This is a personal email from Sis Laish. Thought I'd be fair and put it here since it involves this thread.
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"greetings

this sis has been following the reasoning on rastafar i speaks in earnest about ras in barbados getting new governmental position.
although i overstand, somewhat, what you are saying, i also agree with ayinde and others on the reasoning about colorism and hueism and racism and pan afrikanism......all these isms.
in my humble opinion, after living for many years in the caribbean myself and seeing first hand the color "caste" system still in full effect, hundreds of years after slavery, I agree with most of what ayinde and others are saying.
this sis also overstands what you are trying to say i think...that ones should be happy that there is a ras in office period the end irregardless of hue light or dark.
alas, that is not how it is in the islands, in uk, in amerikkka..........
i agree with you when you said you need more study in that area.....much much study, as this kind of colorism has been going on for centuries and the white man and so perpetrated it.
you cannot possibly know how ones of a darker skin feel because you are not yourself dark skinned.
i cannot know how ones feel as i am a causcasion sistren who has been trodding since the 70's........but my eyes are wide open and i SEE the truth and work to try and change ones perceptions and degrees of "privilege".
in my site idren........you are perpetuating your privilege on the thread. ones cannot go on a sight in anger and frustration and talk out the side of your mouth...seen....you cannot go on an site and say...YOU PEOPLE this and YOU PEOPLE that and call one and ones black nazis and so...that is very very disraspectful. it does make you sound like a spoiled white bwoy and also it appears that you are exercising white privilege even though you are of mixed heritage.
ya need to change ya attitude and so when ya go back to rastafar I speaks.....for now, ones are being gentle with you in a way.....but if you keep up all that susu in the form that you are speaking in, then it will turn from a solid informative EDUCATIONAL reasoning into a battle that has no end.
think about it.
you are bright skinned and going on a site formed by YOUR people and calling them out their name and so...........cho.......it is disraspectful to say the least idren.
you can say what you have to say without being abusive and privileged.
just think on it without anger and you will see.
and you did disraspect ras marcus who has warred for rastafar I. without him and others there would be no rastafar I in united snakes. raspect to others of our livity is in order, or did no one teach you that.
how long have you been trodding?
what have you done for your people and RASTAFAR I?
i am nyabinghi wo-man from long time, and a white one at that.......i am 50 years of age.......and i have raspect idren.
there may be no isms and schisms in Rastafar I...but there is a raspect and humbleness that can be attained and maintained even thru the fire of reasoning.....seen?

may HIM bless ya coming in and going out.
bless-ed forthcoming sabbath
Haile I
Selassie I
Sis Irijah "
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