Issue: The browning phenomenon
Published:Saturday | September 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
That brownings or light-skinned people have an advantage is nothing new in our society. For the minister of labour and leader of the Opposition to react as if they are now just being made aware of it is very surprising.
Naturally, the minister and the Opposition had to say something and hopefully sound good and score some points at the same time.
The case is now closed as far as the minister and the Opposition are concerned. We will not be hearing from them again on this subject, as we have now moved on to the airport road and the mayor of Kingston demolishing buildings.
Top 100 Jamaicans are brownings
Mr Minister, if you list the top 100 Jamaican people holding top positions in the top companies in Jamaica, nearly all of these people are brownings/light-skinned. I am not counting the owners of the companies. I am referring just to their top employees/heads of departments.
On the very day of the article with the minister and leader of the Opposition stating their objections, the Youthlink insert of The Gleaner, under the heading, 'Coming soon: come learn with us', shows the photographs of seven Jamaican top corporate people, all brownings/light-skinned, who will be in the coming Youthlink feature. It's just as it is.
Racism is used from time to time, even by politicians. I recall once a PNP politician, who has very dark pigmentation, saying to his party supporters that if he were to come off the platform and stand among them, he would blend in perfectly with them. It was a direct reference to the then leader of the JLP who could not blend in among them. He was not condemned by the members of his party for those remarks.
I believe this browning thing is being blown up for sensational journalism. One or two persons may have requested brownings to fill vacancies. The request may even have mentioned that they need the person to be slim and pretty and not too short, but we only focused on the colour part.
DANNY PERSAUD