Emancipation – the quest for survival

EDITOR: The emancipation declaration on 1st August, 1834 should not be only a historical event when chattel slaves were freed from the neck, wrist and ankle, but an ongoing search and determination of redefining ourselves.{{more}}
The majority of black people in the western hemisphere and in particular Hairouna are still being harassed and plagued from the psychological effects of slavery: poverty of the mind, social disintegration and self denial.
Our predicament stems from the religions, and the political and social structures that existed during the slavery and post slavery eras with strategies aimed at emasculating the consciousness of self.
The plantocracy in the post-slavery era brought with it capitalism, where justice lost its meaning. Where is the justice when a man or organisation using $40,000 makes $4,000,000 yet minimum wages are not increased?
Socialism, too, is not race conscious to our cause, black people.
Even in the Grenada Revolution, the New Jewel Movement with Bernard Coard’s Marxist study group, “Orel” turned a blind eye to culture, race and to a lesser extent ethnicity. The Rastafari movement was instrumental in mobilizing the people on the ground with clarity of thought to fight for the oppressed and downtrodden whilst at the same time maintaining cultural identity. The movement was a mouthpiece for the people when the N.J.M. failed to deliver their promises. The Rastafari movement became an adversary for Bishop’s regime which they targeted, biting the hand that helped them. read “Rastafari In Transition, The Politics Of Cultural Confrontation In Africa and Caribbean” by Ikael Tafari Ph.D Political Socialist
Volume 1.
The Rastafari Movement or Rastology, as Ras Eveston McPher-son puts it, is counter cultural against imperialism and neo colonialism for the African man and woman.
The results of disintegrated families, communities and nation for such a social chaos must be blamed on:
1) The Euro-centric Christianity
2) The structure of governance (bicameral setting of parliament, cabinet and opposition)
3) The education system.
The education system we have administering to our children is an extension of European education especially the history subject in secondary schools and A’ level colleges, with little being taught about African history before slavery and post emancipation in the West Indies and Africa.

Ras Zando