Mi seh di people dem inna dah country yah gimme di shock a my life last Friday when dem show mi seh anyting fi our 'upliftment' and empowerment we cyaan stan together as a people in solidarity bout a issue wah affect all a we!

In protest against di exhorbitant or wah some call "teefing" bill wah people a get from JPS (Jamaica People a Suffer) dem supposed to wear full black fi send a message seh enough is enough. To how me tek it serious mi sleep inna black nitey di Thursday get up di Friday full black from head to toe...mi mek sure all black vehicle mi drive!

Now me feel good a touch di road fi seh yes a black Friday an we a go tek it to dem but when mi reach road an see di condition mi heart drop! Mi see all kinda colours and people neva even look like dem know waa gwaan or care waa gwaan, is like bizniz as usual. No sense of unity or concern mi no see...God bless the few people wah come out inna dem black and militant bout di cause; mi mek sure drive uptown, downtown and round town an dah big support and turnout wah mi did anticipate mi neva see it.

It did look bad! Di JPS people dem supposed to keep a party and a skin off dem teet because dem realise all we can do a talk. Dem supposed to all link up di people dem a wata commission an have a "white wata party"! Ma! Dem supposed to a laugh an a seh "watch di menke dem, we a go double dem bill end a month"! Mi shame becaw mi call all my friend dem a farin an dem join in pon dem BB status a some a who deh yah couldn't even carry a black scandal bag!

Wat bodda me even more was the fact that all we had to do was wear full black and not even dat nuff a dem do. Is not like nobody did a seh fi go light di light post dem or mash up di transforma dem or deface no building or do anyting illegal or outta di way. Anno like we did haffi spend money go empty yuh bank book or nutten like dat and not even a black scandal bag some a dem couldn't even carry!

full black

Di hottest part is most a who end up inna dem full black can afford or at least manage fi pay dem light bill and a di one dem wah cyaa manage and a feel di pinch was nowhere to be seen representing fi dem plight! JPS supposed to all a seh a pure people who bridge light deh yah caw dem no seem concerned at all. Di one dem who really bridge di light supposed to keep all a dance caw dem a get it free while we a pay fi it an naah seh nutten! Memba mi told yuh!

Wearing black on Friday was less about JPS and more about setting a precedence for prinicple and accountability wid our corporate entities. Its about standing up against unfair billing practices wah only dem can arrive at and know bout. There is no logical way smaddy bill can jump from $6000 to $66,000 in one month without explanation. Yuh cyaan get a bill fi $118,000 per month when most time yuh deh pon generator and when yuh go fi mek an inquiry nobody naa gi yuh no talk or trying to assist you. A pure run a roun an disrespect from some boasy slave - dat cyaa wuk!

We haffi rally together and set a standard for other companies as well to let them know that the customer will not be abused and know seh if dem no have no customer dem no have no company! Anyhow di whole a we did step out inna we black we would've got more respect and mileage from dem but to di poor showing last Friday mi know dem a go fix we again because dem see seh we no ready as a country.

You can reach me at misskitty@gleanerjm.com

'Di JPS people dem supposed to keep a party and a skin off dem teet because dem realise all we can do a talk.'