-
Blog Stats
- 8,002,452 hits
-
Search Blog Entries
-
Pages
-
Top Posts
- GUYANA: Quindon Bacchus Police Killing - Misleading report triggers violent protest across 15 East Coast villages
- USA: New York: Tragedy in Little Guyana - By: Dhanpaul Narine
- RECIPES From Guyana and the Caribbean - From Guyana Outpost archive
- Happy Canada Day - July 1. 2022
- GUYANA: Long-overdue US$106M Ogle to Eccles road to slash growing ECD traffic woes
- USA: How the US could lose the new Cold War - By Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended - Letter by Andre Brandli
- CANADA: Ontario's SUMMERUP 2022 - Reference List of Courses and Webinars
- USA: US influence in the Americas is waning - The Long View by David Jessop
- GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek - Atkinson Field - By Geoff Burrowes
-
Recent Posts
- Happy Canada Day – July 1. 2022
- CANADA: Ontario’s SUMMERUP 2022 – Reference List of Courses and Webinars
- GUYANA: Quindon Bacchus Police Killing – Misleading report triggers violent protest across 15 East Coast villages
- Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- USA: US influence in the Americas is waning – The Long View by David Jessop
- USA: How the US could lose the new Cold War – By Joseph E. Stiglitz
- GUYANA: Long-overdue US$106M Ogle to Eccles road to slash growing ECD traffic woes
- USA: New York: Tragedy in Little Guyana – By: Dhanpaul Narine
- CRICKET: Tournament Ambassador Gayle to focus on The 6IXTY in CPL 2022
- CANADA: CARICOM Cultural Art Exhibition – Ottawa ON. Canada – July 16-17. 2022
- GUYANA- USA: CIMBUX 31st Anniversary Souse Party – Lanham MD. USA – July 2, 2022
- GUYANA: Energy Crisis: The time has come for CSME to play it s role – Letter by Eusi Kwayana
- GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek – Atkinson Field – By Geoff Burrowes
- RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: G7 face battle for unity as cost of Ukraine war mounts
- CLIMATE CHANGE: Visualizing the Impact of Rising Sea Levels — by Country
- FINANCE: Dollar Dominance: Russia, China Set to Develop New Reserve Currency
- GUYANA: Commonwealth backs judicial process to end Guyana/Venezuela border controversy
- BARBADOS-IMF: New instrument to help build economic and climate change resilience
- CANADA: The Economist Global Livability Index 2022: Three places in Top10 Countries
- GUYANA: Place Names Along Guyana’s Roads – All Regions
-
Recent Comments
- Dennis Albert on USA: US influence in the Americas is waning – The Long View by David Jessop
- Dennis Albert on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Brother Man on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Dennis Albert on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Dennis Albert on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Rohan on GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek – Atkinson Field – By Geoff Burrowes
- theonly on GUYANA: Quindon Bacchus Police Killing – Misleading report triggers violent protest across 15 East Coast villages
- Roy Veerapen on GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek – Atkinson Field – By Geoff Burrowes
- wally n on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Kman on GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek – Atkinson Field – By Geoff Burrowes
- wally n on GUYANA: Quindon Bacchus Police Killing – Misleading report triggers violent protest across 15 East Coast villages
- Age on Guyana’s local content law is likely to achieve the opposite of what was intended – Letter by Andre Brandli
- Age on GUYANA: Quindon Bacchus Police Killing – Misleading report triggers violent protest across 15 East Coast villages
- Peggy on USA: New York: Tragedy in Little Guyana – By: Dhanpaul Narine
- dhanpaul narine on GUYANA: Short Stories: Scouting: Red Water Creek – Atkinson Field – By Geoff Burrowes
-
Categories
-
Monthly Blog Posts
-
Affiliated Partner Links
-
Caribbean News Links
-
Cricket Websites
-
Guyana - History
-
Guyana - Other Links
-
Guyana Government
-
Guyana News Links
-
Other News Links
-
Guyanese Online
GUYANA: Embracing Blackness — By Akola Thompson
Stabroek News — By Akola Thompson —
With race not being something that was really discussed, I relied on knowledge I gained from studying history and popular culture to get an idea of who I was. I tried to find my face in books and screens but could not find myself represented in the images that stared back at me. I then began to take cues about my identity from the way people responded to me.
So for quite some time and at varying points, I identified as being either Portuguese or Indigenous. Even well into my teenage years, when I had a lot more knowledge surrounding race and culture, I would still shy away from identifying as Black and would find comfort in my “mixed” makeup. Whenever someone asked me what I was mixed with – because they always ask – I would begin tracing lines to families that were far removed from me. It was quite an odd thing.
So it is understandable, albeit sad, the way in which many of us grow up distancing ourselves from Blackness because we are taught that being Black is something that is bad. We are taught that the further removed from Blackness we are, the more worth we have. We should reject the comfort that is found in not identifying as Black. This is not to say that one must reject other aspects of their identity.
The reality is that the experiences of a person of mixed race tends to be different from persons who are mono-racial or who are unambiguously Black. Those who are mixed should however be aware of the privileges they have, no matter how relative, and utilize those privileges to centre the voices and issues of darker skinned Black persons.
Despite the uncontestable existence of it, Guyana largely is yet to come to terms with anti-Blackness within our homes, communities, places of business and power. In refusing to be honest about the way Black people continue to be viewed and thus targeted and exploited, a dangerous dynamic is being maintained. Hopefully, there soon will come a time where we are able to not only have honest conversations about anti-Blackness, but move past these conversations to implement actionable policies and systemic changes that can contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society.
Share this:
Like this:
Related