MLKJ Essay Competition - Sharie Brown

By Sharie Brown Campion College

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How can Jamaicans break down barriers and work more closely together? Give examples of how misunderstandings and prejudice can lead to conflict.

PERHAPS one of the most distinguishing features of the Jamaican people is the diversity of races, ethnicities and sub-cultures, which fuse to create our unique national flavour. It is, therefore, ironic that this said issue is also one of our greatest weaknesses. Many of the barriers that exist in our society are founded on prejudice and misunderstandings.

Racial, social, gender and sexual orientation prejudices are prevalent in our society. When a person discriminates another based on a preconceived opinion of the group he or she identifies with, this creates a potential situation for conflict. Often, unchecked prejudices are expressed through abusive or derogatory language and even by way of physical attacks. It may also lead to violence if the person being discriminated against looses self-control and retaliates out of embarrassment, anger or in self-defense.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr appositely accounts for these barriers which separate people when he said, "men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated".

Haunting historical examples of how misunderstandings and prejudice may lead to conflict may be found in the archives of Apartheid South Africa, the Holocaust and The American Civil Rights Movement. The Holocaust, for instance was the annihilation of six million Jews during World War II. This anti-Semitic behaviour was government sanctioned based on the belief that Jews were inferior and a threat to Germans. This notion evolved from the physical and personality differences between Jews and Germans. The Jewish people were ostracised and reduced to wearing a yellow Star of David as symbol of their religion. The Germans who were blinded by prejudice misunderstood the Jews and put many of them to death under the most inhumane conditions in concentration camps.

Locally, the recently quelled controversy surrounding the infamous 'Gully' and 'Gaza' musical camps is another example of prejudice which led to conflict.

Prejudice was demonstrated in this situation because supporters became intolerant of the musical preferences of those who supported the rival camp. What began as a lyrical battle between the artistes, resulted in brutal physical encounters on the streets and in schools.

Jamaicans may dismantle one of the barriers that separate us by making the commitment to reduce prejudice and possible outbreaks of violence. Practical solutions to attaining this goal will only result from positive interactions, for example developing personal relationships and engaging in open and honest conversations. People are more likely to overcome their prejudices if they understand each other. They are therefore less likely to be hostile and more prone to kindness. However, a reduction is only feasible if individuals are proactive and take the initiative to achieve same.

Did you watch American football's Super Bowl on Sunday?
	Yes, but just for the advertisements
	Yes, just for the game itself
	Yes, for both the game and advertisements
	No, I did not watch the Super Bowl.

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MLKJ Essay Competition - Sharie Brown