“Capital of the Caribbean”
In “Capital of the Caribbean,” Jason Parker discusses the relatively little known Caribbean struggle for independence just before and during World War II. He also discusses Harlem’s role in this Caribbean struggle for independence. According to the essay, Harlem was a “spiritual” center for black cultural and political developments. However, many history textbooks focus on larger scale issues. In light of this, a “transnational turn” has sought to remedy this situation and provide a new view of relations in Harlem. Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia set into motion much of the black’s political agenda (which was radical). The majority of these new radical voices were of Caribbean descent, and almost all of them spoke out against colonialism.
The presence of so many West Indians made Harlem a sort-of battleground for issues in the West Indies. This was especially true of the 1930s unrest in Jamaica. Much of the call for reform of the colonial system in Jamaica (as well as the rest of the West Indies) originated from New York City, especially Harlem. The Havana Declaration signaled the weakening of British colonial rule in the West Indies and prompted many to act because many feared that a bunch of American powers would just take over colonial rule and keep the status quo. This weakening was further signaled in the Bases-for-Destroyers Deal in which the British traded Atlantic base sites for American destroyers.
The U.S. government sent Charles Taussig to learn more about the newly leased areas in the West Indies. Taussig met with many black West Indian leaders and was even endorsed by Walter White, leader of the NAACP. His travels prompted the government to become more sensitive to local customs and eventually adopt an anti-colonial stance. The Anglo-American Caribbean Commission (AACC) was formed with the U.K. to improve the economy of the region as well as standard of living. However, racial solidarity for independence had its limits as demonstrated by disagreements within the AACC itself and the arrest of Wilfred Domingo.
When the British government proclaimed that Jamaica would receive a new constitution the following year, there was a battle between Norman Manley’s People’s National Party (PNP) and Alexander Bustamante’s Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) for leadership of the new country. Harlem played a crucial role in funding and lobbying for Manley’s PNP; however, the JPL crushed the PNP in the elections. Despite this, ties between Harlem and the West Indies were (by no means) damaged, and many continued to support Manley and his ideas.
In the first paragraph, I fully agree with the author when he says, “Powerful moments…overshadow other vital—albeit less quotable—features” (98). It is a fact of life that we tend to remember the more memorable moments of just about anything. Whether it is a book, a play, the news, or even just walking down the street, we tend to remember the “big things” that happened rather than the smaller, more routine events that may play a huge role in whatever it is that is happening. Even in the recounting of history, this occurs.
Take the Bases-for-Destroyers Agreement for instance. History textbooks either (1) gloss over it briefly or (2) do not mention it at all. To be honest, I do not even recall reading about this in any history course I have taken (AP courses included). However, considering this essay, it appears that this deal had a huge role on the people of the Caribbean in terms of their movements for independence. It is ironic that such an important occurrence was overshadowed by other aspects of the War.
I found the description of Jamaican Labour Party leader Alexander Bustamante quite amusing. Apparently, he had been giving “colonial officials fits since 1938.” He was heard “swearing fealty to the crown in one speech [and] calling for the white man’s blood in the next.” He was (to say the least) “equal parts threatening and baffling” and did not have a clear ideology. To top it all off, he was eventually detained as “a threat to public security” (109-110).
However, I will be honest here. I was not a huge fan of this essay in general. It was not necessarily the topic of this article, rather than the way it was written. Some parts felt too wordy for me to grasp any meaning. I found myself rereading parts just because I could not understand what the author was trying to say. The topic was interesting; however, the writing was not as good as I expected it to be.
Brown Girl, Brownstones (Books 1-2)
In the first two books of Brown Girl, Brownstones, we are introduced to Selina, a young and frail yet defiant girl who longs to (re-)experience the past. She lives with her family in a brownstone on Chauncey Street in Brooklyn. Her older sister, Ina, is (by comparison) more graceful, as she was spared from the “awkwardness” of adolescence. Due to this, Selina seems to be jealous of her sister’s situation. We learn that they had a baby brother who died in infancy due to a “bad heart.” Selina and Ina’s father, Deighton, is introduced as a laid-back person. He is studying to become an accountant so that he could make money and bring his family back to their home country of Barbados. He tells Selina of some land that his dead sister had left him. He aims to build and own a house on that plot “just like the white people own” (9).
Deighton’s relationship with his wife, Silla, is unstable. He longs to rekindle their relationship; however, her criticizing personality prevents this. She doubts him when he gives her the news of the land. As she talks to the (very) pregnant Vergie Farnum about this, she insinuates that she misses her dead baby son very much.
We learn some more about Deighton during his adventures on Fulton Street. In a conversation with Seifert Yearwood, we learn that Deigton’s goal is to learn some accounting and get a job that makes as much as a white person. Despite Yearwood’s attempts at getting him to snap back to reality, Deighton persists in his dream. We also learn that Deighton has a mistress that he sees on Saturday nights.
Silla seems to harbor a dislike for Selina. She seems to believe that her and Deighton are making plans about the land that he has received. Silla confronts Selina about this and even returns to memories about her dead son. However, in an act of defiance, Selina tries to snap Silla back to reality and storms off.
In the second book, Selina receives permission to go out on her own. With her best friend, Beryl, she travels through Brooklyn. They eventually reach Prospect Park, where Selina sees two lovers on the ground. She grows sad because, according to her, they have achieved “the fullest freedom” (47). In this scene, she also expresses a “sullen despairing anger” of becoming a woman.
There are also a few minor characters we encounter.
We are introduced to Suggie Skeete, a tenant that lives with the Boyces. She seems to be known for bringing in men to her bedroom on the weekends. Miss Thompson is an older and frail woman who works at the beauty parlor on Fulton Street. She is revealed to have an ulcer on the instep of her foot (23). In addition, we encounter Miss Mary and her daughter, Maritze. They are two white tenants who live with the Boyces. Miss Mary is very old and weak. She lives in the past and spends most of her time replaying old memories. Maritze tries to snap Miss Mary back to the present but fails to do so repeatedly.
As I was reading, I noticed some parallels between the characters. Miss Mary and Silla are similar to each other in that they are both living in the past. Miss Mary has frequent flashbacks on past events and even refuses to move out of the house that she and her daughter live in. In a similar way, Silla tends to remember her dead son and lament over his death. She even compares Selina to him during their argument.
Similarly, Deighton and Suggie seem to parallel each other. Both seem to be carefree. In addition, they have their lovers. Suggie invites men over to her bedroom for a night during the weekend. Similarly, Deighton has his lover, whom he also sees during a night on the weekends.
In addition, Selina and Miss Thompson are similar to each other. Both are frail but in different ways. Miss Thompson works long hours and even has an ulcer on her foot. However, Selina is frail emotionally. She seems to experience conflicting feelings of anger, sadness, and happiness at random times, especially at the end of book 2.
I found Deighton’s situation quite ironic. He wants to eventually go back to Barbados and build a home there. When he recounts his childhood to Selina, his words seem to contain a hint of nostalgia. Yet, he strives to be like a white person. He wants to have a high status and make a lot of money; however, due to the color of his skin, something like that is difficult to accomplish. I feel sorry for him. Although he does not express it, he seems to be torn between his home country and the country he lives in now as well as in his feelings for Silla.
Finally, I was struck by Selina’s defiance. At the end of book 1, Selina tries to knock into her mother the idea that she is not her son and maybe even hints that she should forget about her. Then, “Selina darted around her and strode from the kitchen” (40). Selina is unlike any of the other characters in the book. Most of these characters seem to accept their fates and prefer not to do anything about it. However, Selina seems to prefer to challenge what is set out before her, even if that means challenging her own mother.
