Having a population of over 90% African descent, Jamaica is easily described as a Black Nation. However, the logic of its colonial past which are embedded in its institutions and built environment are patently Anti-Black. Much like a plantation, Jamaica's capital, Kingston, is not distinguished in the existence of black life everywhere within the cityscape. Rather, racial hegemony is defined by the very few places deemed fit for non-Black life. This paper explores how race and space are articulated through the segregation of Jamaica's elite non-Black population and how non-Black life is regarded as not only exception but exceptional.
Anti-Blackness; the Caribbean; Elites; ruination and nonplaces
Critical Commentary
Janelle Levy is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Janelle received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida. She is currently working towards qualifying for doctoral candidacy.