Social Impact with Emma » racism : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Hate Has No Home Here

October 24th, 2018

I have taken some leave and have enjoyed some rest, relaxation, peace and quiet in deep rural Vermont, among beautiful forests and hills. The political temperature was fairly high (by Vermont standards) during our stay, because of the approaching “mid-terms.” This is the land of Bernie Sanders. There are three political parties in this state – […]

The Book of Rules: Jamaica’s Obsession With Physical Appearance

September 12th, 2016

In the past week or so, the “Hopefield Prep Affair” has rumbled on – starting (and continuing) in social media and carried over into traditional media reports, current affairs and talk show discussions. Everyone has an opinion on this. The hashtag #unkemptJA has been quite overworked on Twitter in particular, accompanied by defiant “selfies” from young Jamaicans […]

Brexit Bytes

June 27th, 2016

This morning I was a guest on Television Jamaica’s Smile Jamaica with Dr. Jermaine McCalpin of the University of the West Indies. We attempted to make some sense out of the conundrum that is “Brexit” – last week’s referendum on whether to leave the European Union – despite the early hour. I fell back on one […]

A Question of Respect

January 14th, 2016

Mr. Christopher Gayle, a highly esteemed Jamaican cricketer, embarrassed a woman reporter recently. As such, I feel he disrespected her. I have often thought about the word “respect,” a frequently used term in Jamaica. Many Jamaicans simply say “Respect,” in response to a comment, or in concluding a conversation. It’s a kind of acknowledgement of […]