“[…] The term ‘mental slavery’ suggests that even after physical chains have been broken, the psychological and cultural chains imposed by centuries of oppression can persist. “These chains are manifested in the form of internalized racism, self-doubt, and a sense of inferiority that can be deeply ingrained in the consciousness …
Read More »Daly Bread: T&T spoiled by deadweight of no credible political choice
In July 2021, I wrote: ‘There is now an urgency also to get real about ourselves in light of the nasty, and now what seems a dangerous and emotionally unbalanced feuding between the Government and the Opposition. ‘The country has descended almost exclusively into the practice of the poisonous …
Read More »Dear Editor: A Eurocentric psyche underpins name-calling between Kamla and Camille—on both sides
“[…] Kunta Kinte, the original Toby, was kidnapped at age 17 and enslaved in America. Yes, his body surrendered to physical defeat but his spirit, his mind remained untouched. “[…] Unfortunately, the psyche of today’s Toby is configured by Eurocentric institutions—programmes that subconsciously motivate him to consciously act like a …
Read More »Gilkes: Happy In-Dependence: reviewing 56 years of cynicism and self-hate
Happy birthday Iere; yuh tun 56… which means yuh mature, and with maturity comes reasoning and a clearer understanding of who you are and what you still need to do to reach where you want to go. But that’s when yuh mature, not when yuh eh sure of yuhself, confused as to …
Read More »Daly Bread: The self-esteem crisis; why our “passes factory” schools are not helping
For many years I have described the low self-esteem plaguing many of our youngsters and its relationship to violent crime and anti-social behaviour. The now widespread fighting in schools is a related phenomenon. Much of my personal knowledge of the self-esteem crisis comes directly from dialogue with some youngsters to …
Read More »Daly Bread: More predictions of storm; will National Security finally include culture in crime plan?
I have to return to the prevailing conditions of instability which are obvious to me but now as a post-script to my tribute to Roland Quesnel, my revered teacher, a contemporary of mine, Randolph Peters, wrote that, like me, the person who most impacted his intellectual development was Quesnel. He …
Read More »Dear Editor: Trinis must break free from empty social rat race
“There is so much more to life than Instagraming our night on the town every week. We’ve become obsessed with curating the perfect image of our lives. “Deep down we know it’s a farce.” The following Letter to the Editor was submitted to Wired868 by Kenna Clarke: Trinidadians are huge …
Read More »Understanding The Thing: Daly muses over T&T’s curious self-esteem
As mentioned in this column recently we are a society pock-marked by destructive shade preference practiced by citizens of all descents, even within ethnically kindred groups. I had intended to return to the subject because in my view there is an inextricable link between the violent crime that is again …
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