After listening to Cro Cro's calypso Compare and Contrast and with so much public debate regarding his 2011 offering, I'm trying real hard to find some point of enlightenment as a fellow Afro-Trinidadian.Let me start by saying that I don't think Rawlins is racist because there is nothing in his song to suggest that he feels superior to other races and this is how racism is defined, so we can rule out that.What I do sense though is a very strong fear which perhaps he justified in how he feels about how his Afro brothers and sisters are "apparently" treated at the hands of their Indo compatriots.
So in a sense he's lashing out and his fear is that the other races are not leaving their prejudices (real or perceived) behind; they support each other.So we must rationalise his views within this context and maybe it's human to react this way. However, if we go beyond the natural human reaction and step into the spiritual realm, then I'm sure that Cro Cro will agree that beneath race, colour and gender we're all God's creations.I would like to think that Cro Cro has no problem with the growing number of Indo-Trinidadians who supports each other, or even those who visit our shores, because their foreign exchange helps the economy that we all benefit from.
I'm also sure that he has no problems with the Syrians in Port-of-Spain because they create employment for his black brothers and sisters. So though his rage may be justified, a little enlightenment may be necessary.Cro Cro may be shocked to learn of the discrimination he's likely to face if he returns to Africa. He may be surprised that he's discriminated against because he's a descendant of a slave or he may not be black enough or pure enough.
He also has several choices of black countries to choose from, with their distinct set of problems which are today black-on-black inflicted.This is in no way to negate Walter Rodney's thesis on how Europe destabilised Africa but certainly our brothers and sisters in the homeland must take responsibility for some of their actions much the same like here in T&T.That being said, Cro Cro must remember that in life the thing we fear the most we will confront face to face. That's just how the universe works.Don't replace hatred with hatred, replace it with love. Learn from Martin Luther King and Barrack Obama.
Anderson Salina-Cudjoe
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