Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

The revolution is here and it wont be televised. These words are familiar to us all, but in some ways it is an abstract thought. Why, you might ask? Well, for one thing, with the recent events of September 11th, war as we know it has been revolutionized, from newspaper articles to radio announcements, and now it is televised. The war on terror, ladies and gentlemen, (some might say revolution) is up front and in our faces, televised!

But there has been a more quiet revolution brewing right under our noses, one that is not televised. It is a revolution to undo four-hundred years of slavery and colonial rule. This might not be your typical coup detat, South Africa, or a raging war in the streets of Somalia. No, this is the Jamaican soft revolution, a revolution of words.

As Ras Desmond Williams notes in the preface of Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Language, word + sound = power (W+S=P). And, if Ras Dennis Jabari Reynolds has his way, all Jamaicans will posses the power over the bastard words used to describe how his people talk. He notes, As an independent [Jamaica] it should be made clear that we have a language of the people, for the people. We do not speak Broken English, Patois, or Creole

That is a significant statement when one considers the context and premise of Jabaris aim. If word plus sound equals power, and Broken English, Patois, and Creole represent the word within the equation, of course, uttering these words represents the sound, which together as word and sound represents the manifestation of power within those words. To comprehend further, one must understand the root meaning of the word broken. According to the New Websters Concise Dictionary of the English Language, broken means, shattered; fractured. Now working; out of order. Violated; disregarded: broken oaths. Not continuous; interrupted. Incomplete: a broken set. Disordered; disrupted. Rough or irregular. Crushed, as in spirit. Weakened; infirm. Tamed; trained. Imperfectly spoken: broken English. Then it is safe to infer that, those who gave the name Broken English, Patois, and Creole to the way individuals speak hold the power over those individuals self-determination.

Coming out of the era of slavery and Colonial rule, this is a fair question to ask, are Jamaicans shattered, incomplete, tamed, trained, crushed, as in spirit or a broken set? It is highly doubtful that Jamaicans would see themselves in such a light. To prove this point further, Jamaican publisher, Wellesley Gayle, published Interesting Facts on Jamaica where he noted that...
1. Jamaica is the first Caribbean country to gain independence.
2. Jamaica stands strong in 3rd place on the list of countries to win the Miss World titles the most!
3. Jamaica was the first country to impose economic sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa.
With accomplishments like these, it would be incomprehensible to see Jamaicans as infirm.

With such a degrading word as broken, it is no wonder that Ras Jabari wishes to change the view of his people and give them power over those words by proposing the usage of the word Jamic as apposed to Broken English, Patois, or Creole when referring to the way Jamaicans speak.

The Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Language is the first of its kind. It features a pronunciation guide, over three-thousand entries, idioms, variants, word usage, cross references, Iyaric (Rastafarian Argot), and a host of other features. With creations of this nature, Jamaicans are well on their way to freedom from mental slavery.

It was Robert (Bob) Marley who popularized the words Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds. To free oneself from mental slavery, first one must have self-determination by not allowing others to dictate how one speaks or behaves.

What Jabari seems to be implying in the Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Language is word + sound = power, which demonstrates that words tend to be powerful enough when spoken to have a mental hold on an individual and if one has been called a fool long enough, then that person will eventually begin to act like one. To state the point more clearly, Cogito, Ergo Sum (I think, therefore I am). If one thinks his or her language is broken then those individuals who continue to accept such a terminology will become broken or behave like a broken set.

In conclusion, Jamaicans have too much to be proud of to be allowing others to refer to their language as broken. There is nothing broken about Jamaicans. So, the Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Language will be yet another praise for the country as the first Caribbean to effectively name their language, thus securing their self determination. This is a ground breaking moment for all Jamaicans and this dictionary should be in every household. Jamaicans be proud!

Works Cited
Williams, Ras Desmond. Preface. Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Language. Ed. Ras Dennis Jabari Reynolds. Waterbury: Around the Way Books 2006.

Reynolds, Ras Dennis Jabari. Who seh wi chat patwa (patois)? Around the Way Books. www.aroundthewaybooks.com/editorial.htm

Gayle, Wellesley. Interesting Facts on Jamaica. My-Island-Jamaica.com. www.my-island-jamaica.com/interesting_facts_on_jamaica.html

Marley, Bob. Redemption Song. Def Jam, 21 May 2002.

Bill Neil is a writer and lover of reading. He writes book reviews in his spare time. You may read more information about "Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionary of the Jamic Langauge" at http://www.aroundthewaybooks.com

Mental Picture
Financial planning is a process that needs to be approached with the right mental focus. Visualizing your goals (example) by putting a picture of a Mercedes on the refrigerator, on the mirror in the bathroom, by the TV set, or in a picture frame at w...

Two Money Mistakes - Are You Making Them?
We all make money mistakes from time to time. Much of the time, we are vaguely aware that we are making a mistake, or it is even obviously an error the moment we make it. But the science of behavioral economics is showing just how subtle these things...

Visual Learning: Multi-Media in the Classroom
Visuals are a great tool to help with student comprehension as well as make for a more exciting class. Unfortunately, not all classrooms are equipped for this type of learning but most schools will have a multi-media room that can be utilized on an ...

The Effective Executive
What does it mean to be an "effective executive"? Well very simply it means achieving the goals you set out to achieve in an efficient, creative and effortless manner. Some of the benefits that ensue from this self efficacy are: feelings of self conf...

How To Curb Lifestyle Inflation
Lifestyle inflation is that nasty habit you have of raising your expenses every time you get a raise or a large bonus rather than pocketing the extra cash. "What could it hurt to buy that new car? It's only an extra $200 per month but I just got a ...

The Power of the Book - Helping You To Learn English
Reading is an activity that keeps the brain very active. When we read we create a mental scene, comprehend what the writer is saying, and form an opinion about what is being said. There are many different mental processes taking place at once. This...

Adverbial And Adjectivial Phrase Extenders Nikui,Yasui And Tsurai
In Todays lesson we will be focusing in on the special uses of a very handy word. This word is the Japanese word for hardships, or difficulty or things assocaiated with trials &tc. Tsurai is an adjective that means trial and it almost sounds like tr...

Relatively Sane or Absolutely Bonkers? A Matter of Some Antics
A very intelligent friend of mine who has a mental illness remarked to me that sane was the absence of symptoms of insanity. I protested that you cant define a term that way. I looked it up, and, of course, she was right, or at least that was one of ...

The Personal Finance Revolution
What do you feel when you hear the word credit card debt? Do you feel uncomfortable? Well I did when I first started looking at my own personal finance. How was I suppose to go out and make a living when my living was overcome by debt?Then I sough...

Female Hair Loss
Some of the legends I have heard over the years about female hair loss are : Wigs and hats may cause female hair loss, Female hair loss indicates an energetic brain, A frequently washing of the hair or over brushing or combing it may cause hair loss...