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THE 1960s and 70s were a revolutionary epoch for the “New World”, and during this time a number of Caribbean countries gained independence. Unfortunately many of these countries, specifically The Bahamas, have kept themselves yoked to imperialist ideology by the tourism industry. During its march to independence, The Bahamas fought for the opportunity to develop its economy and national identity without the control of foreigners. However, the tourist industry is in direct contradiction to these goals. Though majority rule did not remove all the obstacles hindering the black population, it put many people in a new position to take advantage of opportunities which they were previously denied. According to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), only when fully independent could the Bahamian people truly live in an environment of equal political and economic opportunity. In his 1966 address to the United Nations, Sir Randal Fawkes said that colonialism kept The Bahama...

I’M NOT an expert when it comes to sports. But I know this to be true. Every human has the right to make what s/he feels is the best decision for her/him. Last night when LeBron James decided that he would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat he did just that. And I commend him. His critics, however, – who, by the way, were his avid supporters just yesterday – have called him every name in the book and have even predicted his demise. What this yet again reveals is that whenever people of African descent exercise an act of self-determination, in whatever realm, we’re deemed “disloyal” and, yes, even “dangerous”. Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cavs, in an open letter to fans reveals how warped the mindset of some white people is. “I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously...

FOR YEARS I had been envisioning a school or center of sorts where writing and social justice work might come together. Unable to sustain my writing life in Nassau, for various reasons (another story, really), I left Nassau in 2005 in pursuit of a Masters of Fine Arts in writing. I found a very special program in San Francisco in which to do that, and in the process experienced a different model of teaching, and of learning. I was inspired by this model, a graduate MFA program called “Writing and Consciousness” and when I graduated in 2007, I knew I wanted to create something similar in The Bahamas. In 2008 I approached Marion Bethel, a friend and sister writer, and asked her if she might work with me to envision a writing institute. She was very willing and the following year, Bahamas Writers Summer Institute (BWSI) emerged. BWSI is co-founded and co-directed by Marion Bethel and I. We work collaboratively and our collaborative approach shapes everything that BWSI em...

IF YOU look around today you will see many people who appear to be discontented with their Blackness. The amount of Black women and in some cases Black men who are resorting to “bleaching” their skin is very disheartening. I know we live in a fashion conscious society, but we should not let the dictations of fashion manipulate us to change our natural appearance. Black women spend millions of dollars on skin lightening products annually. Not to mention the ones who choose to buy colored contact lenses. Nothing is odder than a black woman with blue eyes, bleached skin, and a blonde weave, and I see of lot of women fitting this description. It is imperative that our people, Black people educate themselves on the history that we as Blacks have. We do not need to impersonate or imitate any other race. The Black race is a unique, diverse, and multi-talented race. Within the Black race exists all shades of Blackness, light brown, brown, medium brown, dark brown, ...

IN APRIL 2009 when Jamaican poet Mutabaruka visited The Bahamas he urged the community to “challenge the “illusions” that black people based their lives on and the things that we teach our children.” A little over a year later, his charge is still ringing like the sound of beating drums on Boxing Day. The African woman, man and child everywhere finds her/himself under attack; under the foot of capitalism; imperialism. Yes, in the age of Obama the African family is being exploited and terrorized each and every day. And on this “rock” – in The Bahamas – the terror is hot, raw and heavy. All of us can feel it, even taste it. But our frustrations have not moved us to the point of sustained mass action; at least, not yet. A stumbling block for many of us in this “Christian nation” is the western, pacifist version of Christianity that is practiced which tells us to pray – not act – in the face of gross human right...

FACEBOOK can be a great tool to socialize, advertize, and quite frankly waste time. In The Bahamas, on one hand Facebook is being used by Bahamians to keep in contact with family and friends both locally and abroad. And on the other hand, Facebook has become an advertising, money making, time wasting, news spreading, and profile watching paradise. Facebook’s creator intended it to be a college/university social site. Its now the largest social network in the Bahamas, but is second in the world to MySpace. It was originally called “thefacebook”. In 2006, Mark Zuckerberg, a former Harvard student introduced this online social network to the students of Harvard University and instantly this phenomenon spread through the dorms of the college. The new social network quickly reached other schools such as Yale University and Stanford University and it was highly endorsed. The main purpose of Facebook was for college/ university students to communicate and network re...