Racism is said to have originated from slavery due to the hierarchy that existed between the slaves, usually of African, East Indian and Asian descent, and their masters who were notably Caucasian in genetic origin. This hierarchy system put ‘white’ slave masters above all other races due to their ownership and rulership over the slaves, providing them with the ability to dictate what their daily activities, their religious beliefs and the rituals they were allowed to practice, their diet and even when they were allowed breaks and when they had to work. Racism has remained an issue and a concern throughout the passage of time where it can be noticed in many other sectors of society, such as the education system, the justice system, the employment industry and everyday life in general. However, within the Caribbean, the level of racism has changed exponentially since those times. According to a paper published by the Caribbean Studies Association on 10^th April 2017, “In the Caribbean, racist practices are not limited to a white – black, master – slave opposition, but assume particular characteristics in each context and moment, being present among and between the Chinese and Afro-descendants (Cuba), Afro-Caribbean and the descendants of immigrants from India (Trinidad, Surinam), Dominicans and Haitians, Bahamians and Haitians (all Afro-descendants), people of mixed race and Raizals (Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, San Andrés), indigenous people and blacks (Central  America and the South American Caribbean coast) just to mention some.” This change in the level of racism has produced many more rifts in social cohesion. There exists a level of racism where individuals feel trapped in the stereotype given to the shade of their skin and this has caused many issues, such as lack of self confidence and loss of one’s identity. This is prevalent in Jamaica where people have used bleaching products to ‘become white’ or rather obtain ‘a lighter complexion’. Some of these individuals may have thought that they had to do this due to the perceived social value as it relates to those of a darker complexion resulting in a lack of pride in their skin colour, since individuals of a lighter complexion are viewed as more desirable and are prone to attain successful or more wealthy positions in the workplace and in society in comparison.  Considering the hardships that their ancestors faced providing them with the freedom that they practice in today’s society, racial pride and an appreciation for the resulting sense of identify would have been expected. However, that is not the case in most instances. On the other hand, it can be argued that racism has been in the process, though a slow one, of eradication or minimisation in the Caribbean. This is especially the case when compared to racism in other regions and countries, such as the United States of America. This could be since the Caribbean is such a diverse society where many different races coexist and look after each other. This is most visible in the younger generations as they have grown in a society where they have to collaborate in different aspects of life. It has also been evident in relationships within the Caribbean, where one could find many mixed-race relationships and a result of mixed-race offspring. Individuals have also begun to be more comfortable and confident in their skin colour. Proof of this exists in the modelling industry as it is evident that more individuals of African, East Indian, Asian descent and even those of mixed races could be seen ‘walking the runway’ rather than the previously predominantly white exhibitions. Therefore, it can be deduced that, to some extent, racism is prevalent in the Caribbean, however it has been relatively less than many other regions in today’s society. This may be as a result of improved education in the sector, since more people have been learning that their history is not much different, that their ancestors faced similar hardships and that they came together to overcome these hard times and fought together to regain their freedom.

Another issue believed to be quite prevalent in the Caribbean today has been religious intolerance. The Caribbean is a region where a wide array of different religions exists. Individuals belonging to a certain religion, however, would perceive other religions to be incorrect and believe that their religion is the only ‘correct’ one. This level intolerance is most evident in Christianism, where some Christians have seen their religion as the only correct religion and, hence, look down on other forms of religion. This mentality may have been brought about due to historical events. According to an article written by Nicole Burrows in The Tribune on 20^th March 2017, “The divisiveness of religion and religious faiths is the source of many of our world’s worst problems, from a small-scale Bahamas to a large-scale Middle East. Humans, once brainwashed in tradition and culture, do not understand how to separate themselves from it and expect that everyone else should live according to their rules of religion, even to the point of superimposing their cults/traditions on every other soul in the world whom they have never before met.” In history, the Spanish brought Christianity to the Caribbean and forced it onto the slaves. Africans were not allowed to practice their religion, they were forced to hide to practice these since they would be flogged and tortured if they did not convert to Christianity. Today, there exists various branches of each religion. Some religions that have been frowned upon in society include; Islam, Hinduism, Rastafarianism and Buddhism just to name a few. The issue comes around since there are so many different religions and forms of such and each has its varying belief which may contradict that of another. Another understandable reason for this intolerance would be xenophobia, which is the fear of the unknown. Since some individuals of one religion do not understand that of another, they try to disregard it or prove it wrong and stick to what they know. In contrast, however, it can be argued that there is little to no cases of religious intolerance in the Caribbean. This may be raised as a point where there would have been an increase in religious education in schools and a rise in understanding of the importance of individuality and the preservation of one’s identity. Individuality and identity have made the Caribbean the interesting place that it is hence keeping this ideology in the people of the Caribbean maintains its likability. Also, this generation was nurtured in a time where religion could be practiced openly, and they were allowed to explore and find out more about it to retain a greater understanding of why some individuals practice the religion they do and the impacts it may have on society at large. Another concept may be, most individuals today are allowed to choose the religion they would like to be a part of and not worry about being threatened or tortured for their beliefs. Given that freedom, they are more willing to open up to other religious beliefs and accept it as they do their own, whether they chose to be part of a specific religion.

Additionally, the issue of discrimination and intolerance of an individual’s sexual orientation has been an issue in the Caribbean for an extended period of time. One of the reasons for this is due to the incidences that occurred during slavery where the slave men were raped by their male slave masters. This may have led to the view of the descendants of those slaves believing that by being part of the LGBT+ community these individuals may be showing blatant disrespect to their ancestors. There was an article entitled Eastern Caribbean: LGBT People Face Bias, Violence on the Human Rights Watch website published on 21^st March 2018 which stated, “(Bridgetown, Barbados, March 21, 2018) – Discriminatory laws in Eastern Caribbean countries make lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people targets for discrimination, violence and abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.” The laws referred to in this article were laws against same-sex conduct between consenting adults. Due to these laws and the history underlining the discrimination of LGBT+ individuals, and even the cases of discrimination in media such as the music industry, people fear for their safety. There was a song, sung by a Jamaican artiste by the name of Buju Banton that practically condones the homicide of the individuals belonging to that community. These are just some cases that prove the intolerance level in the Caribbean. However, some may argue that things are no longer at that stage for reasons such as some Caribbean countries attempting to eradicate laws against the LGBT+ community. One of the laws that already has been eradicated in a few Caribbean islands is the same-sex marriage law that previously stated that same-sex marriage was punishable by law and strictly prohibited. Though acceptance is gradually becoming of some Caribbean people, it still remains a big issue in today’s society.

In conclusion, the researcher agreed with the statement, “The Caribbean today is characterized by grave intolerance and mistrust at all levels”, provided valid points to explain how it could be true and provided some evidence to show. The researcher also provided counter arguments to prove why it could possibly be untrue. The Caribbean is a very complex region with a lot of different individuals, religious beliefs and there a quite a bit of people of different sexual orientations. Its history is so rich that some aspects of it still resonate today and it is understandable why this is so, however it is up to the Caribbean people to change their ways and eradicate these issues. It is impossible to completely eradicate these issues in one day, this has to be done gradually and once changes begin, the Caribbean will become a safer and better region and in that, the people will feel more accepted and will be able to love and support each other better. As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day” therefore change is going to come at its own pace and as it does this region will become a better place to live.