#afro trinbagonian

[havatabanca]

[forgedfromlove]

In honour of Calypso History Month here in TnT, I've compiled some classic Calypso tunes! There's so many good songs and artistes that it was hard to narrow down, so consider this a small sample of all the goodness Calypso has to offer!

[izatrini]

An ideologue’s pirouette

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe August 07, 2024 In his address to the nation on African Emancipation Day, the Leader of our Grief called upon his distraught citizens to focus on Afro-Trinbagonians who have made outstanding contributions at home and abroad. He urged the universities of the West Indies, of Trinidad and Tobago, and the … Continue reading An ideologue’s pirouette → http://dlvr.it/TBdfp7

[ker4unos]

SOUTH AMERICAN RESOURCES

The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.

South America is an American continent that is underneath North America.

AFRO-BRAZIL ─ “The Afro-Brazilian people are an African people. They live in Brazil.” ─ Slavery in Brazil

ARGENTINA ─ “The Argentine, or Argentinian, people are a South American people that share the Argentine culture. They are native to Argentina.” ─ Argentine Information ─ Argentine Literature (in Spanish) ─ Argentine History

BOLIVIA ─ “The Bolivian people are a South American people that share the Bolivian culture. They are native to Bolivia.” ─ Bolivian Information ─ Andean Culture ─ Andean Music

BRAZIL ─ “The Brazilian people are a South American people that share the Brazilian culture. They are native to Brazil.” ─ Brazilian Information

CANDOMBLÉ ─ “Candomblé is a Brazilian diasporic religion that resulted from the syncretism of existing religions such as Yoruba and Roman Catholic Christianity.” ─ Candomblé Music

CHILE ─ “The Chileans are a South American people that share the Chilean culture. They are native to Chile.” ─ Chilean Information ─ Chilean Culture (in Spanish) ─ Chilean History

CHILOTE ─ “The Chilote, or Chilota, people are anyone that lives in the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile. They share the Chilote culture.” ─ Chilote Churches

COLOMBIA ─ “The Colombian people are a South American people that share the Colombian culture. They are native to Colombia.” ─ Colombian Information ─ Colombian Culture ─ Colombian History

ECUADOR ─ “Ecuadorians are a South American people that share the Ecuadorian culture. They are native to Ecuador.” ─ Ecuadorian Information ─ Ecuadorian Culture ─ Ecuadorian Culture

GUYANA ─ “The Guyanese are a South American people that share the Guyanese culture. They are native to Guyana.” ─ Guyanese History

PERU ─ “The Peruvian people are a South American people that share the Peruvian culture. They are native to Peru.” ─ Peruvian Information ─ Machu Picchu Information ─ Peruvian Indigenous Cultures

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ─ “The Trinidadian and Tobagonian, or Trinbagonian, people are a South American people that share the Trinidadian and Tobagonian culture. They are native to Trinidad and Tobago.” ─ Trinidad and Tobago Information ─ Trinidad and Tobago English ─ Trinidad and Tobago Slang

VENEZUELA ─ “The Venezuelan people are a South American people that share the Venezuelan culture. They are native to Venezuela.” ─ Venezuelan Information ─ Venezuelan Information ─ Venezuelan History

[mistavybe]

how old are you? are you a black american>?

I’m 46.

I’m not American at all.

I consider myself a black man because i’m of African descent.

If you want to get really specific, I’m Afro-Trinidadian, since I was born and raised in the Caribbean twin-island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. Both my parents were also born and raised here, and so were both my grandmothers and one of my grandfathers.

Supposedly all my mom’s side of the family (and also my dad’s mother’s whole family) lineage can be traced all the way back to slavery days here in Trinidad & Tobago…

I’m told that my Grandfather on my father’s side, however, came to Trinidad as an adult from Guyana… there aren’t a lot of details known about my paternal grandfather’s side of the family, because he died suddenly when my Dad was about 9 (and my Dad was the second oldest of his many siblings).

But yeah, I’m black and TrinBagonian.

We here in the West Indies don’t really ever refer to ourselves as Afro-(insert Island here)… We just go by our race and then the island to denote our cultural heritage. So I’m a black Trini.

There are also East Indian Trinis, Caucasian Trinis, “Chinee” (Chinese) Trinis, “Syrian” (Middle Eastern Descended) Trinis, etc, and of course Dougla (African and Indian mix) Trini and HakWai (usually Chinese and Black mix) Trinis as well.

Thanks for the question, anon! Feel free to ask anything else that’s on your mind. 😉

[khalilhumam]

After its general election, Trinidad & Tobago's racist underbelly is showing

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/after-its-general-election-trinidad-tobagos-racist-underbelly-is-showing/

After its general election, Trinidad & Tobago's racist underbelly is showing

‘The people, not politicians, move the political needle on issues’

Screenshot of a line from Trinidad and Tobago's national anthem, which reads, “Here every creed and race finds an equal place,” taken from a YouTube video by Hardeo Roopan.

On August 10, Trinidad and Tobago held its general elections. The preliminary results showed that the incumbent People's National Movement (PNM) led by Prime Minister Keith Rowley had won, with 22 parliamentary seats to the opposition United National Congress‘ (UNC) 19, one seat more than it currently had. The two largest demographic groups in Trinidad and Tobago comprise people of Indian and African descent and for the most part, they vote along these lines, with Afro-Trinbagonians supporting the PNM and Indo-Trinbagonians, the UNC. The 2020 election campaign was a short but bitterly contested one. While both sides of the political aisle are not strangers to playing the race card, during the course of the 2020 election campaign the UNC was singled out — on more than one occasion — for race-baiting. It also received a lot of flak for what many social media users agreed was a racist ad campaign. Dubbed the “Trinity Triangle,” it canvassed the Black vote by portraying Afro-Trinidadians as struggling economically and surviving on handouts. It has since been taken down from the party's YouTube channel.

More than a misstep?

Facebook user Ancil Valley, who posted screenshots from different advertisements, simply could not wrap his head around it:

The first time I heard the word cosmopolitan I was in primary school, it was used as one of the adjectives to describe the nation of Trinidad and Tobago. A place where people of varied ethnicities live and work together. It stands to reason that within each of these ethnicities there are social hierarchies, some more fortunate than others. […] How therefore, can a political party in running a national campaign in efforts to become the government of all the peoples of Trinidad and Tobago, consistently portray one race as impoverished and downtrodden? The images […] are taken from three separate campaign ads, the consistency therein dismisses any notion that this was merely cultural insensitivity.

Posting an empowering photograph of herself in a proud, elegant pose, dressed in a full length floral dress and vibrant yellow head wrap, fellow Facebook user Mo Martin also felt compelled to take a stand, creating a hashtag that really took off:

This is beyond politics now

. In an effort to combat the racist & stereotypical narrative being promoted by the UNC I am asking all people of African descent (Mixed included) to post your qualifications & successes with the hashtag #IAmNotSuffering on your wall. […] People of all races have people who suffer. Please stop using Afro-Trinidadian ppl ONLY to depict a stereotype & promote this harmful narrative.

Race as a ‘political commodity’

Blogger and University of the West Indies lecturer Amilcar Sanatan took issue not only with the use of images of children in political campaigns generally but also with the definitive use of minors along ethnic and socioeconomic lines. In deconstructing of some of the advertisements, he explained:

What they do in their targeting is create a narrow view of black life in those circumstances. It focuses singly on poor, black people without an attempt to show how poverty and displacement shapes the life of other racial categories. The ads are cheap and they frame poor black people as a political commodity to compete for. […] What we need are representations that are closer to life and not to our prejudices. This also demands that we move beyond the racist scorecard that counts what PNM does racist and what UNC does racist. To build a more racially just and equal society, we should be brave enough to speak up and call out what is wrong.

In a subsequent Facebook post, Sanatan provided a road map as to how “anti-racism and a more equal society” could be accomplished, including the support of civic institutions, social movements “that do race and class solidarity work” and that push for “more fair, democratic and inclusive” institutions:

What we see which is miserable and unequal cannot only be responded to with our feeling of remorse, it has to be matched with education and political action. Cultural discourse and memory, language, social and economic policy, the racial and spatial division of labour, issues of access require many more people who are governed by principles of human rights, solidarity and justice. It is the people, not politicians, that move the political needle on issues. Conflict and misunderstanding may always be a part of our society but spaces of engagement, ethics and standards to the way we present ourselves and represent people can change.

Racist reactions and calls for change

Once it became apparent that the UNC had lost the election, some stalwarts began expressing their discontent in racist language, further polarising the local blogosphere. Naila Ramsaran, one of several Indo-Trinidadians who shared racist rants on social media, referred to Afro-Trinbagonians as “cockroaches [that] keep populating.” The backlash was swift and she soon posted an apology; it was a mea culpa that Garth St. Clair, in a post published on Wired868, refused to accept:

What you really meant to say was: ‘I am sorry for speaking out loud what I, my circle of friends and family really think about the African community. […] I said what I said, please don’t hurt me or our family business because we still need ‘Your Cockroach money’ to live our best life. So let’s move on.’ This election, we voted against racism especially. This blessed country is way too small to start a race war. Blame your leaders and supporters for your loss, not us.

Massy Stores, the country's largest supermarket chain, has since decided to “temporarily suspend” stocking products from Ramasaran, her family's beverage company, and the Supermarket Association of Trinidad and Tobago advised its members that they should boycott the company until it carries out “appropriate remedial action.” The Opinion Box blog, however, was not interested in boycotting. The blogger, a Black person, posted a video on Facebook saying he “refuse[s] to contribute to this ‘cacaholeness‘” [asshole behaviour]. He also pleaded with those perpetuating “disgusting” racial slurs to recognise how their stupidity only further divides the country. Many social media users, like attorney Cordell Salandy, who started an online petition asking for “legislation to penalise racial discrimination, actions and words of any kind”, are interested in effecting change. Facebook user and activist Tillah Willah observed:

We are desperate for institutions that can help us process this unchecked rage. We are desperate for safe spaces to work through inherited and generational traumas. We are desperately in need of policies in work places and schools to address what is rotting in our brains. Our politicians clearly don’t have the consciousness nor the inclination to address these problems. We have work to do, in addition to the two days of outrage, the two days of public shaming, the two days of boycotts.

Poet Shivanee N. Ramlochan eloquently echoed her sentiment:

The best we can do, even at the pinnacle of carrying out our democratic gift, is to try to find the least flawed path through the terror: the global health crisis, the violent crime, the invidious bribeocratism, the denuding of the mangroves, the rot at the heart. The rot at *our* heart. Because it is our communal heart, no matter its colour.

< p class='gv-rss-footer'>Written by Janine Mendes-Franco · comments (0) Donate · Share this: twitter facebook reddit

[womenofcolor15]

Leave It To The POSE Cast To Slay The Red Carpet At The 2019 EMMY Awards

The “POSE” cast was front-and-center for the 71st EMMY Awards. Yep, their hit FX series was nominated for all the things and they came to represent. See the sauce they dripped on the red carpet inside…

  Dance. Vogue. Walk. POSE Bish!

NYC’s Ball Scene was brought to the 2019 EMMY Awards as the cast of the hit series “POSE” worked their way down the carpet inside the Microsoft Theater to let the world know: They aren’t going anywhere. Ok?

Lead star/Broadway actor Billy Porter loves making a dramatic entrance when he hits the red carpet. The ball judge totally served up a fashion moment. The “POSE” star worked the carpet in a sparkling Michael Kors couture suit topped with a Stephen Jones Millinery hat and “a Rick Owens platform situation” on his feet.

The 49-year-old actor is the first openly gay black man to receive an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.

“All of my dreams are coming true right now,” he said on the red carpet. “I’m grateful that I’ve lived long enough to see the day where I can stand inside of my authenticity and have it be perceived this way. It’s gorgeous and it’s a blessing.”

          View this post on Instagram

                  THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED HUNTIES! #ad With my @KetelOne_US martini in hand, taking a moment to reflect on dreaming the impossible and making it a reality. Growing up, there was never representation of someone who looked like me… So to live in my truth, be loved for being who I am and standing proud as the first openly gay, black man to walk the #EmmyAwards red carpet as a Lead Actor Drama nominee… Y’all just don’t know what this moment means to me. Here’s to celebrating 50 years of life, 30 years of hard work and learning to embrace the JOY! This isn’t for me… It’s for US! Now let’s go shut this thing down ya’ll! DrinkMarvelously #EmmyAwards #KetelOne #Beanexample by @santiagraphy / @gettyimages Style by @sammyratelle Grooming by @heyannabee Wearing custom @michaelkors collection Custom Hat by @stephenjonesmillinery Fine Jewels by @oscarheyman Nails by @cndworld @nailzbyvee

A post shared by Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) on Sep 22, 2019 at 4:21pm PDT

  Peep his red carpet interview below: 

  "POSE" star MJ Rodriguez said she wanted to POP on the red carpet and that's exactly what she did in this custom Jason Wu gown. Gorge. On the capet, she talked being able to help others in the LGBTQ community and how the show changed her life.

          View this post on Instagram

                  @enews turned this #Glambot out! Thank you

A post shared by Mj Rodriguez (@mjrodriguez7) on Sep 22, 2019 at 7:18pm PDT

  Peep the clip below:

PUSH THROUGH!

Break out "POSE" star Indya Moore was a vision in white, slaying this custom Louis Vuitton gown that featured a corset and super high slits. UGH. She's fierce.

The 24-year-old - who just rocked the cover of ELLE earlier this year - opened up about the importance of transgender representation in fashion & entertainment. Check it below:

          View this post on Instagram

                  @Enews #PoseFX but make it @LouisVuitton Face @elysethoms Hair @eclectichairdesigns Style @IanCogneato Nails @erierilady Everything I'm wearing @LouisVuitton

A post shared by IAM (@indyamoore) on Sep 22, 2019 at 6:14pm PDT

Indya - who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent - chopped it up with Remezcla about indentifying as Afro-Taino. On the red carpet, they (preferred pronoun) explained what the term means and how it feels being in this community.

“I think we definitely need to come to a place where the African diaspora needs to understand that the African diaspora is the African diaspora,” they said. “Black Latinos don’t necessarily have the same experience as Latinos who are not Black. I, personally, do not identify as Latino because Latino means Latin and Latin, it means white. And I’m not white, so I just call myself Afro-Taíno ’cause that’s what I am.”

*applause*

They continued:

“When I watch Telemundo, yes, I’m here for Spanish content,” they said. “But I just see only white Spanish people on Telemundo. I don’t really see Black Hispanic people because Black people are also Hispanic. I think Intersectional inclusivity is important because inclusivity affirms that you belong, and I think that’s something we should be pushing for in the media that we create, in all forms. For Afro-Taínos, for everybody. Everybody that’s marginalized.”

Beautiful and WOKE.

Make way for the house mother!

"POSE starlet" Dominique Jackson served up golden goddess vibes in a custom Jeffrey Dodd gown with a cape and custom Stuart Weitzman heels. She snapped a cute video with her co-stars in the audience:

          View this post on Instagram

                  @indyamoore @hailiesahar @mjrodriguez7 @angelicaross @dyllonburnside @ryanjamaalswain Hair MY EXISTENCE MAKEUP @jmua26 Dress @jeffreydodd #respect #inclusivity #inmytruth #iknowexactlywhoiam #touchtheskin #ifyouwantsomethingworkforit #makeaplanandsticktoit #livehonestly #liveauthentic #islandgyal #trinbagonian #dominiquetarjackson #dominiquejackson #ageless #instabeauty #instabeautiful #girlslikeus #erasethehate #transisbeautiful #fulltimefancy #leadwithkindness

A post shared by Dominique T.A.R Jackson (@dominiquet.a.r.jackson) on Sep 22, 2019 at 5:08pm PDT

  LGBTQ activist Janet Mock - the series' writer, director, and producer - became the the first black trans producer to ever be nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category. And sis looked amazing, per usual, for her big night. She hit the carpet in Valentino haute couture.

FX's "POSE" made history with a groundbreaking six Emmy nominations (yes, six) in several categories, including Outstanding Drama Series. Congrats!

Photos: Getty

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2019/09/22/leave-it-to-the-pose-cast-to-slay-the-red-carpet-at-the-2019-emmy-awards

[qrctrini]

                                              The Resilience of a People

Trinidad and Tobago became the first country in the world to declare a national holiday to commemorate the abolition of slavery on August 1st, 1985. Just a mere century and a half before this date our African ancestors living here were granted the legal right to be free men and women. So though we may go about the hustle and bustle of our daily lives without paying much thought to the freedom in which we have to associate and assemble, to speak, to move about and to our own overall self-determination, it is not something which we should take for granted. For our ancestors less than 2 centuries ago, our everyday life today would be considered a utopian fantasy. As I sit and reflect on this today as a man of African descent who’s been able to enjoy a measure of professional success, the life I lead today is never something that I take for granted; I stand here today a benefactor of the literal back-breaking work and unimaginable sacrifices of African men and women who toiled, struggled, resisted and died for their freedom and who helped to secure mine. Resilience is often a main theme that comes to mind when I reflect on my blackness and ancestry.  It’s simply impossible to speak about being emancipated without talking about being enslaved – and it is impossible to talk about being resilient without a consideration of what you have been able to survive. The brutality of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade lasted over 400 years. From as early as the turn of the fifteenth century enslaved Africans were taken from Western Africa and brought across the Atlantic in unimaginably inhumane conditions to the Caribbean and North America to work on the plantations of the European planter class. As many of us are aware, the Middle Passage was a horrendous ordeal for these Africans. They were crammed below decks in handcuffs and leg irons. For anywhere between six weeks to three months enslaved Africans were treated as human cargo and packed like sardines in closed quarters below deck without any washroom facilities. Such was the mental toll of these conditions that many threw themselves overboard – choosing to die at the hands of the sea over enduring the hellacious conditions on board. Those who survived the dreaded middle passage were rewarded with a lifetime of slavery and brutality which they were to receive once they reached the shores of the Caribbean. They were treated as human cargo aboard the ships that brought them to our shores and reduced to chattel slaves during a lifetime of barbarous servitude. Notably, even when emancipation of slavery was formally attained in 1838, it followed the failure of the British abolitionist to sway public opinion enough for slavery’s abolition. Thirty four years after the abolitionists’ most significant victory to secure the abolition of the slave trade, it was the economic imperative of choosing free trade and obtaining cheap access to beet root sugar over the sugar obtained from Caribbean slave labour which ultimately spurred on slavery’s abolition. In other words, the freeing of enslaved Africans did not end the dehumanization of African people.

So today when we speak about the resilience of a people we are celebrating much more than the termination of the previous legal practice of enslaving African people. We are celebrating the resilience of a people who were uprooted from their birthplace; a people who lost their right to determine the course of their own lives; a people who were brutalised and treated less than human and, even years after the abolition of slavery, were treated as second class citizens; a people, who despite all of these historical and generational hindrances have been able to rise from the mire to make groundbreaking and lasting contributions to humanity; a people who have indelibly left their mark on every continent worldwide and who have infused societies with their rich cultural heritage passed on through their impressive oral tradition. As pleased as I am to be able to reflect in a ‘free society’, perhaps I may not have been able to do so in the comfort of this well-lit room without the help of Lewis Latimer. Latiner invented the carbon filament for the light bulb. It’s also genuinely difficult to imagine a world without the artificial heart peacemaker, invented by African American inventor Otis Boykin, without mobile refrigeration invented by black inventor Fredrick Jones or without blood banks invented by black innovator Charles Richards Drew. These are but a limited few of the black inventors I’ve chosen to highlight. More recently, and closer to home, in 2010 Trinidad Afro-Trini inventor Dr. Ronald De Four invented and received a patent for the De Four Back EMF Space Vector Resolver. His invention introduced a cutting-edge commutation technique for brushless DC motors, which now allows the motor to be self-starting. It is having a resounding impact in the appliances, automotive, aerospace, consumer, medical, computer and industrial automation industries as its energy-efficient capability will reduce the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuel and the key greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. There are many African personalities that have, the world over, contributed to science and technology, the arts, literature, sport and entertainment. As we as Trinbagonians reflect during emancipation day celebrations, it is important for us to also recognise our Trinbagonian African Heritage as a whole. In spite of attempts to impose a Eurocentric value system on enslaved Africans, the resilience of our African descendants shine through to this day, as evident in the African influence in carnival, our music, dance, language, food fashion and arts and craft. Though the French introduced carnival to Trinidad, enslaved Africans transformed the way the festival was celebrated through cultural expressions which represented acts of rebellion and mocked the colonial powers. The Engungun festival of Nigeria is reminiscent of the revelry, pantomime, street parades, music and masking that are seen at carnival; the moko jumbie, devil portrayal and even hat worn by the midnight robber are quite similar to characters played during the Nigerian festival. African influence can be seen in several of the folk dances of T&T including the Bongo, Shango, Limbo and Kalinda or, as we would call it, stick-fighting. The resilience of our fathers manifested itself in their creativity. In addition to the transformation of the festival of carnival, enslaved Africans used the pittance of food that they were given, in combination with the little crops which they planted, to make innovations such as callaoo, coo coo and oil down. Today Caribbean cuisine is world renowned for its unique flavour and distinctive style. And of course, we all know about the head wrap or head tie which is one of the more obvious styles brought directly to Trinidad and Tobago from Africa. It warms my heart to see my social media feeds proliferated with pictures of stunning head wrap styles.

Today, as we commemorate and celebrate our emancipation, I think it important to note that resilience and self-awareness are not mutually exclusive – in fact, the former can be informed by and spur on more of the latter. Dr. Joy Degruy, following from years of historical and psychological research, outlines in her book, Post Traumatic Slave disorder, a set of behaviors, beliefs and actions associated with multi-generational trauma experienced by persons of African descent that include undiagnosed and untreated PostTraumatic Stress Disorder in enslaved Africans and their descendants. Professor Selwyn Ryan in discussing the sensitive topic of the challenges that are peculiar to different ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago has in times past used the phrase “none without social sin.” I believe that it is important to understand that our resilience can shine a light on a difficult past and lead the way to a brighter future. As we reflect on the contribution of African people and our African heritage let us endeavor to commit to take the time to always build up our communities – understanding our tumultuous past, taking time to heal as well as celebrate in the present and securing our future through the commitment to continue to be a resilient people that inspire each other to push for better, and to, in the spirit of our forefathers, fight for more – for our continued emancipation.

[sanianitos]

🌟In both Trinidad and Tobago, many of the Afro-Diaspora moved off the plantations. They did not want any reminders of their former oppressors.🙅🏾‍♀️💥 They set up villages close to the sugar estates, but not on the planters' land. Villages such as Belmont, Arouca, and Laventille were formed. Land was available and many of the Afro-Trinbagonians bought or rented land and made a living by growing their own crops. (Note: bought or rented, not given through reparations)☕️🐸 Other slaves gravitated towards Port of Spain and San Fernando where they became artisans, craftsmen, builders and domestics✊🏾⚡️💥 #33years #emancipationday #emancipationnation #fashionandlifestyle #sanianitos (at Trinidad and Tobago)

[havatabanca]

[forgedfromlove]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The National Archives of T&T (@nationalarchivestt)

From @nationalarchivestt:

“#DidYouKnow This month is African History Month in Trinidad and Tobago? Since 1976, November has been dedicated to the celebration of the people of African descent who have shaped our nation.

It is fitting that African History Month follows Calypso History Month because calypso is in itself, rooted in our African heritage.

While research on the roots of calypso is ongoing, many sources point to Kalinda/Calinda (stickfighting) bands during the era of slavery as the origin of the genre in T&T.

The well-known calypsonian & anthropologist Hollis "Chalkdust" Liverpool has written about the function of the chantwell/chantuelle in Kalinda, describing them as persons who sang songs to inspire stickfighters into action. They also provided melodies for carnival masqueraders during Canboulay.

These songs, called cariso songs, were usually about protest against the ruling upper class. The power of the chantwell & their songs is reflected in the names that were chosen by them.

Tobagonian anthropologist & folklorist J. D. Elder wrote that "chantuelles identified themselves with the heroes of war and named themselves The Iron Duke, Pharoah, the Duke of Marlborough, Black Prince, etc." This culture of naming among chantwells, and later, calypsonians, continued into the 20th century.

Known as a sobriquet, these names were calypsonians' stage names. From the early 1900s, we see the continuation of sobriquets inspired by war and conflict like "Atilla the Hun," "Black Stalin," "Sir Lancelot," "Dictator," "Lord Invader," and "The Mighty Bomber."

Some calypsonians adopted ironic and witty sobriquets like "The Mighty Sparrow," "Tiny Terror," and "Bitterbush." Others chose to retain part of their birth names in their sobriquets, like "Lady Baldwin," "Singing Sandra," "Singing Francine," "Lord Nelson," "Singing Sonia," and "Marvellous Marva."

This photo shows some of "The Great Calypsonians" from "120 Years of Calypsoes to Remember" by the Mighty Sparrow, c. 1963, which is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Booklet Collection. At the time, the calypso music industry was still male-dominated, as is reflected in this photo.”

[izatrini]

A Black Race Position

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe January 19, 2021 Last Thursday, in his response to a letter written by 23 Afro-Trinbagonians about the placement of Black students in our secondary schools, Kamal Persad, coordinator of the Indian Review Committee, responded: “It is clear the under-performance of Afro-children in the education system is still at the top … Continue reading A Black Race Position → http://dlvr.it/RqvJVs

[renzwah]

The Research Process

Interracial relationships in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is comprised of two major ethnic groups, Afro Trinbagonians and Indo Trinbagonians who account for 80% of the population. The remaining 20% consist of a mixed race inhabitants as stated by the nations encyclopedia. Although Trinidad is sometimes referred as a “doulga” society, there is still a very real issue of racism within this small island. Interracial relationships shouldn’t be taboo but people who date outside their race can sometimes be ostracized as certain cultures believe their race should only marry within that same race. As Trinidad is a mixed people I believe that there are a lot of individuals that will be interested in this topic as it can either relate directly or indirectly to almost everyone. My research intends to give understanding into what it’s really like to live as an interracial couple and how society treats and views them.

[izatrini]

The education of Afro-Trinbagonian children - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers http://dlvr.it/RPVKHX http://dlvr.it/RPVKHX

[khalilhumam]

Calls for unity as Trinidad & Tobago celebrates Independence Day

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/calls-for-unity-as-trinidad-tobago-celebrates-independence-day/

Calls for unity as Trinidad & Tobago celebrates Independence Day

‘Bring intolerance out of the shadows’

White Hall, which serves as the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Photo by Dan Lundberg on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its 58th anniversary of independence from Great Britain on August 31, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the occasion was not marked by a parade — only the third time in the nation's history that this has happened. The fireworks display, which traditionally takes place in the evening and draws large crowds of spectators, was also cancelled. With the country currently experiencing community spread of the virus, there are restrictions in place regarding public gatherings. Social distancing measures are also being encouraged and new legislation, which makes mask-wearing mandatory in public spaces, went into effect on Independence Day. In his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Keith Rowley noted that COVID-19 represents an “immediate and serious” challenge. Calling people's efforts to prevent the spread of the virus is “an act of patriotism”, he added, and that “the threat of COVID-19 […] is literally in your hands.” However, educator and columnist Debbie Jacob, though impressed with how the government handled the pandemic in its early stages, was disappointed by the way in which the two main political parties hosted large rallies in the lead-up to the August 10 general election, without mandating that supporters must wear masks and be properly distanced:

Both parties let us down and endangered us with their lackadaisical attitude in these political gatherings. You can’t expect us to listen to what you have been preaching about safety and then ignore what you did with senseless political meetings. […] The least you could do now is admit you set a bad example while you complain daily about those not complying with your COVID-19 rules.

In his address, the prime minister also referred to the racist narratives that were being peddled during the election campaign, an issue that also caught the attention of educators, social commentators and political scientists. Instead, the prime minister said, these times called for unity:

This is a time for coming together, a time for being responsible and being our brother’s keeper. This is a time for love.

President Paula-Mae Weekes also dealt with the subject of racism in her Independence Day address:

The General Election 2020 flipped Trinidad and Tobago over and exposed what can be described as its ugly underbelly […] laid bare seething tensions that have simmered between ethnicities, in particular Indo-Trinbagonians and Afro-Trinbagonians, albeit below the surface. […] We would all have noticed the recent reduction in acrimonious cyber traffic, but the underlying issues and feelings have not magically disappeared. They have only been driven back underground to smoulder and foment continued bitterness until the next explosion. Our only hope of treating with this scourge once and for all is to attack it at the root, recognising that it is the result of our histories—our origin, our arrival, our incorporation into the society and our politics.

Referring to a symposium titled “Understanding and Reconciling Race Relations in Trinidad and Tobago”, which the University of the West Indies live-streamed on August 30, the president called such initiatives “a good start”, but suggested that “a practical and sustainable programme under the umbrella of a national framework, must be developed with all urgency”:

A foundation of accurate, historical information is critical and safe spaces need to be created to facilitate the conversations, which ought to be cross-generational. […] As disturbing as it was to witness the regrettable outpouring of hatred and intransigence over the last six weeks, it has afforded us the opportunity to bring intolerance out of the shadows and deal with it decisively. Without blaming and shaming, let us at every level—personal, institutional, political, governmental, social—commit to consciously, resolutely and patriotically ridding our society of this divisive affliction.

< p class='gv-rss-footer'>Written by Janine Mendes-Franco