America, the great big land of opportunity where dreams are built and chased.
The Bahamas, a small but vibrant nation, known for its sun, sand, and sea, fueled by the strength and dedication of its people and their commitment to tourism.
At first glance, these countries seem like night and day. However, despite their infrastructural differences, they share striking similarities in terms of racial discrimination, culture, economic dependency, and export reliance. In many ways, The Bahamas and South America are shaped by similar historical forces. In Imani Perrys book South to America in section three part five she spoke about her trip to The Caribbean and how she thinks The South are comparable to these places because they have shared histories.
Red and Yellow, Black and White…. Are we Precious in Others Sight?
As a Christian nation we were raised to treat everyone with kindness and respect. However, in the mid 19th century-colored Bahamians and South Americans were forced to use different doors or sections in public areas from “The Whites” or upper classmen. There were signs that were placed around town indicating these rules and regulations, and everyone knew not to break them or else the repercussion that followed would be horrific. We’re now in the 20th century and of course as time passes by change are a few steps behind. And let’s be honest, could you really see today’s society obeying said rules?
While no one’s using back doors or forced to allow whites to enter first, there is still some sort of separation between the upper, middle and lower class. Which happens to be between the locals of each and the foreigners that inhabit their countries specifically the Haitians and Cubans. I have observed in my travel to the United States and the Bahamians, similarly, treat Haitians as inferior. These people are employed for cheap labor and are forced to work for much less funds than their counterparts do. How can we say that we are a Christian Nation but continue to repeat the cycle of slavery. Paying the lower class only enough to purchase necessities.
(South to America xvii-xviii).” Additionally, we see in Perry’s notes that “Haitians, the people of the first independent Black republic, the nation that inspired the black world to fight for freedom, are so frequently treated as belonging at the bottom of social hierarchies in American nations (south to America 351).” This situation not only prevalent in America but also here in the Bahamas.
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