“Why am I doing this course, this is not essential for career path.” These were the exact the words I used to respond to my academic advisor when assigned me to do this course. I thought that I knew there was to know about my history, I felt secure with the knowledge I knew about the evolution of the Caribbean the origin of my ancestors where and how they got to the shores of the Caribbean. The first lecture with Dr. Campbell, my intellectualization of the Caribbean history and how I viewed myself was eradicated. I realize I was one the individual M. Garvey speaks about when he states,“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” The topics about Caribbean civilization that inform me about my Neoindians ancestry (where all my life was known to be as Arwarks and Kalinagos who eat each other for survival) and idea of the Caribbean History before Europeans were topics that I get a different perspective on. The Eurocentric idealisms that plague the Caribbean societies and the culturing our people to depend on the European powers opened my eyes encouraged me to value this course. Empathetic the Caribbean demographic and Cultural Diversity was particularly intriguing as it facilitated my understanding what means to be a Caribbean people.

What kept me attached to my seat with my ears glued on my earphones to internalize the information, was the session on Caribbean Identity. My knowledge about other Caribbean countries was insufficient, I knew more about America, China and Canada culture due the fact you have number Jamaica Diaspora in these countries and the fact they visit our islands a lot as tourist they tend educate us about to prepare us for the hotel industry. This course answers my question that I always want an answer for “Why the Caribbean Agriculture sector can’t develop even though there is so many organizations that objectives gears towards development and sustainability. Thanks to this coarse I realize that factors like poor integration, human dimension and the history of the Caribbean Agriculture. One of my aim in life is to develop the Caribbean Agriculture, Food Security and reduce Importation bills among western countries, this course as set the foundation to my plan in fact I have start a group among 6 of my classmate from different Caribbean countries called “Agriculture Metamorphosis”. I discovered issues in Guyana Barbados St. Kitts Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica that hindering Agriculture development and also assets each country possesses to help both themselves and other Caribbean countries. The knowledge gained from this unique unified course gave me the approach that will bring my dream to reality. 

“No one person is CIVILISED” thanks to Caribbean Civilization these words now adhesive in my everyday thinking how I view society and how I valued myself. 
11/28/2017

Music is an important form of Jamaica culture, music plays many roles and is a way in which many Jamaicans tend to define themselves.   The social impact of music has largely impacted life in Jamaica.   It has also created an understanding of Jamaican lifestyle and culture for the rest of the world.   It is a form of music for the masses in which their word can be heard and spoken. It is a way to celebrate their nationalism and life. For as long as there's been Jamaican music it's remained inseparable to the people and the environment responsible for it. (Chang and Chen 1998c:6)

Jamaica’s music stem from the historical conditions of both Jamaican slavery and colonialism by different nations. Most Jamaicans are descendants from Africa, brought by the English to Jamaica to work as slaves.   The plantations on which the slaves worked made Jamaica a valuable colony to conquer. Slavery was eventually abolished in the 1830s, and it wasn't until the 1930s that Jamaicans began to gain some of their own control.   The history of Jamaica shows one long tale of sad intrigue, human suffering, lawlessness, and immoral profit, at the center of which were the African slaves-the ancestors of the present-day Jamaicans. (King et al. 2002c:xii). Music has reflected this heritage in their folk music from the beginning. Not only does the music mirror what the people have retained from their homelands in Africa, but the music also reflects the cultural aspects that Jamaicans have learned from the different countries that transcend their history (Barrow and Dalton 1997). The music form deals with the racial and social issues that were encountered during Jamaica's history (Chang and Chen 1998).   The music was principally concerned with truths and rights and the legacies of colonialism (Barrow and Dalton).
Jamaican music has undergone many transformations, both in style and themes, during its history.   Yet, the masses still use the music to express resistance to oppression and poverty.   For many Jamaicans, music is one of the few ways in which the poor can create a distinct, black, Jamaican identity for themselves.   It is through the music that these Jamaicans are able to vent years of pent-up suffering, dehumanization and frustration under the white man's hegemony (King et al. 2002c:xiii).   Throughout the years, reggae music and lyrics have increased in nature both politically and revolutionary.   In the 1970s, reggae was viewed by many as the very expression of the historical experience of the Jamaican working class, unemployed and peasants. (King et al. 2002c:xiii).   Lyrics discussed such themes as oppression, crime, economic shortages, racial discrimination, political violence, and homelessness (Davis and Simon 1979). Jamaica’s music is loved and played by many Western countries even though these music themes speaks highly about the nations resistance to entrocentrism and describe Africa as the best nation. 
11/24/2017