As news of last week’s police-related deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile continues to circulate internationally, the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration issued a travel advisory for Bahamians traveling to the United States, particularly young men.
The travel advisory states, in part:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has taken a note of the recent tensions in some American cities over shootings of young Black males by police officers
“We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the U.S. but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally. In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate.”
The advisory was issued July 8, coinciding with the country’s Independence Day, July 11, a holiday when many Bahamians travel to the U.S.
According to The Nassau Guardian, the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said issuing an advisory was not a political move.
“Just as the United States has the responsibility to inform its citizens when traveling abroad, the Bahamian government has the same right and responsibility to inform its citizens traveling to the United States,” a representative said.
Kendra C. N. Seymour is an assistant professor of linguistics and English at The College of The Bahamas in Nassau. She earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics at New York University in 2009. Seymour is featured in a PBS documentary to be released in 2017 titled “Talking Black In America” that explores the evolution of African American speech and it influences.
The lifelong resident of the Bahamas discussed with Fair360, formerly DiversityInc the majority-Black Caribbean nation’s travel advisory, the perspective of Black Bahamians in regard to police interactions and her experience as a Black woman studying in the U.S.
Q. What do you think is the reasoning behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration issuing the travel advisory
A.Many Bahamians travel to the U.S. for summer vacations, so the warning specified that they should stay away from protests. Black Bahamian men don’t get the same “comply” talk from their parents that African American men seem to get, so they see nothing wrong with challenging police officers if they believe they have done nothing wrong.
Q. Why don’t Black Bahamian men get the same “comply” talk
A. Generally, Black Bahamians believe that they belong and are first-class citizens in their country, so they don’t tend to back down when confronted by others, regardless of those people’s race or nationality or status in society. In my 20-plus years as an educator, I have found that many of my non-Bahamian colleagues (especially whites) are surprised by this.
Of course, as in any society, there are Bahamians who are not very assertive; however, culturally, Bahamians are often referred to as being “assertive” and not afraid to speak their minds.
Q. You said most Black Bahamian men”see nothing wrong with challenging police officers if they believe they have done nothing wrong.” Why do you think they feel that way
A.Possibly because the vast majority of police officers are also Black. In addition, the Bahamas is a very small society; so many people are acquainted with and/or related to police officers.
I should point out that police brutality does happen in the Bahamas, it’s just not based on race; it’s more about power.
Q.What do Black Bahamians think about the experience of Blacks in the U.S.
A. I think most Black Bahamians believe that Blacks in the U.S. are discriminated against (particularly by whites) in various ways, but they also believe that there have been positive changes. They believe that much of the discrimination is institutional racism, even subtle at times. I should add that many Bahamians study and/or have family members who live in the U.S., so they don’t have to rely on television to get information about race relations in America.
Q. You lived in the U.S. while pursuing your Ph.D. Was it a culture shock for you as a Black woman
A. No, because I completed my B.A. in Canada and my M.S. in Washington, D.C., so I knew what to expect. Even though there was some culture shock when I first went to Canada, there wasn’t much of a shock when I first studied in the U.S. because I had traveled there so often.
Q.What is the general chatter amongst Black Bahamians regarding the 2016 U.S. presidential race
A. Unlike in 2008 and 2012, many Bahamians aren’t very interested in the presidential election in the U.S. Many Black Bahamians loved the idea of Barack Obama, an African American, being president; however, while Black Bahamians typically favor the Democratic candidate thus would prefer a Hillary Clinton victory, the possibility of a female American president isn’t considered a big deal. In addition, I suspect that the vast majority of Black Bahamians view Trump as a joke.
