THE EDITOR, Sir:
AFTER WATCHING the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) Festival Queen Competition held on Saturday, July 23, it is clear that there is a grave disparity among the females who are chosen to represent Jamaica nationally and internationally. The representatives who are showcased by the JCDC's competition are usually phenotypically of African stock. However, those who are showcased by the Miss Jamaica Universe and Miss Jamaica World pageants are phenotypically of European or Asian stock.
What is the message here? Is it that on the world's stage we want to parade and promote the Eurocentric ideals of ourselves and locally the Afrocentric ones? This sort of schizophrenic self-deception must be eradicated. Jamaica is a multicultural society with inhabitants from all ethnic groups, so it is time that in our representation of ourselves, both nationally and internationally, an array of Jamaican queens from the various ethno-racial groups be incorporated in the representation of us.
We need to eradicate the baggage of colonisation and slavery and their prejudicial notions of inferior and superior female representations. It is truly then that our motto 'Out of Many One People' will not only be in theory, but also in reality on the stages of both the Festival Queen and the Miss Jamaica Universe and Miss Jamaica World competitions.
After decades of racial-profiling in these competitions, we need to implement the necessary measures to eliminate this grim misrepresentation.
I am, etc.,
ANN-MARIE FISHER
HERDSMAN
ann_marief@yahoo.com
Northern Caribbean University
Mandeville P .O. Manchester
Via Go-Jamaica
