The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am so tired of “proving” that I am Bahamian because of the colour of my skin. Who and what is a Bahamian anyway? To anyone is who NOT a Black Bahamian it feels as though you have to be Black, in order to be considered Bahamian, period. And this sentiment isn’t just felt by non-Black Bahamians (ie Caucasian Bahamians, Conchy-Joes, whatever you want to call us), it’s also felt by those who are not necessarily Bahamian at all, but are legally living in this country, and have the right to be here.

Anyone whose temper is already starting to flutter and whose temperature is starting to rise, should settle down – as you don’t know what it feels like to be on “the other side”. This is not an attack on Black people, or even Black Bahamians for that matter, rather this is an effort to draw attention to what is inherently due to us as white Bahamians, or the “others” of this country, and that is equality and humanity. I am tired of feeling unequal, or like I have something to prove, because I am not Black.

Chances are I’m more Bahamian than most of you reading this letter, but while that is neither here nor there, almost anywhere I go in this country where there is a government system or ministry involved, I feel like I’m immediately judged based on the colour of my skin. Granted, half of my frustrations may be a result of the innate inefficiencies of this country and its systems, which many of us – Black or White – will attest to.

Case in point, I know for a fact I was racially profiled at the Passport Office when I applied for my child’s Bahamian Passport renewal. It’s like I have more to prove than my fellow Black Bahamians standing in the same line as me. Every time I have ever gone to the Passport office I have been made to feel like less of a person, less of a Bahamian, than my counterpart standing next to me.

I was questioned about my documentation when the person next to me was less prepared with her application than I was, yet they didn’t cross examine her once. But I guess the difference was… she had less to prove than me… because she is a Black Bahamian and I … well, I am a white Bahamian.

As I said before, many foreigners feel the same way too – foreigners who are legally entitled to be here, but are made to feel like we are doing them a favour by letting them be here. Bahamians, whether black or white, shouldn’t feel threatened by foreigners.

If we were qualified for the jobs available here and could meet the criteria that was required of those jobs, then we should have nothing to worry about, right?

Foreigners could come and go and we would be quite content, because we would know within ourselves that we were the best people for the job, the most qualified and experienced for the job, so it would be ours regardless of who was in the running. But it isn’t so. Let’s face it, our people are under-educated, less experienced, less interested, less driven, less reliable, and less honest than most of the people that are “brought here” to fill these jobs. Yet we blame THEM?!

Blame your government for the lousy job they have done in educating our citizenry, in preparing you for the jobs that are so plentiful here, in promoting our culture in an authentic way, in respecting our resources for long-term sustainability, in growing and developing our economy in an honest way, and in being fair with how they treat people – whether Bahamian, foreign, immigrant, black, white, purple, or pink.

Our government has allowed for inequality, racism, dishonesty, disrespect for others, and a lack of unification to become the status quo in our society.

In fact, they have thrived on it – as they have gotten stronger while we have all gotten weaker.

I am tired of it – but I’m not too tired to stand up and say something about it now. Changes need to start happening. All Bahamians need to start having respect for fellow human beings – especially our immigrants, our foreigners, the people you think aren’t as worthy as you to be here.

Because you never know who you will encounter, you never know someone’s story, and you never know if the person you are judging is, in fact, just like you.

Don’t be a faceless racist. Unite and stop judging each other – we are all human beings; children of God, worthy of dignity, respect, and humane treatment.

FED UP BAHAMIAN

Nassau,

February 10, 2015.