TNB in Dominican Republic

Black-nationalism, among black gringos, is strong here. The undercurrent of black-nationalism takes a few forms.

It’s common to see American blacks wearing Islamic head gear, and it’s a safe bet that they belong to the Nation of Islam. Afrocentric t-shirts are also fairly common. I’ve seen one that says “Black Men Don’t Cheat.” Another said “I Love Black People.” Some simply say “Black Power” or show the raised fist emblem.

More typical are the pimps and big cigar smokers (BCSs). The pimps will dress up, as if for Halloween, in over-the-top pimp outfits. I’ll admit that I find those entertaining.

The BCSs will sit at outdoor tables on the street, or strut about, smoking big cigars. The way they carry themselves is comical, because it’s obvious that they believe their big cigars make them tough guys. “Don’t mess wit me! I gots a BIG CIGAR!”

Yesterday, I was chillin’ wit mah homie at a popular cafe’. A BCS was sitting by himself at another table. Suddenly, there was a commotion. One of the employees had told him that he must either purchase something or leave; he can’t take up a table unless he’s a customer. He had not purchased the cigar at that establishment.

He angrily confronted the employee, who probably makes the equivalent of $200 a month, and screamed at her, “You only treating me like that because I’m BLACK!!”

She pointed out, in broken English, that she’s also black. The man stood there, towering over her, for a moment, and then stormed off… driving off in his car.

My friend pointed out that if he could afford a car, he could definitely afford a coffee. The incident was ridiculous on several levels.

I’ve spoken to many White gringos here who have experienced discrimination on account of them being White. Not ONE OF THEM ever made a scene over it. They take it in stride, and they take into consideration the fact that they’re much better off than the ones doing the discrimination against them; typically, it’s petty things, such as the cafe’ incident.