Some friends and I had been having a great time at a north coast resort at Mammee Bay, in St. Ann.
One day we took a coastal tour with one of the companies in the area.
It was as we sped along the coast, enjoying the wonderful vista, that we saw this attractive waterfall and the gentleman piloting the boat asked if we wanted to stop and enjoy a great water massage.
Naturally, everyone was enthusiastic to experience that section of the Roaring River as it gushed out into the warm Caribbean Sea.
As we approached falls, we noticed that there was another boat from the same company we rented from, there. Its passengers were Germans, so naturally all white.
We joined them under the tingling, clear gushing falls and even participated in small talk with a few.
Then they left.
Almost immediately after their departure, we were approached by a uniformed guard who informed us that it was private property so we had to leave!
Incredulously, I enquired from him how it only became private property after the white people had left?
Angrily I strode over to her and posed the same question "how come the beach only became private property after the white people departed?"
She immediately went into a long diatribe about how much she had leased the property for, was paying thousands of scarce US dollars for it, so could decide who could use it.
Long story short I dared her to move us and told my friends who had gathered around that we were going back under the falls and would come out when we were good and ready.
At the time I was a columnist at the Jamaica Record, a broadsheet daily, which is now defunct.
On returning to Kingston, I wrote two articles entitled, "Racism in Jamaica" and the newspaper published them prominently.
I don't think I have ever received more kudos for a series as I did from many quarters, after those articles were published!
However, I did not stop there but investigated whose property it was.
That's when I discovered that it was owned by the government of Jamaica through an arm called Urban Development Corporation (UDC), then headed by the outstanding Jamaican technocrat Dr. Gloria Knight.
I sent a complaint directly to her and outlined the case of blatant racism we had experienced at the property.
I soon heard that the off-white woman did have a 30 year lease with the UDC, but it was immediately cancelled on the grounds of inappropriate use of the property!
l must say I am impressed with how well kept the place is.
That exquisite property had originally grabbed international attention from the 60's, when it was featured in the first James Bond film, Dr. No.
The famous scene which had the star, the late Ursula Andress, singing as she emerged from the crystal-clear, blue, sparking Caribbean sea, was actually shot there.
That was then a very popular movie scene worldwide.
More Jamaicans need to visit public beaches like this, as our beautiful assets should never be there for the use of foreigners or the privileged only!
Nb.
The photos above are of the beach and falls from different angles. Some were contributed by David Johnally but they were all taken some 40 years after my disgusting experience.
Let's hope there are no lingering or brazen acts of racism still remaining in our beautiful island today.
The pics below are of the inside of the house which I had never visited before this trip.
I understand that sometime ago that property was part of a private deal to give the Chinese land for the work they were doing for Jamaica. When the Jamaicans heard abour the private deal they made such a loud outcry again it that the govrrnment backed down. Good that they listened to the people.
ReplyDeleteExcellent ‘
ReplyDeleteI am happy people stood up to the government, for given half a chance, our governments, (PNP and JLP) will sell us out to the Chinese who will then become our new colonial master😡.
ReplyDeleteWith all the selling out that happened in recent years it's good they still own it. Nice place.
ReplyDelete