Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published Monday,15 March 2021
By JeanLowrie-Chin
WE have heard of the infuriating and sometimes deadly attacks on people of colour, mostly in the US when they were driving while black, birdwatching while black, waiting in a Starbucks while black, or jogging while black. Well, the sensational interview by Oprah Winfrey with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) has seemingly added ‘gestating while black’ to the list of horrors.
The British Royals seemed to have embraced the beautiful addition to their family — the mixed-race Meghan Markle. Yet we learned from the televised interview that during Meghan’s pregnancy there were discussions about how dark her baby’s skin might be. The British tabloids, which had praised Kate, wife of Prince William, for gently cradling her pregnant belly, went after Meghan with negative comments for doing the same thing. We are told Meghan suffered mental stress and was refused assistance by “Palace HR”.
Driven to giving up duties as senior royals, they were refused security. I love this part of the interview: Their ‘rescuer’ was the once-homeless, black billionaire Tyler Perry, who offered the couple a home and security until they were able to organise themselves.
Harry has been cut off by the British royal family and said it was his mother’s legacy that had enabled him to buy their home. Now with Netflix and Spotify contracts worth over US$180 million, we believe they can now afford the royal comforts to which they were accustomed.
We, watchers of ‘The Crown’, are fascinated by this age-old monarchy. Even as some call for its abolition, the British Monarchy has an arresting history and is Britain’s biggest tourist attraction. However, I agree that Jamaica should have our own head of State, and our Governor General Sir Patrick Allen would make a fine president of the Republic of Jamaica.
Now I am not sure if a friend of mine was, in fact, joking, but he said in a discussion about the nuts and bolts of Jamaica becoming a republic, many years ago, that it would also include the replacement of every button on the uniforms of our security forces, and that the updating of various stamps and seals would cost millions which at the time the country could not afford. Please, let us find the funds after we have recovered from this pandemic, and get it done. We would still be a member of the Commonwealth, sharing in the collegiality and goodwill of member countries.
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