Different conversations in your home, Mouttet

It is quite obvious that the conversations that took place in the home of Mouttet in those days were quite different from those in mine’s.

It reminds me so much of the conversations that my cousin, who now resides in the US, has with her teenaged Afro-American son.

Whenever he goes out with the car, she begs, “Please son, drive with your wallet on the dashboard and not in your glove compartment.

In case you are stopped by the police you would not want to be reaching into your glove compartment for anything. I really do not want to hear that you were gunned down by police.” Not only were the conversations in the homes of Afro- and Indo-Trinidadians-Tobagonians in the late 60s and early 70s different from those who controlled business in Trinidad, but it also differed with the oppression suffered by the working class at the hands of big business and bankers. And though they worshipped in the same church and broke bread and drank from the same wine of atonement, it still brought a different conversation.

Though they possessed the same qualifications they were denied jobs because the business class felt that “black people” could not be trusted to keep those business people’s financial affairs confidential.

In fact, even though there are now black tellers downstairs, certain people are still not seen on the ground floor doing business.

I am sorry that it is well-nigh impossible for Mouttet to spend just one day in our world, just to experience what good Daaga’s actions have brought to a people once enslaved and still struggling to shake off the shackles of colonialism.

Though we sing the same anthem, it should be noted that our sentiments would obviously be quite different.

Laurence Percival via email