THE EDITOR, Sir:
AS ONE WALKS daily on the streets one can hardly but notice that, increasingly, there are persons who resort to bleaching their skin. In a month designated for the celebration of black history, a history that was wrought and marred in sub-human treatment and inferior labels, one finds the roots of much of this bleaching epidemic.
However, it may be argued that our history is past us, and currently, there is a new appreciation for our newly-found selves.
We as a people have come a far way, and yet there are some vestiges of the past, mainly an inferiority complex, that we seem not able to get rid of. We are now a more educated people; a more self-sufficient people, and still in the recesses of most of our minds lies the thought that we are less because we are black.
'HIGH COLOUR' MAN
The woman who sells in the market strives to have her daughter marry a man of 'high colour' in order to improve the social mobility of her child and grandchildren. The educated black man is shafted because for her the colour of his skin does matter. The young people put all different sorts of concoctions on their skins so that they will be looked on as a 'browning'.
STILL FAR TO GO
There is a level of respect that is garnered in Jamaica simply from being of a light pigmentation that leads the aforementioned to behave this way. As a people we have come a long way, yet there is so much further for us to go as we now must concentrate on releasing ourselves from the mental slavery Marcus Garvey talked about.
We have seen that our people can achieve, can lead, can prosper and have been pioneers. We must believe that this is possible for any one of us and we must find a way to teach this to our youths and children.
I am, etc.,
MARK A CLARK
makeis@yahoo.com
10 Seaview Road, Stony Hill P.O.
Via Go-Jamaica
