IN Guyana, we do not have one homogenous group of people to define what it is to be Guyanese; instead, we have several groups of people who are all able to call themselves Guyanese. We are descendants of Africans, Asians, Amerindians, Chinese and Europeans. Many of us are some combination of the above, or indeed belong to one homogenous group within the above. Nonetheless, we are all Guyanese.

Guyana has always struggled with social cohesion, especially within the context of race and ethnicity. Like many other countries, post-colonial countries in particular, racism, prejudice and discrimination are all deeply entrenched within the psyche of the masses. They have been indoctrinated to believe that, firstly, “race” is a real thing, and secondly, some “races” are superior or inferior to others. In fact, I would argue that the notion of “race” is a byproduct of the 19th Century development of the racial sciences, namely eugenics and ethnology. Eugenics is the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable. Ethnology is the study of the characteristics of different peoples and the differences and relationships between them. These racial sciences are responsible for many of the longstanding misunderstandings and misinformation surrounding racism and racial superiority and inferiority.
According to the American Anthropological Association, “Evidence from the analysis of genetics indicates that most physical variation, about 94%, lies within so-called racial groups. Conventional geographic “racial” groupings differ from one another only in about 6% of their genes.” While there is a biological basis for differences in human phenotypes, most notably in skin colour, the genetic variability of humans is found not amongst, but rather within racial groups; meaning the perceived level of dissimilarity amongst the species has virtually no biological basis.
Throughout history, however, nefarious colonialists and governments have used the notion of “race” to divide and conquer the populous, usually in order to gain control of land or resources. I will give you the example of the Rwandan genocide and the slaughter of up to one million Tutsis, Twa and moderate Hutus. Prior to colonisation of Rwanda by the Germans, numerous ethnic groups, as mentioned above, lived in the country. The Germans favoured the Tutsis, believing them to be Ethiopians who had migrated and as such created a class or caste system, ensuring that Tutsis were given preferential treatment in terms of land, titles and opportunities. The Hutus became the underclass, and were of course disenfranchised. When the Belgian government took over control of Rwanda in 1926 during World War I, they continued to proliferate the divide, giving the Tutsis preferential treatment, and in 1935 introduced identity cards labelling citizens, Hutu, Tutsi, Twa or Naturalised. Whilst it had been possible for particularly wealthy Hutus to become honorary Tutsis, the introduction of the ID cards put an end to mobility within the groups. The Rwandan genocide is a lamentable incident, and represented a dark day for humanity, but it shows the arbitrary and fickle nature of “race”, and how it can be used to create hatred, fear, division and instability.

RACISM IN GUYANA

Racism in Guyana is nothing new, and I am always perturbed when I consider how Guyanese often relate to each other. Most would be well aware that a man walking down the street is exactly that; a man walking down the street. But in Guyana, that man becomes a “blackman”, or a “coolie man” if someone wants his attention. The worst is when I walk into a Chinese store, restaurant or business to hear calls of, “Chiney!” It’s actually quite sickening, and I can’t recall seeing anything or hearing anything like this anywhere else in the world, except for in Guyana. Why must we refer to each other by race? By doing so, we are constantly reminding ourselves and re-indoctrinating ourselves with the incorrect notion that we are markedly different from one another, and as such, less than or better than the other. These things have to change if we are to live in a socially cohesive society, where there is mutual respect for all.
Finally, having endured the past elections week in Guyana, I am convinced, now more than ever, that there is more work to be done. It would seem as though the undercurrent of racial tension is no longer an undercurrent. Individuals are bursting at their seams to spew racially-charged and offensive insults towards each other. I have seen racism and prejudice from all sides of the aisle on social media, and it has been hurtful, disappointing and worrying. I am not, however, shocked, because as I have always said, politics has the ability to deeply divide people, and that democracy cannot be the best form of governance if individuals are expected to narrowly confine their ethics, morals, hopes and dreams to one specific party or political ideology. It is quite simply not possible, and often leads to radicalization, as we often see.
So, where do we go from here? We have to start by changing the way we recognise and relate to one another. There are so many barriers that society has set up in order to divide us as a people. We have the idea of “race” to contend with; then there is religion. Then we have social class, and so on. We have to start understanding that these barriers are artificial and arbitrary, and that there really are no defining characteristics between us, as it pertains to our humanity. We all want the same things as human beings at the end of the day. We all need food, water, sunlight, love, safety and security.
After everything that Guyana has fought to achieve, it would be a bitter shame if we were unable to enjoy the spoils of our labour together, unified against any regime that seeks to create hatred, animosity and discord amongst us. Do not be fooled, Guyanese! We are one people, one nation, and we share one common destiny. Let us remember this as we continue to build this nation for our children and grandchildren for generations to come. Social cohesion is everyone’s responsibility.