“he is jes’ anethuh fair-skin fella dat people call white.”

This quote highlights especially the fact that many Bajans saw Ikel Tafari as white. He was considered white, and was accustomed to being considered white. The rest of the article also gives a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the political overtones and ramifications of the story.

LICKMOUT LOU: Talk yuh talk, Comissiong -

Wednesday 10, November-2004

Dear Nesta,
I hope yuh feelin’ awright an’ dat yuh thenkful as usual fuh yuh blessin’s.

We got to be grateful to de Almighty ‘cause when yuh look aroun’ an’ see de pain an’ sufferin’ an’ injustice dat happenin’ in dis worl’ to innocent people, it does mek yuh realise how blessed yuh is.

Well, girl, de talk ‘bout town is all to do wid David Comissiong an’ how ‘e get diss by de BLP as head o’ de Pan African Commission. From wuh I onderstan’, de guvment only gi’ ‘e 24 hours’ notice dat ‘e contrack wasn’t gettin’ renew. . . an’ I hope dah news en accurate, ‘cause ef so, de BLP got to tek a brickbat fuh dat.

Anyhow, evahbody sayin’ how Comissiong shoulda know from de beginnin’ dat ‘e would eventually get de boot because o’ he criticism o’ certain t’ings de guvment does do from time to time. But wuh I want to know is dis – why, jes’ because yuh happen to be a member of a political party, yuh cyahn criticise or disagree wid dem?

Ness, you would know as good as me dat duh got a t’ing name conscience, an’ ef you conscience don’ allow you to keep a pin ‘pon yuh mout’ in certain matters, yuh got every right to speak yuh min’, regards to who en please!

So I en vex wid Comissiong fuh sayin’ wuh ‘e got to say. . . . Why he should be beholden to a political party because duh gi’ he a position an’ a title? I en tellin’ yuh dat I agree wid everyt’ing Comissiong say or do, but wuh I sayin’ is dat ‘e got de right in a democratic country to open ‘e mout’ an’ express ‘e opinions. An’ I will always admire ‘im fuh dat.

Anyhow, ‘e say ‘e would never tek anethuh job from de guvment. ‘Cordin’ to wuh I read in de papers, ‘e say dat only Sunduh gone, sence ‘e get diss, de said-same guv’ment now come mekkin’ a offer – by telephone, to-besides – fuh he to be special envoy to Africa, a position agreed ‘pon five years ago!

‘E call de offer “warmed-over cold soup”, a move to compromise he. But ’e say sence ’e don’ trus’ dem nuh mo’, ‘e en want a t’ing to do wid it. An’ in he position, I woulda do de same t’ing an’ tell dem whey to get off ‘cause duh really en treat ‘e wid respeck, dah is de troof.

Wuh I surprise to see, doh, is dat de fella, Ikael Tafari, now in de pos’ Comissiong had! I don’ agree wid de people dat say ‘e en ha’ nuh ties wid Africa, ‘cause leh we face it –dat man en neider Caucasian . . . he is jes’ anethuh fair-skin fella dat people call white.

But I t’ought he woulda turn down de offer to show support fuh how Comissiong get diss. Solidarity is wuh I talkin’ bout. Anyhow, sence I only went to Brumley, dese t’ings does be too high fuh me, soul. But I will keep yuh in touch wid de events. Meanwhile, I wish Comissiong well an’ hope ‘e will continue never to kow-tow to nuh political big-ups. God bless.

Wif luv,

Lou.