Fall 2018

BAMAIC AN AMERIC AN C L U B

Jamaican American Club Newsletter RELIGION: AN AID OR HINDRANCE TO SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT? By Fiona Whata life, through whichever era, some common themes tend to emerge of what drives us through our lives: who are we? Why are we here?

Whoever we are, we are all the same. We all want the same things in life: happiness, fulfilment, not just in our lives, but also within ourselves. What makes us happy, what motivates us?

As no two people are alike, the desires and goals of people are varied. Yet, through whatever walk of

Trivia

Spiritual wholeness is an eternal quest for the human race. The two most common pathways to this goal are religion, which I define as an organized system that believes in the spirit world and adheres to a specific set of practices designed to bring them closer to God, and what I call spiritualism, which has the same goal as religion but without its structural aspect. Attending church regularly would fall under the category of religious, while I would regard reading tarot cards and exploring one’s psychic potential as spiritualism. The aims of the two are the same, yet there is a curiously uneasy relationship between the two. In trying to understand why this is the case, we may understand ourselves better.

Christianity’s hostile attitude towards all things psychic is well acknowledged. The King James version of the Bible states in Leviticus, ‘A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.’ Deuteronomy further elaborates, ‘There shall not be found among you….anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the

However, what the Christian faith has failed to acknowledge is that the construction of its own religion appears to heavily rely on psychics, and that the chronicles of its savior reveals him to have been, perhaps, the greatest psychic who ever lived. The Bible, in particular the Old Testament, is full of prophets. An online dictionary defines a prophet as an authoritative person who divines the future.

In modern day parlance, this would be a psychic. Holy men such as Moses, Isaiah, Samuel and Jamaica is the only Caribbean Daniel either spoke with God, saw country that has manufactured visions, predicted the future, or all their own car. In 2003, Patrick three. The psychic gifts of clairaudience, clairvoyance and fortune Marzouca Director of Excel telling are clearly at work here, Motors made history when he and the display of psychic activity launched the Island Cruiser. become more abundant when Jesus makes his appearance in the New Testament.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS  RELIGION: AN AID OR HINDRANCE TO SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT?  Trivia  Marcus Garvey  Back Home in Jamaica  7 Steps to Jamwood Creation

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V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 1

P AGE 4

Marcus Garvey “Nationhood is the only means by which modern civilization can completely protect itself. Independence of nationality, independence of government, is the means of protecting not only the individual, but the group. Nationhood is the highest ideal of all peoples”

Written by Geoffrey Philip

The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Or, Africa for Africans.

Compiled by Amy Jacques Garvey.

Dover: Majority Press, 1986.

These words of Marcus Mosiah Garvey are still true, and it is no wonder that Garvey is Jamaica’s first national hero.

Nationhood is the highest ideal of all peoples

toward being defined as a“failed state”?

No doubt, many Jamaicans will be going to church tomorrow and they will listen to various speeches about this and

As far as the short [her] story of Jamaica goes, we’ve been through the inciting incidents of resistance, lock-in of Independence, first culmination in the exodus of the 70s, and main culmination in the recognition of the Diaspora. I don’t know what the third act twist will be. If our story will be a tragedy, but we do have the wisdom from our heroes and a wealth of courage in our people But how will we answer the question: Who are you?

that, platitudes that balm a cancer. Commentators will have answers to every question under our beautiful sun. But the real questions that we should be asking ourselves are ones that I pose to the characters in my fictions: Who are you? What do you want? How will you get what you want?

I never begin a first draft until these questions are answered, Then, I make a rough outline of the plot with an inciting incident, lock-in, first culmination,

When the “right time comes,”–which is always now– I hope as Brother Bob says, “when the preaching and talking is done, ” we will “live up/ Cause the Father’s time has come” (“Survival’).

Surprise me, Jamaica Garvey, Amy Jacques. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Or, Africa for Africans. Dover: Majority Press, 1986.

Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a man of determination, and he believed in the principle of success. As Garvey said in a speech in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1937, “At my age I have learnt no better lesson than that which I am going to impart to you to make man what he ought to be—a success in life. There are two classes on men in the world, those who succeed and those who do not succeed” (Marcus Garvey: Life and Lessons, xxv). So, on this day of the celebration of our nationhood, what does Garvey’s life mean to Jamaica in the face of be headings,political corruption, and a seeming loss of faith that we may be heading toward being defined as

main culmination, and what I think will be the third act twist, where the hero makes a discovery–which surprises the audience and the hero–or something/ someone reminds the hero of who she really is. Whether she has the courage to act on what she knows, means that that I will be writing (in the broadest sense of the terms) a tragedy (she fails to achieve her goal) or a comedy (she achieves her goal). Once I know these elements, I begin writing. I never begin writing before I know how the story will end.

J AM AIC AN A ME R IC AN C LU B N E WS LE T T E R

P AGE 5

Back Home In Jamaica I am coming close to my year 5 of being home in Jamaica. Do I miss the streets of America, I would say yes. Do I miss less stress I would say yes. Do I miss less aggression, I would also say yes.

But with all the stuff I miss I would say it was worth it. I now have a better understanding of my Jamaica. I was a bum ( aimless visitor) just partying and eating food then I worked as a lawn boy, NYS camp manager, consultant, an environmental activist, fish monger, a farmer, a juice manufacturer, gas attendant, a liaison on a bridge and now find myself in remittances. Why so much jobs. Just did not know what to do and wanted the experience. My Jamaica is just that an exciting place with nega-

tive and positives. It’s not the same for every Jamaican, its mine.

There’s nothing like the restaurants of Kingston, and Fiction, The beaches of the island, going into the hills or mountain, the walks through the market or a simple local bar, the garrisons and uptown, customers and the high cost of living. My Jamaica is not a perfect place. Here I saw more deaths than I should have in such a short time with most being very personal. The reason for this is to be poor here is looked upon as being nothing so the poor die without a second thought and this lesson of the garrison I hold near. Yet most who consider themselves not living in the garrison is less than one generation from

Written By Carol Lawton

In my five years, I wanted to understand power and politics in Jamaica.

Waste is the order of the day and it’s poverty, an important thing to look at with everything: Waste of ideas, waste because if the world recession had hit of food, waste of water, waste of talent, harder many without their jobs would Waste of money, waste of time and the return to the lot. Lesson two of this very expense waste of energy. However culture, Guns are as easy to get as bread there are SUVs and the biggest appliand butter yet the law abiding citizen ances. Forget solar it’s all oil yet they can carry a knife. Conflict resolution is complain about the bill. Can’t buy food nil here so its fight or flight and think or send kids to school but money for fast if your action can not back your party, weed and hair. Just used the rent mouth. money for car gas cause can’t be seen taking the bus. So many become beggars with polite words about how the

Here in Jamaica, we kill for work yet sit around doing nothing expecting the work so extortion must be the end result. In a worst case the expect politics to come to their gate and give it to them and sad to say some people get work only that way. Government projects are prone for this as the people expect corruption and plan for corruption and to go around the corruption even if there is no corruption. In the belly has taught me much that it’s a hostile environment that contractors operating in and too many factions that think they have a right to work and no skills to complete

Waste is the order of the day and it’s with everything: Waste of ideas, waste of food, waste of water, waste of talent, Waste of money, waste of time and the very expense waste of energy. However there are SUVs and the biggest appliances. Forget solar it’s all oil yet they complain about the bill. Can’t buy food or send kids to school but money for party, weed and hair. Just used the rent money for car gas cause can’t be seen taking the bus. So many become beggars with polite words about how the pay check short.

Long line to get to the teller wondering what’s happening here don’t mention the ATM. Here few recycle but the scrap thief will destroy new to sell for old and wonder why no water coming to his house. Red tape lingers like a mummy on business and government process.

the task but because of fear the contractors give in. Imagine having to pay the RATS! When they do not work but are a sunk cost in how business is done in the construction industry. Sometimes a gun is a paycheck in our Jamaica so why wonder why many youths first ambition is a gun vs education. Most major project will see death and corruption and it’s not the politician, it’s the people.

They want more than what exist thus creating a system of revolving work which really only revolves poverty and frustration. Can you imagine get a job

think 5-6 months finally some work and then after 2 paycheck get laid off to see someone doing the same work with the same people. The money finish and now there is 2 more in the rotation and two on the side who know decide to threaten to eat someone “food “to show power just to get a $1500 a day job. JIC rates are a wonder now. That’s something I learn and will use as a standard guide for all work even on the farm. Can you imagine having border where you can and cannot work in Jamaica. The garrison is strong and alive in ways that many cannot even imagine and in place

that seem nice and quite as well.

Here weed smoke and oxygen is one in the same as in every 20 feet walk and you smell a next grade. Young men here have a serious hand cupping and rubbing problem that need attention and not jail time. Time to decriminalize weed and set up laws like Dutch! In my Jamaica, young women know sexual exploitation and harassment and sad to say some young men are changing their sexual lifestyle to get a job. Some have to sleep with the interviewer to get to the interview table and still don’t get the job. Here even so call up town girls are as cheap as a bottle of Moet because it’s all hype to say who they slept with or which club/hotel they just came from. That’s just the life.

Race and class is still an issue. So much bleaching that maybe one day they will need body bubbles to protect them from skin cancer. Speaking properly makes you a weak person so middle and upper class are sometimes bullied or believed to be from another country if they are not black Jamaicans. The poor are blocked from jobs as many are darker. Everyone looking a browning so pose with as a sign of success and this is both males and females. There is the idea that the upper class and middle class did not work for anything and that it was given so nothing wrong is taking from them. For all the changes nothing have really changes from when I was young. I still remember “Black is beauty and red is corruption” but its crazy to see black person lighter than me and sisters.

My Jamaica does not value the environment . Parks are few and respect is nil. Nothing worse that walking along a sidewalk with the high ammonia smell of sun baked piss. Here bags juice bags litter the place as plastic cover everything include a certain beach in Rockfort. A person once laugh Jamaica land of garbage and litter bugs. Sewage is everywhere yet the bills are sky high. But cant blame all on people as are receptacles at times but why put in if the bottom is rotten and not there. Here you can build anywhere even in the water sheds of the mountains. Coal burning is still in full swing as forest run away.

Farmers rush to farm with limited knowledge of new technology and they prove that they can farm. Here the farmer is looked down on even though they smile in your face in the Banks. . Farm labor is at nil but farm product thief is at all-time high. Here Banks give you negative returns on your savings as the interest given is below inflation. But lately their loan packages are not so bad the interest is tolerable and trending down. You better not dear go to a micro loan company because the hustle the poor with over 120% APR on their loans yet usury laws are in place. Here technology is at a fingertip yet few use it to develop opportunity for economic development.

Our universities are producing mindless graduates who equate education to more money yet they have no experience. They are unwilling to work their way up but expect executive pay. The country educate them it seems to become educated lumpens. They stand for nothing yet expect everything. Some read Garvey, Che, Mao and think that makes them a militant yet none have any new idea to change things as they will not stand out in a crowd. None have the backbone to move against a system.

The middle class wonder how did it come to this. Personally I live in a community control with fear as to who live in the squatter community on the hills. The politician focus on them and they receive the spoils of the tax dollar. Cant blame them either as they come out to the polls while the middle class come out in a high 15% as the hide behind complaining about what is wrong and high walls. Both parties used to depend on the middle class now it has changed. So do not wonder what happened because we caused it by not being a part of the electoral system yet still have to foot the bill.

I do business in a town where more than 60% of the adult are illiterate. I do business in a parish that cannot even come together to keep a chamber of commerce going. Customer service in business is hard here as the customers are aggressive and do not expect customer service and the people behind most of the counters do know how to deliver customer services so it always leads to frustration at some point. Mr. Vaswani was right when he told me that that will be my biggest headache after bills. Yet they wonder and complain about no growth when they are not ready for investment but ripe for plundering as outside see that we will buy anything. I get to look and watch the fact that socially Jamaicans treat each other with contempt, disrespect and rarely can work together for long periods. Strong men sit in buses while old women hang on stand with one hand to a bus rail as comfort is more important. Here I have become more aggressive to match the environment yet when confronted and I show that I am far more In my 5 year journey I did not drive, I walked and as I walked and reflect about what I saw each day. I started to look objectively at my Jamaica.

Here the pretend and façade is high no matter where you go or the social circles as it all HYPE. A car is deem a part of success where it can make or break you or even exclude you out. People build larger and larger house with smaller and smaller families. There is total lack of self esteem that the material determine the person value or intellect. Its not always the case but the social cliques are strong here and the circles very small. In my Jamaica, it not about merit but the same old story different spin.

In my five years, I wanted to understand power and politics in Jamaica. One day I got called in a room to be told that I have year of politics left in me so go to the side lines and I am too aggressive and uncontrollable. In politics your friend is your enemy and your enemy your friend but don’t go across party lines at times. Politicians here die a million deaths it seem. I have gained a deep understand above and beyond the garrison. Its not as easy as most think. Democracy is just that. Politics is about system so you better can fight your own to get in and up the ladder in the party then fight the outside. Politics here is not for the weak or faint of heart. The politician gives up a lot in the pursuit and sometimes get lost in the mass and forget why they entered politics in the first place. Its not weakness but just how the system is. They don’t run the system, the people do and sad to say the people are the ones who support corruption and sometimes use the politician to implement and give it out as that’s how the spoil are had. At the end of the day, morals and ethics come to play and that’s where backbone comes in. Tons to do here in that regard but it’s the people not the office.

I wanted my right to vote in Jamaican when I was in America so I return because the Diaspora cannot vote while overseas. I thought it ridiculous and still do but I understand better the issue now and why most should not vote who are citizens of other countries yet we find some in Parliament.

I read my Constitution in grade 10 in America. Yes the Jamaica one as that was when I knew even the word and what it was good for. Most Jamaicans do not know their rights from their right hand so the courts are filled. The courts are a story to themselves and is best to avoid if possible. But the green card holder must be allowed to vote as they are still 100%. The issues of living here is far different from being in America or any other place, how can you vote on issue you don’t know anything of expect word of mouth especially after becoming a citizen of another country. Worries are abound since week about the Diaspora conference. My question is who cares. Who knows these people? Who elected them to represent the Diaspora. I certainly did not care when I was in America as my eyes and ears were here because of a simple thing and that was Jamaica is home and America was where I worked. Many times there are nothing new coming from the conference so it’s like beating an empty box and it made sound because there is nothing in it but it does make headlines. What does it really matters as long as it just all talk coming from these people at the conference whose ideas and voices do not impact the ground and no action in a time when real action is needed In five years I met many deported and they have excellent ideas. There is nothing stupid about them but they have issues that will cause problems when they return home. Remember Marcus Garvey is a deportee most have forgetten this fact. The deportee return is not smooth to transition into this more aggressive and class driven culture and that is the first problem as the land here with no document or expired documents and no clue where to get them. They return with only the negative and fail to realize that they have an advantage to do good because of their experiences. Nothing dies faster than a deportee who forgets that this is not foreign but Jamaica. It’s cold but the truth.

I have come to a sobering conclusion based upon my experiences both good and bad since I have return. Even though I highlighted the negatives because they are so easy the difficult parts are the how to do more good. I am now a local again but the Diaspora is still in me. It is time for those who shout the loudest to shut up in the Diaspora and put up. Stop the bickering and decide to help with more than just money. Money here in Jamaica is worthless without hands and minds to put it to work. Start integrating Jamaica into your businesses in America so that our young people can get summer employment like the European student do to get exposed to new ideas and experiences. Come home and implement new businesses which are not here to offer services for local and international clients while providing employment . Come home and do some hands on charity or environmental work to change. Come together and build new schools or create scholarships to get the most talent out. Put your force and challenge the government to create new policies so you can invest in nation building such as low interest US based government bonds to do key development project and refinance debt.

I am not offering any solutions as too busy fixing what I have to fix to live here in Jamaica. Too much talk and no action. He who feels it knows it. I have heard so much things of why Jamaica is so bad and I have felt so much that if I was negative I would think cursed place. Jamaica is alright to live, work and raise a family in. Its not perfect and there is tons of work to do. I now find myself balancing farm, business and loans with a growing staff from 2 to 12 in less than 2 years and slated to expand more as casual labour is not included or business expansion. So yes the economy is growing as small business gear up to move. Was it solely government policy? I will tell you all no. It’s consumer confidence. The people must feel good about Jamaica for it to grow! The government can do better, the citizens must do better, the Diaspora must do better. Respect our land and environment, respect our people (out of Many One), respect for self goes along way.

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Organization

This not for profit club's sole purpose is to create unity among positive people who have passion; therefore, the Jamaican American Club will

Jamaican American Club

not align itself with any religious, political or social classes that are unwilling to respect an individual's choice for their interpretation of the

PO Box 62 Elk Grove, IL 60009 USA JamaicanAmericanClub@yahoo.com

www.JamaicanAmericanClub.org

world.

Goal: Help the community remain viable.

Intended audience: Any individual who would like to help is welcome.

United we bargain, divided we beg!

7 steps to Jamwood Creation

Why isn’t the Jamaican film industry organized? We have the talent, great location and ingenuity. Jamaicans are on every continent, so take the skills you have acquired at your new residence and let’s become a force to create an empire of our own. What can we do to be organized?

can authors and screenplay writers.

1. Have Jamaican producers and directors coalesce to the vision.

7. Design a percentage of the ticket sales revenue to help HBCUs and Universities in Jamaica.

2. Hire Jamaican actors that act outside of the stereotypical roles.

3. Employ the best Jamai-

4. Create Jamaican awards and award show to stimulate pride and creativity.

5. Create and control film distribution mediums.

6. Construct movie theatre and chains and hire Jamaican architects and engineers.