Thursday, May 27, 2010
EmovieBook VIDEO-"Pseudocide Did Michael Jackson Fake His Death To Save ...
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Monday, May 24, 2010
Record Straight: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Setting the Record Straight: A Response to Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
As you may know, Dr. Henry Louis Gates recently wrote an Op-Ed piece, "Ending the Slavery Blame-Game" which was published in the New York Times on April 23, 2010. As a result, a group of scholar-activists, invited by Dr. Ron Daniels, President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW), prepared a statement which we are sending for your review. We are eager to hear if you would join with us in signing this collective response to the Gates Op-Ed piece.
We, the undersigned, take strong exception to the Op-Ed, “Ending the Slavery Blame-Game,” published in the New York Times, April 23, 2010 by Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. There are gross errors, inaccuracies and misrepresentations in Gates’ presentation of the transatlantic European enslavement system. Moreover, we are duly concerned about his political motivations and find offensive his use of the term “blame game.” For it trivializes one of the most heinous crimes against humanity—the European enslavement of African people. Gates contradicts his stated purpose of “ending” what he refers to as a “blame-game,” by erroneously making African rulers and elites equally responsible with European and American enslavers. And he shifts the “blame” in a clear attempt to undermine the demand for reparations.
The African Holocaust or Maafa, as it is referred to by many, is a crime against humanity and is recognized as such by the United Nations, scholars, and historians who have documented the primary and overwhelming culpability of European nations for enslavement in Europe, in the Americas and elsewhere. In spite of this overwhelming documentation, Gates inexplicably shifts the burden of culpability to Africans who were and are its victims. The abundance of scholarly work also affirms that Europeans initiated the process, established the global infrastructure for enslavement, and imposed, financed and defended it, and were the primary beneficiaries of it in various ways through human trafficking itself, banking, insurance, manufacturing, farming, shipping and allied enterprises.
No serious scholar of African history or reparations activist denies the collaboration of some African rulers, elites, merchants and middlemen. Indeed, collaboration accompanies oppression as a continuing fact of history. Historians have described collaborators in two other major Holocausts: the Jewish Holocaust and the Native American Holocaust. Yet Gates, ignoring the historical record, makes the morally unacceptable error of conflating three distinct groups involved in the Holocaust of enslavement: perpetrators, collaborators and victims. The Jewish Holocaust had its Judenräte, Jewish councils which chose Jews for enslaved labor and for the death camps and facilitated their transport to them, as well as its kapos, Jewish camp overseers, who brutalized their fellow prisoners along with the SS guards. Also, in the Native American Holocaust, there were also Native American collaborators who fought with the Whites to defeat, dispossess and dominate other Native Americans. Thus, such collaboration in oppression is not unique to Africa and Africans.
Gates makes it clear that the article is written in the context of “post-racial posturing,” eagerly set forth by a nation citing its first Black president as false evidence of the declining significance of race and racism. Indeed, this is a period of resurgent racism reflected in the rise of the Tea Party movement, increasing hostility toward immigrants, open public recommitments to embracing and celebrating the history of racial oppression, joined with the fostering of fear to facilitate the continued denial of civil and human rights.
The purpose for Gates’ misrepresentation of the historical record is to undermine the African and African descendant reparations movement, and to make it appear to be based on unfounded demands. Yet, an accurate reporting of the history of the Holocaust of enslavement and the period of segregation and other forms of oppression which followed it, attests to the importance, in fact, the essentiality of reparations. And the widespread opposing responses to Gates and the anti-reparations interests and sentiments he represents in his article, provides us with an excellent opportunity to renew the just demand for reparations for centuries of enslavement and continued economic disadvantage and exploitation Black people endured in the Jim Crow era and subsequent years of wage slavery.
Gates’ flawed and misconstrued presentation of the global reparations movement to redress the injuries of the Holocaust of enslavement and subsequent labor exploitation attempts to leave the reader with the impression that the movement is only a product of misguided African Americans. However, legal battles regarding reparations for the European enslavement of Africans are being waged throughout the United States, Jamaica, Brazil, South Africa, The Virgin Islands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Martinique, Canada, Namibia and Barbados. The United Nations declaration that 2011 is the International Year of People of African Descent will afford yet another opportunity to expand the reparations movement for the longest unpunished crime against humanity --- the European enslavment of African people. In this country, reparations scholars, activists and others will continue their efforts in support of the House Judiciary Committee, HR-40, which calls for a study of the economic, cultural and psychological impact of enslavement on United States citizens.
Also the record of the United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), held in South Africa in 2001, offers additional evidence of the global reach and relevance of the reparations movement and the work of Africans and African descendants in Africa and throughout the African Diaspora. Gates’ omission of these efforts and WCAR seem to suggest either a deliberate misrepresentation or a reflection of his intellectual limitations and distance from contemporary political movements in the international African community.
We, the undersigned, intellectuals, activists, artists, professionals, men and women from various fields of focus, assemble here from a call by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century united in our profound commitment to African people and with a long history of involvement in national and international issues involving Africa and people of African descent. And we sign this letter, not simply to respond to Gates’ clear inaccuracies, misrepresentations and questionable timing, but rather to honor and defend the memory and interests of the victims of the Holocaust of enslavement. We have come together at this historical moment to bear continuing witness to this gross human injury and the continuing consequences of this catastrophic and horrific event and process, and reaffirm our renewed commitment to continue and intensify the struggle for reparative and social justice in this society and the world.
If you are willing to be included as a signatory, please respond by email before Monday 4.00 p.m. EST to: jrdavidson@ou.edu . Please contact Herb Boyd at (917) 291-1825 if you have any questions, responses, or wish to discuss to this matter further, or contact IBW 21st Century at: info@bw21.org or Toll Free telephone # 888 774 2921.
Respectfully,
Members of the Committee for the Advancement of the Reparations Movement:
Rick Adams; Atty. Adjoa Aiyetoro; Sister Njere Alghanee; Dr. Molefi Kete Asante; Herb Boyd; Dr. Iva Carruthers; Dr. Ron Daniels; Dr. Jeanette Davidson; Dr. Leonard Jeffries; Dr. Maulana Karenga; Sister Viola Plummer; James Rodgers; Atty. Nkechi Taifa; Dr. James Turner; Dr. Ife Williams; Dr. Ray Winbush; and Dr. Conrad Worrill
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Monday, May 17, 2010
Full view: Hughes & Minister Farrakhan
Cathy Hughes sits down with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for an exclusive TV One On One interview.
Watch the full interview here:
The direct link to the video is below:
http://tvoneonline.com/shows/show.asp?sid=1120&id=2718
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http://www.blackhistoryclass.blogspot.com/
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http://positivelygreathomes.rein.mlxchange.com/
Getting married ? Visit http://www.happilyeverafter.be/
We got Books ! Positive Vibes Litterature 757-523-1399
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Misses the Point - Frederick Alexander Meade
Gates’ ”Slavery Blame Game” Misses the Point
Written by Frederick Alexander Meade
In recent days an enormous discussion has taken form within many American quarters, as Dr. Henry Louis Gates has once again weighed in on the question of reparations for African Americans.
The Harvard Professor’s most recent article entitled, “Ending the Slavery Blame Game”, in which Gates produces information regarding those African nations which actively aided European slave merchants during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade has functioned to not only broaden the lens in which this tragic event may be viewed, but has also served to explain the complexity in which culpability may be assessed.
Gates, within the article, makes mention of several Western and Central African populations, including but not limited to, the Akan of the Asante kingdom in what is now Ghana and the Kongo of what is presently Congo as those groups that profited from the selling of Africans to European forces. The scholar even makes mention of the revered 17th Century Queen Njinga, ruler of the Mbundu, as he reveals her duplicitous station as opponent and business partner to Portuguese slavers.
Professor Gates’ excursions into the history of the African holocaust and subsequent assessment as to those parties who may have been responsible therein are to be commended. However, the scholar’s suggestions that the fact numerous African nations were considerably involved in the development of this horrific event, presents an obstacle regarding the payment of funds to the descendants of the victims may be inaccurate. Such a determination may emerge, as the professor’s proposition lacks some measure of historical perspective.
In Nazi Germany’s unfortunate efforts to enact genocide on its Jewish citizens, considerable hardships were endured by this population. However, once this egregious affront to humanity was brought to an end, the prevailing world powers demonstrated little difficulty in procuring capital for the effected group. This reality prevailed in light of the fact other nations supported and contributed to the creation of this unspeakable segment of Germany's history.
Aid to the Jewish world community surfaced to the extent that even a population - The Palestinians – that had nothing to do with the lamentable plight experienced by these European peoples, was displaced from its land so as to make available this resource to those surviving this holocaust; thus the creation of Israel.
In the face of this historical event, Dr. Gates’ statements suggesting payment to African Americans for centuries of forced labor experienced by their ancestors may be compromised by virtue of the fact multitudinal nations partook in the heinous institution which caused the circumstance to exist, is without merit.
The United States government, as reflected by its past and current financial and militaristic support of Israel - similar to that of its aid to the citizens of Bosnia - has an established history of providing considerable resources to many of those groups that have experienced the profound sting of gross inhumane treatment. Such has been the case; irrespective of whether the United States has been responsible for the suffering of these populations or not.
Additionally the professor’s thoughts, via this article, fail to address what ought to be the fundamental question regarding the reparations debate.
The primary question with respect to reparations for African Americans hinges not on who is responsible for these crimes against humanity, but rather what measures must be imposed by this people to bring this desired objective to fruition.
At the very least the United States along with several European and African nations are culpable for the legacy of slavery within this nation. If additional entities can be proven to have participated in the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, they too, must be held accountable, and made to provide restitution to the descendants of those effected parties.
The failure to pose this question on behalf of those scholars, who engage the subject of reparations, bespeaks a desire to avoid any serious discussion in regard to the matter.
In the instance of Gates, it may be suggested that perhaps his desire to propose the garnering of reparations for African Americans lies on faulty ground, serves as a tactic designed to quell this group’s call for justice in regard to the issue.
Such a reality is conceivable, as a demand for reparations from an African-American public increasingly disenchanted with our nation’s first African-American President, Barack Obama, would function to potentially compromise the political standing of Gates’ long time friend.
In an effort to curtail such a request, the reintroduction of information that would make the reality of obtaining payment for centuries of slavery less perceivable, functions to potentially accomplish this goal.
The debate in regard to reparations has and will continue to be a source of contention among the American populace. If African Americans are to ever engage this issue in a serious manner, those individuals influencing the discussion must frame the conversation to the extent the acquisition of such a goal remains the primary focus.
Accordingly, intellectuals and or scholars who present ideas that run contrary to the ultimate realization of such an aim must not be permitted to orchestrate the debate.
It will only be under the condition of the African-American public’s unrelenting resolve to further honor their ancestors’ contributions to the United States of America in this manner, the realization of financial compensation for their centuries of toil will find its expression.
In achieving such an end, the question for African Americans is not so much one of who is responsible for the legacy of North American slavery, but rather what must be done to secure payment for this disastrous occurrence.
The answer to this question is essentially all that counts.
Frederick Alexander Meade is a journalist providing analysis on social and political matters. His works appear in news magazines and publications internationally. The writer may be contacted at meade1900@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subscribe to our posts by emailing imanifoundation-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
Written by Frederick Alexander Meade
In recent days an enormous discussion has taken form within many American quarters, as Dr. Henry Louis Gates has once again weighed in on the question of reparations for African Americans.
The Harvard Professor’s most recent article entitled, “Ending the Slavery Blame Game”, in which Gates produces information regarding those African nations which actively aided European slave merchants during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade has functioned to not only broaden the lens in which this tragic event may be viewed, but has also served to explain the complexity in which culpability may be assessed.
Gates, within the article, makes mention of several Western and Central African populations, including but not limited to, the Akan of the Asante kingdom in what is now Ghana and the Kongo of what is presently Congo as those groups that profited from the selling of Africans to European forces. The scholar even makes mention of the revered 17th Century Queen Njinga, ruler of the Mbundu, as he reveals her duplicitous station as opponent and business partner to Portuguese slavers.
Professor Gates’ excursions into the history of the African holocaust and subsequent assessment as to those parties who may have been responsible therein are to be commended. However, the scholar’s suggestions that the fact numerous African nations were considerably involved in the development of this horrific event, presents an obstacle regarding the payment of funds to the descendants of the victims may be inaccurate. Such a determination may emerge, as the professor’s proposition lacks some measure of historical perspective.
In Nazi Germany’s unfortunate efforts to enact genocide on its Jewish citizens, considerable hardships were endured by this population. However, once this egregious affront to humanity was brought to an end, the prevailing world powers demonstrated little difficulty in procuring capital for the effected group. This reality prevailed in light of the fact other nations supported and contributed to the creation of this unspeakable segment of Germany's history.
Aid to the Jewish world community surfaced to the extent that even a population - The Palestinians – that had nothing to do with the lamentable plight experienced by these European peoples, was displaced from its land so as to make available this resource to those surviving this holocaust; thus the creation of Israel.
In the face of this historical event, Dr. Gates’ statements suggesting payment to African Americans for centuries of forced labor experienced by their ancestors may be compromised by virtue of the fact multitudinal nations partook in the heinous institution which caused the circumstance to exist, is without merit.
The United States government, as reflected by its past and current financial and militaristic support of Israel - similar to that of its aid to the citizens of Bosnia - has an established history of providing considerable resources to many of those groups that have experienced the profound sting of gross inhumane treatment. Such has been the case; irrespective of whether the United States has been responsible for the suffering of these populations or not.
Additionally the professor’s thoughts, via this article, fail to address what ought to be the fundamental question regarding the reparations debate.
The primary question with respect to reparations for African Americans hinges not on who is responsible for these crimes against humanity, but rather what measures must be imposed by this people to bring this desired objective to fruition.At the very least the United States along with several European and African nations are culpable for the legacy of slavery within this nation. If additional entities can be proven to have participated in the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, they too, must be held accountable, and made to provide restitution to the descendants of those effected parties.
The failure to pose this question on behalf of those scholars, who engage the subject of reparations, bespeaks a desire to avoid any serious discussion in regard to the matter.
In the instance of Gates, it may be suggested that perhaps his desire to propose the garnering of reparations for African Americans lies on faulty ground, serves as a tactic designed to quell this group’s call for justice in regard to the issue.
Such a reality is conceivable, as a demand for reparations from an African-American public increasingly disenchanted with our nation’s first African-American President, Barack Obama, would function to potentially compromise the political standing of Gates’ long time friend.
In an effort to curtail such a request, the reintroduction of information that would make the reality of obtaining payment for centuries of slavery less perceivable, functions to potentially accomplish this goal.
The debate in regard to reparations has and will continue to be a source of contention among the American populace. If African Americans are to ever engage this issue in a serious manner, those individuals influencing the discussion must frame the conversation to the extent the acquisition of such a goal remains the primary focus.
Accordingly, intellectuals and or scholars who present ideas that run contrary to the ultimate realization of such an aim must not be permitted to orchestrate the debate.
It will only be under the condition of the African-American public’s unrelenting resolve to further honor their ancestors’ contributions to the United States of America in this manner, the realization of financial compensation for their centuries of toil will find its expression.
In achieving such an end, the question for African Americans is not so much one of who is responsible for the legacy of North American slavery, but rather what must be done to secure payment for this disastrous occurrence.
The answer to this question is essentially all that counts.
Frederick Alexander Meade is a journalist providing analysis on social and political matters. His works appear in news magazines and publications internationally. The writer may be contacted at meade1900@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subscribe to our posts by emailing imanifoundation-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
The Imani Foundation of Virginia
Visit our Black History Online Class
Buying or seliing a house in Hampton Roads Virginia ?
Getting married ? Visit http://www.happilyeverafter.be/
We got Books ! Positive Vibes Litterature 757-523-1399
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