Tag Archives: race relations

“[…] It should be obvious to all that the most likely winner of a 100 metre race (no pun intended) is the participant who gets the ‘jump start’. It is in these circumstances that the ‘false start’ rule becomes operative and the race line-up is reset. “[…] What is undesirable …

Approximately 50 years ago, mainly young people—disillusioned by the continued colonial nature of the country, the deep racism, classism and limited opportunities—made brave efforts to improve things. Instead of the then government, led by Dr Eric Williams, listening and properly engaging with these persons, the leaders of the movement were …

“[…] Does Tribe Carnival owe us an explanation? Not really, because what explanation would they come up with other than ‘yes our business model is colourist and we’re actually catering to a market demand’? “The truth is, if Tribe and like-minded bands were to cease operations, others with the same …

The letter ‘When would real equality come?’ by Anand Beharrylal, QC—carried in the Express Monday 15  June edition—reminds me of an Aaron Levenstein quote: “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” His comments were suggestive but do not provide a full picture …

Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF head, in a conversation with the Washington Post last week described the economic situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic as a ‘crisis like no other’. For her, the impending crisis was a  ‘great reversal’ that was wrought with much uncertainty. She foresaw significant job losses …

It was a wild night in Manama on 16 November 2005 and a bunch of Trinbagonians celebrated the success of the Soca Warriors at a night club. Girls are in short supply at recreation places in Bahrain while local females are non-existent. But one young pannist got lucky as he …

‘Riot is the language of the unheard’—Reverent Dr Martin Luther King Jr George Floyd’s death has sparked riots and reactions like I have not witnessed during my lifetime. Coming at a time when the many faces of racism and racist reaction had already brought the conversation to the front pages. …

“Attributing the Opposition’s awful stance on the Venezuela question to them being Indian is race-baiting, plain and simple. In the Caribbean, colluding and conspiring with foreign powers are hardly the sole preserve of Indians. “[…] Consider again the case of the late Prime Minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles, who made …

Dr Hollis ‘Chalkdust’ Liverpool suggested that everything happening in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere pales in significance to the ongoing ‘Murder Frenzy’—be it the Law Association’s fight to remove Chief Justice Ivor Archie, or whoever putting ‘dog in the curry’. But, last night, the nine-time Calypso Monarch champion was wrong. …

A case of racially-charged ‘offensive behaviour’ filed by TV6 journalist Kejan Haynes against then Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) political leader Phillip Edward Alexander will be referred to a Tribunal for adjudication, after the Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) rejected Alexander’s defence and a conciliatory meeting between the two parties failed to …

Symbolic of the moral and ethical wasteland that we as a nation have become is the apparent dearth of flourishing fruits and natural habitat, which we once enjoyed and ravished with impish delight. Do mangoes, avocados, pommerac, plum and cherries grow in abundance as in days gone by? We, meaning …

With the two shootings in East Port of Spain and the mystery of the San Fernando ‘kidnappings’, the uncertainty of life in our country is writ large. Fear stalks. These circumstances have the potential to paralyse the commercial life of Port of Spain on one hand and to drive deeper …