by TONY BEST

IN THE WATERS once plied in an arms length relationship between Blacks and Whites in Barbados, things have
not been exactly smooth sailing lately.

No, there hasn't been any violence, or even hints of it, between Whites and Blacks. Thank God, some people say.

It's also a fact of life that the two ethnic groups are courteous to each other, and in most cases, live side-by-side without any disruption, but not with much social inter-mingling.

Still, a troublesome question persists, who owns and controls the economy? Is it the Whites, who make up less than ten per cent of the population? or are Blacks, who run the Government really in charge?, an assertion made by
Sir Courtney Blackman, a former Governor of the Central Bank.

When the SUNDAY SUN put those questions to Dick Stoute, a prominent Barbadian who is also president of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce, his answers were clear.

No, he said. Whites don't own or control the economy, and that hasn't been so for sometime. But, yes, Blacks hold all the levers of political power and much, not all, of the wealth, something even Blacks themselves don't recognise.

Admittedly, he conceded, some Whites, albeit a handful, do have some influence, but are far from enough to say they are in charge.

"The Government is in control," he insisted. "The Government (made up of Blacks) is in control. We need to look at who owns what in Barbados. We need transparency.

"There is a feeling white people own all of the land. But is that so? The numbers are in the hands of Government. There are over 108 000 vehicles in Barbados and over 200 000 cellphones in use. The white population is three per cent or less. They don't own all of those vehicles, they don't own all of those houses.

"Look at the savings rate in Barbados, a lot of savings is being generated by people who are in the middle class. We have a wide distribution of wealth in Barbados.

"There are certainly some very rich black people and there are (some) very rich white people. But to claim that a group who is less than three per cent, not all of whom are rich, owns the economy, is ridiculous."

What all of these factors boil down to is that Whites are not in charge.

"It is quite clear that the white people do not control anything," he said.

Having said that, though, Stoute was quick to acknowledge that some Whites "are in some high profile positions", but Blacks with their entrepreneurial drive, penchant for investment, thrift, and an ability to save had moved in and accumulated a lot of wealth in the country in recent years.

"Whites are leaders in some high profile positions, but when you look at the whole economy and the level of entrepreneurship and the number of new businesses that have started up, mainly by black people, you see that the situation is changing," he said.

In essence, the white domination of the economy and private sector is a thing of the past.

"When you look at the traded companies like Sagicor, Goddard Enterprises, and Barbados Shipping and Trading, who knows who their shareholders are? Let's get the names, are they White or are they Black?

Clear picture

"These old perceptions need to be examined. Let's get the data out there so that the people can see who owns what," he said.

Implicitly, he is suggesting that if the figures were released, then the picture would become clear and it would be seen that Blacks own a lot more than Whites. At the very least, people would recognise that Blacks control a lot more than they are given credit for.

The trouble is that much of the data about property ownership, corporate investments and savings wasn't collected along racial lines to allow for easy comparison.

Stoute, chairman of TMR Sales & Service Limited on Fontabelle, St Michael, is an interesting man. When it comes to education and preparation for business leadership he brings to the table a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's in business administration.

In addition, he is one of the relatively small number of Whites who wouldn't shy away from a discussion on race.

"I don't see race as a serious issue in Barbados now," he said. "I think it used to be. To me that issue has faded. There was a time when you (the media) would never ask me the questions about race you have put to me because you would be embarrassed, or concerned about my response to it. Now, we can talk about it," and do so without rancor.

"That is a sign that it is not as traumatic as it used to be," Stoute said.