rootsandculture

  Freddie Kissoon writes a daily column for Kaieteur News and on March 21, 2021, wrote one titled, “ The President asked. I declined. I’ve since changed my mind ”. In it he said, the President of Guyana, Irfan Ali offered him an opportunity to serve Guyana and that he initially declined but was now ready and could best serve as head of a, yet to be founded, human rights commission. I liked the idea at first, but I’ve since changed my mind. This change came as a result of grappling with the importance of Kissoon’s position and positions as the most popular columnist in the most popular newspaper in Guyana and its Diaspora. Only the very popular are known by one name. Hopefully, this is the first of a series of essays, using Freddie's ideas and preferences as a way to explore important issues of race, class, ethnicity and inequities in our societies as well as the requirements for a human rights commissioner.  In a recent column, Kissoon listed his favorite singers as Johnny Mathis,