A few things seeing Black Americans react to this Jamaican High Court decision re locs in school.

1) Jamaica gained “independence” in 1962. The year my oldest sister was born.

2) Jamaica is still a commonwealth of the United Kingdom.

3) It’s legal & education systems are modeled after the British systems of the same.

4) This is Alexander Bustamante - he was the first Prime Minister of the newly independent Jamaica.

5) From 1962 - 1992 - THIRTY YEARS OF “INDEPENDENCE” only 1 Jamaican Prime Minister was Black. Shout out to Hugh Shearer.

6) 3 of the 7 Jamaican National Heroes are white or white passing.

I list all of these things because independent Jamaica has always existed in a colonial context.

Being a majority Black Country alone is not enough to ensure a society is not Anti-Black or that it Black Liberation minded.

So what you will hear from Jamaicans & 1st gens like me is not surprise by this high court ruling, this is standard societal shit in Jamaica along with HYPER Colorism in all fields.

I remember the consternation among the JA elite re Bob. They were so damn confused y’all. FR FR. Just so pissed this “Rasta” was bringing so much positive attention to our little island in the sun. From Trenchtown too? Woo... big mad.

The rich (largely white & white passing) ruling class in JA has long been hypocritical in its embrace of Bob & The Marley family while discriminating against Rastafarians on the island via laws & societal norms.

I’ve tweeted before about confronting my white presenting Grandmother about these issues growing up - https://twitter.com/lesliemac/status/956914532173205504?s=21 https://twitter.com/lesliemac/status/956914532173205504

While all the conversations here in the US have largely been focused on police brutality in the wake of George Floyd, in Jamaica this time is being spent interrogating colonialism & it’s consistent strong hold on power in JA. @mooretalkja is a GREAT follow around a lot of this.