Also I will emphasize the important factor of dualism within the Jamaican people primarily in the form of "whitedom vs. Blackdom." I will use a variety of sources ranging from Michele Cliff to Sidney Mintz to Franklin knight. Finally, using Rex Nettlford's works, I will describe how Jamaica has attempted to forge a distinct cultural identity of its own. .
When Great Britain first colonized Jamaica, a type of social system was created. This social system was based around the need for slavery and the plantation systems. These two created a sort of racial distinction amongst the natives in Jamaica. It created something that Rex Nettleford refers to as whitedom and blackdom. The whitedom referred to the civilized part of the society obviously lighter in skin color. On the other hand, blackdom referred to the primitive section of the population, which were of course, darker in skin color. This was how white Jamaica and black Jamaica came about. The middle class has sought to copy British culture and patterns of behavior while the lower black classes attempt to maintain their African heritage. This ensuing clash of divergent cultures hindered any attempt to create a unifying cultural identity. .
The social system in Jamaica created a feeling that the lighter skinned Jamaicans were dominant and visa versa for the dark skinned. Michelle Cliff, in an attempt to make sense of the prevailing social, racial, and cultural strife in her native land of Jamaica, discusses, in her essay If I Could Write This In Fire the "hierarchy of shades." This "hierarchy of shades" equates social status and autonomy with skin color. Moreover, this "hierarchy of shade" suggests that "whiteness" is equated with prestige, power, and wealth while "blackness" is equated with a lack of culture, and a lack of identity. She discusses the advantages of having light skin by stating: .
"Those of us who were light skinned, straight haired, etc.
