Barbadian youth are taught they are being held back by latent forces of slavery and colonialism and can only reach their full potential once their minds are liberated. A successful slavery and colonial tool used to control the African enslaved and their descendants, was to train all people that our ancestors were inferior.

Those of other races may feel frustrated when another generation of those of African descent keep raising this issue, especially after all the civil-rights progress that has been made. Since our youth should not be in this position, this difficult conversation is long over-due.

PASSING THE CURSE.

The training to convince us that we were inferior was designed to be used on one generation, who would then pass it on to successive generations. That training is being done to this day by: parents, teachers, pastors, employers, judges and leaders.

When black parents look down when speaking to someone of another race, they train their children that they are inferior. When black teachers treat students of another race differently, they train their black students that they are inferior. When black employers treat employees of another race differently, they train their black employees that they are inferior. When black leaders treat people of another race differently, they train the blacks whom they lead that they are inferior.

Different treatment includes: (i) being less argumentative and critical to other races than your own, (ii) being more polite, respectful, forgiving and accommodating to other races than your own and (iii) automatically assuming that other races are more competent at learning information and doing work than your own.  The same methods are used to divide those with different shades within black communities.  This inferiority belief is a curse.

STOPPING THE CURSE.

We know what has not worked to stop this curse from spreading across generations. Emancipation, independence and passing legislation outlawing discrimination had no effect. We were promised that becoming a republic would do it. When it did not, our radical activists blamed vestiges of colonialism and went on a rampage targeting invaluable world treasures in Barbados for destruction.

We have too many historical examples to know where this path of destruction leads. After buildings and monuments, their next step would be to target perceived political enemies for destruction – and then no one will be safe. Before we reach that tipping point, it is time to consider another approach.

THE WAY.

Liberation from mental slavery is a process. It starts by being reconnected to our common Creator. In that way, we all become equal brothers and sisters in humanity. The next step is to lead ourselves and the next generation out of mental slavery by intentionally: (i) treating all people with an equal measure of politeness, respect, anger and opposition, (ii) assuming the same level of intelligence and competence in all students and employees and letting them prove themselves and (iii) encouraging those exhibiting traits of inferiority to be better.

Typical inferiority traits include: (i) not looking other races in their eyes when conversing, but easily doing so with your own, (ii) doing work carefully for other races, but carelessly for your own and (iii) being helpful and forgiving to other races but uncaring, unhelpful and sticking to the letter of the law for your own.

Those who become emancipated from this mental slavery find internal peace. However, if they then try to help others to reach a similar state, they may be targeted by those always-angry persons who seem stuck on their path of trying to: (i) destroy national assets, (ii) shame those who disagree with their destructive approach and (iii) over-compensate to show that they are no longer inferior by being rude and belligerent or overly friendly towards those of other races.