The Betty Black Blog

Today, April 22nd, is the Fortieth Anniversary of Earth Day. This very important event was started in the United States in 1970 but by 2000 had gone International.
We as Jamaicans have a very bad habit regarding many things. We talk a lot about our problems: crime, garbage, drought, the breakdown of our values. But how [...]

In the hills of St. Ann, high above Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s north coast, lies Lydford. The earth is the bright red that signifies the presence of bauxite and it was here that major bauxite mining was done and here that a community of those that worked in the industry grew. Lydford is also great [...]

The eyes of the world have been turned to Haiti over the past two weeks since unfathomable damage was done by a 7.0 earthquake on 12th January.  We wonder what has made Haiti so poor. Certainly their history before 1804 was the same as the rest of the West Indies. Then we read Sir Hilary [...]

The telethon will be broadcast here (if I’ve done the codes right)

J$670, US$7.70, E5.35, Y699. That is the weekly income of the average Haitian. We bandy about the phrase “Poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere” as we would “the Tallest Building” or “the Longest River” without really stopping to think what it means. We tend to transfer ideas to things we know and most of are [...]

Since Wednesday morning we have all been waiting for help to reach ravaged Haiti. Unfortunately, we live in a world that has become used to writing a letter then pressing “send” and our letter to our Aunt in China arrives. We sit at our computers and do in an hour what once took a week. [...]

An Overview
Everyone in Jamaica, the Caribbean and indeed the entire world desperately wants to help the people of Haiti, the outpouring of aid is amazing. But before you donate there are three very important things to bear in mind.

Imagine the poorest country village or the most destitute inner city community you have ever seen. Now multiply that by ten and you just begin to imagine what most of Haiti is like. The life expectancy is 60 years; infant mortality is five times ours. There is 70% unemployment and 80% of the population live [...]

Dear Friends, Please forgive me for disappearing for a week without warning but I had a job which had to be finished before Christmas Eve.
Please remember that as difficult as Taxmas may be for you, there is always someone worse off, give what you can to those less fortunate.

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with [...]