That's an interesting read. At first glance, it reads somewhat like something that would appear on some racist, WASP type website. Of course, it isn't - it's an article written by a black, Jamaican journalist. Which makes sense to me.
One of my best friends, whom I met at college, is Jamaican and his views on black racism - especially in the U.S. - and the causes for the struggles of African Americans seems to fall pretty much in line with those of Mr. Johnston. According to him, there are two basic views on these issues held by virtually all Jamaicans: the view represented in this article and the view against which this article seems to rail - the ideas that slavery caused racism in the U.S., that whites are constantly trying to keep the black man down, etc. - i.e., your typical Black Panther type rhetoric. He also says that the vast majority of Jamaicans - including every single one he's ever met who either has a college degree or has lived in the U.S. - hold views similar to his and Mr. Johnston's.
I've noticed a similar sentiment from several others with whom I've been acquainted from African or the Caribbean who've lived in the U.S., as well. Most of them don't seem to get along, much less agree, with your typical Jesse Jackson / Al Sharpton types. When I was in college we had a particular Student Dean who was one such fellow and was constantly trying to marshal our African and Caribbean students to his cause. The vast majority of them couldn't stand him. He was, however, quite popular with our African American students.
The sentiment from our African and Caribbean students toward the struggles of African Americans in the U.S. seemed to be something like "stop playing the victim card, start taking responsibility for yourselves, and get to work to improve your own self and your own communities."
