The Caribbean: From Emancipation to Independence
In his essay, “The Caribbean: From Emancipation to Independence”, Nikongo Ba’ Nikongo writes that emancipation and freedom for a majority of the people in the Caribbean countries has meant little as the class structure of the colonial times still continue. He says that the societal order that was followed in the colonial times still continues with the Caucasians and the Chinese occupying the top rung due to their interests in business and manufacturing while the Indians and the Africans tend to remain on the lowest rungs. The condition of the Africans in the Caribbean islands is the most pitiful. It is sad to see that the Africans in the Caribbean are still pushed to the bottom of their societies in spite of having won Independence from their colonial masters. The Africans were brought in as unpaid labor to the Caribbean Islands where work was tough and exploitation was high. Political conditions such as the disastrous world wars for the colonial powers and freedom movements from the Caribbean Africans themselves brought Independence but did little to change their actual living conditions. Nikongo says, “Alas, for the African in the Caribbean, as for the African everywhere in the diaspora, even though centuries have passed, time seems to have stood still (Nikongo, 152).” Even though they are no longer under slavery and some caribbean countries have African leaders, the benefits of Independence and political emancipation has not trickled down to everyone. These countries are also economically dependent on big countries like the US which continues to keep intact the societal stratification. The Africans in the Caribbean not only do not have the economic influence of the other ethnic groups but also feel a distinct lack of a specific culture like the rest. In the end, they take part in the cultural and religious festivities of the other groups.It is also a pitiful state that their fashion and tastes are influenced by the American TV shows. Thus as Nikongo says, even with independence and political emancipation, time seems to stand still for the Caribbean Africans for they have not managed to climb up the social, economic or political ladder.
Music in Africa and the Caribbean
Roderic Knight and Kenneth Bilby, in their chapter titled “Music in Africa and the Caribbean” talk about how the music in Africa can be categorized into certain categories in spite of the size of the continent as well as the cultural, ethnic and language differences. They talk about how the instruments, the playing and singing styles and the role of the musician help in categorizing music in Africa. Two points that the authors make are interesting in this essay- the generalization of the ‘African’ instrument and sound in music and the export of the caribbean music and culture around the world. Knight and Bilby say that, “ The instrument everyone seems to have first noticed in Africa is the drum, often leading to the lamentable impression that this is Africa’s only instrument (Knight & Bilby, 245).” Even though there are different music styles and a variety of instruments used in Africa, people around the world tend to identify African music with a specific tone or a drum beat. This generalization subdues the other musical forms and traditions and because of their huge popularity kills some traditions and the use of some instruments. African music is also quite sexist, the male members often are the lead singers while females are part of the chorus especially when it comes to the performing form of the music. This chapter is interesting as it not only informs the reader about the different styles of music but also explains their genesis. It also does its bit to dispel the generalization about the African musical genre. Another interesting point the authors make is the export of the Caribbean music and culture. Although the Caribbean music and culture is a mixture of African, European and Indian influences, it has its own distinct flavor. The Caribbean music is not only famous in these countries or the surrounding areas but are famous around the world. It isn’t just the beats or the sound but the lyrics that are quite powerful. Musicians like Bob Marley are famous around the world because of his powerful lyrics which talk about oppression and revolution. Music has become one of Caribbean's’ biggest export. The mixture of cultures only has enhanced it and tuned it into a distinct style of its own.
Black Politics
In the chapter on Black Politics, Karenga covers the historical and current trends in the political formation and practices of the Africans as well as the African Americans of today. He explains the historical practices and describes the reasons and situations behind the formation of specific political alliances and interest groups in the recent years. What is interesting about the chapter is not the detailed history of the Black political movement, but his call for an alliance between the different groups in the US. An alliance between not only the blacks and the latinos but also between the Europeans and other ethnic and racial groups in the country.
Although they started voting democratic since the 1930’s and played an active part in politics, the Black political movement gained traction and much strength during the civil rights movement. Calls for equality produced a political movement in the community that also saw an alliance with the Jews. While the Jews of America have become an influential and conservative interest group, the Black interest group has not been able to do the same. In spite of having liberal, conservative and radical interest groups among themselves (Karenga, 317), Blacks have not been able to make the government meet their demands. Although institutional racism has been abolished, there exists traces of it in the country. Call for a coalition among the different groups especially among the blacks and the latinos should not be ignored and should be taken seriously as these are the two groups that are still oppressed and at the receiving end of police brutality and violence. A coalition among the different ethnic and racial groups in the country is a viable solution to the problems of racism that still exists in the country. Coalitions could possibly lead to more egalitarian societies and not have one specific group of people rule over the others as has been the case for all these years.
Works Cited
Nikongo, Ba’ Nikongo. The Caribbean: From Emancipation to Independence.
Knight, Roderic and Bilby, Kenneth. Music in Africa and the Caribbean.
Karenga, Maulana. Black Politics.
