Put nation above ‘tribe’

Q: Archbishop J, how do we heal our nation?

It was 62 years ago, we embarked on the adventure of nationhood. We lowered the Union Jack and raised our Red, White, and Black to the strains of our National Anthem. Citizens believed we could not do worse than the colonial power that had run Trinidad since 1802. Hope and expectation abounded.

Yes, there were problems we needed to face, but now they were our problems: unease, but now that became our challenge to solve; fear, but now we had the steering wheel in our hands, and the car was moving. We had to learn to drive while on the job.

Naïveté

The beginning of a journey is always easier than the stage we are at right now. In the beginning, we had hope because we were untested. In the beginning, there was hope, but we were also naive.

In the beginning, there was hope because the past could not continue into our future. We could no longer allow a foreign nation to make policies and set goals for a local population. It had to end. We could not continue with the old order.

Were we ready for the responsibility that came with taking the steering wheel? Our first Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, understood our challenges very well. Here are a few of his words on the eve of Independence:

“What use will you make of your Independence? What will you transmit to your children five years from today? The first responsibility that devolves upon you is the protection and promotion of your democracy. Democracy means more, much more than the right to vote. Democracy means recognition of the rights of others. Democracy means equality of all in the eyes of the law. Democracy means the protection of the weak against the strong. Democracy means the obligation of the minority to recognise the right of the majority. … Democracy finally rests on a higher power. It rests on an informed and cultivated and alert public opinion.”

Democracy

What have we made of our democracy 62 years later? This is a troubling and vexing question. We have done much good. Talent radiates from our people, wherever they are in the world.

We have managed to keep together throughout this journey. We have excelled in many areas of human endeavour: arts, literature, academics, beauty, and various areas of sport—cricket, boxing, cycling, running, the javelin throw, and the Olympics. We have excelled in law, rocket science and business.

About democracy, our achievement has not been as stellar. We had two failed coups: one because of historical racism in the nation, the other because of a radical Black Islamic group grab for power. But that is not our greatest failure in democracy. We are young and learning, but we have a long way to go.

A particular challenge for democracy is that 32 per cent of our population always feels disenfranchised, no matter who wins. The winning party often acts as the ruling party, not the government of all Trinidad and Tobago. Many polls reveal this sad truth. Race divides us on every critical issue.

In response to a question about race in Trinidad and Tobago, during a virtual symposium hosted by the Port of Spain Archdiocese in August 2020, Professor Rhoda Reddock said, “We understand almost everything through the prism of race. … Race becomes an explanation for all failure, achievement, economic decisions, marriage decisions, education decisions, employment decisions and, of course, voting decisions.”

The Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, in a 2022 Opinion piece, said: “Although T&T is often described as a cosmopolitan society, the truth is that any semblance of peaceful coexistence is fragile, due in part to the deliberate divide-and-rule system by which past colonial rulers kept control over this country’s two main ethnic groups.” (June 3, 2022)

As long as we view all reality through race, we will never take responsibility for our beautiful twin-island republic, Trinidad and Tobago.

Every challenge we face can be fixed. This includes crime, the economy, unemployment, and underdeveloped communities. It also involves inadequate education, poor parenting, a corrupt, oil-dependent economy, and more. We must put the country above our tribes.

A time for healing

Our colonial rulers left 62 years ago, but the divide in our country has only gotten worse. Race is a mental model that has long passed its time. We cannot face all the daunting challenges that are confronting us if we continue with this fetish, our bogeyman of race.

After 62 years, our greatest challenge remains our lack of a national identity. We cannot unite to face our many significant problems. Race shapes our view of everything national, so we cannot get the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader to speak civilly about our most demanding challenges.

Healing always begins by acknowledging that we have a problem. Let us have the courage to admit we have a problem. Now, let us recognise that we must all be part of the solution.

Every race has its story of being treated unfairly, some in far more brutal ways than others. We need to forgive each other for what our ancestors have done to hurt, discriminate against, and dehumanise others. We are not them. We have a unique opportunity to move forward as a nation under God.

To move forward, we need to face our fear; we are terrified of the other. This fear divides us and allows division to become part of the national discourse. God’s perfect love casts out all fear (cf 1 Jn 4:18). We need to find the courage to face our fears and forgive one another. This is not just the responsibility of our political leaders but of all of us, good citizens of our beloved nation.

We are all leaders, and WE can make a difference. In our families, workplaces, schools, churches, and clubs, we must put the nation above our tribal interests. On this anniversary of Independence, let us ask God to change our hearts and help us to see our brothers and sisters of other races as neighbours.

Again, I want to recall Dr Williams’ words on the eve of Independence: “Together, the various groups in Trinidad and Tobago have suffered, together they have aspired, together they have achieved. Only together can they succeed. And only together can they build a society, can they build a nation, can they build a homeland. There can be no Mother India, for those whose ancestors came from India. … there can be no Mother Africa, for those of African origin. A nation, like an individual, can have only one mother. The only mother we recognise is Mother Trinidad and Tobago, and Mother cannot discriminate between her children.”

Key Message:

While we have many things to celebrate in our 62 years, racism is haunting us. We must beg God for healing and choose to live and lead with the nation above group interests.

Action Step:

Think of your friends of other races. Consider their character and virtue. Then, ask God to heal our nation. For Independence this year, engage someone of a different race and learn about their contribution to T&T.

Scripture Reading:

2 Chronicles 7:14