By Laurence Telson* Spare the rod and spoil the child! Who in the Caribbean has not heard this cryptic biblical proverb that in itself brought swift punishment to one’s bottom for a crime once forgotten? The Caribbean is home to some of the wealthiest per capita countries in the LAC region. In terms of human development, two Caribbean countries - The … [Read more...] about Spare the rod and spoil the child? Discipline and violence in the Caribbean
Afrodescendants
The right to wear MY HAIR
By Laurence Telson* My hair is mine and not mine. It is quite boring, some part wavy some part coarse, it grows fast and wild. Yet it tells the story of who I am (Caribbean of African descent), my social background (middle class), and my racial DNA (a medley of all that trampled the Continent). For me, it is not just hair. My “Black-Hair” stands for the … [Read more...] about The right to wear MY HAIR
Economic crisis: opportunities to lead with entrepreneurship
By Eugene Cornelius* The U.S. Small Business Administration provides entrepreneurial counseling, contracting opportunities and capital to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) at every stage of business development. Following the financial crisis of 2007-08 and the subsequent Great Recession, budgets were constrained, unemployment was high, and jobs were … [Read more...] about Economic crisis: opportunities to lead with entrepreneurship
Supermarket racism: A bedtime story
Once upon a time there was a woman named Maria who lived in a large Latin American city and decided one Sunday to have a barbecue with her friends. So, she went to the supermarket and bought: a White Girl brand mop and sponge; Brown Latina Maid bleach for the table cloths; Little White Boy brand flour; and European Slave brand lighter fluid (she really loved the picture of the … [Read more...] about Supermarket racism: A bedtime story
Should criminal justice systems use race or ethnicity-based data? (Part 2)
In my previous post I wonder if criminal justice systems should collect, analyze and disseminate race or ethnicity-based data. The pros: without data it is impossible to identify systematic racial biases and address them. The cons: there might be potential misuses of race and ethnicity data that can reinforce stereotypes and justify discrimination against particular groups and, … [Read more...] about Should criminal justice systems use race or ethnicity-based data? (Part 2)