THE EDITOR, Sir:
WE DELIGHT in the success of Adrian Nembhard, Ryan Brooks and Jodi Black who ranked fourth in the world in three GCE 'A' Level subjects.
Unfortunately, there are some persons who believe that people of our race are only noted for song, dance and sport. Song, dance and sport, by the way, all demand intellectual rigour as much as they require emotional and spiritual depth. So, our excellence in these areas indeed attest to our potential to be a whole and versatile people.
To return to the issue of intellectual brilliance, it is not unusual for Jamaican professors and students to roam the hallowed halls of Ivy League universities in the USA and the best in Canada, the UK and elsewhere. We have leaders in world courts and in several other international organisations. We have clearly established that per square mile or per unit of the population, we have one of the highest proportions of medal winning athletes in the world. I would not be surprised if, in the area of intellectual achievement, we would not also rank as highly among other nations.
Your newspaper does from time to time help to defuse myths held by some in our country by publishing information about those who have excelled internationally in the intellectual and organisational leadership domain. The problem with Jamaica is not a lack of intellectual ability and organisational competence of our people. Rather it has a lot to do with those who continue to spread racist myths and uphold alien standards of culture, as well as divisive skin colour and class preferences. It has a lot to do with those who demean our people by fostering the 'gimme-gimme' attitude of adversarial party politics and those who will corrupt our youth with drugs and guns for gain. These all lead to a profound psychological and spiritual disempowerment.
The facts belie the petty efforts of those who wish to pull down our nation and project it as nothing but 'ramshackle.' Let as many of us as possible seek to shout the facts, of who we really are, from the rooftops. Let us have more popular publications and media articles and presentations about Jamaicans who are taking us on the way to being 'The Next World Power.'
Many have been emancipated from mental slavery and it is the truth which will make the rest of us free.
I am etc.,
E. ANTHONY ALLEN
tonlit@kasnet.com
8 Durham Avenue
Kingston 6
Via Go-Jamaica
