Poor people fed up - give them more opportunities to succeed!

By Jaevion Nelson

What on earth have people from low income communities done to deserve the ire of everyone? Exist? Not a day goes by and they aren't featured in the news as the cause for much of our distress. Not a day goes by and we don't say how undeserving they are of the air they breathe. I can barely imagine how they, especially those from the inner cities of Kingston and St Andrew who are "news stars", feel.

It is so frightening that we have such disdain for people from low-income communities, yet our lives seemingly depend on them. We say all sorts of disparaging things about them and mask them as concerns as if they somehow have a "special gene" that predisposes them to be reckless, violent, unemployed, and illiterate. To make our sentiments about them believable, we find one or two persons from these communities who have manoeuvred the systems designed to maintain the status quo, as evidence of what is possible; of what one can achieve if he or she is motivated, determined and works hard enough. We use that to tell others that they are unsuccessful because they choose to, since Mary, Jane, Tom, Dick, and Harry did it. As if the recent high-school graduate from Jungle with five subjects who, despite all his attempts, cannot find gainful employment because of his address, lacks ambition.

It would be so good if we could use the start of the year as an opportunity to reflect on the things we have said and accepted about people from these communities and then reject them. It is all a fallacy. What we believe about these individuals is nothing but a misnomer. Take, for example, the fact that we tell ourselves to be careful of people from inner-city communities because they are dishonest and violent, yet they seemingly constitute a significant portion of persons who are employed as security guards and helpers to protect our homes and businesses, cook for us, and take care of our children.

POOR PEOPLE VERY AMBITIOUS

Have you ever listened to someone from Rema, Jungle, Tivoli, Flankers, or one of the many other communities we've written off as irredeemable? Even the man who can hardly identify him name pan a piece a bullah have some big plans fi buy house fi him old lady, and him a guh buy a car fi run one taxi, and all sorts of other grand plans to better themselves. Poor people are actually very ambitious. They need equal opportunities like the rest of us. How is it that when they migrate to Canada, England, the United States or even a small island in the Caribbean they do so well? They excel; they work tirelessly to send thousands of dollars to their families in Jamaica.

My colleague, Damien Williams, a theologian who also worked as a social worker, said the most profound thing earlier this week. "I'm careful, as one who does motivational talks, not to tell children that they can become anything they wish. That's a lie, especially for the poor ... too many barriers/obstacles exist for them ... too many systemic dream killers. Those who do succeed are the exceptions."

If we continue to downplay the role that a lack of opportunities plays, then people from inner-city communities will no doubt continue to be disadvantaged in a system built on inequity. The opportunities we provide must, however, not be façades of possible success. It can't be some sort of mass entrepreneurship training for 100 young people as the way out of poverty when they won't necessarily be able to access start-up capital and the support needed to sustain a business venture.

As Michael Manley said, in his 1972 New Year's Message, "this is a good time for us to stop and take stock, to have a hard look at the past and to ask ourselves, what can we learn from it? [... because] our efforts must be backed by a more genuine, a more real concern for people."

Jaevion Nelson is a youth development, HIV and human rights advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com.