Reparation or Reap-Ah-Ration

Reparation was de debate in Par-liar-mint dis week. Ah prefer to say Reap-ah-Ration but really and truly ah would much prefer to say as lickle as possible on dis very sense-ah-thief topic.

We have come ah long way over de last 200 years without Reap-ah-Ration, but Slavery was bitter, far more bitter dan mis-story not his-story was able to cover-up and conceal. Slavery cuts deeper dan Race-is-him, Race is skin deep and we even marry into Race and love-it-in, but Slavery goes deeper dan skin, it resides deep in de mind and very often it functions negatively to enslave de minds of others; and whether yuh are de Enslavee or de Enslavor, once de mind is trapped into Slavery, yuh goose cook, no money, no come-pain-say-shun, no Reap-ah-Ration could ever heal dat wound! Ah want no Reap-ah-Ration, ah will hold to me Faith and tek comfort from de promises in de Good Book: ” Vengeance and Recompense is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord”!{{more}}

One ah de reasons why ah hesitant to write bout Reap-ah-Ration has to do with ah very delicate situation virtually ah “don’t touch dat” position taken by all of us columnist, the matter of de Prime Minister, blessed with white skin heading de Reap-ah-Ration Movement in SVG. Ah believe de PM genuinely wants to be ah part and no one can challenge his position on colour and race, in his own words he has said it “I’m de blackest Prime Minister”! His knowledge on Black History, Slavery and Emancipation would be good arsenal foh de fight, but am I being cock-eye if ah say dat de fact he is not ah Black Man mek de thing look like ah contradiction. Even Lie-Za saying whoever represents de Black People must be able to say with conviction: ” My Black Ancestors were treated like animals by your Ancestors de White Slave Masters”, he can’t say that. All of ah sudden though, Lie-Za who does cuss Black people every day, hear bout Reap-ah-Ration, she saying now dat she from de Maroon Tribe of Africa, “she want she grand-father back-pay”.

It was William Wilberforce, ah white man, now discovered to have been ah supporter of Slavery but had ah change ah heart, who presented de case foh abolition. Back den de Slaves had no voice, no choice, but surely after two hundred years, it would put de souls of our Ancestors, de ones who felt de Pain, to finally rest peacefully, if dey were to see ah Lickle Black Boy/Girl leading de fight foh Reap-ah-Ration. Dey too will give credence to de saying: “look how far we Blacks have come”!. Clearly Reap-ah-Ration is ah Black Thing, de inevitable Victory after de Suffering, so let de Blacks handle dey thing and enjoy every bit ah de Glory. Not much in dey foh me though, my mother is White, my father Black.

Disagree if yuh may, but ah will venture to say dat if was ah call foh Reap-ah-Ration foh East Indians, without ah doubt Dr Arnold Thomas of East Indian descent will head dat delegation. And if it was ah Portuguese Reap-ah-Ration Delegation, de Hon Prime Minister would be de first, second and third choice to lead. No Black Man could be so fronting to even think of being on any ah dem teams.

Would yuh believe dat among us are people of sworn Black consciousness, including ULP supporters, Sue-Sue-in dat dey have nothing ‘gainst de PM being there, but he should not be out front, let somebody from de likes ah PR, Renwick or Rene Baptiste de Minister ah Culture, all competent Black people with Slave roots, head de Movement. And dat is why ah will always say, is de psychology ah Slavery, de Slavery-mint in us, dat does mek we feel Inadequate and Incompetent, trapped with Breadfruit Mentality and Learn-ed Helplessness to such extent dat we fraid to say to de PM: ” Thanks, we know way yuh heart dey, but show ah lickle respect foh Black Dignity, lef dis one give Dem, ley dey do dey thing”!

TWO MORE BISHOPS ORDAINED

Ah want to congratulate de newly ordained brothers in Christ, Bishops Frank Simon and Melford Pompey. Some how ah always thought Simon was made ah Bishop already, he is ah decent Christian and gentleman, ah know him from way back teaching Secretarial Courses at de Convent. And young Bishop Pompey my good friend and son of de Archbishop, my Spiritual mentor; Melford is also ah fine young man, baptized ah lickle boy and never look back, a very respectful and respected member in his community above de Rabacca..

Last Sunday ah had to mek ah hard choice between de Crusade Finale at Victoria Park and de Ordination Service. But yuh done know once is Spiritual Baptist ah not missing. Mek it better if it’s at Bishop John’s Church at Belmont. Is something in dat Church dat does touch me in me Soul, and Sunday ah felt like de Spirit was grabbing on to me. Dey usually give me special treatment and put me up front to sit, but ah really wanted to feel de Spirit Vibes so ah sat near to de back sandwiched between some heavy set ladies, can’t say fat eh. Ah powerful Ceremony complimented with ah set ah visitors, high ranking Bishops and officers from Bo-bathe-us, Grenada and T’n’T. Dem Trinny love to ring ah bell and blow conch shell, from de back ah could see de GG, Sir Fred, he always there at these Services, wouldn’t it be nice foh de Spirit to grab him one ah these days. He looked scared wid his eye wide open when dem Trinny Bellers, one male and three females start ah ring bell! Dem done got dey wuk cut out to ring bell foh St Peter!

De Lord Chancellor PR was up front as well, organizing as usual, can’t keep he out; ah does meet him all de time at these big Spiritual Baptist functions, and ah always say ah would love to see PR catch de Spirit, he does mek ah lickle shake head and small dip, nothing big, yuh know like when water in yuh ears and yuh shaking it out. Ah don’t think he trust me wid ah camera in me hand.

And wid dat ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.