SOUTH FLORIDA – For one to get a more detailed knowledge of Black History from the context of Caribbean development, one simply could not miss a lecture given by eminent Harvard professor, Dr. Orlando Patterson.
Dr. Orlando Patterson, by the way was born in Jamaica and attended Kingston College.
His presence and presentation was facilitated by a number of organizations in South Florida, main among them, readingpays.com.
What is of significance however was the content of Dr. Patterson’s presentation in which he compared the development or lack thereof in Barbados and Jamaica. He made it clear how different the white populations of both differed in how they responded post-slavery.
Patterson also explained how the geography, the actual lay of the land caused the black populations of both countries to either develop or not develop after slavery. He also explained why the slaves, and their descendants in Barbados vis a vis Jamaica behave so differently from one another. And that difference in behavior and sentiment has nothing to do with coming from different tribes, as the myth would have us believe.
The bottom line? If you missed Dr. Patterson’s lecture, you should rush and buy up his books. And read them.
Voice your opinion on the “Open Line” with Winston Barnes daily on WAVS 1170AM or listen on-line http://wavs1170.com/
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Photo Credit: Leroy “Dreamy” Riley
