Stop the racist remarks against Mark Golding
Published:Saturday | June 28, 2025 | 12:08 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
The Gleaner columnist Norris McDonald wrote an interesting column headlined ‘Garvey’s ghost and Jamaica’s roast breadfruit politics!’. In the column, he wrote “The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was once led by towering figures like Sir Alexander Bustamante, Donald Sangster, and Edward Seaga who were not black. So it’s bizarre – if not downright hypocritical – that this party now injects racial animus into the national discourse by attacking Mark Golding for being a ‘white Jamaican’.”
I thank Mr McDonald for writing about this issue. The racist remarks are aimed at Opposition Leader and President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding, who is an accomplished banker, eminent attorney-at-law and an investor. A high-ranking member of the JLP stated at a party meeting that Mr Golding is a white man, not belonging to Jamaica, and that, concomitantly, he should go back to England. This was a most unacceptable political diatribe and vastly irresponsible comment. These comments have no place in modern Jamaican politics. Mark Golding is a Jamaican and is seeking to become prime minister. We should be celebrating the many successes of Golding and be willing to responsibly debate his proposed plans, ideas, programmes and vision for Jamaica, if he becomes the prime minister. However, the politically rotten JLP diatribe coming from some persons from the party against Mark Golding must be condemned and has no place in this ongoing general-election campaign.
The racist comments against Golding must immediately be brought to an end and PM Andrew Holness, being a responsible prime minister and thoughtful JLP leader, must publicly condemn those ongoing racist comments. We should discuss the various proposals coming from the prime minister and the Government and also evaluate the relevant proposals coming from Mr Golding and the PNP. The senior JLP officials and spokespersons must elevate the entire discourse and comments coming from the JLP and not go out to denigrate and malign and tear down Mark Golding as they discuss the various party plans and programmes in this ongoing general election campaign.
Racism has absolutely no place in Jamaican politics, give the respect to PNP President Golding, even while some may disagree with him and the PNP.
ROBERT DALLEY