|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Moderated by: The Watcher, Saida.M, safetyblitz, Raven, Miss Brighter Days, LadyDay, Kunjufu, Kibibi, Happiness, Dillinger, Breadfruit, Backatya |
|
|
| Author | |
|---|
Apedemak
Villager
| Joined: | Sunday October 17th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 3135 |
| Photo: | [Download] |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |   |
Click here for your Black Profile
Search for Black Sites
|
Posted: Tuesday April 10th, 2007 11:14 |
|
Time to ditch the atonement agenda on slavery and get on with the business of reparations
// 10/04/2007 // Deborah Gabriel // Copyright © [url=javascript:ol('http://www.blackbritain.co.uk');]http://www.blackbritain.co.uk[/url]
The atonement agenda - a superficial and misguided attempt at making people feel guilty over slavery whilst obscuring its legacies, has reached its climax -now it's time to get on with the business of reparations.
There is nothing to be gained by trying to impose feelings of guilt or shame on people who are emotionally and psychologically detached from the involvement of their ancestors in the destruction of African humanity.
As Dr Priyamvada Gopal, an English lecturer and author of Literary Radicalism in India pointed out in the Guardian on April 2, such displays detract attention from the real business of examining and acknowledging the ways in which the sins of the past have shaped the unequal and oppressive world we live in today.
The climax of the 'atonement' agenda must surely be the recent commemorative service held at Westminster Abbey, attended by the Queen, which was challenged (according to the media) by a lone protestor, Toyin Agbetu, from Ligali. Whilst, Agbetu's action in denouncing the service as an insult to Africans must be commended for the message of dissent it sent to the establishment, equal recognition must be given to the scantly reported, organised and collective protest which took place outside the church.
Representing a coalition of social justice movements including: World Development Movement, Pan African Reparations Coalition of Europe, Global Justice Forum, NUS Black Students Campaign, Black United Front, Nation of Islam, Youth Concern Global Network, Rendezvous of Victory, Black Abolitionist Inter-faith Study and Action Network and the Pan African Youth and Students Internationalist Link.
All of these groups were outside Westminster Abbey with placards and colourful banners in protest at the service and to launch their campaign Operation Justice Eternal. But as a consequence of the incident which took place inside the Church, the majority of the media present at the event dropped the story of the collective protest from news reports in favour of sensational headlines.
Esther Stanford, a specialist in jurisprudence (the science and philosophy of law) and chair of the Pan African Reparations Coalition of Europe told Black Britain that Operation Justice Eternal was initiated by Rendezvous of Victory with the objective of campaigning for posthumous recognition and glorification of abolitionist freedom fighters and martyrs who were criminalised, persecuted and even executed during their struggle for liberation.
"This is an ongoing campaign we are engaged in, trying to raise awareness because there is a real legacy in that a lot of people we have on our flyer, are recorded in British public records as criminals," she said.
The list includes people like Rev Sam Sharpe and Rev Paul Bogle from Jamaica, Charlotte Gardener, William 'Black' Davidson and Captain Arthur Thistlewood from Britain. None of these anti-slavery campaigners are likely to have commemorative stamps issued in their honour, despite risking and sacrificing their lives in the name of freedom.
Dr Gopal finds the absence of any discussion on slave uprisings during the Bicentenary year as a source of concern and disappointment. She told Black Britain: "I am very concerned that there has been absolutely no discussion of slave rebellions [as] the entire history of slavery is also the history of rebellions.," she said.
The Operation Justice Eternal campaign for posthumous glorification includes an international line-up of abolitionists, both black and white, who are largely excluded from history but their stories are the true stories of how Africans were agents of their own liberation. Theirs are the true stories of the grassroots collective and cross community resistance to chattel enslavement.
**************************************************************************
____________________
____________________
Click here for your Black Profile
|
|
|
Current time is 05:12 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the
Blacknet
mailing list
|
|
