Thoughts on Emancipendence

At this time of Emancipendence, my thoughts focus on my native land, Jamaica. On my recent pilgrimage to Woodside, the home of the Brodber family developed by Dr Erna Brodber to become a place where the descendants of Africans enslaved in the New World can meet, greet, weep, plan and cooperate, I met many patriots.

Not only were there visitors from other parts of the diaspora, but there were Jamaicans who have kept faith with their birthplaces in St Mary. I met a second-generation farmer whose wife was a retired educator, and they reminded me of the best of Jamaica. They grew their crops and sold them in spite of the deplorable roads, the prevalence of praedial larceny, the kind of agricultural policy which results in gluts, and the neglect of rural Jamaica.

They organised their lives to be productive and wondered how to motivate and mobilise the young men who spend their lives idly on the street corners waiting to get into trouble. They encouraged those ambitious young people who were making something of their lives in spite of the odds. All demonstrated the power of families who were working in harmony, confident of themselves and their heritage of hard work and property, owning themselves and their land. They loved themselves, they owned their land and they loved God. They were actively involved in the life of their community and nation.

I had been reflecting on the making of the terrorist who has been flourishing in our country. He has been fed by poverty, patronage and policies which impoverish the minds and spirits of some, to the point of alienation, thus planning insurrections, beheadings and the maintenance of the corrupt order. The terrorist has been placed in communities and constituencies to wreak havoc, rape, pillage, and plunder. He plans to spark an exodus so that he and his kind can take over the communities built by the patriots. He is supported by the corrupt order, and has benefactors in high places.

The tip of the iceberg

We have seen the tip of the iceberg as external governments force the weakened state of governance to recall names, places, transactions. We had all but surrendered to the terrorist. Those who can, have retreated to their gated communities, have set up their bases overseas, and have tried to secure themselves with an arsenal of guards and weapons. Their children live overseas, as they can no longer have the assurance that they are safe.

How do we ensure that the patriot keeps faith in his or her country, fills the young people with a sense of hope, and restores belief in our leaders? This is the task of the nation today, for this country cannot expect to raise a generation of people who love this land without removing the stain of blood, wickedness and injustice that now plagues this country. It is clear that there are patriots here and in our diaspora, but they are obscured by loud, self-seeking voices.

What is the future we are offering young people faced with violence, unemployment and despair? The sportsmen and women are able to infuse patriotism in our breasts as they use their talent, overcome adversity, and succeed in spite of the odds. That has to become the prevailing ethos for us to become patriots.

I had the good fortune to come of age at a time in Jamaica when we believed that we could change the country and the world. For me, this is a time of reflection, a time of celebration in my family, a time of restoration of hope inspired by ordinary Jamaicans doing extraordinary things. To thrive in Jamaica honestly and with integrity is my intention, and that of the patriots. I believe in the future of Jamaica demonstrated by the ancestors and those who continue to toil with the bad roads and all of the failed policies being heralded. My belief is bigger than the sum total of what they say; it is built upon what I know.

Hilary Robertson-Hickling, PhD, is a management studies lecturer at UWI, Mona. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and hilary.hickling@gmail.com.