Suffering in Cuba

 I was really touched by the recent Observer story "Mexico to send food aid to Cuba while seeking end to oil siege — Sheinbaum." 

I must say President Claudia Sheinbaum has gone up 100% in my book, for not only her humanity but also her courage.

We all know life is not fair, but what is particularly despicable about politics is the fact that all over the world,  millions of people consistently suffer and die because of the actions of a few people.

Nowhere is this being played played out more before our eyes than in our nearest neighbor, Cuba.

I am no Cuban apologist, for I despise communism and for a few years in the 70's I even assumed an activist role when the Cubans, under their patron Michael Manley, appeared to be close to introducing their alien ideology and attempted influence into Jamaica. 

 (This is all recorded in my best seller, Looking Back, the struggle to preserve our freedoms. See Jamaica Observer review at: https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2017/12/joan-williams-former-local-host-looks.html).

But the reality is, the vast majority of ordinary Cuban people have suffered immensely for decades, first under the dictator Batista, then under successive dictators from the Castro family and their successors. And I like so many Jamaicans have close relatives there.

More than a century ago,  Cuba provided an escape valve for many of our ancestors and some of us remain in touch with our kit and kin living in penury there.

For in case you forgot, when slavery was abolished and thousands of "freed" slaves had no means of survival, it was to Cuba they fled  to seek employment. For as that beautiful big island is only 90 miles away at its closest point, Jamaicans could escape there in crude vessels that were barely sea worthy. So when you go to areas in Santiago, Holguin and Guantanamo Bay, there are hundreds of thousands of Cubans there of Jamaican ancestry.

 I  still remember well the old man I met in Guantanamo Bay (The Cuban side), decades ago. He had never been to Jamaica or even met or been in touch with his family here, but he listened to Jamaican radio everyday, spoke a fair amount of patois, knew everything about us, including the price of a lot of basic products and longed to meet his Jamaican family.

Our history with the Cuban government has not always been cordial, but many family ties have remained close. 

When I think of the plight of our families and others there who are today without viable incomes, light, power, basic foods, medicine etc, since the latest threat of increased sanctions from the Americans on any country that provides them with fuel, my heart goes out to them. 

This is after sections were devastated by hurricane Melissa and a recent 5.5 earthquake. 

Worse, tourism, which had remained fairly vibrant with guests coming every winter from Canada and Europe,  came to a virtual halt in late 2025, due to the power cuts and increasing shortages.

So you know that with increased sanctions to deprive them of even fuel,  things can only get worse each day.

After the Manley government era, the Cubans went from interfering in our internal affairs to assisting in many areas, especially education and health.

The reality is that neither Mexico nor Jamaica can defy the Americans as far as these threats are concerned. 

However, President Sheinbaum was not prepared to just walk away and do nothing, hence her determination to use diplomacy while sending food aid to the beleaguered people.

What is the Jamaican government doing?

 

It has affected us all!

We Jamaicans are scattered throughout the world. Two things remain true about us though.

 Firstly, no matter how far away from home we migrate to, most of of hang on for dear life to our Jamaican roots. 

Secondly, many of us either received a devastating blow from the most vicious hurricane to crash into the Caribbean, destroying much of the south west section of our beautiful island home, or have friends/family who were.

 That was hurricane Melissa which struck on October 28 2025. (https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/11/i-weep-for-black-rivervictims.html?m=1)

In our family, those who received the worst blow were my 91 year old cousin Nellie a retired teacher, and her 92 year old husband.

Third from right, 91 year old Nellie, beside her is 92 year old husband EV, and beside him my cousin Dor, who keeps the family fire burning on the island👍.


When our African ancestors were freed from slavery in 1834, most had no education.

For you see, the devout Christians who had enslaved them for centuries after kidnapping and bringing them across the Atlantic, had deliberately kept them in ignorance.

Fortunately, there was a handful of Christians who did not subscribe to the religious dogma, that Africans were not human.

Among them was a religious sect called Moravian.

Recognizing that the newly freed slaves needed to be educated, in 1861 they established a teacher training College for women, named Bethlehem, in Malvern, the rural district in which I was born.

Although my great grandmother had no formal training, she had become a teacher.
However her daughter, my grandma, who got the opportunity for higher education,  attended Bethlehem teacher training College as did many other female members of my father's family.

 In fact, I recall with some embarrassment how when I was horrified that my daughter wanted to become a teacher after I had spent so much money sending her to college, she reminded me that the family has a tradition of teaching and it had nothing to do with money!🫢🫣.

As usual, she was right.

I even traveled to nearby Cuba some years later, to meet many cousins who were born there, as a grand aunt had migrated to that neighboring island to teach English.

So yes, Nellie proudly carried on the family tradition for decades before retiring to Brighton near the St. Elizabeth /Westmorland border. This district is some 35 miles from Black River, the epicenter of that miserable hurricane.

At age 91, she and her 92 year old husband

spent many terrifying hours in the night of October 28, trying to stay safe and dry, as the hurricane peeled the roof of their home piece by piece.

Fortunately they were eventually rescued by kind neighbors. 

This is what is left of their home today.😭.

It took Dor (who lives in the city and fortunately was unaffected by the monster), weeks to locate them, and even now, three weeks later, the area still has no electricity or Internet and only spotty cel service. 

I guess many will say they escaped with their lives so they should be grateful.

But how do you really rise and rebuild again after 90?

Many Jamaicans are in similar situation, but when you have your youth, it's a natural advantage, psychically and psychologically.

A section of Bethlehem Moravian College.

Update 31st December 2025.

Although it appeared incredulous that my 90 plus year old relatives would be building new accommodation, they sure are!!

Hope they will feel much safer here. 🙏

Out of Africa (2)

There are 54 independent nations in Africa, but I have visited just over 10%. This is sad, as each country is unique and has given me the opportunity to understand a lot about my roots.

But I am not crying over spilled milk today, just sharing my initial impressions of Ghana which I visited in 2023.

Kwame Nkrumah memorial 

This was my first trip to West Africa from which most slaves were shipped. 

Interestingly, on that trip, the hotel we stayed at was right on the Atlantic Ocean, across which our ancestors unwillingly traversed. Mine and your ancestors survived that journey but millions of Africans didn't!

Ghanaians tell me that even today when it rains heavily, a number of local people use nets to collect items, even gold, that washes up from the deep where so many sunken trips have ended up over the centuries.

On arriving in Accra, I was immediately struck by how much some sections look like my own capital city, Kingston. 

For like Kingston, the roads are choking with traffic, the sidewalks are overwhelmed by vendors' stalls and hustling pedestrians and in some sections, many buildings and developments appear totally unplanned.

 

Like Kingston too, there is obviously a wide gap between rich and poor as the mansions and slums stand out in contrast to each other.

 

The affluence in Accra is enhanced by wealthy Nigerians who live in the oil-rich state of Benin which is only an hour and twenty minutes away by air and seven hours away by car.

 

 Because the Muslim culture in Benin is strict, things like liquor and wild parties are frowned on there, so they flock to the better sections of Accra to enjoy themselves and their immense wealth which they have no compunction about flaunting.

 

Their parties normally last for days, day and night, I was told.

 

Despite the crowding on the roads in the city, I immediately noticed how disciplined and well-mannered their drivers were in comparison to ours!

 

An interesting experience I had was when we encountered a landslide just outside of Accra, after a heavy shower of rain. This landslide totally blocked our side of the dual carriageway, but in sync, drivers simply turned around and crossed over to the lane on the other side of the carriageway where traffic faced them. That lane of traffic immediately gave up half of their space, no impatience, no honking of horns, no fights, no pulling of weapons, no cursing and swearing at others, and no mishaps

 

It was an amazingly disciplined and seamless operation,  although there were no police present to maintain order or give directions!

 

It is not only on the roads that you see the difference in discipline, but in their everyday life and this is especially marked in the crime statistics, especially violent crime. (According to  Travel and Tour World, "Ghana has recently been recognized as the second safest country in Africa, according to a comprehensive ranking released by global tourism experts. This report, which focuses on recommending top destinations for 2025, highlighted Ghana’s impressively low crime rate, positioning it as a safer destination than countries like Canada, Greece, and Australia. This recognition is expected to influence travel choices significantly, as travelers prioritize safety in their decisions.")

I don't know how accurate the above is. But I felt totally safe on my visit there and far safer than in Jamaica and the USA.  For my poor beleaguered homeland is so notoriously violent! The statistics show that our murder rate per capita, is nine times higher than Ghana’s, which is a very vast country by comparison.

 

Ghanaians on a whole are extremely friendly and welcoming, from political officials and tribal chiefs to the man in the street.

 

This welcoming attitude and peaceful coexistence among the numerous tribes, has led to a marked influx of black people from all over the world, especially the USA.

 

For with the low crime rate all over, the relatively cheap cost of living, (especially noticeable in land prices and construction costs,) plus the strength and stability of the Cedi, the country is very attractive to foreigners.  (The Cedi is the official currency and while it resembles the Jamaican $20 coin, it is worth 10 to US $1.)

 

Another drawing card is the fact that most Ghanaians speak English as well as many tribal languages and many are quite conversant with a few European languages.

 

As a Jamaican, I found Ghanaian food and cooking to be similar to ours but I had to be careful with the meats, as they tend to be extremely spicy. However everywhere you turn there are familiar fruit trees and ground crops.  I couldn’t find a breadfruit tree anywhere though and on describing it to all who would listen, it is clear that it is just was not used or grown there.

 

One marked difference between Ghanaians and us black people in the West that I immediately noticed too, was how short school children keep their hair,

 

Curious as usual, I had to ask and learned that in Ghana, boys and girls attending government schools from kindergarten up to University level must wear their hair trimmed very low.  It is said this is to prevent them from being distracted by vanity!

 

At first, I was appalled to hear this, but if it works for them, who the hell am I to criticize?

 

 Before visiting Ghana, I had traveled to Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.  But to me, Ghana felt very much like home and to tell you the truth, had I visited that huge low-crime,  developed, democratic, country when I was much younger, that would be where I would have chosen for my retirement.

 

More anon.

Religion and crime

I hate upsetting my christian friends, but many years ago, I developed a theory that wherever you see an over-abundance of churches, it's a sign that there is also an overabundance of wicked people there!

And most are described as the 'good' church-going folk.😊

After living for over half century in the land of my birth, Jamaica, where people have told me many times, that the Guinness Book of World Records, singles us out as having more churches per square mile than any other country on the planet, it wasn’t difficult to find evidence that this is so.

Since that theory is always at the back of my mind,  I remember with great amusement, how on visiting Sicily, the home of the bloody mafia, on seeing the numerous church steeples around, I immediately started to count.

Covering around three blocks as we walked there, and counting as we went along, after recording around twenty five huge structures, I decided that I had better things to do with my time. This was so in contrast with Switzerland (from where we were traveling) with  it's low crime rate  and almost non- existent churches!

My theory  came flooding back as I recently visited Charleston S. Carolina, where just around everywhere you turn, you see  huge church steeples hovering over the city.

I  subsequently learned, that because there are over 400 places of worship of different denominations throughout that city, it was once dubbed "The Holy City.” 

Even the powerful  Southern Baptist Convention, (then considered "an institution of heaven" ) which is the basis of so much of Donald Trump’s religious support today,  had its genesis in Charleston during the 19th century.

 Of interest too, is the fact that the most most ostentatious church buildings date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, when slavery and brutality towards Africans was at its peak!

In 1816, free blacks and slaves, realizing that there was no regard for them in white churches, established the African Methodist Episcopal Church under the leadership of a pastor named Morris Brown.

Naturally, this was objected to by the good white folk and Brown and other ministers of the church were jailed for violating laws that prohibited slaves and free blacks from gathering without white supervision.

 In 1822, the church was burned to the ground, and the authorities, claiming a slave revolt was being planned there, arrested 313 members of the congregation and executed 35.

In 1834, all black churches were banned by the authorities.

Undeterred, members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church continued to meet in secret until the end of the Civil War in 1865, when they formally reorganized. 

 They adopted the name ‘Emanuel,’ meaning “God with us.”

At that time, the church was a wooden structure. 

This is it today.

Interestingly, it is situated on Calhoun Street, a street named after the notorious John Calhoun (1782-1850), who violently opposed the abolition of slavery and who  black Carolinians refer to as Killhoun, up to today.

It was at this church  that in June 2015, a white supremacist killed nine people including the senior pastor and a South Carolina State Senator, during a prayer service.

At the funeral on June 26, 2015, President Barack Obama gave the eulogy for the pastor who was killed in the attack and after a moving tribute, sang "Amazing Grace."

Today, that area is renamed " Mother Emanuel Memorial District " and a plaque 

has been erected on the church with the names of all who were killed and declaring their forgiveness of the murderer.

Yup, with a few exceptions, Charleston definitely confirms the theory about religion and crime.

At least in my mind.😊

 

The Gullahs

The first time I ever heard of the Gullahs, was several decades ago when I was on a cruise which made a stop in Charleston. 

Gullah perfection. A display in the African American Museum.

I had visited the craft market there and in talking to a vendor who sounded very Caribbean, as a Caribbean person myself, I naturally asked her which island she came from?

Imagine my shock when she said she was born in South Carolina and had never been to the Caribbean!

Shock, as I had no idea any born Americans spoke anything but American!🌝

Tourists flock the market to get Gullah craft

Naturally I questioned her about their ancestry, language etc, but not being satisfied, determined to one day I would get to the bottom of who the Gullahs were, their language and lifestyle in the USA.

It took me many moons to get around to it, but I did, on a recent visit to Charleston, S. Carolina.

Incidentally in the interim I did meet a lady at my bank, who told me she was from S. Carolina which she told me was a 'must visit,' but alas, she misinformed me as to the origin of the Gullahs and their language! 

Anyway, it was her intervention which caused me to remember the project.😀

 In short, on visiting  S. Carolina, I learned that like our ancestors,  the Gullahs were brought as slaves from West Africa and because they brought their rice growing skills with them, many slave owners in S. Carolina found that very useful for their huge plantations.

Gullah iron craft

Because of their relative isolation from whites while working on large plantations in rural areas, they developed a creole culture that has preserved much of their African linguistic, artistic and cultural heritage.

 Their language which is called Geechee, evolved just like our Jamaican patois, Barbadian creole etc. 

No wonder it sounded so Caribbean when I met my first Gullah decades ago!

 Gullah traditions remain very strong in Charleston and even when they migrate north to places like New York,  I hear, like us Jamaicans, second-and third-generations often maintain many of their traditional customs and still speak the Gullah Geechee language.

They are also extremely artistic people, best known for their baskets and other creations made from Sweetgrass.

These are beautiful products which can last a lifetime, I was told. 

Because they are time consuming and delicate to make, the tend to be very expensive, some for home decorations, costing up to US$10,000 I was told! 

I thought of buying a basket myself, but on seeing the US$450 price tag, departed quickly.😁

There is  a lot of info about the Gullahs at the Afro American Museum in Charleston and I highly recommend the Gullah Tour there, to get a good feel of their interesting but somewhat similiar culture.

The thieving British (11)

On the 7^th February, I posted a blog entitled “The Thieving British”. The article was subsequently carried in Public Opinion.

Smelting metal

In the article, I expressed shock at the story on BBC which exposed Britain’s audacity in loaning treasures it had stolen from Ghana, to a museum there. 

The artifacts had been stolen by Britain in 1874!

In April 2023, several media houses in Britain carried reports to the effect that King Charles 111 of England, supports a study into the British royal family’s links to slavery. According to a section of the story, this is 'part of a series of stories on royal wealth and finances, as well as the monarchy's connection to slavery.

Interesting, in his recent memoir "Spare," Pince Harry wrote that; "the monarchy rests upon wealth generated by 'exploited workers and thuggery, annexation, and enslaved people.'"

The new study which Charles has okayed is supposed to be complete by 2026.

While some will consider this a well-intentioned move, does it really go far enough, or should the research into Britain's thuggery, annexation and exploitation cover not only slavery but also colonialism, since it all happened in one fell swoop without any significant break?

(Remember, in 1874 when they were still stealing artifacts from Ghana and others, slavery was supposed to have been already abolished by Britain!)

This  upcoming report on the royal's enrichment, will clearly not cover both atrocious periods therefore. 

I am however hoping that those who are negotiating for reparations on behalf of Africa and the Caribbean, don't take a similarly half-hearted approach!

Take the glorious Industrial Revolution that propelled Britain economically and still allows it to be held in high esteem and keeps it as somewhat of an economic powerhouse today.

The story below published by the British Guardian, newspaper on the 5^th July 2023 exposes the myth about the British technological prowess. 

The headline of this story was; “Industrial Revolution iron method ‘was taken from Jamaica by Briton.” The bi-line was; Wrought iron process that drove UK success was appropriated from black metallurgists, records suggest.”

It said in part; "An innovation that propelled Britain to become the world’s leading iron exporter during the Industrial Revolution was appropriated from an 18th-century Jamaican foundry, historical records suggest. The 'Cort' process, which allowed wrought iron to be mass-produced from scrap iron for the first time, has long been attributed to the British financier turned ironmaster Henry Cort. It helped launch Britain as an economic superpower and transformed the face of the country with “iron palaces”, including Crystal Palace, Kew Gardens’ Temperate House and the arches at St Pancras train station.Now, an analysis of correspondence, shipping records and contemporary newspaper reports reveals the innovation was first developed by 76 black Jamaican metallurgists at an ironworks near Morant Bay, Jamaica. Many of these metalworkers were enslaved people trafficked from west and central Africa, which had thriving iron-working industries at the time.

Dr Jenny Bulstrode, a lecturer in history of science and technology at University College London (UCL) and author of the paper, said: “This innovation kicks off Britain as a major iron producer and … was one of the most important innovations in the making of the modern world.” The technique was patented by Cort in the 1780s and he is widely credited as the inventor, with the Times lauding him as “father of the iron trade” after his death. The latest research presents a different narrative, suggesting Cort shipped his machinery – and the fully fledged innovation – to Portsmouth from a Jamaican foundry that was forcibly shut down.

The Jamaican ironworks was owned by a white enslaver, John Reeder, who in correspondence described himself as “quite ignorant” of iron manufacturing, noting that the 76 black metallurgists who ran the foundry were “perfect in every branch of the iron manufactory”, and, through their skill, could turn scrap and poor-quality metal into valuable wrought iron.”

 Charles can make mealy mouthed apologies for slavery, but will the exploited ever be compensated for how his empire and its descendents have lived and prospered from the brain and brawn of our ancestors from slavery through to the end of colonialism?

Prince Harry of the British Royal tribe is the only one who got it right. But will his brother who is the only one who can determine that the descendents of the exploited receive any form of justice, make it right?

Don't hold your collective breaths!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History 101

 Often, when you hear 'history,' words like boring or tragic may spring to mind, but not history 101. 

For whenever Maxine "Queenie" Osborne is involved, everything changes.

😊

The engaging Queenie arrives on stage dressed in a school uniform. 

Yup it was our true history, as she traced events from Columbus' brutality to the joys that being Jamaican bring to life.

 It was  entertaining, delightful and   

educational.

In no time, this amazing actress and the versatile Tallawah Mento band led by Colin Smith O.M., had the entire audience rocking and participating in every skit. For the band was also an integral part of the act!

Maxine started out with laughs as she emerged as a troublesome lkkle pickney before delving into serious business like the wisdom of Miss. Lou, the ever-relevant philosophies of Garvey, the bravery of Queen Nanny and the unbreakable spirit of the Jamaican woman.

 I must admit that when it came to the description and uses of popular herbs, I learned a lot and like the rest of the audience, had fun.

Maxine even brought out the acting and singing abilities of some in the audience as we all happily participated in the skits and rocked non-stop to contagious Mento music.

 It was a seamless performance and the audience would have loved if it continued all night. But alas, the library closed at 8 pm.

Malachi gets down with Maxine.

Tallawah Mento band kept us rocking the entire evening.

Big up Director/Dub Poet Malacai and the talented team.

Important info.

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My name is KORLEKi😊

 Yup that's my African name given to me by the Krobo tribe in Ghana.

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-cultural-awakening.html?m=1

That name is specific to me, as it is based on certain aspects of my birth and personality.

On the other hand, Joan is a relic of colonialism and I can't believe I changed my good name, Marshall to a common name like Williams.

I remember being told by someone who was checking the telephone directory many years ago to try and find me, that he had counted 32 Joan Williams!

And that was in Kingston alone.

See what I mean?

I want you to go find me another KORLEKi Adjado anywhere else in the western hemisphere.

Pity it's such a bureaucratic nightmare to change ones name officially.😡

Ps. Big up my designers Judi and Coretta.❤️. Great job by the seamstress in Duncan's too, Charlene. Not only is she a neat dressmaker but a super pleasant person as well..

Karma is real

 Well, there you have it!

An adulterous couple is now not only head of fading England, ( once leader of the greatest empire in the world,) but also the Commonwealth and the head of the Church of England.

Poor God.

Of course, it is not the first time that adulterers have been heads of a major religion. In fact, when compared to former kings and queens of England, Charles and Camelia are probably saints. For they have no slaves (that we know of), have never murdered millions to increase their resources and enrich their empire etc.!

What has always amazed me in religious arguments is the Christian attitude to adultery.

Most Jamaican children (including yours truly) are taught from they can listen, to obey the ten commandments. What I have always found hilarious in discussions with parsons, deacons, or any high male official of the Christian church, is that whenever I broach the subject of adultery with them, they either totally ignore the question and start ranting about homosexuality, etc  (which is not even banned in the commandments ) or hurry off as they are always late for some appointment.😅 

 So, Charles and Camelia are well suited for being the head of the huge, influential, international Anglican Church aka Church of England.

Anyway, the British can do what they want and choose who they want to be the role models for their children but must Jamaicans and other black people always walk behind them peep peek cluck cluck?

Jamaica only finally tek shame outta wi eye after being embarrassed by Barbados (little England), in finally moving to get rid of the British monarchy as our head of state. But are we really going to be remaining in a Commonwealth headed by them?

Really, what benefit is the Commonwealth to us anyway and in terms of who heads it, surely this black-dominated body can do better than that!

I never watched the coronation as my stomach could not take it, but every newscast I have tried to watch over the last 24 hours has had an overabundance of snippets from the event. Seeing the Ja$ 24,123,750,000 (that’s what 125 million British pounds works out to be) parade put on yesterday, I hope the black people who attended were only there to enjoy the costumes, pageantry and splendor and not to pay homage to the new royals!

For, while we black people are among the most forgiving people in the world and many still tend to worship the British and all the other despots whose ancestors have murdered, enriched, enslaved and exploited our ancestors, karma is real. 

For, not too long ago, we heard that the ‘sun could never set on the British empire, but  England is today a mere shadow of itself. (five prime ministers in six years, the struggling economy, rising unemployment, crippling inflation, decline in trade, frequent strikes etc.)

I suspect too that under King Charles 111 and Queen Camelia, its descent into oblivion and international insignificance will be even more rapid.

 For Karma is real!