When one listens to many of the songs in the dancehall genre, one of the recurring themes is that of “bad-minded people”. Especially in the ghettos, where tenement yards abound so that people oftentimes have to come in contact with one another and are also in a position to observe the economic or professional progress of their neighbours, envy becomes a most frequent feature.

Indeed, to be a successful black man or woman in Jamaica can be very hazardous to one’s health in Jamaica, both physically and mentally. The situation becomes even more perilous and excruciating if one is black and successful.

Of course, there is also the politics of bad mind, which Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Michael Holness has taken to a national level by frequently lashing out at his detractors, particularly those in the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), and describing them as bad mind.

Some university scholars, primarily those in the faculties of sociology and anthropology, have repeatedly put a great deal of the blame on what has been referred to as the Willie Lynch syndrome. Does this mean that a regrettable aspect of our national psyche is that many of us are just plain bad mind and grudgeful?

William “Willie” Lynch was a white slave owner who in 1712 on the banks of the James River in Virginia, USA, made a now infamous speech in which he told other slave masters that the “secret” to controlling enslaved Africans was to set them against one another.

Here is an excerpt from his address:

“The black slave after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refuelling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Don’t forget you must pitch the old black male vs the young black male, and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skin slaves vs the light skin slaves and the light skin slaves vs the dark skin slaves. You must use the female vs the male, and the male vs the female. You must also have your white servants and overseers distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect, and trust only us.”

These practices seem to have worked and have put a ‘curse’ on descendants of African slaves including those in Jamaica.

It may be argued successfully by sociologists and others of such ilk that much of the crime and violence in this country among blacks can be attributed to people who despise anyone of that pigmentation who appears to be successful. To begin with, if you are black and deemed to be successful there is the immediate speculation that you are either into drug trafficking, some form of ‘bandoolooism’ or some other questionable activity that has led to your prosperous way of life. Very few will sing your praises. Most will “chat you behind your back” and say all kinds of terrible things about you, all because you look good and “you nah beg nobody nutten”.

Another aspect to this bad mind scenario is that it has caused many individuals to visit the Obeahman in an effort to “turn down somebody” who is doing better than they are.

The practice of Obeah is widespread, and many of those who indulge in this still illegal activity are oftentimes motivated by a need to protect themselves from bad mind people or get back at enemies — or so-called friends — who are deemed to be more successful than they.

Many years ago, after Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island, a certain hotel property in Montego Bay was extensively damaged. While carrying out clean-up work several bottles with various potions, as well as parchment paper with the names of co-workers, were discovered. Is it any wonder that there is the well-known Jamaican expression, “Bad mind worse than Obeah”?

The story has been told of an enterprising young man who turned up to work one day driving a new “crissas” that had everybody at the workplace wide-eyed and green with envy, including his manager. Eventually the young man lost his job without being given any meaningful explanation, but it was later revealed that the manager thought he had to be involved in some criminal activity in order to afford such a vehicle. Furthermore, it is said that the manager had remarked, “Di bwoy damn bright fi come a drive car dat look betta dan mine.”

However, when the the truth was revealed, it turned out that the young man had done some “buying and selling” and saved his money. Also, with the help of his mother, who resided in the United States, he was able to purchase his crissas.

There are numerous such stories out there where people have been penalised because of their success.

Coupled with the Willie Lynch syndrome, the PNP Administration of the 1970s led by Michael Manley must take some of the blame for how their democratic socialism was interpreted by the masses, especially the blacks. Many of them felt they had the right to relieve people of their belongings if they had too much.

Manley meant well, but the people misinterpreted, hence profit became a dirty word and people who were in business to make gains were vilified and ostracised. Perhaps that is why we have so far been unable to build a culture of successful entrepreneurship among black Jamaicans.

If Jamaica is to become economically independent and socially stable with fewer cases of murder and mayhem caused by bad mind, we must use whatever measures necessary to weaken this culture. In other words, we must “bun bad mind!”

It is no secret that, if you have on one street businesses operated by a variety of people from different racial backgrounds, the one(s) that are likely to get the least support or patronage are those operated by a black person. In this context Jamaicans continue to show bad mind towards locally made goods, while almost irrationally going for foreign stuff. The country’s multi-billion-dollar food import bill is a stark reminder that we need to eat more of what we grow.

Unfortunately, whenever black Jamaicans are successful, it can turn out to be a very punishable offence or result in them being ostracised because of bad mind.

In this vein, our educational institutions must seriously begin to teach character-building at all levels — from basic school to university — coupled with an unapologetic approach towards inculcating black pride in our citizenry, 80 per cent of whom are of African descent.

More must be done to extol the virtues of black entrepreneurship instead of unnecessarily focusing on the so-called vices of becoming successful.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica, where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.