There is an adage that reads ‘tragedy plus time equals comedy; hence the joke, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play? It is always hard to write about a recent death without sounding crass or tasteless, but the truth is essential and enlightening. The death of Queen Elizabeth II made me think not only of her life but the legacy of colonialism tied to her reign. She descended from a lineage of racism and subjugation of nations in the Caribbean and Africa. To her credit and over the objections of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, she quietly opposed the white minority rule in what was then called Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe. Her flaw was maintaining the traditions and remaining the head of state in some African and Caribbean countries. Jamaica has demanded and is still awaiting an apology, and Barbados, having declared sovereignty in 1966, is seeking severance from the British Commonwealth.
I placed a call to a friend who grew up in Jamaica post their independence in 1962. I asked what life was like under colonialism. Her recollections were spotty, so she contacted her Aunt, Yvonne Minott, who graciously granted me a brief interview. Unlike what one might have expected, her memories were not a complete denunciation of the monarchy. She spoke fondly of low crime, a livable economy, and her late father’s work as a stevedore helping export bananas and sugar. After independence, she told me trade suffered, crime rose, and the overall standard of living fell. I asked if that was to be expected as part of the natural transition into self-governing. She told me that some of the troubles were not unexpected but going from what she saw as a peaceful existence to a struggle was a difficult but necessary change.
Her peers were split, but freedom and autonomy were the unanimous goals. How to get there was “controversial,” said Minott. She lamented the withdrawal of economic resources from Jamaica by England. I asked if she thought this was a purposeful punishment from the Crown. She hesitated a moment, searching her mind for the correct explanation, and said she understood a country withdrawing support if (her) Jamaica wanted true independence.
I was interested in her personal feelings about the Queen. I asked what came to mind when she heard the news of her death. She spoke of her regret and sadness but related an anecdote that summed up her true thoughts of Queen Elizabeth II. She described the story of a Jamaican resident and teacher known as Kid Ralph. On the occasion of the Queen’s first trip to the “West Indies” in 1953, the Queen came across a man who, in the traditional myth of Sir Walter Raleigh, laid his garment in a puddle to allow Queen Elizabeth II to cross and was knighted. I have searched records to verify her story to no avail, but to an 8-year-old little black girl enthralled in the wonder and awe of a Queen, it was as real as real can get. I hung on every word as she enthusiastically remembered the incident, as for me, I believed every word. I am not the first to say the rule of the British monarchy is fraught with complexities, but death brings a moment of forgiveness along with its’ history. With that, let us hope that King Charles III takes heed of the lessons of the past and starts by issuing a long overdue apology
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