Reclaiming Afreeka for Afrikans – Pan Africanism: 1900 – 1994
[hapo zamani za kale, in de spaces between using revised excerpts art/fully for social change]
…the werd ‘Pan Africanism’ first entered de political lexicon in 1900, when de Trinidadian barrister, Henry Sylvester Williams, then based in London called a
conference of black people to ‘….protest stealing of lands in colonies, racial discriminashun en deal with all other issues of interest to blacks’.
It was however, in 1919 when de New Afrikan scholar en political activist, Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, convened what he called de first Pan African Congress in Paris that de Pan Afrikan Congress series, of which de 7th Pan Afrikan congress was a continuation, came into being.
However, while de years 1900 and 1919 can confidently be cited as important reference points for de Pan African movement, de movement stretches much farther into de distant hirstory of our people.
Indeed, the roots of de Pan Afreekan movement can be traced right back to de ravages of de first European slave ships to touch de Afrikan coast…..in this connecshun it is not surprising dat de founders of Pan Afrikanism, as well as some of its leading warriors, have been Afreekans from de diaspora, who are descendants of de millions of Afreekans captured in de transatlantic slave trade…..
The precursors of Pan Afreekanism as we know it today are all de Back to Afrika movements that sprung up in de US, Brazil, and de Caribbean during de early nineteenth century…apart from protesting de conditions of slavery under which they were living, de Back to
Afreeka movement also called for de abolition of colonialism in Afrika. The legendary Marcus Garvey is the most famous of de pioneers of de return to Afrika movement.
Pan Africanism can thus be said to have its origin in de struggles of Afrikan peoples against de enslavement en colonization of their people by extra-Afrikan forces.
Under the unrelenting onslaught of Pan Africanism, especially since de 1945 5th Pan African Congress of Manchester, most countries on de Afrikan continent ultimately regained their independence. However the regaining of independence did not end colonialism but only transformed it into neo-colonialism: political independence without economic independence….
From dis perspective therefore Pan Afreekanism is not only linked to de quest for a new social system, but also one in which de development of productive forces is not simply linked to de production of goods but also de creashun of new human beings.
Dis perspective of de transformashun of gender relations, free men, women, Trans en children of cultural freedom, of harnessing de positiveknowledge of de Afrikan past now forms part of de conception of de struggle for Pan-Afrikan liberation in the 21st century….
[reposted with overflowing love en respekt from an Introduction to Pan Africanism,
a kitabu edited by Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem]
asante for sharing our true true hadithi na maisha yako
Deep drumming is heard from di street; folks turn their head backwards. The Kushites Returned leap, sweep down the aisles, silk cloth flies in the air gleaming with silver threads, the painted dancers burst through di darkness….the dancers had been in the aisles doing modern black Amerikan contractions and slides and swivels and things, and now they were all ancient en Afrikan…it’s so magic folks feel their own ancestors comin up out of di earth to be in di realms of their descendants; they feel di blood of their mothers still flowing in them, survivors of di diaspora…en all of Afrika is thundering in di air.
The audience doesn’t exist; everybody is moving, all is not lost. Cypress laughed as she samba’d to di exit….
Sassafrass wanted to know everyone, but everyone was dancing so hard, until Ariel arrived in a white satin robe en a silver and lapis headpiece. Then something holy and quiet started happening, and folks began talking to each other….and Sassafrass wandered in Cypress’ world….
It was day. It was time to dance, no matter what…
Braided lady of subway scents & magic
Rings in nose & wrists/music in di style of di islands
Lacin di trains dancing in di tunnels of hades
Ka-jungle-jingle-ka jungle juju
In damp downtown nites of love/di secrets of muscles used
Lights cajoling the tense spring of calves jumpin/space
Taken by di rippling womanness of yr back/
Do as you please/afrikan lady roaming los campos
Of di lower east side/caresses you with fried plantains
& drummers stealing corners for di winds to lift you
To di sun’s scant ray/lyric lady/dance di original dance
The original aboriginal dance of all time/challenge di contradiction of perfected pirouette with di sly knowin of hips that do-right/stretch till all di stars en sands of all our lands abandoned/mingle in di wet heat/sweat & grow warm/must be she di original aboriginal dancing gyal….
Someone found her. Another woman in a red tunic took her to an official place inside di grey world, where she was introduced as a survivor. Di leader, di queen, di reigning glory of dis community was a tall woman with red hair who welcomed Cypress and kept saying she would be safe…
Drums, drums. Drums, welcoming di faithful. Pulling them to move to dance. Shango conquered di forests. All human challengers. When Sassafrass hit di door, di smells overcame her. Incense, smoke, whiskey, rice&beans, lamb curry, honey…one by one di followers went to Shango’s mountain of apples to pray & reveal their most secret desires.
When Sassafrass lay flat on her stomach before Shango’s bounty, di seven holy ones laid hands on her. Sassafrass was blessed. She’d risen off di floor…she prayed that she might have a child. You leave your palms open that di gifts of di goddesses might have a place in your life….she prayed. She wove cloth, not thinking who it was for. She’d fallen from grace.
Mama Mbewe, Mama Sumara, Mama Iyabode passed chickens over her all nite. In the morning, she saw a vision of her mama. She lay on a bed of oranges, surrounded by burnin yellow candles, eating honey.
“I think I’m going to carry these spirits right on home. I guess I live in looms after all. Making tings: some cloth and one child, jus’ one.” [or a couple mo’…]
hadithi reposted na overflowin upendo from a kitabu called Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo
Molisa wa NyaKale 