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When defining the Caribbean, one may use a geographical, political, or perhaps a historical definition. But why not one encompassing description? A probable reason may be that the Caribbean, in fact, is not one. Has it ever been? Will it ever be?  Identifying the Caribbean has always been arduous.  Is it a creole society, a hybrid entity emerged from the shackles of slavery and colonialism? Or rather, a plural society, where different ethnic groups co-exist but never mix? Perhaps, a plantation society founded on pigmentocracy and stratification? Why is it that discrimination continues to plague the contemporary Caribbean society? Is the notion “All ah we is one” simply used to conceal the reality?

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Historically, the Caribbean’s shared experience of colonization, enslavement, indentureship and independence has been used to connote Caribbean unity. Interestingly, however, it is the history of colonialism and enslavement that has divided Caribbean societies. Colonizers adopted the ‘divide and conquer’ ideology from the Caribs and Arawaks to the African enslaved.  A stratified hierarchy based on race, colour, gender and religion was ingrained in the system of enslavement which stripped the enslaved of their identity.

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Firstly,  racism is an issue which undeniably divides the contemporary Caribbean society.

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Unfortunately, this hierarchal arrangement has become so entrenched, creating a societal divide in the contemporary Caribbean. Racism and colorism are ever-present in politics, the economy and personal relationships.  Religious intolerance towards minority groups in the Caribbean continue to be prevalent. Gender inequality in the private and public sphere persist and the LQBT community are ostracized. It is not possible to say “All ah we is one” when society is still divided by the social stratification rooted in the plantation soils that the contemporary Caribbean rests upon.

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This blog seeks to critically analyze the notion "All ah we is one” in order to provide an informed perspective that the Caribbean is divided, rather than unified, on the grounds of racism and colourism, gender and sexuality, and religion.

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Racism and colorism, an issue ingrained in racism,  stemmed from the period of enslavement. There was a rigid system of social stratification, where persons were hierarchically arranged based  on criteria such as race, which determined one’s social position and restricted mobility (Beckford 1999). Likewise, the hierarchy was arranged based on pigment, a concept called pigmentocracy (Smith 1967). The whites occupied the top strata, while the Africans formed the lowest strata. There was a middle strata, the free coloureds, which emerged due to the miscegenation of the two races and therefore ranked above the African enslaved.

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Race and colour continue to be dividing factors in the contemporary Caribbean which restrict social mobility and foster discrimination. The article, “Study: Race problems subtle in Caribbean,” highlighted a study which showed that racism is most persistent and prevalent in the Caribbean (Guardian 2012). It quotes Professor Antoine, who explains that there is  anxiety in accepting the reality of race tensions in Caribbean society, especially among persons of African, Indian and European descent. This is particularly well-known in the field of politics, where political partisanship is based on race. This illustrates that the notion “All ah we is one”   is a denial of Caribbean people to accept the reality. Importantly, Antoine also underscores that financial power still lies largely among the white minorities, which shows the relevance of Beckford’s ideology. This sentiment is supported by a trade union leader, Ancel Roget, who notes that the Syrian-Lebanese community make up one percent of Trinidad and Tobago, yet they are  the most powerful group and calls for the public to not support these businesses (Loop 2017). This demonstrates a clear hierarchy and consequent race divisions in society. Furthermore, skin-bleaching is used  to obtain a lighter skin colour across the contemporary Caribbean, which shows the impact of colourism. Another article indicates that Jamaican women reason that they try to obtain the colour of the Jamaican elites so they would be favoured by men and society (Gleaner 1969). They see this as an opportunity to attain a better life, disregarding the profounding damages to their bodies. This shows the grave impact of the plantation on contemporary  Caribbean society, as there continues to be a color bar and an awareness of the correlation between skin-colour and social mobility.

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Caribbean people struggle to accept their identity. This can be attributed to the entrenchment of racism and colorism during slavery. This perception of one’s groups superiority over another is manifested by the main societal institutions, therefore hindering a unified society.

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It can be argued that there are now Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean persons holding prestigious positions, like political leaders and white collar jobs. There are also laws, such as the Equal Opportunity Act and clauses entrenched in each Caribbean Constitution, against discrimination.

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However, the influence of and maintenance by the “one percent” in politics and the economy should not be overlooked. Furthermore, one must consider the difference between having laws and enforcing them, and the general reluctance to formally file complaints about these issues.

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Therefore, it is clear that issues of racism and colourism play a considerable role in dividing contemporary Caribbean societies.

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Additionally, religion is another dividing factor within the Caribbean society.

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Historically, Christianity was a powerful force that influenced all aspects of society. It was used to justify the system of slavery and the African enslaved were forcibly indoctrinated and converted to Christianity (Smith 1950). Other religions were prohibited to prevent unity and rebellions, which  lead to the formation of syncretic religions that incorporated elements of African cultural retention and the dominant Christianity, such as Voodoo, Rastafarianism and Spiritual Shouter Baptists. (Brathwaite 1971). In the colonial era, these prohibitions were still enshrined in law, for example the 1917 Shouter Baptist Ordinance in Trinidad and Tobago which was only lifted in 1951.

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In the contemporary Caribbean,  societies are still largely structured around Christianity. In Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, there are  significant Muslim and Hindu groups. As such, this leads to tension and polarity among the three groups. To illustrate, the Hindu and Muslim population of Trinidad and Tobago argued that the nation’s highest award, the Trinity Cross, did not reflect the religious plurality that existed. In this case, the name was held to be unconstitutional as it discriminated against non-Christians (Brown 2009). Additionally, there was a 1990 coup by the Jamaat Al Muslimeen group demanding respect for the Muslim society which shows the extent of religious antagonism still present. Furthermore, a report indicated that religious intolerance is still widespread in the Caribbean, particularly against minority groups who do not enjoy religious freedom (Observer 2017). It highlights that Voodoo marriages are still not recognized in Haiti and funds are allocated to the Catholic Church by law, while Obeah remains illegal in Jamaica and Barbados. One can therefore observe that the laws of the plantation era have survived to the contemporary Caribbean, upholding the supremacy of Christianity and criminalizing other religious practices. Rastafarianism is perhaps the group which faces the most prejudice and exclusion. In Jamaica, they continue to face high police profiling and employment barriers because of wearing dreadlocks and marijuana smoking, both religious observances (Observer 2017). In Antigua and Barbuda they also face discrimination in education as vaccination for school entry is mandatory, while in Belize, the prison is run by a Christian organization which is reflected rehabilitation measures (Observer 2017). These instances show the powerful influence of Christianity and intolerance of the plantation society is still being echoed throughout the contemporary Caribbean in education, employment and justice. This social stigmatization faced by minority groups and antagonism between majority religions invalidates the statement  "All ah we is one.”

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Religious freedom is integral in forming one’s identity and sense of belonging. However, the religious plurality that is characteristic of contemporary Caribbean societies continues to be a divisive force. Therefore, if religion creates divisions within the individual Caribbean societies, having one Caribbean identity on a regional level is near impossible.

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It is arguable that religion is a socialization agent which brings people together and as such, a unifying factor. At religious festivals, there are people of different religions celebrating and forming a sense of unity.

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However, it is important to underscore that religion is a unifying factor to those that share the same practices and beliefs, not different religions and therefore it divides society as a whole. Also, it should be noted that these celebrations and feelings of unity are short-lived.

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Thus, the divisive nature of the contemporary Caribbean is validated by the persistence of  religious intolerance.

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Furthermore, gender and sexuality creates a societal divide within the Caribbean.

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Traditional  gender roles in the Caribbean originated from slavery. While both sexes worked on the field, only males  occupied the skilled job positions,  while females worked as domestics, were the sole parent and were used as sexual concubines by white plantation owners (Blank 2013).  In the plantation system, men were not allowed to live with their wives and children and this resulted in matrofocality. Regardless, men were still viewed as superior due to the patriarchal nature of society.

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Gender relations and sexuality continues to be a divisive topic within the contemporary Caribbean. A report  highlighted significant areas where gender inequality continue to prevail in the contemporary Caribbean (Caribbean Development Bank 2016). Firstly, there is occupational segregation. Though girls attain higher educational achievement, women continue to occupy lower positions, earn less, and restricted from advancement by the glass-ceiling. Additionally, there is a double standard where working women are expected to also perform household duties. Women are also underrepresented in politics and, therefore, do not get a voice in important decision-making processes. Gender-based violence continues to plague society, as the report shows a predominance of male perpetrators. This can be linked back to the planation where women were sexually exploited.  The issue of human trafficking, especially of young girls, also supports this sentiment. These inequalities ascertain that there is a  gender divide which stems from the subordination of women throughout history. Furthermore, sexuality in the Caribbean increases the societal divide by ostracizing and alienating persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).  While Trinidad and Tobago has repealed the sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offenses Act in 2018 which previously criminalized same-sex relations for up to 25 years in prison, there are still 9 Caribbean countries that have yet to make this step in affording rights to the LGBT community. In this case, the claimant Jason Jones submitted evidence that showed he had to flee the country to escape harassment, discrimination and fear of persecution (Jones v AG of TT 2018). This demonstrates the exclusion and immense discriminatory attitude of society towards persons because of their sexual orientation. This sentiment is similarly echoed throughout the rest of the Caribbean, for example, the song ‘Boom Bye Bye’ by Jamaican artist Buju Banton, provokes homophobic attitudes and violence.

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In the contemporary Caribbean, gender and sexual identity is heavily influenced by history and societal factors which have created an stereotypical identity in the Caribbean. Men must demonstrate masculinity, women must remain regulated and subordinate, and homophobic stigmatization is encouraged. This patriarchal nature validates the fact that society is still hierarchically divided based on gender and sexuality.

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One may argue that there are now equal opportunities for women, like employment, the increase in girls doing STEM subjects and female political leaders, such as Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes.

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However, one must draw a distinction between equality and equity. In order for society to be one, women need to be given necessary opportunities in order to close the wage gap, the gap between educational attainment and labour market participation, and the gap in political representation.

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Hence, one can assert gender relations and sexuality in the contemporary Caribbean maintains a societal divide between men, women and the LGBT community.

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In the final analysis, one can appreciate that there are a number of challenges facing  Caribbean unification.

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The historical influence of colonization and slavery are central construction points of Caribbean identity. The plantation has left a legacy of division. As such, the contemporary Caribbean has not been able to form a unified Caribbean identity.

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The prevalence and persistence of racial polarity, marked colour lines, religious segregation and gender discrimination influence evident divisions rather than unification. These factors demonstrate that a major characteristic of the contemporary Caribbean society is its stratified and divisive nature. The arguments articulated throughout this blog demonstrated that within the societies themselves, these factors are forceful in keeping society apart. As such, it paints an important understanding that the larger Caribbean itself cannot be one until there is unity within individual societies.

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Therefore, the sentiment “All ah we is one” is a fallacy as the contemporary Caribbean is divided along the lines of race, colour, religion and gender.

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All diagrams were created by the author using WordArt.com.