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Educating Indo-Guyanese Communities on Anti-Blackness (+Reading List)
I have thought about writing something like this for years, rather than only posting about it on social media. So here are my thoughts on how I, and those some from the same ethnic background as me, can offer our support to the Black Lives Matter movement, and to Black people more personally at this time and in the future.
As Indo-Caribbeans, we have a long legacy of anti-Blackness in our communities. Since the era of indentureship, Indian workers were encouraged by British imperialist to mistrust Black workers, and vice versa. If you are not aware of our shared history, I encourage you to read books like Gauitra Bahadur’s Coolie Woman, which offers a detailed account of our history and provides insight on why anti-Blackness persists today.
Anti-Blackness doesn’t just mean an outward hatred of Black people. It is also reflected in the micro-politics of everyday life. Things like preferring lighter skin tones to darker ones (colourism), or trusting/investing in the wealthy rather than the poor (casteism). Casteism is a larger issue that I will not discuss in-depth and it is not actually related to European colonization, but it informs anti-Blackness and the colonial legacy of slavery and indentureship. Those with darker skin are assumed to be of a lower caste, and many of those in a lower caste are deemed “untouchable” or unfit to coalesce with the rest of society, and higher caste, lighter-skinned people.
Current Guyanese politics largely reflect this legacy. The divisions between the major political parties, the PPP and the PNC, are along racial lines. Conflicts between the parties and races have been detrimental for all citizens, as well as the Guyanese economy since Independence.
Within political macro-structures, it may be difficult to make tangible change or reparations. That’s why we must start with our everyday interactions. In this post, I will identify common issues that I have noticed within my family, and offer ways of subverting racism in our day to day lives.
