It was another hot summer’s day in Montreal, tourists walking the streets of downtown Montreal. God Bless America and the Benjamins!
Down at the barbershop the air conditioner was working overtime. Midnight was in town, just back from the Caribana extravaganza in Toronto, so he stopped by for a visit. He couldn’t stop talking about how successful it was. “Even the mayor of Toronto was dancing on a float,” he said. “The whole city was behind Caribana. It generated over $400 million, more than the Formula 1 (Grand Prix) and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Singularly or combined, none of these events make money like Caribana.”
Many years ago, Montreal had the biggest Caribbean carnival event in North America. One year, even the greatest, Muhammad Ali, came to town to witness it. He was accompanied by the Ways and Means Committee and really enjoyed it.
Now, Toronto has the largest Caribbean carnival in North America. So the politicians at Montreal City Hall finally achieved their goal. Why? Ask them.
Crystal was making it clear to everybody in the barbershop why he likes Donald Trump “but would never vote for him if I were living in America…”
“Why would you not vote for Trump, but you say you like him and would vote for him if you were an American living in Canada?” Dropout asked.
Crystal said, “It’s very easy why I like Donald Trump, but would never vote for him if I lived in America. He’s a latent racist. People like Donald would never admit they are racist or prejudiced. Trump is in denial. Look in the dictionary for the word ‘denial’ and Trump thinks it’s a place in Egypt. Donald Trump is not a joke. Again, I like the man because he thinks like one third of Americans, that’s a hundred million people. And the intelligent white people living in the USA, and the Uncle Toms and Tommasinas know that less than 10 percent of the U.S. population is white and shrinking, and by year 2025 the white population will be a minority group.”
In her address at the Democratic Convention the U.S. First Lady made a speech and said, “The White House was built by slaves.” A lot of people did not know this, but now they know. I wish she had called the barbershop before making the speech and talked to the Ways and Means Committee. We would’ve told her to mention Dr. Charles Drew who was refused entrance to a medical school in America so he came to Canada, where all he did was create the process for blood plasma. We would‘ve told the First Lady about what someone means when they talk about the “Real McCoy.” They’re talking about Elijah McCoy, the inventor, who was born in Colchester, Ontario. We would’ve also told her not to forget the world’s greatest Jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson, who was classically trained.
The Genius put up is hand, and said, “If you believe Trump is better than Clinton you’ve been living in a cave, and when you come out and learn what’s going on you should apologize.”
Money said, “You can pray all you want to keep hope alive, go to all the churches you want, but the bottom line is about ‘rugged individualism’: Make all you can while you can, because nothing is ever going to change under capitalism.”
Professor said, “When I was growing up in Montreal I used to go to a day camp, and on some of the field trips we would visit those beautiful churches that used to be in the city. You can’t do that now; you have to pay $8. These days you’re paying $10 to enter the Shrine, because they have no change. Free church is dead. The church business is a good one, because there are many people looking for hope. People want to believe in it, but it’s all about what you’re looking for.”
For example, it’s hard to become a Montreal city councilor. Many Blacks have tried and got wiped out; no one wanted to vote for them. Even their own people didn’t vote for them, which is why there’s only one Black city councilor.
School Boy said, “Montreal is a funny city because you hear stories from the Ways and Means Committee about the way it used to be for Blacks. Which is why, when I graduate, I will be taking the 401 outta here. I will go to a city that wants me.”
“Like which one?” Professor asked.
“I’ll know when I graduate,” School Boy said. “If it’s in Canada, obviously it will be Toronto. I’ll know when I graduate. If it’s the USA, it might be Atlanta. I’ve been there. They call it Chocolate City. And they [Black people] are doing very well down there.”
Professor raised his hand again and said, “Everybody quiet. We all know that Texas is one of the most racist places in America… where they used to hang Blacks from trees. Singer Billie Holliday had a song, Strange Fruit “hanging from the trees… Maybe it happened in Canada too, but in Montreal.”
But I came across an article from the Montreal Gazette, July 23, 2016. “Black woman receives apology over arrest: Police chief calls officers’ actions ‘disturbing’. It happened in Austin, Texas.
“Let me read you some excerpts”: A black Texas teacher thrown violently on the ground by a white officer during a traffic stop, then told by another white officer on the way to jail that blacks have “violent tendencies….”
After a struggle, the woman, an elementary school teacher, was handcuffed and driven to the police station. On the way there one of the officers said to her: ”I don’t blame whites for being afraid because of violence in the black community….”
In the end, the Austin police chief condemned the officers’ actions and issued an apology to the woman.
She said she is “[…] grateful the police chief has publicly apologized…
Comfort said, “She’s lucky she’s a woman. Imagine what they would’ve done to her if she were a man.”
“I don’t have to imagine anything,” Dropout said. “Look what they did to Eric Garner and Freddy Gray. And as Chris Rock said, “it’s nothing new, they’ve been doing it all along. The only difference now is that it’s all caught on cell phone camera.”
Everybody said, “Amen.”
Just Chillin’ said he was having a discussion with a white guy, and he said “President Obama did nothing for ‘you people’.”
He told the guy not so. If you talk to Joe or Yvonne at St. Mary’s hospital, or to Bagel King George Grant, the fact that the president of the U.S. is a Black man, born in The USA, and doesn’t deny he’s Black, and got re-elected, is something Blacks must look at. He also graduated from Harvard, one of the premiere institutions in the world. And he came from humble beginnings.
Now everybody who’s Black may not be the president of the U.S., but because of the way the system is set up in America, you can still make a lot of money – even if you’re Afro-American or Latino. Not so in Canada. It’s all about rugged individualism.
“Because it’s summertime,” Professor said, “This means summer camps and basketball. And some of the best players are groomed at, and come out of, the Trevor Williams Basketball Camp. A name like Wayne Yearwood, Olympian, is one of the many instructors, and Tony Barksdale is developing a phenom named Anthony Maxwell, a mini Stephen Curry.”
The Genius put up his hand. “Quiet. The Federal government is going to make a move for the world’s greatest Jazz pianist, Oliver Jones. It’s about time, because if Concordia University didn’t name a concert hall off Oscar Peterson he would’ve been long forgotten.”
I heard about birthdays, there’s one coming up for Carol Eckles and it’s by invitation only. She has Obama-style security at the door. If you do not have an invitation, do not even think about coming.”
There was a discussion about “THE PICNIC” which group has the best one. Maybe there will be a contest next year to find out which, and why. Maybe Maxwell will come in to provide the entertainment.”
Old Timer said there was an argument at a certain picnic about who makes the best souse and sorrel.
Money said he heard another one about who makes the best pigtail and codfish cakes.
Albert Einstein said, “If you keep doing the same thing all the time and expect different results you’re bordering on insanity. So I hope that the change to a new president at the Jamaica Association will bring about a new way of thinking, and that they will move onward and make an impact by being more organized and structured. Because Montreal needs the Jamaica Association.”
Just Chillin pulled out a poster with a picture of the President of the United States with this line: “They Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.”
Downtown says, “Donald Trump is his man. But when asked by one of the regulars at the Ways and Means Committee, he never says why… I wonder why?”
