The task of confronting colonialism

The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa launched into Project Anti-racism last fall. Before and since then, I reflected on colonialism and its continuing impacts in the Caribbean, where I grew up, as well as here in Canada. I thought sharing parts of my reflection might provide some concrete substance for conversations on this subject. 

From childhood, we were encouraged to display unquestioning admiration for colonialism. Anything else short of this, was met with disdain. For example, I was raised in The Bahamas where it was not strange to hear Black clergymen doing their best to affect a British accent. Not only was this done in religious circles but across many sectors of the Bahamian archipelago. To speak in such a manner was considered erudite and speaking the Queen’s language.

And yet, it is revealing to learn how those same clergymen would have been received in the Queen’s household.  Just in June 2021, The Guardian published a damning exposé of how “coloured immigrants or foreigners” were not allowed in clerical roles in the British monarchy until at least the late 1960s. What is inherent is that those in positions of power make the rules, and in this case, decide what is or is not appropriate for others. In setting up a hegemony, Professor Noel Titus asserts in Language and the Missionary Enterprise that others “will have to accept the laws which the conqueror imposes.” 

In the context of world history, emancipation is a recent occurrence. Only in 1838, after several years of “Apprenticeship,” was slavery really abolished in The Bahamas. What continued from that era was the dressing up of colonialism in romanticized language. It was easy to do so because many of the colonizers never experienced the raw effects of this dehumanizing system. British author Reni Eddo-Lodge has pointed out that although “enslaved African people moved through the British shores, regularly, the plantations they toiled over were not in Britain, but rather in the British colonies. The majority were in the Caribbean, so, unlike the situation in America, most British people saw the money without the blood.” Remove the romantic illusions and the ugly foundations of colonialism can been seen clearly: dominance, land possession, dehumanization, greed, ownership of bodies, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and colouration.

In the Caribbean, Canada, and elsewhere too, religion has been used to excuse or justify colonialism. In his book, The Role of Religion in Caribbean History, Patrick “Pops” Hylton draws a Biblical parallel. “Just as the slaughter and enslavement of the Canaanites by the Israelites, in the conquest of Canaan by force of arms, met with God’s approval because the Canaanites were ‘idolaters’ so was the dehumanization of humans during slavery and colonialism.” Understood rightly, God did not sanction genocide or slavery. We must recognize that sin played a major part in the conquest of others. That sin is, making God into our image and likeness, which defames God. With that cursory look at the background of colonialism, let me venture into more details of how I interface with it.

When talking about colonialism, I was often admonished not to offend the sensibilities of those who cherish such a system and to keep my feelings private. I am grateful for my parents, Sebastian and Almeda, who were never arbiters of this system. In the 1990s, my father received an official letter stating that he should travel from Cat Island to Nassau, New Providence to receive an award sent by the British monarch. Mischievously, he enquired if the government had sent the airfare. Under no circumstances, would he have accepted the award. He believed that it was time to break free from those systems that reinforced colonialism. He further opined that the system constantly reminded his generation to know their place. Unfortunately, nothing much has changed because I was also reminded to know my place and that applied to anyone else who looks like me. This type of attitude is microaggression and according to Robin Diangelo it is a form of bullying that tries to force other people to stay in line. I still sense, in some instances, that the once oppressed must still know their place.

From Rev. Julian’s family photo album: St. Andrew’s Church, his parents, a scarf for braving the Canadian winter.

What is maddening about colonialism is how people co-opt religion masterfully and aim for moral equivalency. One such example I’ve heard over the years is that you must forgive because you claim to be a Christian. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that one should forget the past. Christians must confront the layers of who we are, not only the parts that mesmerize us. In this truth, we must find the space to accept ourselves completely in order that relationships are established on a firm foundation of truth and not hidden agendas, and together we seek ways to improve the human conditions for all people.

Growing up, I heard many heated discussions of why some people are Anglican versus Roman Catholic. If you were Anglican and didn’t justify colonialism, you were admonished to become a Roman Catholic. I never understood this argument because the Roman Catholic Church also participated in colonialism., as was experienced here in Canada as well as the Caribbean. 

The discourse about this topic can go on ad infinitum and it was impracticable to include all of the pertinent examples from my own experience. Therefore, I will conclude with a few more remarks. 

Why all this chatter? Why the passion about such topics even today? Slavery and colonialism are constructs from the past, at least in overt forms. However, the effects of those constructs are still very much alive with us today. I still see images of Sambo dolls being circulated online. Consider, that in the 21st century some people still think it’s funny to make a mockery of others through this art form. This doll is a caricature of Black people as simple, less than human and is always shown with ghastly embellished features.

The Anglican Church is not free from racism but few churches or institutions are. In any family, there are sins that continue to wreak havoc. Like a family, we should face all of who we were, are, and will be, together, in mutually honest and respectful conversations. Racism is everywhere, and there is nowhere to escape from it. The late Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, Cape Town, South Africa, admonished that we should engage in ubunto (I am a person through other people), where we recognize the humanity in all of God’s children because we can’t exist in isolation.

Let us be mindful that we are all works in progress, and we battle the legacies and remainders of our past. However, we are not shackled by the occurrences of our past. Labelling and boxing individuals into preconceptions is a miscarriage of justice and fairness. To surmise where someone else belongs, plays into the mindset of our colonial past. It is indeed a journey to learn not to judge and denigrate others. Christians are called to recognize and overcome their prejudices. We ought to daily renew our efforts and resolve to combat our base natures as we chip away at all isms that deny any human being their true humanity.