So I leave a really good paying job with nuff benefits like medical and dental, and credit union to pursue this part of my path. I focus on this racist worldwide policy that I am supposed to conform to and to accept as the forced degradation is commonly acceptable to most every single white Canadian.
Our plight cannot change as black or indigenous people because to the colonialist keeping the ‘inferior’ races in their place /s, is the basis of colonialism. The ‘inferior’ must be kept in its place for the white superiority to feel good about itself. Nothing changes because the racist government supports its racist population.
Now hold on, don’t “send you back to Jamaica where you come from! Blackie!” because you are responsible there also! Colonialism is the basis of the complete degradation of Jamaican people and a suppression of our culture which as you have plainly noticed is fairly unstoppable. Rastafari and reggae music grow across the global plain to European, Asian, East Indian, South American, African and all places in between yet gets the greatest fight from the Jamaican ‘government’ created by the head of the colony. JLP or PNP makes no difference. The poverty level, the crime rate, the death rate, the guns per capita, is way too high for such a small, beautiful island. The colonial master’s system is at its peak in African or Jamaican or other West Indian nations so when we migrate to Canada, we are well groomed to accept the abuse that we were ‘born to take’.
White Canadians have varying degrees of education to this racist policy. From the very well educated who had a semester or two of poly-sci who are now CEOs, doctors, lawyers know of it yet maintain the status quo of white superiority because “it is their God given right to be superior! If ‘they’ (black people) were smarter, they would not be in this position!” and tend to go about their lives with some level of comfort with their black friends. Many of the rest have way less education so basically feed off of the system’s lack of empathy and are out and out racist as they are empowered by said system!
I do not need acknowledgement from the colonial ‘master’ to continue to glow and the shine with the light that the Father has placed inside me, to connect with the similar light in all who share life on this planet. We must all shine our respective lights. No matter who sees it or not! If your light isn’t shun, it stunts the growth of the thing, setting, person that it was meant for and without your light, you shut down the chain of positive energy that we need. So shine your light!
I LOVE being Canadian!
Everywhere in the world has its own set of problems in so many ways, shapes and forms. If we could miraculously end racism in Canada, we would find something else to differ on or to fight about unfortunately. It seems like it is our nature as humans.
I am not a fan of colonial rule and no black, brown, red, yellow individual bears the yolk of ‘understanding’ their place with any level of acceptance. Some won’t admit to it based on false pride, yet there was a day, a circumstance, a word, a sentence, a snide comment, an experience that reminded you about the place you are supposed to accept.
I get what ‘they’ are saying but I ain’t down with that ‘place’ shit! “They” need to fuck off with that right quick! Yeah, yeah, I know it is our current system and it has been running for several hundred years now and is so entrenched in society and totally ingrained in our collective psyches, we can’t see any light at the end of any tunnels.
I gotcha! Slavery for generations!
Yet I want to say to all who read my writing / s, you also have a sense of how grateful I am for life, for love, for sunshine, for one of the most beautiful countries in the world with some truly awesome people who are my friends and family. I also do love many things Canadian yet I am never satisfied with what I am expected to accept as my “place”.
I must have heard it from a very wise source once and it stayed with me. It is a concept used in the martial arts as well (maybe where I learned it), if someone is pushing against you, it is your instinct to push back. So for generations said system has black people fighting for things like “civil rights” which is quite an effective distraction. Why effective? NO MAN CAN TAKE YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS! They are God given! They can tell us which washrooms to use, which water fountains to drink from, expect murders from the law enforcement establishment yet your civil rights are yours and only yours. Making rules and laws to degrade a race of people does not eliminate our civil rights. Our responses, in yelling and screaming when victimized, peace rallies and marches, protesting, are common distractions that continue to work because in our minds, it is our way of pushing back.
WE NEED TO STOP PUSHING BACK!
We need to focus creative energy and thought to the elevation of business, self awareness, cooperation, entrepreneurship, investment in self and culture and to be BOLD in our outlook.
Why do you / we fight for a right that no human or law can take from you? In all of the years of hand holding, peaceful sit-ins, speeches, marches, meetings or treaties, nothing has changed!
I have a focus on humanity and in that vein I bring products to the market that is my hope to elevate my current situation as an entrepreneur, as a reggae soldier, encouraging others to shine their light and to elevate humanity by their actions and their deeds. These are my thoughts and creations and even if you aren’t into them, find another designer and support them.
Create an economic base to reinvest in the music so that we aren’t waiting around for granting programs that do not even acknowledge me or reggae music as a Canadian expression. These product lines are reggae related, elevating the earning power of the genre and through reinvestment we intend to grow the positivity in all of our offerings.
The goal is to improve economic growth personally within the genre of reggae with merchandising and encourage other humans to purchase these products and to wear them proudly, knowing why you wear them with pride and encourage others who connect with your light to do the same.
www.reggaelane.org
876ers are progressive minded people who recognize the colonial degradation and continued enslavement of a population of people by the colonial system. This current system has Jamaicans murdering Jamaicans.
How does a country that produces BILLIONS in the tourist trade continue to be “broke”?
Simple!
The Colony siphons those resources for decades and centuries with no regard for the people. The land, the once sugar cane industry, the once bauxite industry, Blue Mountain coffee, the hotels, the beaches, the ganja...all make more than enough profit to eradicate the Jamaican deficit owed to the IMF and the World Banks, controlled by the Colony’s systemic rape machine.
Ites, gold and green is manufactured and profited on by Chinese factories and not by Jamaicans or RasTafari people. One of the most popular parts of our culture isn’t even supported by Jamaica’s own government. There was a time that the then Prime Minister, ‘Sir’ Alexander Bustamante murdered HUNDREDS of Jamaican RasTafari people on the behest of the Colony. It’s in your history books. Look it up. And we acknowledge him as a ‘hero’ of Jamaican people. Kinda like we were forced to accept the pirate / rapist Christopher Columbus for “discovering” a place where people were already living? Really?
876ers recognize these types of information and are aware of the economic yolk placed around our still enslaved necks. All of these brands put love and respect back into our own community; elevates our community as well as the worldwide community. A vote for any of these brands is a vote for humanity. Investment in these brands and wearing them proudly sends a great message to our children and children’s children to infuse pride in self. Look for other designers and brands and support those too. 876ers are only one alternative.
www.reggaelane.org to purchase
Knapsacks
The Fyah Lion breathes to elevate so if you are feeling this vibe, please purchase one and wear it proudly, which may encourage another to see your pride (light) and come pick up theirs. The hope is that this product can be worthy to hold up the banner of “reggae support” with its family supporting. I also believe that we should all look to other reggae designs by other companies and support such things worldwide.
One of my goals with RFL is to reinvest into the genre by continuing to bring live shows, DJ culture jams, spoken word, dub to live audiences and using those proceeds to purchase better promotional avenues for the music. A creation of a vibrant infrastructure that feeds itself based on good product as well as good talent. Asking all reggae heads out there to read, pass on the information and invest in the genre because of its positive messages.
To purchase RFL send email to [email protected]
Canada has never truly acknowledged reggae music as part of the Canadian psyche yet it most certainly is! A very rich history which includes names like Leroy Sibbles, Jay Douglas, DB Hawkes, David Kingston, Joe Gibbs Records, Jojo Bennett, The Sattalites, Lance Ingleton, Jones & Jones, daddy Karl Mullings, the continued legend of Jackie Mittoo, Messenjah, The Bamboo club on Queen Street, big shows at The El Mocambo and The Opera House...the Canadian reggae contribution to reggae vibes is too numerous to count yet NEVER a thought or a dollar invested to the genre by the ‘government’.
So a young, bright politician, Josh Colle, Councillor on Eglinton West also the current chair for the TTC, saw clearly that the expansion of the subway in what was once called affectionately, Little Jamaica [Marlee to Oakwood , along Eglinton] was about to be gentrified based on ‘progress’ and decided to name the laneway from Oakwood to the little parking lot, Reggae Lane! The first roadway on the planet, officially named from Reggae Music.
EVER!
I see that as a blessing. I see an opportunity to tell a “reggae story” of parts of my own journey through some of those years that I managed IBADAN because we used to rehearse directly on that laneway with Ruffins, as did a bunch of other bands and musicians in the 1990s. This Canadian will fill you in on that part of our collective heritage, shared by thousands of other Canadians.
Reggae Lane product can be purchased on www.reggaelane.org
We see the systems need to stop hemp products and production as “they” maintain industries that poison the planet so that they can receive their profits, even to the detriment of humanity.
RasTafari has also revered and respected the healing qualities of ganja to the spiritual, intellectual and physical growth of humans and consistently preaches those things even today.
420ers ascribe to the forward movement of humanity.
The 420ers product line is about the positivity of marijuana to the people of this world. Wearing this brand not only shows physical support but also puts dollars towards this positive movement.
Proceeds of all sales will aid with the legal fees for those incarcerated by “law officials” in the latest bust in May 2016. It is our hope to generate enough to breakdown useless laws that restrict and constrict humanity for their own evil purposes.
420ers are for positive change.
All brands are here to elevate community, self and humanity. Please purchase and pass it on to others who ovastand the economic rise of the enslaved is a vote for humanity.
www.repcap.ca