A Caribbean Legacy Essay - 1182 Words

A Caribbean Legacy The notions of slavery, colonialism, and race are indelible aspects of Caribbean history. In order to fathom the current political, social, economic, and cultural climate of the Caribbean one must engage in a critical study and understanding of the impact slavery has had in modern day Caribbean societies. The modes and intricacies of modern day Caribbean societies are intimately related to the plantation systems of the colonial period, which welcomed the arrival of the largest migration in history. Author Michelle Cliff, in her essay If I Could Write This With Fire, attempts to make sense of the current deplorable social conditions of racial inequality in her native land of Jamaica. It is within this context of†¦show more content†¦Moreover, this hierarchy of shade suggests that whiteness is equated with prestige, power, and wealth while blackness is equated with a lack of culture, a lack of identity, and essentially a lack of autonomy. Cliff, by means of her literature, attempts to unearth the reasons why many of us became light skinned very fast†¦ traced ourselves through bastard lines to reach the duke of Devonshire, the earl of Cornwall. Thus, in an almost disgusted tone, Michelle Cliff discusses the advantages of having light skin by stating: Those of us who were light skinned, straight haired, etc., were given to believe that we could actually attain whiteness, or at least those qualities of the colonizer which made him superior. We were convinced of white supremacy†¦ Under this system of colorism, the system which prevailed in my childhood in Jamaica- and which has carried over to the present, rarely will dark and white people co-mingle. 2 Intimately related to the issue of slavery in the Caribbean is the issue of identity. Historian Franklin Knight describes the Caribbean identity crisis imposed by a colonial and slave ridden past as a fragmented nationalism. Knight suggests that a Caribbean distinct and vibrant identity andShow MoreRelatedAmerindian Legacies in the Caribbean Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Topic: â€Å"The Amerindians have left a legacy that forms part of the Caribbean Civilization.† Discuss. The Amerindians have left a legacy that forms part of the Caribbean Civilization. The Amerindians were two groups of people having completely different personalities. One group was the Arawaks or Taino which occupied the Greater Antilles and the other was the Caribs or Kalinago which occupied the Lesser Antilles. The Arawaks were a very peaceful group of people; slim and short, but firmly builtRead MoreThe Legacy Of Christopher Columbus1390 Words   |  6 PagesMillions of people in the US have mixed historical and traditional interpretation about the legacy of Christopher Columbus. The history of the famous explorer has been rewritten many times. He was one of the first of many Europeans to land in the New World. He is an Italian explorer whose discovery of the New World— Caribbean– with his crewmen marked the beginning of decades of colonization and trans-Atlantic invasion on the American soil. Columbus sighted the New World, as he intended to sail westRead MoreRoyal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd: Hbr Case Study1130 Words   |  5 PagesRoyal Caribbean Cruises, LTD: A Case Study 1. Using the Information Systems Triangle as a framework, evaluate the alignment of RCCLs business strategy, organizational strategy, and information systems strategy before Tom Murphy became CIO and then after Tom Murphy took over as CIO (up to 9/11/2001). Prior to Tom Murphys tenure as CIO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Lines (RCCLs) business strategies were not fully aligned with the organizational and IT strategies. 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We must not only consider the practice of slavery dating back to the indigenous peoples, but from what the introduction of the African slave trade did to the islands economically as well as culturally. In this paper let me reflect on slavery in the Caribbean not from an economical standpoint but, from the racial orRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of the Ccj as the Caribbeans Final Court of Appeal1440 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are the advantages and disadvantages of all Caribbean states having the CCJ as a finale appellate court? The ongoing debate about the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and whether or not it would benefit the people of the Caribbean or should be the final appellant court continues. The CCJ was established in 2001 and is based in Trinidad and Tobago. The objective of the CCJ was to provide for the Caribbean community an accessible, fair, efficient, innovative and impartialRead MoreThe Pioneering Exploration Of The Caribbean Islands By Christopher Columbus1027 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The pioneering exploration of the Caribbean Islands by Christopher Columbus led to the first European contact of Taino Indians in that region. This encounter resulted in the Taino Indians being traded, yet opened the South Atlantic and Caribbean for future exploration and eventual colonization. The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus’ kicked off his legacy. Find the Funds Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continentRead MoreChristopher Columbus Hero Or Villain1658 Words   |  7 Pagesof the islands and also as workers to find gold. Columbus has a mixed legacy because he had positive and negative attributes; he made the Columbian Exchange, which increased the amount of plant and animal species in the New World, and is an important explorer in American history, but also began the start of the African slave trade and caused population devastation due to slavery and diseases in the native populations. The legacy of Christopher Columbus should be remembered as a villain because heRead MoreBook Report: Capitalism Slavery, Eric Williams1513 Words   |  7 Pageswritten by Eric Eustace Williams and first published in 1944. Eric Williams book, was at the time of its publication, considered years ahead of its time. It should be noted, early on within this report that, literary works on the history of the Caribbean or slavery for a matter of fact, was done by Europeans. In the preface of his book, Williams clearly asserts that his work, is not a study of the institution of slavery but of the contribution of slavery to the development of British capitalismRead MoreMusic in the Caribbean1264 Words   |  6 Pages( Farlex, Inc 2013). Caribbean music has its own unique history, is very diverse with each island having its own unique genre of music. With so many different types of music out there and different performing artists these artists are looking for ways to make money by becoming popular. Music in the Caribbean was first developed by the Neo Indians around 1600 the Neo Indians died taken their culture and music. Music then reemerged when the African slaves came to the Caribbean. The type of music the