalation of the crime rate under then leader of government and …
Read More »Race, politics and coronavirus; President Weekes targets T&T’s biggest challenges on Independence Day
“[…] The lead-up to the [2020] election and its immediate aftermath saw political differences couched in vitriolic racist rants, complete with the most foul language. “[…] While some of these exchanges may have taken place at close quarters, social media provided a convenient and safe vehicle from which to launch …
Read More »Noble: ‘Did business leaders choose comfort over constructive conflict?’ How Ramsaran’s discourse soured
Since 2002, the annual ALJGSB ‘Distinguished Leadership and Innovation Conference’, with cutting-edge lessons taught by global thought leaders, has been chock full of our local business leaders. Yet the recent Ramsaran imbroglio unmasked glaring shortcomings by some of these same business leaders. These missteps have real-life consequences for us as …
Read More »Hotep: Complicit businesses and CoP lack moral authority to frame response to racism
“[…] Aside from the Ramsaran’s text-book apology and ‘firing’ of the owner’s daughter, how has the company demonstrated appropriate remedial action? “Business owners are attempting to hold the public to ransom: they claim that the public’s boycott of their businesses, for their racist behaviours, will affect the livelihood of workers. Even …
Read More »Noble: Beware long-time beneficiaries from gov’t policies who pretend to be self-made men and women
Trinidad and Tobago is a nation of immigrants. We may have come on different boats, but we are in the same boat now. Between the drop in oil and gas prices and their depressed demand, the consequent lack of foreign exchange and the Covid-19 economic shock, we could be set back …
Read More »Dr Rowley ‘unreservedly apologised’ for sari skit—don’t mangle facts to make racism point
“[Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley] unreservedly apologised for the skit on his own behalf, on behalf of his party and all PNM supporters… [Letter writer Sanjay Dhalla] seemed to have missed all of that. “[…] More than 70-75% of the students [at Presentation College, Chaguanas] were Indians. If some of …
Read More »Dear editor: Don’t justify ‘cockroach’ slur, commissioner—it is a slippery slope
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith obviously realised that his use of the word ‘cockroaches’ was at risk of being construed in a racist way. That is why he had to come out to ‘clarify’ his position. [Daily Express, 14/08/2020: ‘Griffith: Tone down race talk’]. But having recognised the danger of …
Read More »Dear Editor: Does every creed and race ‘FIND an equal place’ or ‘FINDS’—it matters!
“[…] I have seen many publications on government websites that reproduce the words of our anthem on their webpages as: ‘here every creed and race FINDS…’ and on others that state that it is: ‘here every creed and race FIND…’ “Which is it? It may seem pedantic and as if …
Read More »Open Bible: God is not racist, Trinbagonians must stop tearing down each other
“God is not racist. He is the God who loves us, having created every one of us in His image… “Even though it is natural to have an affinity or a special love for the particular ethnicity or race into which we were born, that affinity should not be the basis to look …
Read More »Dear editor: ‘Anti-black’ racism can only be eradicated when ‘anti-Indo’ racism is also addressed
“Indo-Trinidadians are letting themselves down here in a big way. A lot of Hindus are really put off by what has been said. The community must do better. But I do know that a lot of the Indian/Hindu population feel hated in their own country. “They remember ‘No Calcutta ship …
Read More »Dear editor: ‘Cockroaches’ slur should be hate crime, penalised by jail—like in UK and Dominica
“[…] The word ‘cockroaches’ was used by both the Nazis and those behind the genocide in Rwanda in 1999. “[…] Such language used by Ms Ramsaran cannot fall ‘under the guise of freedom of expression’. It feeds a vicious cycle of unrestrained intolerance and incitement to hatred by race…” The …
Read More »‘These PNM cockroaches keep populating’; Tayé and St Clair respond to Ramsaran’s racist rant
Naila Ramsaran: ‘Let us the hardworking UNC supporters continue to pay taxes and mind the loafers that support the PNM… I hope [Prime Minister Dr Keith] Rowley starts putting contraceptives in their water supply yes because these cockroaches keep populating and the only thing they know to do is vote…’ …
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