The annual celebration of Black History Month always involves conversations about our resilience, endurance and triumph in the face of racial terror and 2 horrific events: The Atlantic and Arab Slave Trade. On one hand I know our history stretches back thousands of years from Ancient Kemet and Nubia (Egypt) to the empires of Mali and Timbuktu, Ghana, Great Zimbabwe to the African Moors. People of African descent are made in the image of God and have been instrumental throughout human evolution regardless of the dominant narrative that suggest thought, civilization and development started everywhere but Africa. Nevertheless the legacy of the Atlantic Slave Trade (and Arab Slave Trade) has left a stain on our communities. And with this in mind I wanted to take time to recognize the events of the Atlantic and Arab slave trade. I wanted to honor the strength of Africans shipped across the Atlantic ocean, the endurance of all who survived the Middle Passage and the cultures that were formed namely African American, Caribbean and Latin American cultures. “In everlasting memory of the anguish of our ancestors. May those who died rest in peace may those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetuate such injustice against humanity. We the living vow to uphold this!” There is no way to describe the utter horror of the Slave trade. No words can capture the immeasurable pain that has been caused because of these two trades. There is no way to quantify the loss of life, culture and collective pride of African peoples throughout the world. The magnitude of the events can only be described as- Maafa- Swahili word for the “The Great Disaster”. To be honest I don’t know how people of African descent should process this piece of our history. I don’t know if we should listen to external and internal voices that tell us to just get over it or disconnect from it because it’s extremely painful or to use it as an excuse not to be competitive today. I haven’t figured it out. As of now I approach this history by learning about what made Africans vulnerable to exploitation- namely tribalism, pride and our inability to see the bigger picture. As a result I reject petty diaspora beefs such as Jamaicans vs Ghanaians or Nigerians vs Ghanaians or Africans vs African Americans etc. in favor of global solidarity. It’s also been helpful for me to recognize the distance between then and now. The world is trudging forward- in order words “it’s a new day and it’s a new dawn” and it’s important for us to learn the skills necessary to be competitive for TODAY. There is some level of shame (whether it be internal and external) that comes with being a person of African descent. Sometimes alone in the silence there’s a quiet voice that makes me think Africans are weak for being enslaved and colonized. As a result, I think it’s important to learn about our resistance. Learn about the Haitian Revolution, the Jamaican Maroons, Nat Turner and African abolitionist and resistance to the slave trades and colonialism on the continent. I’ll leave you with this quote: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again-Maya Angelou Until the ink drips, Akua B
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AuthorMy name is Akua B and I'm a lover of all things Africa, natural hair and poetry... Archives
March 2017
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