One Island, Two Jamaicas and A Whole Heap of Difference

Learn more: http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/caribbean/glass-closet-sex-stigma-and-hiva...

Jamaican society can be divided along class, language and culture lines. It's rich vs. poor, English vs. Patois and uptown vs. downtown.

Correspondent Lisa Biagiotti, producer Micah Fink and director of photography Gabrielle Weiss examine the public debate that erupted earlier this year when graphic Dancehall music lyrics and images were banned from Jamaica's airwaves. The public responses reveal the legacy of two Jamaica's dating back to the country's slave history.

This report is part of Pulitzer Center-sponsored project "Glass Closet: Sex, Stigma and HIV/AIDS in Jamaica" (http://bit.ly/xgJdvT).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Pulitzer Center
• Jamaica
• HIV/AIDS
• HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean
• Global Health
• Homophobia
• Micah Fink
• Lisa Biagiotti
• Gabrielle Weiss
• Stigma
• Discrimination
• Violence
• Gays in Jamaica
• Spice
• Dancehall
• Reggae
• Class Warfare
• Grinding
• Sexualized Dance
• Sexuality
• Taboo

[silvergame12345]

im jamaican but i've never danced like that lol and there is nothing wrong with them dancing bu they took it too far.

[csportmaria]

I do not claim misogyny, sexism, glorification of violence and homophobia as innately African. Sure, dancehall is a reflection of our reality as poorer Jamaicans, a legacy carried forward from slavery, colonialism and segregation. However, Jamaicans arent misogynistic, sexist, violent nor homophobic because they are African.

[BrawShineTV]

THE FEMALE DOCTOR SHOULD KNOW THAT GHETTO PEOPLE IS THE BACK BONE OF JAMAICA ECONOMY WHO KEEP ON SUPPORTING THE UPTOWN BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN STORES, RESTAURANTS, CLUBS CONCERTS I CAN GO ON AND ON. IF THE GHETTO PEOPLE SHOULD EVER HOLD THEIR POCKETS YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEND?

[rasheid2kx]

I'm very certain that last statement by Ragga is incorrect. Schools in Jamaica has bridged more gaps and brought the most diverse Jamaican culture together that any other institution/social events.

[muellerican]

@sdinnall cool. I am Puerto Rican from the island. I think that house Caribbean Music doesn't need to meet Victorian and Christian standards on how to talk about sex. After all, the Caribbean is composed of a multiplicity of peoples and expressions of social perspectives. So sex it's good. Another thing however is to promote violence against women or homophobia. That is not good and should be banned. But overall, there should be room for creative art: Like Calle 13.

[sdinnall]

I am 100% Jamaican born and bred. I am also Jewish and currently live in Israel. To my surprise there is a HUGE reggae following in Israel, and they think it strange that as a Jamaican I was not exposed to this dancehall, downtown, ghetto lifestyle. One friend even says that i'm not really Jamaican. I am very proud of both sides of my country, however I find it extremely hard and frustrating when outsiders use the ghetto lifestyle to characterize all of JA. Which is why this vid is so impor

[devronp]

UPTOWN ALL THE WAY!

[yardee101]

jamaicans uplift the jamaican culture because believe or not reggae and dancehall is what i concider the culture in jamaica..if you dnt like the dancehall songs then dnt listen 2 them we dnt tell u to listen to it....jamaican people man smh unu nuh like see nuttin rise from the ghetto unu ago fight the music untill unu ago see unu really need it

[yardee101]

music is music yall fightin da music all tryin 2 bring segregation into it wat way uu nuh like dancehall music

[pennyredfern]

Why is there little or no violence in the rich neighborhoods of Jamaica? Is it just because they have money? Or is it because they preserve the moral codes of civil society, that all jamaicans once had? When I was a little girl growing up in Ja, I never saw one murder, it wasn't something people even thought about. Dance hall music is a reflection of the ugly, unsightly slums.