Media News

27 March 2007. Westminster Abbey. Livingstone was there. Jasper was there. Lammy, Amos and Butler were there. Philips was there. And so were many others. But instead of rising to their feet in solidarity they simply watched in silence and submission as security personnel violently attempted to drag me through a back door at Westminster Abbey for vocalising the indignity and hypocrisy of the ritualistic proceedings. When history gave these self-proclaimed champions of the so-called ‘black’ community the opportunity to rise up, they did nothing but remain on their knees whilst praying to a european corruption of God and celebrating the actions of Britain’s greatest advocate for colonialism, William Wilberforce.

Five months later, on Thursday 23 August 2007, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has announced that he will host a ‘slavery’ memorial day on behalf of the British in remembrance of the so called 'slave trade' and its alleged 'abolition'. Writing in an advertorial in the New Nation newspaper he states; “I am inaugurating the city’s first annual memorial day in remembrance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its abolition on 23 August 2007. I am committed to working with UNESCO, trade unions and London’s Black communities to ensure that 23 August becomes an annual day of commemoration…"

With these words Livingstone is intentionally seeking to establish himself as the new 'Geldof', the modern day 'Wilberforce'. He seeks to dismiss the numerous African Remembrance day events that have been held across the UK by African community groups for over a decade and proclaims 'I am inaugurating' (not supporting) an annual memorial day, which asserts that anything else being done is irrelevant. Like the mythical Tarzan who claims himself Lord of the Jungle, Livingstone the hunter seeks to claim legitimacy to his crown through kinship with his pet, the assimilated chimpanzee named 'cheetah' and the rest of the chimpanzees who are in his employ instead of recognising the sovereignty of the Lion by respecting the pre-existing laws of the jungle.

By refusing to work in support of London’s Pan African community, he, like the Labour government he represents, ignores the thousands of young volunteers, parents and community activists who address grass root issues of inequality and racism on a daily basis. Instead he has committed to conspire with those who are amenable to his political aspirations. It is inconceivable that the Jewish community would lower themselves to supporting a memorial day organised by the German government yet somehow that is exactly what some are seeking to participate in for the African community.

Through his actions, Livingstone deliberately obfuscates Pan Africanism rich presence in London. The first ever Pan-African Congress convened in London in 1900 and led to future historic meetings attended by Pan African political giants such as Kwame Nkrumah. They fought for the abolition of British sanctioned tyranny, across the entire Pan African world. London even became a home for Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Claudia Jones and Haile Selassie. The capital became widely known throughout Africa and the Diaspora as one of the key locations for conscious raising cultural artists and activists such as Bob Marley and Fela Kuti.

In Britain, August is historically celebrated by the African community as Mosiah month. This year the eminent Professor Tony Martin visited London on the invitation of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement (ARM) to commemorate the 120th Anniversary of the birth of the Prophet, address the ‘Afrikan Empire Strikes Back’ events and celebrate twenty years of ARM. Not only did he make an address at the African Family Day event organised by the Marcus Garvey Organising Committee, he also delivered a series of inspiring, historical lectures and debates extolling the history, philosophy and opinions of Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

Controversially, it was in 2003 that Livingstone, with his 'race' and policing advisor, Lee Jasper, were widely condemned by the international Pan African community after they disingenuously dis-invited the Professor from attending a "First Voice Conference" during African history month. His alleged 'crime' was being the author of a book that explored the role of Jews in the Maafa. Using public funds, Livingstone and Jasper launched a media smear campaign against him linking the Professor to the Klu Klux Klan and through the Blink and Operation 'black' Vote propaganda websites attempted to besmirch his reputation and integrity. Fortunately, Professor Tony Martin’s long standing history as a reputable academic enabled people worldwide to see through these false claims.

As a testament to the self determinate nature of our community, during Mosiah 2007, Professor Tony Martin once again showed the world why he is a first class historian and the world’s leading authority on Marcus Garvey. Today we are living at a time when the British government patronisingly threatens to unleash its programme of ‘star’ role muddles on our community to confuse our children. Professor Tony Martin showed by example why we must reject state sanctioned 'black' people and spoke extensively about some real role models by exploring the inspirational history of Amy Ashwood Garvey who was an influential pan African activist. He also placed the history of the Haitian revolution in its correct context as an unprecedented movement for mass African liberation from european enslavement in the Americas.

Unsurprisingly, his sold out tour has not been reported in either of the newspapers set up to serve our community which instead focus on political theatrics. Instead of inviting African centered academics, Spiritualists and human rights activists to the proceedings, Livingstone has resorted to inviting pop stars such as Beverley Knight and out of touch African British politician David Lammy. Of course, had he invited those who are most in touch with the community, many if not most would have refused to participate in what is essentially a disingenuous spin-off of its parent Wilberfest commemoration at Westminster Abbey.



Looking again at Livingstone’s statement, we can see how he repeatedly refers to 'slaves' and 'trade'(sic). Nowhere in his entire statement does he mention the word African. This is of great significance. The recently passed Elder Dr Asa Hilliard writes on this; “External to the African community, other terms have been used as euphemistic designators to refer primarily to people of African ancestry. Non-ethnic terms, such as "minority," "the disadvantaged," "culturally deprived," "culturally disadvantaged," "inner-city," and "at-risk," are ascribed, fostering amorphous identities that detach Africans from time, space, and the flow of human history... Almost without exception, the group names ascribed by Europeans to Africans are adjectives, never proper nouns as names. Significantly, they are adjectives that suggest no respect for who we are or for our uniqueness as an ethnic family. In fact, they suggest nothing but something of minimal or even negative import. In the case of African people, this demeaning language was part of a strategy to commit "cultural genocide.”

How is it possible to talk about the Maafa without mentioning that which was stolen from us? Our African culture, names, sovereignty, land, wealth, health, spirituality and identity. Why is it that europeans and their compromised and seduced collaborators are forever seeking to encourage the world to see African people only through the prism of slavery and victimhood whilst excluding a focus on our determination to survive culturally, spiritually and physically. For them, we become inanimate ‘objects’ described as ‘slaves’ and not members of the human family.

Kofi Mawuli Klu, from the european-African organisation Rendezvous of Victory and one of the governments key partners also claims; “we welcome the opportunity to work with others to ensure that our globally enriched and wonderfully diverse city breaks the silence on this most heinous of crimes”.

This “wonderfully diverse city” as claimed by Klu is the same city that continues to discriminate against African people in every area of London’s socio-political domain. It continues to see African people persistently economically disadvantaged, and most serious of all has shrugged shoulders of indifference where the murder of young African people are concerned. Whilst Livingstone and his collaborators are very vocal in crying 'racism' they remain eerily silent and politically apathetic when those murdering our children in custody and terrorising our community through abusive stop and search tactics are in fact members of the Metropolitan Police force who are under their control.

It would be an insult to our Ancestors, ourselves and our children for us to support a 'memorial' event that pretends that the British government 'abolished' African enslavement whilst millions of African people across the world today still face economic enslavement and socio-political oppression as a direct consequence of British companies and politicians perpetuating the Maafa. Those from our community who participate in this British cultural masturbatory exercise not only insult the millions of African people who led, died and survived revolutionary uprisings against the British after their much lauded 1807 and 1833 proclamations but also those who still fight the mechanisms of British imperialism today in its many guises such as neo-colonialism and capitalist globalisation on the Continent, in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

I have no doubt that many of those whose livelihood depends on maintaining this system of inequality by portraying a masquerade of political agitation will denounce my views as negative. By taking a government wage slip they have no choice but to be opposed to seeking the progressive alternatives that already exists. By rejecting a 'slave trade' and 'abolition' memorial day in favour of an African remembrance day we would be taking a stand again the annually racist anti-African media which regurgitates the disempowering myth that 'black' history begins at slavery and ends at abolition. By rejecting the proposed 'slave trade' and 'abolition' memorial day we will also resist claims that ‘modern day slavery’ is a far more important issue than the on-going Maafa. By rejecting the proposed 'slave trade' and 'abolition' memorial agenda we will also be saying 'Not in our Name' to the British government teaching our children about the heroic deeds of its colonial agents such as Wilberforce every single year into perpetuity.

To those Africans who intend to join in with another British insult to our Ancestors without protest, I ask you to look around when you are singing and praying and take a good look at who you are in bed with. Livingstone has said he will apologise on behalf of London. This is a good thing, but only if his apology is sincere and comes with a programme for reparations and is not a shrewd political trick to garner votes by exploiting the blood and sweat of our Ancestors. The brilliant African artists Fela Kuti wrote a song telling African people not to engage in 'Unnecessary begging'. Sadly, the fact that many are going to massa’s house in City Hall to receive his apology instead of seeking for him to come to a community event and venue chosen by us in order for him to ask for our forgiveness reveals that many still harbour a deep routed inferiority complex. He must come to us to apologise, not the other way round.

Livingstone was responsible for attempting to destroy the Notting Hill Carnival by moving it into a park. How many have remained silent as he and his collaborators have distorted and diluted the original vision of Claudia Jones’ Notting Hill Carnival from an vibrant African cultural event into the urban street party it is today. What will happen to your 'memorial' day in a year, ten years time?

So what are the benefits of institutionalising the pre-existing African remembrance day events? Simple. We do not focus on African people as 'negro slaves' who were victims until they were able to prove to benevolent europeans that they too were human. Instead we study the history of a global African resistance movement that has never stopped fighting for freedom and justice from 'white' male supremacy. We focus on the people in our history who did not wait for a Tarzan to save them but instead, did for self.

An African remembrance day does not stop at British abolition. We also remember the oppressive systems of ’apprenticeship’, colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalisation and the necessary resistance to their domination, past, present and future.

This year the Ligali organisation’s African remembrance day event focused on sharing best practice on home schooling with parents, teaching young people their rights during stop and search, discussing how young people feel about their portrayal in the media and addressing the under discussed issue of mental health. We did not honour the barbaric slaver John Newton, who raped, murdered and tortured our Ancestors by singing his hymn 'Amazing Grace'. Instead we poured libations to our Ancestors, reflected on the children lost this year as a result of the Maafa and in a silent tribute remembered those who risked all, not so that we can be living comfortably in Massa’s house, but so that we could all one day be free to preserve our culture, spirituality, dignity and humanity.

I will not be attending the British 'memorial' day event.