“I say be careful what you teach the little children
Make sure a nuh something to hurt them
Mind what yuh say to mi sista
She could be the next Prime Minister” ~ Tony Rebel.

My maternal great-grandfather was a self-made man.  He left school early (as they did in those days) to be a bricklayer’s apprentice.  He eventually taught himself to read and write, became a builder and real-estate developer, and a Liverpool City Councilor.  He had four children (three girls and one boy), and the Trust that he created continues to pay out dividends to their great-granchildren! He was widowed in his fifties.  At some point, he introduced a young lady to his adult children, and his single son thought he was trying to set him up with her, only to realize that she was to be his stepmother.  I tell this story because the line that hit me when I read of this, was his daughters’ agreement that their stepmother was ‘No better than she ought to be’.  Apparently, this was a big put-down, but a phrase that didn’t make much sense to me.  The marriage lasted no more than a year.

Jamaicans have a saying: ‘Donkey seh di wurl no level’ (The donkey says that the world is not level).  In other words, there are many things in this world that are unfair.  It is interesting to see the different standards that men and women are held to.  I recently heard an article about speech tones, that we are more likely to trust a male voice than a female voice.  A few elections ago when Hilary Clinton was running for office, there was a lot of discussion about her voice.  Was she too strident? Too screechy?  Some years before that, the Iron Lady (Margaret Thatcher) had to have a makeover and voice lessons, to try to soften her public image.  Do they do the same with men?

For women in politics the job is daunting.  A man puts on a clean suit with a nice shirt and tie and (unless he is former President Obama and wearing a beige suit) will not create any furor.  A female politician is judged for the style of her clothes, her choice of pants suit versus dress, and the discussion will focus on her outer appearance rather than the substance of her message.  We already know that men are allowed to age gracefully, with wrinkles and grey hair making them look ‘distinguished’.  Women on the other hand are letting themselves go when they allow their greys to show.  They are written out of movies, and chased to plastic surgeons offices. 

How much steeper is the ground, when, in addition to being a woman, you are a woman of color in the USA?  As a front seat observer of the current political situation, I have been fascinated to watch the drama that has unfolded over the past few weeks.  Like watching the Olympic track and field events, we often only realize how difficult things actually are when we see a misstep, an obstacle.  In the relay races, the transfer of the baton from one runner to the next is a moment of high anxiety (for me anyway, I could not imagine the pressure!).  Yet to everyone’s surprise, the transfer from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris has been smooth, better than anyone could have imagined.

In the before times, when partisan divides were not as serious as they are today, you could imagine people across the country admiring the way the Vice President performed even as the ground was shifting beneath her.  Her President had stunned the country with a scarily inadequate debate performance, looking more like a senior with severe cognitive impairment struggling to complete a sentence, than a candidate for US President.  Everywhere there were calls for him to give up his determination to be the candidate, opinions written and shouted on cable news.  Throughout the whole period of uncertainty, VP Kamala (VPK) was steadfast in her loyalty to him, continuing to do her job while participating in no gossip (su-su as we say in Jamaica).  And then came the announcement that he was stepping aside, and passing the torch to his Vice President.

With that VPK stepped up to the challenge, smoothly transitioning into a completely new role, and doing so in a way which silenced the doubters, stunned the pundits, and delighted a portion of the population that had been put to sleep by the prospect of the choices for next President of the USA. 

There are those who say it is better to be underestimated than overestimated.  I suspect that for most people of color, they are used to being underestimated.  As a white person, I have been privileged to observe this on many occasions, and have a particular perspective.  I was raised in a country (Jamaica after independence) where although the power structure was still predisposed to lean towards those of lighter complexion (thanks to the long legacy of colonialism), there were increasing numbers of adults in authority whose ancestral roots were predominantly African. 

With this perspective, once I arrived in the States, I was able to witness the daily microaggressions inflicted upon people of color, little slights that those inflicting them are unaware of (or not).  Congratulating people of color for their eloquence.  Being amazed by their accomplishments.  Making assumptions about people’s backgrounds.  Yes, Governor, it is necessary for everyone to think about how our society can be more diverse, more inclusive, more equitable.  ‘The world no level’, and it is our responsibility, if we wish to see a more perfect union, to do everything in our power to try to smooth out the playing field.

As the Vice President shows the world that she is ‘better than she ought to be’, it is time for us as discerning, educated people, to resist being manipulated.  Misinformation abounds, but we can do our own research to check the facts ourselves, rather than propagate them.  Words are powerful, and they are being used to trigger a portion of the population into fear and anger.  We must resist further attempts to divide us, when we are all human, all wish to live happy lives, want to see our children and grandchildren grow up on a healthy planet, able to grow into their true potential. 

This Friday morning I give thanks for my great-grandfather Edward who did not let his early disadvantages stop him from achieving his potential.  I give thanks for growing up in Jamaica and recognizing that people of great talent, strength and character come in all shapes, sizes, color and gender.  And I hope that wherever you are, you show the world that you are way better than you ought to be!

Have a wonderful weekend, Family!

One Love!

Namaste.