Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • Videos
  • Career & Education
  • Classifieds
  • All Woman
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Design Week
These ‘shine-a-light’ moments of racism
LONDON, England &mdash; People chant as they march with placards in Brixton, south London, yesterday to protest against police brutality in the US after two recent incidents where black men have been shot and killed by police officers.<strong> (Photo: AFP)</strong>
Letters
June 3, 2020

These ‘shine-a-light’ moments of racism

Dear Editor,

As British media outlets scramble to find black/brown voices to comment on the horrors unfolding in America, the “thank-goodness-we’re-not-that-bad” tone seems false to me.

In the UK, we don’t allow citizens to keep weapons that could wipe out a small village, but on any measure you care to, well, measure from poverty to violent deaths, to educational and job promotion opportunities, we aren’t better; we’re just more British.

A lot of the transatlantic tut-tutting has focused, rightly, on the appalling but all too familiar murder of an unresisting black man by the police as well as US President Donald Trump’s abysmal response. But the less well-publicised case of Amy Cooper — the white, middle-class, ‘liberal’ woman who weaponised racism in a way she clearly understood could have led to death by police for the black man who had asked her to leash her dog — also counts. Quite simply, she resented being asked to comply with public regulations, and she certainly didn’t want that request from a black person. Her appalling response was to invoke 400 years of racism and brutality to get her entitled white way.

I am a black British grandmother. Thank goodness I’ve never personally witnessed a black person being murdered by a white policeman, but I have grown up with Amys — the middle-class white people who know how to act. But the second they think a black person doesn’t ‘know their place’ or may have a chance at something they feel entitled to, God help you.

Amanda Baker

Edinburgh, UK

c/o poetrypants@yahoo.com

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Funeral for Ras Ajai set for September 26
Latest News, Sports
Funeral for Ras Ajai set for September 26
September 6, 2026
The funeral service for singjay/actor Ras Ajai is scheduled for September 26 at Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew, his management has announced. R...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Spanish Town Hospital rejects negligence claim over crash victim’s 10-month surgery wait
Latest News, News
Spanish Town Hospital rejects negligence claim over crash victim’s 10-month surgery wait
September 6, 2026
The Spanish Town Hospital has rejected claims that it has been negligent in the care of a motor vehicle crash victim who has spent over 10 months awai...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Bittersweet farewell for outgoing Manchester commander
Latest News, News
Bittersweet farewell for outgoing Manchester commander
September 6, 2026
MANCHESTER, Jamaica—Even as senior officers in Manchester on Saturday gathered to pay tribute to the leadership of outgoing commander Superintendent C...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
UPDATE: Five dead in cargo plane crash at Miami airport
Latest News, News
UPDATE: Five dead in cargo plane crash at Miami airport
September 6, 2026
MIAMI, United States (AFP)—At least five people were killed and five more injured when an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami Internationa...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Ocho Rios stakeholders unite for major cleanup and beautification exercise
Latest News, News
Ocho Rios stakeholders unite for major cleanup and beautification exercise
September 6, 2026
ST ANN, Jamaica—Government agencies, private-sector organisations, community groups and residents came together Sunday for a major cleanup and beautif...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Grange to file slavery reparations petition during UK visit
Latest News, News
Grange to file slavery reparations petition during UK visit
September 6, 2026
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)—A Jamaican government delegation visiting Britain is set to file a petition addressed to King Charles III on Monday, rais...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
St Mary man charged with murder of 64-y-o labourer
Latest News, News
St Mary man charged with murder of 64-y-o labourer
September 6, 2026
ST MARY, Jamaica—A St Mary man has been slapped with several charges in connection with the murder of 64-year-old Clifton Campbell, a labourer of Donn...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
WATCH: Man injured in shootout with police in Mandeville, firearms seized
Latest News, News, Videos
WATCH: Man injured in shootout with police in Mandeville, firearms seized
September 6, 2026
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Police have confirmed that a large cache of firearms was seized following a reported shootout with an armed suspect near the New...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct