On Being Bahamian — Nicolette Bethel

Just recently, during the lead-up to the FNM convention, the question was raised about whether race was still an issue for the Bahamian electorate. Of course it is. Race is the only marker of identity that is consistently invoked by Bahamians when we imagine ourselves.Note: I say consistently. When describing oneself as a Bahamian, one either flashes one's skin colour as a badge of identity, or else one defends oneself for not having that badge; for in the popular imagination, to be Bahamian is to be black. People who are not obviously black tend to spend a lot of time explaining why they are Bahamian even though their skin isn't. One's race is usually the very first thing that is considered when assessing whether one is a "true true" Bahamian or not.

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