First published in The Tribune on Monday, March 31, 2008 under the byline, Young Man’s View.
THE Bahamas is home to a sizeable underclass of citizens who are relegated to a hard and wretched existence in filthy, poorly sanitized ghettos. In the local ghetto slums, it appears that some residents—particularly young males—have become imprisoned by birth (ghetto), as many appear to lack the wherewithal to elevate themselves and seem to be stuck in blighted areas.
Ghettos first gained prominence in Europe when Jews were isolated from society, persecuted and annihilated. In many instances, Jewish ghettos served as transition points from where Jews were assembled until they were deported to concentration or death camps.
In present-day America, inner-city ghettos are particularly populated by racial minorities, immigrants and the poor.
In this country, the strong societies that were founded by African slaves and were anthropological/archeological gems have deteriorated to squalid pigsties. In New Providence, Bahamians and immigrants reside in Over-the-Hill shanties, while the upper and middle class live in the suburbs of the West, South or in the Eastern districts. Lower class, impoverished Bahamians and immigrants are isolated to areas where there’s widespread poverty and little chance of gainful employment. In neighborhoods such as Bain Town, Ida Street, Grants Town and Englerston, there are observable signs of urban decay as the residents live in bleak environs where crime is rife, there’s significant unemployment, there’s a high rate of illiteracy and scores of high school dropouts, splintered families and a sense of political disenfranchisement. These shanty areas all seem to be in a shabby state.
Yesterday, I met social activist Rodney Moncur at a church in Englerston (Wilson Tract, etc) where I was given a tour of that community and introduced to the kin and neighbors of Patrick ‘Peanuts’ Strachan, whose controversial shooting by police officers a few weeks ago has left his community accusing certain police officers of a brutal slaying.
As I travelled around this barrio, I was surrounded by the shells of ruined vehicles and dilapidated homes. Where is the Department of Environmental Health Services and how can four and five derelict vehicles in one yard go unnoticed? Early in our walkabout, I observed an unkempt apartment with broken windows, which seemed to have not been painted in years. According to Brian Smith, secretary general of the Workers Party and one of my handlers, the tenants pay an average of $300 p/m to rent these fetid dwellings.
In the area of our walkabout, it seemed obvious that there was no recreational facility in the immediate area, apart from for the remnants of a fallen rusted basketball rim. Nearby, a broken BEC thread wheel sat in a yard and was said to be the site where youngsters in the neighbourhood congregated.
In some instances, life in the ghettos of Nassau amounts to a peasant-like existence. In these run-down sections of society, many desolate residents dejectedly live in sagging, grubby clapboard shacks with “pee buckets” in one corner which is comparable to a broken-down garden house in the suburbs.
Frankly, as I moved through that inner-city yesterday and in others on previous occasions, I observed areas that are obscured by overgrown weeds, prickle patches and bushes and littered with garbage, wooden shipping crates and old, rusted appliances that are strewn about adjoining yards. The walls of these neighborhoods are local outdoor graffiti museums, featuring curse words, odes to fallen friends and displays of weapons, women and cars.
According to Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur, there’s a lack of social justice in the urban communities. Mr Moncur said that although these areas are the “cradle of PLP civilization, PLP strongholds, the police can carry out killings but the PLP doesn’t seem interested in seeing that grassroot Bahamians get justice.”
“Both the PLP and FNM only seem interested in votes. Fundamentally, social justice is a major problem. Why haven’t both political parties sent persons into Wilson Tract to check on the status of allegations against the police? Why hasn’t any party ensured that the police is doing a proper investigation? These is no crime fighting strategy in these areas, as even the street lights are inadequate, gray and dull, and serve as no deterrent,” he said.
Rodney Moncur and the residents of Wilson Tract are feverishly questioning the circumstances surrounding Patrick Strachan’s death as he was allegedly unarmed when he was shot by pursuing police officers. Re-tracing Strachan’s path to his demise was an eerie experience that must have been terrifying for him who, after being shot three times, was scrambling for his life.
“The police are setting a precedent for civil war due to injustice. I don’t like this trend, that’s why we had to quickly move into Wilson Tract to make sure that civil unrest didn’t occur. Watch what happens when the police use unlawful force—just look at the riots and burnings of late!” Mr Moncur noted.
Mr Moncur expressed disappointment in Police Commissioner Reginald Ferguson, who he says should have dispatched officers from the Police Complaints and Corruption unit to investigate witness claims that Strachan had no weapon and that they were threatened by officers in the wake of the shooting.
“Certain residents attempted to meet with the Minister of National Security. He allegedly declined to meet them, telling them to go to the police. He should have met with these persons and given them a listening ear. For a man who wishes to be PM, he obviously didn’t learn must from his father,” Mr Moncur opined.
Residents of Wilson Tract claim that they have recovered the three 9mm bullet shells that hit and exited Patrick Strachan’s body. Although it is alleged that officers returned in search of the shells, nothing will be turned over until justice is seen to be done.
Life in the ghetto has to be most depressing. It is in these surroundings where frustrated youngsters turn to drug smuggling, stealing and killing ‘to survive.’ I’m told that residents that are employed usually work menial jobs where they earn wages of $50 to $175 per week. Furthermore, there appears to be no public policy, as the health department seems to have ignored poverty-stricken skid rows and citizens dump indiscriminately.
It appears that inner-city dwellers are abused by authority figures and have no voice.
The local urban areas are plagued by shoddy plumbing, frequented by vagabonds who loiter on certain streets and beg for handouts and is subjected to overcrowding as I’m told that a one bedroom apartment may be home to ten people.
Former PM Sir Lynden Pindling promised a square deal for all in 1967, but although these areas have been unwavering in support for the PLP, there seems to have been little renewal or gentrification in 40 years. Today, the ghetto is an underclass area that is torn by a sub-culture of drugs, guns and contract killings, quite unlike the decent, working class in days gone by!
In reminding MP for Englerston Glenys Hanna-Martin of her duties, Mr Moncur said:
“I want this MP to focus more on this area in terms of ensuring that people get social justice.
“Other than that, the Workers Party has no problem marching to the Governor General (her father) to complain about her.”
Although many in the political class have roots in Nassau’s urban areas, they have adopted a dismissive, elitist and contemptuous attitude towards who they now see as their social inferiors. This is a sad and troubling reality.
