Le Hunte: The African reality—vital building blocks were lost to blacks during slavery


“[…] We have bought into the Western, capitalist idea, that the individual bears sole responsibility for their success or failure—history and current extenuating circumstances be damned! This, of course, is a fallacy, a distortion of the truth that absolves us, and the rest of society of any responsibility to our vulnerable brothers and sisters.

“[…] Having spent half a decade on the African continent, I witnessed many traditions, customs and beliefs that did not survive the Transatlantic journey to the Caribbean […] like showing gratitude by offering a gift, and providing support to members of your community.

“[…] They form the building blocks of African community—providing the trellis or support on which the young vines can grow and thrive…”

The following is the first in a two part series on ‘Facing the African Reality’ by former minister of public utilities, senator and Republic Bank (Ghana) executive director Robert Le Hunte:


Photo: A fictional depiction of slave owner and house negro in the movie Django Unchained.

As the world is forced to come to terms with the multitude of ways in which people of colour have suffered centuries of systemic oppression, tensions and emotions have been running high.

Celebrities, business leaders, politicians, academics, and the person on the street, are all ready and willing to take sides, and to shout their opinions on the matter from the rooftops—or as is more often the case these days, on various social media platforms.

Here in Trinidad and Tobago, we share different views on the relevance of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which emerged in the United States of America as a direct response to the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police. Some staged protests outside of the American Embassy in solidarity with the BLM movement, while others felt the need to assert that ‘All Lives Matter’.

Whichever side of the fence one finds oneself on, the fact that members of the African Diaspora, across the world and here in Trinidad and Tobago, do not enjoy the same levels of success as other ethnic groups is incontrovertible. This, of course, is a hard but necessary pill to swallow.

Confronting the current reality however, is the only way that meaningful change can be effected.

“How can the former executive director of one of the largest commercial bank in the region claim that ‘his’ people are disadvantaged,” one might ask, “and not as successful as others?”

Photo: A man pays tribute to George Floyd, who was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin on 25 May 2020 in Minneapolis.

Well, in all my years at the helm of a financial institution, I was able to support many persons on their way to achieving millionaire status. The sad reality, and it haunts me to this day, is that I could count the number of persons of African descent who were able to achieve that distinction on one hand.

This was not due to any bias on my part and it is certainly not an indictment on the financial institution at which I worked. I have no doubt that similar trends can be perceived in every financial institution in Trinidad and Tobago.

This is so because of certain systemic issues that prevail in our society. In the first instance, ownership of physical assets is a critical ingredient in securing financial assistance. As such, it cannot be disputed that those who have access to and ownership of those assets have an inherent advantage.

Additionally, business itself, particularly retail, is fraught with risk. In banking, risk is anticipated and mitigated by security.

Obtaining a facility from a financial institution is primarily about assessing risk, entrepreneurship and character (a judgement call to some extent), and as such, there must be a connection in some way between the applicant and the individual processing/ interviewing the person.

Photo: Loan application… denied.

Finally, one major assumption in any emerging business is that it will receive the support from a wide cross section of the community. The ones that survive and thrive are usually the ones that receive that support. The ones that do not typically never make it off the proverbial ground.

These are factors that impact everyone. However, due to the way in which our society is structured, persons of African descent are often unable to access the support systems that help members of other ethnic groups thrive.

The disparities are obvious at a quick glance. The schools that are not as successful as others can be found in communities that are predominantly Afro-Trinidadian. A review of the Ministry of Education’s Academic Performance Index (AIP) Report 2016 reveals that over 80% of the 78 primary schools under academic watch are in the areas of Port of Spain, St George and St Patrick.

Another disparity can be seen in the justice system: while members from all groups engage in criminal and gang activity, the numbers are disproportionately skewed towards those of African descent. Meanwhile, the number of persons of African descent in business and in management has diminished significantly over the years.

The disparity between the fortunes of this group and others is cause for concern at both local and global levels.

Photo: Arima North Secondary students cheer on their football team during SSFL action against Malabar Secondary at the Arima Old Road on 4 October 2019.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/Wired868)

In 2015, the United Nations responded to this looming crisis by declaring an International Decade for People of African Descent. That declaration, under the theme: ‘Recognition, Justice and Development’, provided a framework for the undoing of the some of the systemic oppression and inequality faced by persons belonging to that group.

Over five years have passed, less than five are left, and what have we done here in Trinidad and Tobago? At best, not enough!

Part of the challenge, of course, is that many of us do not view inequality as a systemic problem that must be dealt with at all levels. We have bought into the Western, capitalist idea, that the individual bears sole responsibility for their success or failure—history and current extenuating circumstances be damned!

This, of course, is a fallacy, a distortion of the truth that absolves us, and the rest of society of any responsibility to our vulnerable brothers and sisters. It is easier for even the ‘successful’ ones among us to trivialise the problem by looking at their own successes and making the point that: ‘if I could make it, why can’t they?’.

The reality which we face is that the few that are ‘making it’ are getting smaller and smaller and represent the exception, not the norm.

Photo: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) welcomes US hop hip star and entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter to his team.
(Copyright DNYUS)

Having spent half a decade on the African continent, I witnessed many traditions, customs and beliefs that did not survive the Transatlantic journey to the Caribbean. Customs like showing gratitude by offering a gift, and providing support to members of your community are lost to us in the Caribbean.

Along with language, religion, rites of passage, generational wealth, family and kinship systems, they form the building blocks of African community—providing the trellis or support on which the young vines can grow and thrive.

To expect a group to succeed without these fundamental systems, is like expecting a man to survive in the dead of winter without a winter coat.

To make matters worse, those walking along comfortably in their winter attire, ask him, perplexed without the coat, why he stands there shivering, unable to move!

Again, this is an international issue that is recognised by the United Nations! In providing a background to the 2015 declaration, the UN drew reference to the fact that:

Photo: Morvant residents remonstrate with TTPS Inspector Alexander, after the police killing of Morvant residents Joel Jacob, Israel Clinton and Noel Diamond on 27 June 2020.
(via Stabroeknews)

‘Whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade or as more recent migrants, they constitute some of the poorest and most marginalized groups. Studies and findings by international and national bodies demonstrate that people of African descent still have limited access to quality education, health services, housing and social security’.

The problem before us is an old and complex one that can never be fixed with platitudes and one-off events. It requires careful, and dare I say, fearless analysis in order for the right strategies to be found and implemented.

I say ‘us’ because this is a societal issue. Persons of African descent make up 34% of our population. As we thrive, the country will as well.

If old and outdated systems of oppression are allowed to remain however, our society, as a whole, will become increasingly unstable.

Just look at the United States of America. We might think that the massive civil unrest we witnessed on our television screens could never find its way here. We must take warning however from the old adage that: ‘if your neighbour’s house is on fire, wet your own’.

Photo: A young man confronts police officers during protests in Minnesota over the killing of George Floyd.

Besides seeking to prevent an impending and inevitable crisis, we should also be actively pursuing the kind of future that we want for ourselves and our children. That, alone is reason enough to fight the classism and racism that pervades at any level in this country.

If we are to truly build a new society, we must disassemble the paradigms and have the courage and temerity to adopt new ways of thinking.

So what do we do?

Editor’s Note: Wired868 will publish the second and final part of Robert Le Hunte’s column on the African Reality on Sunday 2 August.

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5 comments

  1. Afro-Trinbagonians, Racism and the Education System
    https://www.trinicenter.com/Cudjoe/2003/1909.htm

  2. Trinidad and Tobago Instiute of Technology: A Racket Exposed
    https://www.trinicenter.com/Cudjoe/2003/3009b.htm

  3. Terri-Ann Joseph-Brathwaite

    I respectfully recognize and salute you Mr. Le Hunte, as a voice that is true and legitimate in any discussion on this subject. Your ancestors were born in Africa, were captured, kidnapped , sold, transported and enslaved here. Standing on their shoulders you proved the strength and quality of our African DNA by succeeding personally and professionally in the belly and the heart of the beast- in banking and in Barclays Bank at that! That bank then sent you back home to Ghana as a leader of it’s FDI, a brilliant example of Afro-Trinidadian power and growth. There you continued to build and contribute. That bank, now called REPUBLIC BANK effectively led by sons and daughters of slaves is the only local institution driving us as an originator of Foreign Direct Investment. Congratulations Robert Le Hunte. I respect and salute you and look forward to Part 2. Happy Emancipation Day.

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