Diversity or Exclusivity
By Barrington H.
Brennen, December 6, 2017
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Barrington H. Brennen |
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There is a disturbing trend in The Bahamas concerning
who people think should occupy The Islands of The
Bahamas. We hear many saying that The Bahamas is for
Bahamians only. On the other hand, for many others,
who understand the importance of native Bahamians
participation in nation building prefer to say
“Bahamians first.” It appears that many do not
understand the difference between “Bahamians only” and
“Bahamians first.” Which one of these understandings can
truly propel a nation into greatness? A more relevant
question is which one of these understandings have
propelled The Bahamas toward greatness in the past? It
is sad to read in our newspapers, listen to talk shows
or in meeting rooms the many who dread the presence of
foreigners in our country. We hear it in their
language. We see it in their behavior. We feel it from
their attitude. It is pathetic. It is embarrassing.
They want uniformity or purity in the Bahamian blood
line. They refuse to accept that all Bahamians (whites
and blacks) descended from foreigners who migrated to
The Bahamas voluntarily or who came here against their
will in slave ships.
I hasten to say that there is no nation today that can truly
claim exclusivity. Every nation is a smorgasbord or fruit
salad of multiple nationalities. Accept it or not, The
Bahamas is also a fruit salad of multiple nationalities that
has obtained its strength from the diversity of cultures.
Denying this will only make it more difficult for us in the
future.
Let me remind us all about a few facts concerning our
history. Wikipedia states that “The history of the Bahamas,
begins with the earliest arrival of humans in the islands in
the first millennium AD. The first inhabitants of the
islands now known as The Bahamas were the Lucayans, an
Arawakan-speaking Taino people, who arrived between about
500 AD and 800 AD from the islands of the Caribbean. Their
ancestors came from mainland South America, where Arawakan-language
peoples were present in most territories, and especially
along the northeastern coast.” Did you notice that some
of the first settlers, long before Columbus visited our
shores without a passport, came from other Caribbean
islands? The official website for The Bahamas, “The
islands of The Bahamas” identifies even earlier settlers to
The Bahamas. “As early as 300 to 400 AD, people who came
from what is now Cuba (there was no country named Cuba at
that time) lived on The Islands of The Bahamas and relied on
the ocean for food. From around 900-1500 AD the Lucayan
people settled here. They enjoyed a peaceful way of life and
had developed viable political, social and religious
systems.”
Here is an interesting question? Did these “visitors” meet
Bahamians here when they landed on our shores? No. They
are the ones who became “Bahamians.” It is safe to
understand that some of the first settles on these shores
came from Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados, etc. So why treat
these “foreigners” so badly? One of them might actually be
your ancestor.
Here’s another interesting fact about our early settles.
“English Puritans known as “Eleutheran Adventurers” arrived
here in 1649 in search of religious freedom. Instead, they
found food shortages. Captain William Sayles sailed to the
American colonies for help and received supplies from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. Upon his return, the settlers
thanked them by shipping them brasileto wood. The proceeds
helped purchase land for what later became Harvard
University.”
OUR PARENTS
Do you realize that many of our fore parents descended form
islands in the Caribbean but too many of us look down
upon? Haitian, Jamaican, and Turks and Caicos citizens
made this land their home in the late 1800s and early
1900. Dr. Keith Tinker, from the Antiquities, Monuments
& Museums Corporation reminds states. “Those
waves of migrants included white and black American
loyalists who arrived with their slaves in the late 1700s,
Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy in the
first decades of the 19th century, and a series of lesser
known migrations from within the region itself - which form
the main core of the book. These included Barbadians
recruited in the late 1800s as constables to replace the
West India Regiment troops stationed here, Turks Islanders
who came to work in the lumber industry during the first
half of the 20th century, West Indian artisans who filled
labour shortages during the 1920s construction boom,
increasing numbers of Haitian economic refugees from the
1950s, Jamaican teachers and Guyanese professionals
recruited from the 1960s.”
Dear Bahamians, wake up and sense the beautify of our
diversity. Be aware that the very ones you detest being
here might in reality be the progenitors of your own
families. The one person we proudly call the founder of
the modern Bahamas, Sir Lynden Pindling, had a Jamaica
father. Some of the great Bahamian educators, whom we
proudly refer to, are from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad.
We are reminded by Dr. Tinker that “Other common
Anglo-French names like Bodie, Deleveaux, Dupuch, Duvalier,
Godet, Moree and Marche attest to the large Haitian
influence in the Bahamas. There is even a strong belief that
former Haitian dictator Francois Duvalier was born in the
southern Bahamas.” I would not be surprise if more than
sixty-five percent of every natural born Bahamian today has
at least one foreign ancestor.
BAHAMIANS FIRST
What does it mean to put Bahamians first? For me it means
that when considering job placements, property ownership,
nationally development generally, etc., the one who has
Bahamian citizenship should be given the opportunities
first. However, never forget, as alluded to earlier, that
many genuine Bahamians are not genetically pure Bahamians.
In fact, some of the white Bahamians have a longer heritage
of Bahamian purity that many black Bahamians.
Please remember this important fact. If Bahamians want to
be considered first for a job opening, these Bahamians must
be diligent, hardworking, honest, faithful and committed.
Why get upset at a “foreigner” who gets a job when you
refuse to display the proper work ethics to be qualitied for
the same job?
Here’s another concern of mine. There are countless,
genuine naturalized Bahamians who have lived here for
decades, and who might have migrated here, upon our request,
as children, whose accents do not sound like ours. If they
keep their mouths shut, we will treat them with respect and
honor. But when we hear their accents we treat them with
disdain. “They are not Bahamians” we say. How pathetic.
There is too much bitterness and disrespect towards these
kinds of Bahamians. It is clear that “Bahamians only”
means that anyone who we think does not look our sound like
our own ideas of whom a Bahamian is, must not have certain
jobs or certain rights in our country. Never forget that
many of these people fought for our rights and freedoms.
They march down Bay Street to ensure freedom for all.
Ironically, many Bahamians visit for long periods or have
migrated to other countries to settle have expected their
community neighbors to recognized them as viable residents
of that place. Why can’t we do the same here?
Dear fellow citizens. We are Bahamians because our
ancestors migrated here centuries ago as non-Bahamians.
Never forget that. Let us honor and respect everyone,
regardless of their place of birth. Our county can be
greater when every legal resident of our country can
joyfully participate in its development and growth. There
is strength in diversity.
Barrington Brennen is a counseling psychologist, marriage
and family therapist and board certified clinical
psychotherapist and Nationally Certified Psychologist, in
the USA. Send your questions to question@soencouragment.org or
call 242-327-1980 or visit www.soencouragement.org
