Amazing Barbados Photo: Blacks, Whites, Asians, Mixed Races Attend Party Together! Actually Enjoy Each Other!

BFP:

Six years ago our friend Light-Skinned-ed Girl declared May to be Mixed Experience History Month. We hope the idea catches on because those of us who are Heinz 57 and/or in mixed-race marriages need to reflect upon our roots once in a while.

If you have to ask “What’s the big deal?”, well, perhaps you need to think about it a little more. There are many more of us than ever before but when we talk with other mixies, the experience is generally the same: neither black nor white, and not really accepted by either race. Here’s a little piece written by Marcus back in October 2006. I miss him…

Originally posted on Barbados Free Press:

Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary Site Of Astounding Happening!

Yes, folks – we couldn’t believe it ourselves (what with all this talk of that one incident last week between a light-skinned homeowner and a dark-skinned young man – link here) – it is true that several hundred people of all races, colours and religion all met last Saturday at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, and actually enjoyed each other’s company!

The event was the official launch of the proposal to establish the Graeme Hall National Park – but it felt more like a party than a meeting to Shona and Marcus.

One Racial Incident At Party…

There was one very serious racial incident at the party though. For a few minutes around 5pm, the cash bar ran short of cold Banks beer and two men of different races argued over who would get the last cold one.

A Barbados Free…

View original 108 more words

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson: “Catch a Nigger by the toe, when he squeals…”

UPDATED May 7, 2014: Poll closed due to organised campaign to support Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson

Did Top Gear or Jeremy Clarkson hire some backroom operation to change the results of BFP’s poll? That’s a definite possibility.

BFP’s poll asked if our readers could hearing Clarkson saying the word ‘nigger’ in the YouTube video. For the first few days the results were running about 90% yes… but then we saw dozens and dozens of ‘no’ responses coming from two IP numbers in the UK, where the people involved were obviously conducting an organised effort to change the results of the poll in Clarkson’s favour.

Naughty, naughty!

So we’ve frozen the poll where it ended up, but our readers should know that the displayed result doesn’t reflect the actual views of BFP’s readers that is running about 90% ‘yes’ and 8% ‘no’ and 2% ‘can’t tell, too drunk to care’.

Cliverton

“Einee meenie miney moe…”

“There’s a slope on it…” (Clarkson as an asian man walks on a bridge. YouTube video below.)

And we haven’t even told you about Clarkson’s Nazi salute or his black dog named after a black footballer.

Is Jeremy Clarkson unthinking, always over the line… or truly a racist?

I haven’t decided for myself as yet, but here are a few tidbits for your consideration – including an apology excuse from Clarkson.

Is the BFP crew going to the TopGear festival at Bushy Park? You bet! We wouldn’t miss it for anything… no matter what Mr. Clarkson thinks or says about the colours of our skins.

Jeremy Clarkson’s apology excuse

Hey… no matter what he says about mumbling, I hear the word ‘Nigger’ clear ’nuff in the video at the top of this post. How about you?

Further Reading and Viewing…

UK Mirror: Jeremy Clarkson’s previous ‘race rows': From black dogs and Nazi salutes to Lenny Henry

UK Mirror: Video: Watch Jeremy Clarkson use n-word in unseen Top Gear footage

The Guardian: Jeremy Clarkson ‘begs forgiveness’ over N-word footage

Jeremy Clarkson: Twitter feed with apology excuse.

When only a white could Captain the West Indies Cricket Team

“I am of the firm belief that whatever is for you in this world, it will come to you. Nobody can stop it; they might be able to delay it somewhat, but they do not have the power to prevent it coming to you.”

Earle Clarke

Sir Frank Worrell

When John Goddard resigned after skippering the West Indies team during the 1950 tour to England (video), some hoped that a black would finally be selected to lead – based on talent and leadership abilities, not skin colour. But it was not to be.

Don’t forget: this was an era when only white reporters were allowed to cover events in the Courts of Barbados, and when a person of colour could not eat at the yacht club let alone become a member.

It was another ten years before Frank Worrell (above) became Captain during the 1960-61 “Down Under” tour.

Earle Clarke remembers that it wasn’t all about cricket…

Leadership

by Earle Clarke

Some years ago, I wrote an article containing information which I will use today. In that article, I was trying to show the discrimination in the West Indies Cricket Team against Black captains from the inception of West Indies Cricket on the world stage, but, in today’s column, I will point out the qualities that make good leaders, using the same West Indies Cricket Team as an example. In the 1950’s when I was able to understand the game of cricket, it dawned on me that, although there was a goodly number of black players on the team, it had to be captained by a white man, especially cricket teams which hailed from the sister island of Barbados.

I could well remember listening to a cricket series, England vs West Indies in England in 1950 when I attended the Basseterre Boys’ School at Victoria Road, where all of us from the New Town area would end up receiving lashes from the Head Master for late coming, because we stopped by Pappy, a Taxi Service place right in front of Lime’s office on Cayon Street to listen to the game.

In those days, poor people like us could only listen to radios in the rum shops or by Mr. Pappy on our way to and from school. I remember that the West Indies was skippered by a white Barbadian named, John Goddard. John Goddard resigned after the tour in 1950 to England and Dennis Atkinson another white Barbadian was selected as captain.

Venus the cat reminds me of our Barbados

Does Gline Clarke appreciate this viral YouTube video?

Can any of us on this rock of mongrels call themselves racially pure? As those of us who have traveled know, what passes for white skin on this island is called coloured or black in some other places. That’s why racists like former Government Ministers Gline Clarke and Elizabeth Thompson are constantly inserting foot into mouth. To Clarke, Thompson and their racist ilk, skin colour is always placed ahead of any other personal traits.

So here’s Venus the cat: like Bim she’s a little of this and a little of that – but all those different coloured hairs make just one cat.

Taan Abed declares: Independent candidate Christ Church West.

Former DLP candidate Taan Abed could win as an independent!

The official announcement was revealed in the August 9, 2012 Barbados Today story Taan’s back, but sure enough Ian Bourne of The Bajan Reporter set the expectations months ago in his exclusive story Taan Abed to run as independent: Says PM ineffective in quelling racial disarray of Dems.

Here at Barbados Free Press we’ve covered the rise and fall of Taan Abed as a DLP candidate who did well, but not well enough in 2008 to unseat the incumbent Dr. William Duguid in Christ Church West. With Duguid’s announcement last year that he would not seek reelection many assumed that Abed would not only continue as the DLP candidate in CCW, but that he would handily win against any new BLP replacement for Duguid.

Those expectations collapsed when the DLP Executive overruled the riding membership, fired Taan Abed and anointed lawyer Verla DePeiza as the DLP candidate for Christ Church West. The riding association was furious as Abed had just won the nomination over DePeiza – with Abed slaughtering the upstart 86 votes to 5!

“Barbados Free Press is declaring our support for Independent candidate Taan Abed. He’s a good man made better because now he is free of a complacent, arrogant and corrupt party system.”

Why did the DLP Executive turf Abed? Disgusting racial politics, Bim style…

It was all about race according to some sources who claim that Taan Abed was dropped because of his race. So the story goes, the DLP executive believed that Abed’s race and Syrian roots make him unelectable in black-majority Barbados, even though Abed is a devout Christian. In his March 2012 interview with Ian Bourne, Mr. Abed had lots to say about racial politics and the DLP. Now though, Abed is focusing on the positive. He intends to win, and he just might do that.

Our prediction: Taan Abed will take many more votes than the DLP’s candidate Verla DePeiza

The membership of Christ Church West loved and wanted Taan Abed and with the announcement of his independent stand it looks like many long-time DLP die-hards are following Abed. Sources indicate that he has a formidable election team in place and that he will not lack for campaign financing. According to The Bajan Reporter, research shows Abed gathering far more votes as an independent than as a DLP candidate.

At BFP we’re of the opinion that Christ Church West will be a fight between the neophyte BLP candidate Maria Agard and an independent Taan Abed.

You know… at this moment in Barbados there’s just enough dissatisfaction and even disgust with both the DLP and BLP that Taan Abed has a powerful chance of being elected in Christ Church West.

We’ll say more about this later, but here at Barbados Free Press we’re declaring our support for Independent candidate Taan Abed. He’s a good man made better because now he is free of a complacent, arrogant and corrupt party system.

Further Reading

February 2, 2012 – Time to vote Independent: BLP ripping itself apart, DLP divided

November 2, 2011 – The perfect revenge? Rumours of Taan Abed as an independent candidate

August 22, 2011 – Question for Taan Abed and DLP Executive: Any truth behind this cartoon?

Racist Barbados Member of Parliament at it again

Barbados White Trash t-shirt by CafePress

Gline Clarke plays the race card as Owen Arthur and the BLP approve

Last August BLP Member of Parliament Gline Clarke let the world know that rich whites weren’t welcome in his Barbados.

Quite a stink followed with both BLP and Government spokespeople blathering that Gline didn’t really mean it like that.

Except… he did mean it exactly like that. And… he’s just doubled down on that racist card to let the world know it.

Now Mr. Clarke is complaining that WHITES!!!!  GOOD LORD!!!! THOSE DAMNED WHITES!!!! have been receiving some construction contracts from the Barbados Government.

HORRORS!!!  WHITES DOING BUSINESS WITH THE BARBADOS GOVERNMENT!!!

What’s next? Will the DLP government will be giving contracts to Indian Guyanese and Chinese Cooliemen? Disgusting!

Clarkes’ racist comments are nothing in the grand scheme of things. He builds on a proud tradition started years ago by Barbados politicians who learned that racist comments against whites, Indians and Chinese get votes. It is a sad legacy 50 years on and a sad message to the world that Bajan politicians talk this talk with no repercussions whatsoever. Worse… they truly believe it. They live in a racist world of their own construct where Bajan or not – ‘whites’ are the enemy.

Not even Rihanna telling the whole world that she was bullied in school for being ‘white’ stopped this racist nonsense. There are very few steps between Gline Clarke complaining that the government is giving construction contracts to ‘whites’ and Bajan citizens’ comments that murdered Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld was ‘white trash‘.

It’s all the same.

You know why Gline Clarke talks of the whites? He does it to divert attention from the fact that as Minister of Public Works Clarke lived in a home built on land that was expropriated from private ownership for (ha ha!) ‘public housing’.

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Order at the CafePress! (Gline Clarke would approve!)

Well done, Mr. Clarke! Winner of the ‘Best racist idiot ambassador for Barbados’ two years in a row…

Nice going Mr. Clarke. Your racist comments really play well on the world stage as Barbados seeks international investors looking for a stable and friendly place to put their cash.

Idiot. Racist idiot.

So sorry, but we have to reprint the entire Nation article here because that paper makes a habit of changing and removing articles to suit changing political agendas. Please read the article at the Nation website at this link…

Clarke:  Black builders left out

FORMER CABINET MINISTER Gline Clarke says that black contractors are suffering in this country and the major contracts from the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government are going  to “a certain class of people”.

In a hard-hitting nomination address at St George Secondary School last night, the mber of Parliament for St George North accused the DLP of favouring white contractors.

Jim Bailey: Battle of Britain fighter pilot and anti-apartheid warrior

(click photo for large)

The wondrous life of James R. A. Bailey, DFC – founder of DRUM Magazine, South Africa

Anybody who has spent any time at all in South Africa knows DRUM Magazine, a publication that has had its ups and downs in the past six decades but was always on the front line of the struggle for freedom. Since I spent some time in Jo’burg in the early 1990’s, DRUM has turned into more of a black urban lifestyle publication but there was a time when the tabloid told stories that no one else could without getting banned.

What I didn’t know before now, and only just discovered this past week, is that DRUM was started and financed for decades by a white ex-Royal Air Force fighter pilot named Jim Bailey. To my great delight an old friend presented me with a birthday gift of Bailey’s wartime biography The Sky Suspended – A fighter pilot’s story. That led me to looking up the author online and there I found the story of Jim Bailey and DRUM. Isn’t the Internet a wonderful thing?

As near as I can discern from the online stories, Bailey poured much of his inherited wealth into starting DRUM as a “black” publication in 1950. It was a true tabloid with girls, crime and violence to keep the readers titillated and the numbers up but it developed a reputation for coming right up to and crossing the line about freedom issues. I think BFP’s readers will understand our appreciation of that marketing philosophy. :-)

When the police beat Steve Biko to death in 1977, DRUM showed the activist in his coffin. When Desmond Tutu wanted to tell the people why he met with the South African apartheid government, he did so in the pages of DRUM. When the bodies piled up on the streets in the townships, DRUM showed them beside the photos of the white police who shot them down. These were dangerous stories to cover, but DRUM did so and made a difference.

Jim Bailey died in early 2000 but he left a legacy of books and poetry that I’ve yet to read. I’m only 40 pages into The Sky Suspended, but other than writing this post I doubt I’ll do any work for the next few days until I finish the book.

Later this week I’ll put up a few more posts on Bailey and his role in Sooth Africa at the time, but for now here’s what he says about what it takes to be a fighter pilot…

It became a study of mine, one I pursued meticulously at this time, to discover what type of man makes the best fighter-pilot. I found, for example, that only children, pilots without brothers or sisters, were particularly helpless. When a new pilot came to us, I would try to guess after a day or two whether he came from a large family or not and then go and ask him. If he did, he had a better chance to survive.

Good pilots are common, good fighter-pilots were rare. It is as with polo: many can ride, but few play polo well; and among those who play well, many ride in a crude and efficient way, without good hands or precision. I arrived at a few conclusions. The qualities that made for success in a fighter-pilot seemed to be just those sturdy qualities that made for success in other professions; observation, initiative, determination, courage, including the courage to run away.

Battle of Britain veteran Jim Bailey on what makes a great fighter pilot