Mention Black History and we think of the heck of a fight our ancestors had. Like Shaka Zulu in South Africa or the Maasai of Kenya.. Others will recall Rita Marley in Ghana, who like others of the 21st century, transposed herself into the continent hoping to make a difference. Today, youth will remember Nelson Mandela who fought a different fight showing those in the diaspora how key we are in this same fight.
Africa Unite 2005 Symposium was a great gathering of youth in Africa. 250K people attended the concert in Addis Ababa. According to the youth they needed to be looking at the world through their own eyes. Then they will embrace Africa with their own African Identity.
Its is easy to talk but so difficult to do. The African continent and her peoples have continued in a state of ‘reaction’ rather than revolt. Over the years, the effective destruction of religious documents across the continent, as nations fought for supremacy, has left its mark. Now we see internationalisation of trade once more negotiating ownership of secure markets across the world, leaving continental economic instability in its wake.
Wise elders and conscious influencers counsel persons of color to keep their focus and strenghten their personal resolve.
What can we do? A good example
A good example is the Rita Marley Foundation which started in Konkonuru, a village near Accra in Ghana. The Methodist Church had been there some years ago. Starting their work with the Clinic and the School, the Foundation was able to stimulate that original sense of being Black, of being an African who knew that their origin was one of the first 5 civilizations of the world.
As the services grew we saw the government building a highway that ran right past the turn off for the village. Bringing drinking water closer to the houses was another plus.
What was the intention of the Foundation? The same as the holding of the famous Africa Unite (2005) . Namely, helping people of color to realize their importance in the future of the world today.
Africans at home and abroad neeed to believe that:
“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”, Marcus Garvey.
Perhaps as we grow closer to one another wherever we are, people of color will feel more comfortable learning the history of the past and sharing the knowledge gained from our varied experiences. Supporting one another as we establish local and international alliances, can only make our history become more than the past. Black History is of today not yesterday. What we do now is bringing the past into the future.
As we said at the outset, It’s a heck of a fight; Our Black History. A battle we can and will win.