Rubani Streete-Hamilton,
United Kingdom
I remember one of the first times I went to Jamaica for holiday and to see my family. I’m British born but both my parents are Jamaican. We were out in the bush when these two white people with dreads came through cutting down the bush with a mustache. They greeted us and had a full blown conversation in a thick Jamaican accent and using patois perfectly (something I, being of 2 Jamaican parents, had yet to master) which had me thinking, at 7/8 years old, are they taking the piss?
So i asked one of the adults, why did those white people sound Jamaican and he just straight face say ” because they’re Jamaican, how else would anyone sound Jamaican if they not born here”
That’s when i realized colour doesn’t matter and realised how easy it is to have a racist idea but also how easy it is debunked. People who are too scared to challenge their racist thoughts either have an ignorance they refuse to address or haven’t been given the chance to. I try to remember this when dealing with people with racist ideas and stereotypes.
