Plural societies, such as ours, are prone to tensions and to pretend that it is a new thing is folly. What is new is the disrespectful disagreement we now witness as we moved from social polarisation (living in different communities) to issue polarisation (where we cannot agree on the essentials …
Read More »Nakhid: Jay-Z joins long list of black sell outs; T&T has its fair share too
How do you transform from slinging crack cocaine to slinging billionaire lyrics to slinging ‘house nigger’ semantics within two decades—while simultaneously kicking to the curb the most prominent black face in the fight for social justice for the last generation in one fell swoop? Easy, you’re US hip hop star …
Read More »POS Acting Mayor: No decision on Kwame Ture Street yet; but here are the benefits of it…
“[…] Interestingly, I reside at Oxford Street and have lived there for the 34 years of my life. On one occasion years ago, I noticed some persons who appeared to be tourists, walking along Oxford Street and staring around as if they were searching for something. “When I asked if …
Read More »Dear Editor: Why Oxford Street to Kwame Ture? Why not a First Peoples or East Indian name?
“I have noted that the Deputy Mayor of Port of Spain Hillan Morean told an Emancipation Day audience that the Port of Spain City Corporation plans to rename Oxford Street after Kwame Ture, Trinidad-born Pan-African activist. “[…] Why change to mainly African names and not equally to the First Peoples, …
Read More »‘All nationals must denounce Sat Maharaj’s hateful rhetoric!’ Devant distances himself from Sat
“All nationals must denounce Sat Maharaj’s hateful rhetoric. The Constitutional Right to freedom of speech is not just a right. It’s also a responsibility. “We have a duty to speak out against evil, hateful beliefs through free speech of our own that advances our shared value of equality.” The following …
Read More »Dear Editor: Baldeosingh says Rowley should be pleased to be called an Oreo…
“The first insult is quite ironic, since these same politicians always go cap in hand to the same 1 percent every election to beg for campaign contributions. The second insult is an insult only in America, where black ideologues (and white leftist types) consider European descent to be a mark …
Read More »Calcutta, Cookies and Cyats: Kamla’s “Oreo” jibe is part of bigger problem in multicultural T&T
“For all our multiculturalism, we really have succumbed to the danger of our group-think single stories. For all our racial harmony and ‘diversity-in-fete’, we exist in single-story social silos which are almost always at breaking point with one myth of the other: de UNC and Kamla tief; de PNM and …
Read More »PNM condemns “racist” Kamla jibe, after Opposition Leader calls Rowley an “oreo”
The Trinidad and Tobago government has condemned Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for a “racist attack” on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, after she referred to the prime minister as an “oreo” during a public event on Monday. Persad-Bissessar made the remark while suggesting that Rowley was owned and controlled by …
Read More »Dear Editor: PM Rowley can’t count Indians; Dr Mahabir disputes claim of 50% Indian gov’t
“According to Government’s CSO population survey in 2011, Indians consist of 35 percent of the population, the largest ethnic group in the country. Comprising 26 percent in the government, Indian ministers are, therefore, underrepresented and do not find a proportionate ‘equal place’ in Rowley’s PNM administration.” In the following Letter to the …
Read More »Dear Editor: PNM’s race-tinged ‘sari skit’ was exploited by gender feminists and critics too
“[…] The sari skit is also being used by the gender feminists—who must be distinguished from equity feminists and women’s activists—to drum up support for their cause. “Just like the politicians using race codes, this brand of feminist wants to create fear, with men as the demonised group, by raising …
Read More »Vidale: What PNM’s frisky gorillas and Beetham’s feisty Fitzgerald greeting say about T&T
“Downpressor man Where you gonna run to? All along that day You gonna run to the sea But the sea will be boiling When you run to the sea The sea will be boiling…” Peter Tosh’s Downpressor Man began playing on loop in my head as I watched the clip …
Read More »Uhmm, Kes… Hello?! Gilkes explains why he takes exception to soca star’s new video
I’ve been a big Kes fan for ages. I love “Wotless” and I’m not sure if I can get enough of the song “Hello”. Its recently released video, however, is a whole different bag of worms. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always happy when our ‘kaiso’—no matter the genre—is given …
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