Poetic Perspective: Colour, Class And Our Heritage
December 13, 2021 | By Hopeton O’Conner Dennie |
“I was never told that I was beautiful
That made me feel awful …”
So declared inter alia Prof. Carolyn Cooper … saying a mouthful …
“I got full recognition when I went overseas …”
Those folks saw her differently were her pleas …
She was speaking on “Talking History” with host Verene Shepherd live in Switzerland country …
“This was what they seem to see …
They appreciated the melolin in me …”
Prof Cooper’s remarks were paraphrased
But bears close interpretation to her points raised ….
When we embrace our children and affirm their affection
You are doing a lot for their selfhood appreciation …
The self-esteem and acceptance of their racial situation
It was a very interesting conversation …
That made quite a mouthful of revelation
Thanks touched on race issues and race relation …
Colour discrimination has been a perennial problem in the world …
It is shocking that 2021 sporting personalities are caught up in this swirl
These are highly paid people who should be at a higher grade
Fans look up to them as hero
Yet their conduct amounts to zero
What is your colour?
Who really cares …
The colour of your skin
Should be no big thing
To that we lift our hats and cheer …
Black folks, do try to stay clear
There is nothing of worth to gain on that tier …
As for skin colour or shade …
That position we should all evade
Stop being concerned about skin shade
Let us see such an area of humankind activity
As amounting to racism, if not an atrocity
We should respect the human personality
And stay clear by seeing such as an adversity
There was the view that Prof Verene Shepherd would pass
As her skin shade puts her ahead of the class
Prof Shepherd said she was the black sheep in her family
That utterance I deem with some difficulty
Her complexion is light in shade
Must lighter than most on the Jamaican colour page …
We all know that we are mixed up interracially
That is the experience of the Caribbean reality
The slave masters who colonized the land
Raped many an enslaved black woman
Causing their offspring to be of varying tan …
Those were clear cases of abomination
Such conduct was akin to actions motivated by Satan …
Commentary
We have to be careful as parents what we tell our children. Their self-esteem can be affected.
Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is a poet, elegist, author and senior international journalist who writes for Vision newspaper Canada.
