A picture of Guyana, I never saw or knew about

Apr 18, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Can I kindly ask you to direct me to six columns your writer, Mr. Freddie Kissoon said he did on the skin colour scheme of advertisements in Guyana. I refer you Sir, to Mr. Kissoon’s column of Sunday, April 16 in which he referred to those six columns. I try my best to keep up with news in my father’s homeland from London where I live. Mr. Kissoon is a breath of fresh air but I do not read all of his columns. He writes daily and it is difficult to read the online papers everyday.
In his Sunday column, he wrote of doing six columns where no Black faces were featured in the advertisements in Guyana. Is this true? Even if Mr. Kissoon exaggerates the total picture, he must be on to something. I would be interested in reading those six columns because they dealt with a picture of Guyana that I never saw, and I never knew about. Mr. Kissoon is a credible writer and one that I respect very much so I cannot see how he would write those things without giving a thought to the reaction it would engender.
My name is Whiteman and I was born in London to a Guyanese father and Nigerian mother. I grew up with intense consciousness on the part of my parents where Black culture was concerned. My father was a big admirer of Forbes Burnham, Guyana’s foremost Independence leader. I lived in Guyana because my father went there to work. I lived in Nigeria because my mother went there to work.
There was an interesting event in my life in Nigeria that I would like to share with your readers, Mr. Editor. It came flashing back when I read Mr. Kissoon’s description of a scholarship programmes from one of your commercial banks and the advertisement featured all white students. Mr. Kissoon observed that in African that would not have been tolerated. He is right. In Nigeria, the government would have sanctioned that bank.
Here is my experience at my school in Nigeria long ago. My friends would ask me why I don’t change my name. Obviously, they felt that Whiteman was not acceptable. They never said it with anger but I know they were also not saying it out of joking matters. That went on occasionally though it was not often at all.
One day, I recounted to my father what these friends said to me. His reaction was to go and tell them your father’s name is Whiteman but he is blacker than many of their parents. On saying this, it caused friction. Some of them were annoyed and viewed what my father said as insulting Nigerians. My mom thought that it was best not to convey what my dad said because indeed Nigerian would have found it degrading.
My experience in living in Africa has taught me one lesson – Africans will not accept foreigners insulting their culture. What Mr. Kissson wrote about in those advertisements will not happen in Nigeria. If a European model is put on the face of a product, Nigerians would accept it even if the model is not Nigerian but once she is African. You cannot put the face of a model on a Nigerian product and she is not a Nigerian. Mr. Editor, hell would break loose.
It is a long time since I have visited Guyana but if what is described by your writer, then this is not the Guyana I knew as a young girl. My parents’ circle of friends were all for Black Power and things Black. Mind you, my father had lots of Indian friends one of whom became very close to our family. I honestly cannot remember his name but I know he owned a store in one of the busiest commercial sections in Georgetown. I cannot recall the name of the street. I can recall attending this man’s religious functions with my patents. He was a Hindu.
I have to confess if my parents were alive, they would have found what Mr. Kissoon wrote about very upsetting, especially my father. I must confess too when I read that Sunday column, my nerves were jarred. Has Guyana gone so far away from the great national endeavours and cultural pride under, under Dr. Cheddi Jagan but especially under President Burnham?
Abiola Abiki Jackson
PS. As you can see, Mr. Editor, I lost the name Whiteman. Jackson is my married name

Latest News

A picture of Guyana, I never saw or knew about

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 31st, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Twin tons from Anderson, Imlach steer Eagles back on course

Race for quarterfinal spots commence today at MoE...

Marsh sets up Lucknow’s comfortable win...

‘One Guyana’ 3×3 Quest tips off today

Saints and GTI dominate as YBG Georgetown...

Carty misses ton, Hamilton (80) sets up tense...

Features/Columnists

The One-Man Republic

The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation

Polls – what they say, where I stand

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

A picture of Guyana, I never saw or knew about

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 31st, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]