(Trinidad Guardian) Inappropriate, unfortunate and angry.
That was how two political analysts viewed statements made on Tuesday by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that an “Oreo is the modern, politically correct way of calling someone a house nigger.”
Yesterday, analyst Prof John La Guerre described Rowley’s public remarks as “unfortunate and inappropriate,” saying he should not have gone down that road but focused on the closure of Petrotrin, which has been building momentum and attracting national attention.
La Guerre said such a jarring comment was an indication that the 2020 general elections campaign had begun.
“It also showed that politics has been allowed to triumph over good sense,” La Guerre told the T&T Guardian.
While La Guerre felt the word “Oreo” has racist overtones, he said he wondered why people were appealing to race in a multi-cultural society, noting was doing the country no good.
At a political meeting in Tunapuna on Tuesday, Rowley again responded to being called an “Oreo” by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, an attack for which she was condemned by several quarters, including the Government.
As snippets of Rowley’s comments circulated on the airwaves and Facebook, he was heavily criticised in some quarter yesterday but there were differing views as well.
La Guerre said unfortunately, racist insinuations have and will continue to surface in T&T’s politics.
“A number of synonymous terms are being used and it is really unfortunate that these terms are being applied in the political content of T&T.”
He said Rowley’s remarks harp back to the duality of history involving field slaves versus house slaves who were given more privileges which made them believe they were far superior.
“So that divide continues according to the Prime Minister. Is only now they are using the metaphor of the Oreo hoping to hide their meaning.”
However, James said the metaphor of the “Oreo,” which he described as derogatory, has resuscitated in the Prime Minister that some blacks are superior to others.
“I don’t think it is racist because it is very difficult to argue that a black man is racist against his own race,” James said.
However, he said Rowley’s repeated use of the ‘N’ word “showed he is upset about this….he is quite angry that the metaphor used by the Opposition Leader, why else would he talk about it in what appears to be a very passionate and emotional tone.”
For such a remark to be made by Rowley, James said something triggered the PM. He said it also suggested that Rowley was permitted by our social norms to use the word.
“And that is largely because he is Black…he is African.”
James said while many would disapprove on social media of Rowley’s statement, few can say why?
“If you are living in a diverse society, you got to take responsibility for the words that you utter and how it can cause discomfort to others. This is not building others. This is not helping us to get a little closer in our diversities.
“We are human beings who are sharing a space and we need to be tolerant with the differences that exist among us. It doesn’t have to get nasty if we take the right steps to educate our emotions.”