A new kind of fight is born in the Dominican Republic

The article bellow is in Spanish and written by a young activist, Heury Perez. In summation, the article brings to light to the new era of peaceful activism that has developed in the past few years in the Dominican Republic.

Una nueva forma de protesta nace en República Dominicana.

Recuerdo aquellas manifestaciones de descontento del pueblo dominicano tirado a las calles quemando gomas, ensuciando sus calles y enfrentándose con palos y piedras a las fuerzas policiales que ultimaban de algún balazo uno que otro huelguista, este tipo de manifestaciones estériles que no resolvían ni ayudaban a la solución del conflicto por el que se luchaba. Esta  ha sido desplazada por una nueva forma de protesta y manifestaciones con mejore resultados dando fruto a victorias del pueblo frente a los abusos de las autoridades actuales que pretenden hacer lo que quieran con nuestro país.

Ejemplo de estas nuevas formas de lucha libres de violencia y orientada a la razón    elevando la masa activista dominicana a nuevos niveles de madures dentro de la lucha, como son las Manifestaciones en contra de la cementera en los haitises, el juicio moral por el desayuno escolar contra Alejandrina German y  el 4% por la educación, por mencionar algunas de las victorias que por medio de esta nueva era de manifestaciones el pueblo dominicano ha logrado.

Cabe señalar que a diferencia de la quema de gomas y el paro laboral que afecta más al pueblo que protesta, esta lucha se orienta más a la unificación de la gente y  no solo de sectores pequeño que eran amedrentados con violencia por las autoridades haciendo caso omiso a  sus reclamos.

Es simple y evidente “la unión hace la fuerza”, este tipo de protesta nos invita a los dominicanos acostumbrados a resolver los problemas colectivos de forma individual, (si no funciona la luz compro un inversor, si no llega el agua cabo un pozo de agua, etc.) a que nos unamos para solucionar en el colectivo y unidos los problemas que nos afectan a todos.

“Pensemos diferente y hagamos la diferencia por un mejor país”

No bajemos la guardia que aún queda mucho por que luchar.

Heury Perez

Selfhate

Republica Dominicana: one of the most racist countries I've experienced, with the worst kind of racism, the one where you hate and FEAR yourSELF! Today someone told me: "why did you leave your hair like that, it looks like an afro, from Africa, makes you look less pretty" she continued, "but you must have put something to make it like that, your natural hair is not like that." The person who said this to me watched me grow from the day I was born until now. She made herself believe this entire time that my “natural” hair was what it looked like when processed with a relaxer and completely refused to believe that the state in which my hair is right now, is natural. She said that she is SURE that I put some kind of chemical in it to make it look like this and that I should come back to visit her when the hair grows back.

I want to make sure that she doesn’t become the center of this discussion because she only represents the views and feelings of most of the Dominican people. She as many others, see themselves in me and reject me while rejecting themselves. When I later said, “oh yeah, and by the way my hair looks African because I am black and have African ancestry.” She said, “you really must be going crazy, you are not black, you are “triguena,” don’t call yourself that.” Triguena best translates as a brunette or Indian complexion. Of course I debated it and stated my case, but all in vain. Her response: “I am not saying black is bad, but you are not that, so just don’t call yourself that.”

I’ve studied racism, I’ve experienced it in many corners of the world, at school, with my family, but I have failed to understand its complexity HERE! I know the history of Trujillo and what he did, I understand the anti-Haiti-ism and where it came from, I get all that, but it just doesn’t explain the entire picture of this hate and most important FEAR of everything African and everything Black. It is so ingrained and oh so deeply rooted that even those progressive folks say things like, “he is so black, BUT he is a smart man.” I catch these things, I point them out and they themselves can’t understand why they said it and then end up apologizing to me. I don’t need an apology because this is not about me. It’s about an entire country whose children grow up hating themselves because of their dark complexions, kinky hair, or noses. I am not making this up, a five-year-old boy told me the other day, “I wish I was white and had nicer hair.” I of course asked him why, his answer: “I don’t want to be like a Haitian, their dumb.” He is five! Lets just say that for now this is all beyond me. Meanwhile, I won’t stop looking for answers and making people aware whenever possible of the hate they are inflicting. 

Death

"I heard a nice little story the other day," Morrie says.  He closes his eyes for a moment and I wait.


"Okay.  The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time.  He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air -- until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore


" 'My God, this is terrible,' the wave says.  'Look what's going to happen to me!'


"Then along comes another wave.  It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, 'Why do you look so sad?'


"The first wave says, 'You don't understand!  We're all going to crash!  All of us waves are going to be nothing!  Isn't it terrible?'


"The second wave says, 'No, you don't understand.  You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.' "


From Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom