THE GREATEST CRIME EVER COMMITTED: WHAT THEY NEVER TOLD YOU IN THE CLASSROOM: BY FAHIM A. KNIGHT
"AFRICA, REPARATIONS, WHITE SUPREMACY AND JUSTICE" BY FAHIM KNIGHT
Whenever so-called African-Americans mention the word slavery, which was part of the ancestral experience of our fore parents from 1555- 1865, it sends the majority of white conservatives and white liberals in to frenzy.
They often hide their fore parent's guilt and their own guilt, with a deep sense of historical denial and in the same breath call for race reconciliation, as though we should skip over and dismiss 310 years of brutality, rape, robbery, murder, force labor, kidnap, etc., that were committed against an entire race of people.
This is the type of historical denial and sheer ignorance that keeps fueling the modern day "Civil War". How can we have better race relations, if there are still large sectors of white people and black people that are in historical denial?
Professor Kenneth Stamp referred to slavery as the "Peculiar Institution", John W. Blassingame in his monumental work referred to it as "The Slave Community" and W.E.B Dubois in his scholarship referred to it as "The Suppression of the African Slave Trade". The majority of American scholars agree that blacks in this country (in the United States and the Americas) arrived as slaves and the present generation of blacks is here based on that historical tragedy. Yet, we are 136 years removed from slavery and America is still in historical denial.
President Bill Clinton was prepared to issue Africans in this country an official United States governmental apology for the wrongs of slavery, but it was later deemed politically expedient for the president to remain quiet on such topic and not issue Africans an officially apology. I assume his legal advisors advised him not to do this because this admission of guilt perhaps could be used by Africans in their quest for REPARATIONS and legally force America to pay Africans living in America a 310 year old debt.
However, he did not make the often-ignorant statement that present day blacks did not endure slavery (Just as some of the present day Jews did not suffer the Holocaust, but that has not precluded them from being the beneficiaries of what their Jewish ancestors experienced under Adolph Hitler).
The Southern Baptist, a predominantly white Christian association, a few years ago, thus, had the humanity and the proper spirit of God to admit the wrong doings of the Christian church in slavery. They did not go to the grave yard and issue this apology to the dead, which would have been partially suffice, but the church issued the apology to the living ancestors of those who lived and died under the evil institution of slavery. You may take the fruit from the tree, and call it whatever, but the root of the fruit never changes, moreover, blacks in America are genetically and spiritually connected to a common past, present and future.
Here are the solutions to this Four (4) century problem, to what sociologist Gunnar Myrdal referred to as "An American Dilemma". 1). the healing process starts at admittance of the wrong doing and erasing historical denial. 2). Open and honest communications amongst the races about slavery. 3). Reparations. 4). An international call for atonement and reconciliation on behalf of all African people. 5). Pray to God for healing and guidance.
European Nations such as: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, and England beginning in the mid 1400's began to explore and colonize the darker people of the world. Spain and Portugal in 1493 had signed the Treaty of Tordissles; henceforth, laying out an imperialistic plan by which to divide and colonize the entire world between two European nations. In 1517 Bishop Bartholomew de Las Casas and Pope Alexander VI working in the name of the Catholic church actually divided the entire world between Spain and Portugal under the Papal Bull of Demarcation.
These two (2) said European nations drew an imaginary line in the middle of the world; moreover, giving Spain the "permission" to conquer and colonize all the lands in the so- called "New World" with the exception to Brazil and Portugal would colonize all the lands in "Old World" which included Africa. This was an unlawful act that can be defined under United States Federal Statues as a Conspiracy. In legal terms a Conspiracy is defined as an agreement by two or more persons to commit an unlawful act: a combination for unlawful purpose.
In criminal law, conspiracy is a separate offense from the crime that is the object of the conspiracy. Who amongst the ex-slaves and descendants of Africa have the courage to charge all the said European Nations in the World Court and in a United Nations with historical crimes perpetrated against Black humanity?
The said crime is Chattel slavery and the political, economic, social, etc., effect this evil institution had on one race of people (Africans), is the single most important issue in the annals of human history and the greatest crime ever committed against humanity. Where is Hugh Price, Kwesi Mfume, Jesse L. Jackson, AL Sharpton, Henry Louis Gates, Maxine Waters, C. Delores Tucker, Farai Chideya, Danny J. Blackwell, Raymond Brown, Cornel West, Louis Farrakhan, T.D. Jakes, Tavis Smiley, Julianne Malveaux, Jamal Harrison Bryant, Michael Eric Dyson, Stanley Crouch, Lani Guinier, Charles Ogletree, etc. our so-called Black leaders and Black intellectuals on this issue?
Many of them are very much familiar with this fight, but very few of them have committed their organizations resources and expertise in a pro bono manner to allow a legitimate legal defense on-behalf of the sons and daughters of Africa. Minister Silis Muhammad of the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West who has been at the forefront of the issue of REPARATIONS and he estimated just to file the petition will cost over USD $100,000 and estimated it will cost over USD $10,000, 000 in order to win the reparations battle. Why do not we put our resources behind Minister Silis Muhammad and Imari Obadele, the Chairman of the Republic of New Africa who has been in the forefront of the reparations struggle since 1968?
Randall Robison who authored the scholarly book titled, "The Debt: What White America Owes Blacks". However, Robinson was very late coming to the reparations discussion; nevertheless in an intellectual discourse he has laid a theoretical framework for us to follow.
Reverend Robert Schuller, a renowned Caucasian televangelist who had received an invitation from the late Reverend Leon Sullivan to address the African/African-American Summit in Libreville, Gabon, Africa in 1994. Reverend Schuller's recognition and admittance that Europe and Europeans by the enslavement of Africans had committed an unpardonable sin he stated,
“Leaders from the black African nations are here. Also Louis Farrakhan and the widow of Malcolm X. All of them will speak. Just listen, and when you're called to come up and talk, the lord will tell you what to say.' I listened. Speaker after speaker spoke. Coretta Scott King spoke. Following her was Andrew Young. And, yes, Louis Farrakhan too".
"I was struck by the mutual respect shown even among those who shared different faiths and contradictory philosophies. Where is the anger? I thought. I sensed none of it. Hour after hour I listened. From my seat next a window, I had a view of the beach. The ocean was clam. Form this very spot on the west coast of Africa, cargo boats had been loaded with slaves to be hauled to market. During a period of more than two hundred years, twenty million blacks had been brought from the interior in chains to be sold to the white men who landed their boats on this beach".
"The entrapped humans had been hauled from this, the eastern boarder of the Atlantic, to where waves finally stopped on the eastern shores of the United States. I was an American citizen because my ancestors had chosen, freely, to immigrate to the United States. But the black Americans in the room were not citizens of the United States by virtue of the free choice of their ancestors".
"This beautiful, kind, intelligent Americans were the living ancestors of slaves once dragged in chains in aboard the ships right here! I could see it happening in my mind's eye. Who were those white traders? Were they Dutchmen? Some of them were, yes. I was of Dutch descent. Could one of my ancestors have been in slave trading"?
"I had inherited money from my mother, whose father---had been so he claimed---a baron in the Netherlands. My maternal great grandfather, Gerrit Van Amerongen, had sold all his property in Holland and come to America with his fortune to buy a vast spread in Galveston, Texas, and established' His empire. A horrendous hurricane later wiped him out, leaving him with only a small portion of his imported wealth. But from where had my grandfather acquired his wealth? From his father? Could it be that his family from Holland was involved, directly or indirectly, in the slave trade?"
"These musings released disturbing ideas into my mind as I sat there--- a white man from America listening to black speakers, most of them, if not all, descendants of slaves. For the first time in my life, on the issue of race, I felt the sting of guilt. In my childhood, high school, college, in seminary days, I never felt superior to other races because I was white".
"I honestly looked on all colors as equals. Being better or worst was a matter of character, not color. But suddenly, here now I was drawn back into history when blacks were not equal to whites. They were better! Blacks morally better than whites? Yes! We whites bought and sold their bodies; they didn't buy or sell us. Blacks better patriots than whites? Whites love America, of course! We or ours chose to come to this great country".
"But blacks love this country with the equal passion! How proud they are to be Americans. But neither they nor their ancestors wanted to come here. They were not immigrants--they were imports. They came as products--not people. Abruptly my thoughts were interrupted as I heard my name call. Loudly! Leon was introducing me as the next speaker. "Let's welcome Dr. Schuller!” Applause broke out".
"I found myself almost stumbling through the large crowd. On stage I stepped into Leon's open arms. He beamed, smiled, laughed with pleasure, hugged me, and stepped back gesturing me to the podium. I paused. I prayed. I looked into his eyes of the famous black leaders, including Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s widow. What did I think I had to say to them"?
"My prepared speech now seemed absolutely inappropriate. Suddenly my lips trembled. My face twitched in emotional distress. My heart reached out to these people who loved me. Their grace, affection, and respect reach out to me. I didn't feel that I deserved this. Through my family history I might have been a part of the horrible history of slavery".
"I was speechless. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I prayed silently, "God, let the right words come out". The crowd grew silent, for they could see and sense something strange occurring in the white haired, white skinned television preacher they had lovingly invited into their inner circle. Finally, a few words came. "Thank you for your welcome. I'm so honored to be invited here".
"But as the only white preacher here, I suddenly, strangely sense for the first time in my life a stab of shame and guilt for what we whites did to blacks." I couldn't go on. Tears rolled down my face as I heard only a few more words tumble from my trembling lips. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can not talk I'm so sorry". Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tall black man standing on stage only a few feet from me. He had come up uninvited. For a brief second our eyes connected I recognized him as a clergyman of another faith. His eyes sent a message to this speechless preacher: We don't let someone stand on stage and cry alone".
"I could not deliver a speech after only a few moments on stage I turned to leave. The audience rose, applauded, and cried. We were one in heart! How strongly my soul, through prayer, had asked for and received forgiveness here in Africa."
I CITED THIS QUOTE OF Reverend Robert Schuller because if all white people had this type of humanity then the question of REPARATIONS WOULD BE ANSWERED AND SOLVED TODAY.
Africa was thriving politically, spiritually, educationally, culturally, socially, etc, in the 12th through 16th century you had the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires in which Timbuktu University was attracting students from around the world and Mansu Musa and Sonni Ali was equal to any head of state in Europe. However, the Europeans arrived to the west coast of Africa with the intent to engage the Africans in trade, and commerce and would eventually exploit this mass continent for its riches and raw materials. Also the Christian Missionaries were perhaps most devastating to Africa, they robbed the people of their minds.
The European explorers were aware of the wealth that Africa possessed due their contact with Muslim Moors who had ventured in to Africa in 711A.D. under Tarik Ibn Zaid who had conquered all of North Africa and the majority of Western Europe, all the way to the southern boarders of France which became under the influence of Moorish rule. Islamic Missionaries also robbed African people of their indigenous culture and belief system.
The Crusades Wars ended and by 1492 Europeans had re-conquered Western Europe, as well as stealing maps that were drawn by brilliant Black-Arab cartographers depicting lands of "Negro" people to the south who had established mutual trade relationship and routes with the Islamic Arabs. John G. Jackson and Willis N. Huggins in their monumental book titled, "A Guide to Studies in African History”, states "Let us now turn to Western Europe, and consider the brilliance of Moorish Spain. The Moors, natives of Morocco, in North Africa, were converted to Islam during the Mohammedan [Islamic] Conquest in the 7th century.
In the year 711 C.E. under the leadership of the Emir Musa and the Negro, Tarik-bin-Zaid, veteran Arab generals, and the Moors swarmed across the Strait of Gibraltar" It has been recorded that in 1440's a group of Portuguese maritime sailors actually captured ten (10) Africans off the West Coast of Africa and took them back to Lisbon, Portugal. Thus this incident so-called initiated the African slave trade. Many Africans were actually sold into slavery by warring ethnic African groups, who traded slaves for guns, spices and alcohol with the Europeans.
The Europeans actually built slave dungeons such as Goree Island off the coast of Senegal and Elmina Castle off the coast of Ghana because diseases would not allow them to enter the hinterlands (interior) of Africa and Africans captured slaves and brought them to the coast for sell and trade. The warring African factions had no idea the type of slavery they were selling their kinfolk into.
This said historical incident (meaning Chattel slavery) represented a criminal conspiracy and although U.S. Representative John Conyers, a Democrat of Michigan has introduced into Congress a reparations bill titled H.R. 40, which in essence, is nothing but a fact finding committee offered to study the possibility of REPARATIONS.
Chattel Slavery still remains the greatest crime that was ever committed against humanity. In reality, we do not need a fact finding committee, here we are the sons and daughters of Africa who have been robbed of the knowledge of self, snatched from our native land, made inferior, unjustly persecuted, destroyed our family bonds, etc., in the name of greed and capitalism.
It was our labor that brought untold wealth to Phillip Morris Brothers Tobacco, J.R. Reynolds Tobacco, Ligget and Myers Tobacco, American Tobacco, which allowed the Dukes to accumulate, as well as other private and corporate entities untold financial wealth.
Sir John Hawkins, the English Slave Trader in 1555 was sailing for Great Britain and actually had engaged England in to the buying and selling of Black human cargo, but England did not reap the total benefits of slavery until March 26, 1713 at the signing of the Asiento. This was a contract between Great Britain and the Catholic King of Madrid, Spain giving the British the so-called "legal right" to import Africans into the "New World" commonly known as Spanish Territory.
The most popular date for most historians when you are talking about slavery in North America is 1619 when the Dutch imported twenty (20) Africans to Jamestown, Virginia but were originally classified as indentured servants. These individuals had the right to work their way to freedom and after fulfilling their indentured servant contract many white masters honored the contract and indeed freed them.
Jamestown derives its name from Sir King James, a homosexual who authorized and commenced forty-four (44) scholars to carryout the transliteration of the Holy Bible in 1611 A.D. He also had all forty- four (44) scholars killed upon their completing this task. These scholars had firsthand information of what King James ordered to be left out of the Holy Bible. Yes King James altered the Bible in order to secure control and domination over the thinking of humanity.
The thirteen (13) original colonies were new and nationhood was in its infancy stage as it relates to early America around 1607. The world was witnessing feudalism come to an end, which gave rise to pre-industrialism; moreover, there was a need for the colonist in America to expand their major means of production and distribution. The so-called Native Americans were the original slaves and indentured servants; however, they had a keen knowledge of the terrain and could escape easily and go into hiding and never are found by their white masters. Also the hot temperature and the work was killing the Native Americans and according to the Europeans; they knew a people in "Negro land" who were tough, hard workers and they could easily be identified by their black skin.
The British started importing black slaves to Colonial America in order to clear off the land and work as agriculture workers on cotton and tobacco plantations serving as free labor. Many slaves who were imported into European Countries such as Great Britain between 1440 and 1772 actually work as indentured servants; moreover, in many cases were not relegated to a lifetime status of being a slave.
Slaves in Europe often-time upon being freed served in European militaries became citizens and were even permitted to marry white women. Many work for the rich, aristocrat and for the nobility class as maids, butlers, servants, etc., the cruelty associated with chattel slavery in the Americas was not to be found on a large scale in Europe. Perhaps because Europe was entering out the Dark Ages and had just experience the Renaissance an age of cultural rebirth and a period of enlightenment. In addition, Europe did not have the same economic and political challenges facing it, as the Americas.
The Black Moors had also influenced race relations in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France. Most historians would agree that the institution of slavery in Africa was a lot more humane; thus, warring factions of different ethnic groups captured other African slaves in ethnic conflicts.
But the concept of chattel, conditioning, and brutalization were not common practices in Africa. Africa is a very diverse continent and there were acts of aggression by other Africans who had encroached on other ethnic groups land. The captured slaves still were giving basic rights as a human being. The captured African often worked to assist the tribal family in their work as a communal unit. Africans and Europeans did not have the same views of slavery.
Thus, Europeans viewed Africans as inferior and were a people who had been curse by God and justified their racist behavior, as well as inhumane treatment of Africans as an act of Manifest Destiny. They viewed Africans as subhuman and as a people who had no human or God given rights. Africans viewed slavery as a necessary act in order to curtail encroachment and to secure its people from tribal danger.
However, many Africans had converted to Islam and the Holy Quran forbids the captor to mistreat their captives. Slaves could unconditionally purchase their freedom and marry into the warring tribe's family.
The European nations in 1490's with the advent of Portugal, the Catholic Church and Spain which was headed by Isabella and Ferdinand desired to expand their so-called royal empires through trade, explorations and missionaries. Slavery became a convenient method in order to achieve these imperialistic objectives. The European quickly saw the need for using Africans as a free tool for labor in Europe and the Americas.
In 1442 when the Portuguese landed off the coast of Guinea, it is generally believed by historians that their initial intentions were to establish trade relations with African people and many of the Europeans during these early expeditions were actually using maps and materials confiscated from the Moors upon the Europeans recapturing Europe in 1492. The Europeans brought weapons, gun powder, alcohol, species, working tools, etc., to the African continent; moreover, exposing Africans to goods that were not indigenous to African society.
The Europeans were actually offered African slaves as a form of payment and a trade arrangement was established with certain powerful tribal chieftains who sold captured African slaves to Europeans for trinkets.
The Africans were forced to produce cotton, tobacco, sugar cain, etc. These were considered the basic cash crops on the slave plantation. So many early European writers had described the African continent as the "dark continent" where "savages" and "uncivilized" people lived. Therefore, these so-called "African heathens" need to be saved by these white Europeans and Christianized by missionaries who were commissioned by God to bring salvation to a so-called backwards society.
The Europeans believed in a white manifest destiny and that they had a superior right to enslave and colonize African people. The Europeans believed that they were ordained by God and justified their conduct by using the Holy Bible in order to sanction slavery. They viewed blacks as subhuman and blacks had no rights in which the European was bound to respect.
Many Europeans actually held this racist view and believed that kidnapping black people from Africa and placing them into slavery was a blessing for the Africans; however, they never asked the African how they felt about being enslaved. Yes. The Europeans thought that they were superior based on a false sense of white supremacy and based on military might. Africans have always been a determined people that had a different political, religious, social, economic, culture system, etc., than their white captives, but did not view their way of living as being inferior to whites.
Europeans would find out that the buying and selling of Africans were extremely profitable and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade served as an economic system of exploitation that provided a labor force for plantation owners throughout the Americas. Slavery was simply a racist and capitalistic venture orchestrated by the Europeans.
Europeans decided on using Africans because as I stated earlier in this article that the Native Americans who were the original slaves had too much knowledge relative to the land and had access too many escape routes. In addition, the amount of work and hot temperatures was too unbearable for the Native American. However, the equatorial Africans were accustomed to working in the hot sun and doing it for long hours.
They realized that Africa had a unique social and political structure; thus, African society was complex and was setup based on tribal protocol. The European also realized that based on diseases and in the interior bush country and in order to penetrate they needed African's assistance to carryout their slavery objectives.
They also, realized how trusting and unassuming the Africans were about them as strangers who had a hidden agenda to commit murder, rape, assault, kidnap, etc. The slave trade robbed Africa of its greatest resource which was its human resource and according to some historians over 50 to 100 million Africans was snatched from off the continent and transported across the Atlantic Ocean.
Africa has never recuperated from such a devastating blow. Europeans also raped Africa's natural resources and economically the continent is still suffering presently from these past historical relationships. The Europeans actually captured highly intelligent Africans who were well learned in the sciences, arts, and business oriented people who had the physical and technical ability to build their society.
These Africans were often smart individuals who had plenty of intellectual ability. The Europeans stole diamonds, gold, silver, ivory, timber and other raw materials. The Europeans disrupted the institution of family by unmercifully separating mothers from their children, husbands from their wives, brothers from their sisters, etc. This social phenomenon affected the entire African family for generations to come.
Africans are living in poverty because of the onslaught of European aggression that has stripped Africa of its natural resources, divided the people and has tied Africa's resources to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
I have stated above that Portugal in 1442 became the first European nation to engage itself into the African slave trade, it was short lived, but they brokered deals with the Dutch West India Company and with the British Royal African Company. The Portuguese in the 1440's captured some Africans and took them back to Lisbon; however, Portugal did not have the economic or the political might to really capitalize off the slave trade. The Portuguese played a minimum role in the slave trade because they were not well financed and did not have the resources to capitalize on such profitable venture. They perhaps got the ball rolling for other European nations who were better financed and better suited in maritime science.
Portugal got involved in the African slave trade in 1440 when Prince Henry the Navigator sent his lieutenant, Antam Gonsalves, to the coast of Guinea for a cargo skins and oil.
The nation of Portugal ended its involvement in the slave trade in the year of 1773. Portugal like all other European nations was looking to expand its economic trade boarders beyond the confides of Europe. Capitalism inspired Portugal to venture into un-chartered waters in 1440 because of the profitable possibilities the slave trade could bring to the Portuguese.
Most historians de-emphasizes the racial motivations held by the Portuguese; although I do not believe that they were more humane towards African people than other Europeans, but the record does not indicate race alone as a variable totally defined the relationship of Africa and Portugal.
The Portuguese initially went to Africa to acquire a cargo of animal skins and oil as they made their way toward the interior, they were attacked by an African tribe in which the Portuguese subdued them. The Portuguese captured ten (10) of these Africans and brought them back to Lisbon and it was eventually determined that a few of captives were actually from a royal African family and they were allowed to negotiate their freedom.
Portugal involvement Africa during the 1440's was very significant because they paved the way and open the door for other powerful European nations such as Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, etc., as well as, for private slave traders to venture into Africa to steal human cargo and raped Africa of its natural resources.
J.A. Rogers maintain that Spain was actually in West Africa in 1435, which was five (5) years prior to the coming of Portugal; however their early involvement in Africa was insignificant.
In 1493 with the signing of the Papal Bull of Demarcation between Spain and Portugal, the agreement precluded Spain from being involved in Africa. Spain directly played a minimum role in the import of slaves due the treaties and contracts it held with Portugal. Spain had its sights on the so-called "New World" which included expansion and colonialism.
Although Christopher Columbus in 1492 was trying to find India, he eventually uncovered Hispaniola (Haiti which was already inhabited by the Arawak and Carib Indians. In 1518, the king of Spain had granted a trader the right to ship four thousand African slaves to the Spanish Island. Thus, this was about two hundred years before 1713 with the signing of the Asiento in which the Spanish gave Great British the so-called legal right to import slaves out of Africa into the Spanish Americas.
Spain role directly and indirectly in the slave trade in the seventeenth century began to decline. Spain got involved in the slave trade because it had acquired land throughout the Caribbean Islands, Central America, and South America. Thus, the Spanish needed a labor force to work the huge sugar plantations in order to make them profitable.
Africans were used as the supply and fulfilled the sugar plantation demands. Spain was no different from other European nations who engaged themselves in the African slave trade.
The Catholic Church had sanction slavery as being a moral act on behalf of the Europeans and Spain had a duty to "civilize" the African "heathens" in the name of God and Christ. The Spanish never directly got involved in the slave trade, because of Papal Bull of Demarcation it had signed with Portugal and its legal ramifications.
However, they circumvented these treaties and were heavily involved in the African slave trade. Spain presence in Africa led them to colonize Spanish Sahara and the Cape Verde Islands; however, their presences also help to rape Africa of its human resource and its natural resources.
The British perhaps were the most powerful slave traders in the world; they were well financed and possess the maritime ability to engage Africa in this crime against humanity known as the African slave trade. Some have associated Sir John Hawkins with piloting the first British Slave ship.
They shipped millions of Africans from the African continent to Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Maryland, etc, in order to work on American plantations. Great Britain in 1713 had entered into a legal agreement with Spain under the Asiento and had agreed to import African slaves into the Spanish America, but at the same time they were supplying slaves to colonial America in order to be used as labor to work the agriculture plantations and clear the land.
The British Royal African Company desired to expand British trade relations throughout the world. There was an old saying that stated that, "the sun never sets on the British Empire" this was because the British Empire was so vast. The British got involved in the African slave trade because of economic capitalist expansion and to rape Africa of its valuable human and raw material resources for the benefit of British greed.
The British also viewed Africa as a savage continent who had no history and that they were doing Africa a favor by capturing slaves and bringing them to the new world to serve as slaves. The British also viewed Africans as subhuman and inferior to white Europeans.
The British went into Africa to steal rape and rob Africa of its human resources and its natural resources. The British military, merchants and missionaries served as a team of destruction against African humanity. The British left their influence on Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, etc. The Europeans viewed Africa as the "Dark Continent and after the decline of feudalism Europe need to expand its trade boundaries and based on the acquisitions of so-called new territories , they looked to Africa to fulfill their new labor needs.
Spain, Portugal, France, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, etc., all benefited from the slave trade and have contributed to the division of African people, as well as the raping and robbing Africa of its human and natural resources.
Almost every European nation got involved in the African slave trade due exploitation and capitalist interest. They created a supply and demand concept and at the center of it, all was the African continent. The Europeans saw wealth and unconditional labor at the expense of African people. The Europeans then and now view Africa and the African continent as savages and subhuman. Moreover, they were ordained to civilize African people.
The entire concept of slavery was racist to its core. They chose Africa because the continent up until 1442 was unengaged by Europeans; even though the Moors had wrote and spoke of tales of great wealth, in particular after Mansa Musa 1324 Hajj trip to Mecca were he showered the Emirs and Imams with thousands of tons of African gold. The African slave trade left Africa weaker economically and politically, it also created tribal tension, division and displaced over 100 million of its citizen throughout the Diaspora.
The slave trade open Africa up for future exploitation and has been a factor in the destabilization of the African continent and most of all it has affected past, present and possible future development of the continent. In conclusion, I think that Trans-Atlantic slave trade should be declared as an act of war that was committed against the entire continent of Africa by the nations of Europe.
Moreover, the United Nations should force all European nations who participated in the slave trade to pay Africa and all of its descendant's reparations for this crime. This article is in response to Frank Hurley's letter titled, "Reverse Reparations" that appeared in the Herald-Sun on August 22, 2002. Mr. Hurley's article epitomized the thoughts of a white racist and a bigot who cannot see beyond the evil views of the white power structure. Thus, he consistently blames the victims of slavery and has never condemned the perpetrators who benefited from that 310 years force labor arrangement.
I normally do not entertain ignorance, but Mr. Hurley has no understanding of what the reparations movement truly represents. If Mr. Hurley had written a similar article aimed at denying the historical significance of the Jewish Holocaust and condemning the Jewish reparations movement, Mr. Hurley would be characterized as an anti-Semite and the Anti Defamation League would not stop until him apologized to the Jewish people.
We as Africans of the Diaspora and the descendants who survived the most brutal acts of mans inhumanity to man, have been inspired by our ancestors to seek justice; moreover, our ancestors were kidnapped, raped, robbed, murdered, etc., chattel Slavery endured from 1555-1865, it was slave labor that built the economic foundation of the United States and the present day white Americans and their European brethrens are the private and corporate beneficiaries of the legacy of slavery. The reparations movement is not anti-America, but attorney Willie Gary and Johnny Cochran as well as the mass majority of Black Americans view it as a call toward achieving historical Justice.
The United States Government and private U.S. corporations are guilty of being active participants and collaborators in the slave trade; moreover, no amount of money could ever repair the irreparable damage that was perpetrator against black humanity.
Slavery was the greatest act of negligence ever committed on one race of people and all those who played a part are considered financially liable. Hurley perhaps considers himself as one these good ole boy and Bible toting Christians, but his words were mean spirited and hate filled for black people.
We the African ancestors of our fore parents should demand that this man issue an apology for his reckless treatment of African history and his insensitivity toward five (5) million to twenty (20) million Africans who were murdered during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage.
Hurley perhaps is looking to revive the old south, which black men were lynched, disenfranchised, Black Codes enforce and the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorized innocent black people.
This writer is prepared to debate any scholar on the topic of slavery, as well as the effect of slavery on people of African descendant and more importantly, is willing inter into constructive dialogue with those who are truly interested in improving race relations through out America. This is my response to all of my critics on the subject of Reparations for the black man and black woman of America.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
FAHIM A. KNIGHT
reading it all - it's fairly long - but the excerpt by Dr. Schuller brought tears to my eyes.
Thanks, for sharing.
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"Money" has no value - people do.
I'll be honest. I don't feel quilty cause I NEVER DID IT NOR DID MY PARTICULAR FOREFATHERS!
The one's who should feel guilty are the one's who did it, and the one's who profited from it (Jews and white elitist), and the blacks who actually sold them to the jews.
"I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" Voltaire
______________________________
"Hey you, Whitehouse. Ha ha,.. charade you are" Pigs/Animals/Pink Floyd
Instead of vilifying white people today, why don’t you publicly say…
“Jews get reparations for the holocaust. Why don’t blacks get reparations for a nightmare that lasted well over a hundred years? Why are Jews special?”
In this way, you can rightly say that oppression continues today, since one people get reparations, but another people do not.
As a white Gentile, I would far prefer reparations to go to fellow Gentiles (such as African-Americans, and to Native Americans that don’t have gambling casinos) than to so-called “holocaust victims” and their descendants.
How many times will you cry wolf? This article is pure communist crap. Are we fighting Zionism today or should we first settle events that happened hundreds of years ago?
The Zionist would rather have you fight over this stupid issue. Nice try at race baiting. And QRS fell for it, hook, line and sinker. How pathetic when the owner of the site falls into the crap.
At some point, people have to get their act together. Blaming someone else only goes so far. 150 years of "freedom" and still not close. Hmmm, maybe it's genetic. I think you're taking up this issue with the wrong Overlord, Fahim.
I would expect this information from a Zionist approved "history" book.
And QRS, you are so naive. If you can't smell the anti-white stench in this article, you have no business fighting Zionism, let alone running a website on it.
So, keep coddling those trolls, QRS. Crocodile tears, wailing women and all.
Almost all web sites censor, moderate, or control people’s comments. This web site allows everyone to question anyone and anything.
Sadly, some people confuse “freedom” with “tyranny.” They say that allowing different viewpoints, or different topics, proves that QRS has “no business running an anti-zionist web site.”
They claim to be “anti-zionists,” yet they prefer zionist-style censorship.
They claim to seek “freedom,” yet they want to curtail others’ freedom.
They claim to “logical,” yet they resort to ad hominem attacks.
They claim to hate Jewish supremacism, yet they call others inferior.
They claim to want to spread the word about zionist evil, yet they hurl insults that drive people away.
They are whiny, caustic, and feeble, yet they call others “pathetic.”
They seek attention, yet they do things that make people ignore them.
Everyone is learning. Not everyone realizes that fact.
In defence of Duped, I understand his outcry in concern with the same old rhetoric. I get kinda tired of hearing about the atrocities of the past as well, not because I don't realize they (the blacks in the past), were wronged, for they certainly were. But we do need to get over that hump and realize who profited off the whole damn event.
Duped was just firing off the cuff in my opinion. I'm sure he doesn't desire 1984-style cencorship.
And as for QSR, I do believe she has done the world a great service with this site, the best I have ever been on in regards to freedom of speech. She makes no bias on color or religion nor creed. She seems to me to be a person of great integrity in general.
Fahim (in my opinion), is obviously intelligent and learned in many of his fields of study, but to try to keep driving a wedge between black goy and white goy is exactly what the zionist elite enjoy! If they can keep white goy and black goy inter-fighting, what do they have to worry about? They have fueled this fire for eons.
Peace to all in the name of Jesus Christ.
"I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" Voltaire
______________________________
"Hey you, Whitehouse. Ha ha,.. charade you are" Pigs/Animals/Pink Floyd
is all it takes to show an obvious absurdity:
20,000,000 murdered slaves
divide by 300 slaves per shipload
equals 66,666 shiploads of slaves.
(Quiz: Name that wonderful African American Congressman who said on the floor, years ago, that Sharks still roam the old slave traders ship routes "to this day" looking for (slave) food? )
Even these twisted and morally abject slavers would not dispose of valuable commodities in anything approaching these numbers. Businessmen, no matter how evil, follow the MONEY, and strive to protect their investments. Therefore, I find your argument invalid, absurd and worn out.
You, Fahimknight, will find little support for extorting monies from innocent taxpayers. Forcing the issue will only further a divide that should not exist but for the Zionist prevarication.
Please, let us attempt discussions aimed towards common ground and avoid these red herrings.
I agree with you and "Duped," but I think there are more effective ways to make a point than to use personal attacks.
On a separate topic, if Blacks want reparations, why don't they ask Jews for it? Jews are the ones that have the reparations money anyway.
Gentiles pay reparations to Jews for a hoax, (the "holocaust") yet Blacks get nothing for a real tragedy. And Jews were intimately involved in the slave trade.
I'm curious to hear "Fahimknight's" answer to that one.
If you put your name to the post at the bottom we will know who you are. Why always add : BY FAHIM A. KNIGHT in the heading. Besides headlings of your postings are all caps. Rather irritating and shows you have no confidence that people will read your posts unless you blow your own horn! That is not a way to grab attention.
duped - again calling me a whiny woman - well, here's the whiny mother in me - shame on you!
he has every right to demand reperations FROM THOSE WHO PROFITED FROM SLAVERY. NOT FROM ANYONE ELSE.
And it's those who profited from it most who often belittle and berate the idea that African Americans are entitled to reparations. They are entitled to it - the question must be - WHO - EXACTLY - owes it to them??? Because demanding an entire innocent population to pay for it is bullshit.
It's like saying today that the rest of the nation should pay for some homeowners to remain in their homes because they were duped by bloodsucking moneylenders.
LET THE MONEY LENDERS PAY!
And in the same token - LET THE SLAVE TRADERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS PAY!
We know enough about the history of the slave trade to pinpoint who the guilty parties are. It's easy.
The reason why Reverend (not Dr.) Schuller's account brought tears to my eyes is that even though he did not (at the moment he expressed his empathy) know whether or not his family had something to do with this barbarism, his heart was open enough and feeling enough to EMPATHIZE with a people who have suffered so cruelly and through no wrong doing of their own (granted some bastard Africans might have been complicit in the "sale" but that doesn't make it their fault).
Anyway, my point is - if more white people would agree that in pricinple - African Americans deserve some reparations DIRECTLY from SLAVE TRADERS and their DESCENDANTS (depending of course on whether their descendents actually have anything to give - no sense in taking from the destitute to give to the destitute), then more African Americans would be willing to work with whites to come to just solution.
Also, thx makes a good point - why give reparations to Jews for a wrong that lasted only a few years and is hotly contested when slavery lasted hundreds of years and is cold hard fact.
let's face it - Jews get what they want because they are on top with their boots on our necks, while African Americans - many of whom languish in jail for lack of education and lack of opportunity are asking for some recognition for the innumerable wrongs that they've suffered.
Ultimately, however, if the subject is such a hot button between the races, African Americans might consider directing their attention to putting a definitive END to the CURRENT raping of their communities by bloodsucking money lenders.
THAT would be a far better use of ALL of our time.
---------------------------------------
"Money" has no value - people do.
"Sadly, some people confuse “freedom” with “tyranny.” They say that allowing different viewpoints, or different topics, proves that QRS has “no business running an anti-zionist web site.”"
Gimme a break. This article is the same anti-white crud that I can find in the mainstream press, except much more diluted in fact. The reason these forums are valuable is that they bypass the propaganda in the press. This article is the official line and is strange to see on an anti-Zionist website. QRS support of the article is even stranger.
Supposedly this website represents no “racism,” but tolerates Zionist inspired racism against whites. It seems to be a habit here. And QRS has the audacity to compliment it, but calls me a white supremacist? Maybe she's a victim of the self-righteous PC crowd, but I would expect a higher standard from people wise about Zionism. Just pointing out the hypocrisy and narrow minded thinking. After all, isn’t this what forums are for?
If you think you can fight the Zionists without a racial consciousness, think again. Part of the Zionist’s scheme is to destroy someone’s identity. Corrupting morals, destroying religion, breaking up the family, confusing gender roles, changing or distorting history, making truth relative are some of the ways this is done. Shaming one to deny their racial/national/cultural pride is another. I would never deny someone, regardless of color, their identity. It’s evil. But if racial identity merely consists of blaming another race for their lack of accomplishment, then that’s really sad.
Just as anti-Zionists can be manipulated into hating all Jews, blacks are manipulated into hating whitey, instead of looking at themselves. This article is a good example of that.
BTW, the question stands, what does this article have to do with fighting Zionism, even tangentially? Can I start posting sports scores?
Thanks Peacetroll, your comments are appreciated. I think you understand where I’m coming from. Like I said before, people think that they can fight Zionism on the Zionist’s terms. Good luck.
"Anyway, my point is - if more white people would agree that in pricinple - African Americans deserve some reparations DIRECTLY from SLAVE TRADERS and their DESCENDANTS (depending of course on whether their descendents actually have anything to give - no sense in taking from the destitute to give to the destitute), then more African Americans would be willing to work with whites to come to just solution."
You've gotta be kidding me. I'm almost speechless.
So much for the age old principle that sons should not pay for the sins of their fathers. I don't expect a collective dime from Jews for our money system. I just want the system ended. Do you know what kind of slippery slope that is?
BTW, if I am a 1st generation that comes from a country that had no slavery, do I have to pay too? After all they want money form ALL whites. That's just pure racism and not very smart.
peacetroll hear is my answer. First man, I love that Voltaire Quote that you lways use.
"I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" Voltaire.
Please do not stop using this on your post it always pleasantly set the stage for me. I have adopted it as one of my "Universal Truths"
Do you remember the Nation of Islam Historical Research Department published the book titled, "The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews" published in 1991. I read the book and found it quite informative and historically accurate. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT ZIONIST JEWS PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. THEY FINANCED IT AND WERE INVOLVED ON EVERY LEVEL.
I am smart enough to know that point and I am surprise that some of you are questioning my understanding of this fact. Thus, if you have read all my post, I am not a "status Quo" scholar or historian. I AM A FLAMETHROWER WHEN IT COMES TO UNCOVERING THE TRUTH.
The Zionist controls every aspect of mass mediums, both electronic and print and most of your national and international politicians are GENTILE FRONTS. They are well financed with many disguises and have the ability to stifle, direct and misdirect, as well as, shape and mold public opinion and thought.
The Anti-Defamation League, and its president Abraham Foxman used their well financed arsenal to stifle the debate advocated in the book, "The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews" which scholarly explored this subject of Zionist Jews and the Slave Trade by using reputable Jewish scholars as its citations.
Farrakhan's group, the Nation of Islam was the only black organization that had the guts and courage to tie Zionist Jews to the African Slave Trade. The Zionist uses the term "anti-Semitism" and curtail any past, present and/or historical critique of Jewish behavior, even if that behavior is immoral, reprehensible, and racist.
Moreover, very few Caucasian groups or so-called black organization came to Farrakhan’s defense because of fear of being labeled an "anti-Semite" and this debate of Zionist Jewish involvement in the African Slave Trade disappeared.
The Zionist Jews should be required to pay Africans reparation, but that does not absolve all of the European Nation who acted as FRONT NATIONS and Cannon Fodder working on behalf of the Zionist. The historical wrong can never be "righted" by being in denial and trying to censor debate and control disagreeable speech.Why can not we talk about this issue void of emotionalism.
I agree with this point, the Zionist does use race issues as a distraction to his benefit and they keep the goyaims (Useless Eaters) confused and disorientated.
Lastly, African Nations also must be held responsible for their role and participation in the selling of their kith and keen into Chattel Slavery.
I am also dismayed that some of those who responded to my post are asking the site owner to ban me from posting. Now! That sound like a Zionist ploy (controlling debate) or perhaps it is just some good ole boy ignorance. I stand by the TRUTHS I write and I ordinarily do not entertain ignorance, but some of these responders who want me off the site appear to be Zionist inspired.
Once again I enjoy the conversation so I agree with some of the ideas and disagree with other ideas. BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY IT. I do have a part two to this response and perhaps at some point I will go into better detail.
Thank you
Fahim A. Knight
For those that are questioning my posting style. I am new to this site, I do not know how to format the post. I did receive an email from the site host this morning in reference to how I post, but I explained to her that I needed her assistance in this area.
Now! how ridicules is it for someone to come up with the notion that I am blowing my own horn. I am not that arrogant or egotistical. I have a very large following and I do not need for people to know who I am. I just do not know how to format and post my comments.
But let’s STOP THIS WEAK CRITICISM and confront me on the ideals. This is where the battle is and using a weak format criticism to this dismiss my ideals is comical, to say the least. Let's debate the merits of a topic; moreover, because these intelligent people on this site can see straight threw your ignorance.
Many may not agree with everything I have written about, but no one will deny that it is not intelligent.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
Sorry! I was not aware that you did not know how to format your postings.
I thought since you are a very informed blogger, you would know how to format. But hey we all have some weakness that we can only perfect.
I sincerely apologise!
In my opinion, there are two aspects of this post that are highly suspect. The first is the claim that the slave trade was the "Greatest Crime Ever Committed". While the crime was indeed serious, claims such as this are normally the province of Zionist hucksters trying to squeeze a few more hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the suffering of their ancestors.
This leads me neatly on to the second suspicious aspect of the post - the demand for reparations. Financially profiting from the suffering of your ancestors, whether that suffering was real or invented, is again the province of the Zionist huckster. Do a little research and see how little of the holocaust reparations actually made it to the claimed survivors or the descendants of those who died.
I have to echo the concerns of others here who see this as a thinly-veiled attempt to create division and misunderstanding between blacks and whites when unity, mutual respect and understanding are what is required. I don't OWE anyone anything, regardless of their race, other than basic human respect.
This promotion of the utterly fallacious concept of collective guilt even exists in Ireland, a country that has never participated in the slave trade and whose people (in the past) were themselves taken as involuntary indentured servants and shipped half way across the world.
Sir this is not about profiting, but yes it is about profiting (somebody profiting yesterday and are still profiting today).The African slave trade started in the 1555 (slave ship named "Jesus" piloted by Sir John Hawkins and lasted of until 1865). That amounts to 310 years of free slave labor.
Now! We can not cure the problem until unless we first deal with the DENIAL ASPECT. African slavery was not a Hoax or something created in Hollywood for the benefit of an overt and covert agenda. We have not profited from our "HELLOCAUST" But most European nations are still paying reparations to the Zionist Jews for their allege suffering.
All of Europe and America got their financial start based on slave commodity. Sir this argument/debate is not going anywhere any time soon. Why not deal with it? You are the financial beneficiaries of the GREATEST CRIME EVER COMMITTED either directly or indirectly.
And I reject the notion that African American is hustling their historical suffering. Sir! we have not even received an apology for the wrongdoings of slavery and slavery ended over 150 years ago and not to mention one cent.
Racism has the tendency of confusing and disorientating its embracers and most of all it is a social disease that blinds individual's ability to reason and accept truth. I AM NOT DEALING WITH A WELL COMMERICALIZE AND FINANCED HOAX. I DEALING WITH TRUTH.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
in their OWN COUNTRY!!! The I.R.A. are villified for BEING IRISH!!
"This promotion of the utterly fallacious concept of collective guilt even exists in Ireland, a country that has never participated in the slave trade and whose people (in the past) were themselves taken as involuntary indentured servants and shipped half way across the world.
sullivan | Fri, 2007-09-14 21:52"
Who's gonna pay their compensation?
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To Jesus Through Mary
Yes, it does, but who should foot the bill, if indeed someone must do so?
Not true. Ireland is in Europe and was enduring famine while this slave trade was going on. There are many countries in Europe that had nothing whatsoever to do with it. Please do not generalise.
My ancestors and those of MY fellow citizens had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with this trade. Why should I 'deal with it'? Isn't acknowledging it enough? As I said, I owe nothing to anyone, except the basic respect that should be accorded to all.
Sorry, but I am not the financial beneficiary of any such thing. I come from a country that suffered from the excesses of British Imperialism. We could have an equal claim to 'compensation' but I suspect the similarity between the colour of our skin and that of the 'perpetrators' would militate against us.
It certainly seems like hustling. By the way, I reject silly politically-correct and utterly meaningless euphemism such as "African American". It doesn't undo the damage that happened in the past, it doesn't stop the damage to the black community that continues to happen. It doesn't offer a better future to the kids from the projects. It hasn't stopped those who hated before from hating now. It doesn't redress the balance. It is pointless terminology dreamed up by academia.
So what? The Irish have not received anything resembling a proper apology for the suffering of their ancestors under British rule. There comes a time when as a people you just have to write it off and MOVE ON.
By the way, will you please stop addressing me as 'Sir'?! I have not yet received a knighthood and in the unlikely event that I were to be offered one, I would have to politely decline, as monarchies are elites and I detest elites.
The Irish that got captured and shipped out en masse to the Barbados and other english conquests in the West Indies were slaves. They were valued less than the black slaves and bred like cattle as "Redlegs"
There are many good books, but I'd recommend "To Hell or Barabdos" By Sean O'Callaghan. Flogging Molly has a great song about it, "Tobacco Island"
Reparation owed by her inbredness, the queen of england AND the decendents of the zionist owners of the plantations.
Then there is the matter of GENOCIDE that they mask as the Potato Famine. It was mass starvation while Irish commodities were being exported to england. The records of the shipments are all recorded.
http://www.irishholocaust.org/
The "Work Houses" (concentration camps) and "Coffin Ships" (ethnic cleansing) were terms in the ongoing language war that hide the real truth - GENOCIDE
From one of my favorite Pogues songs - "Young Ned on the hill"
"A curse upon you oliver cromwell
You who raped our motherland
I hope you're rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you sent
To our misfortunate forefathers
Whom you robbed of their birthright
"to hell or connaught" may you burn in hell tonight
I can appreciate these three posters, which appear to be Irish Nationalist and Patriots or perhaps white nationalist.
But anyone who knows anything about history and race relations know that haven't no Irish people suffered and endured no slavery of 310 years equal to the African "HELLOCAUST" where over 100 million Africans were displaced and another 10 million were killed during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage.
Here is the difference, you still have Ireland that you can call home; your people were not rob of their native land you were not rob of your language, you were not rob of your religion, you were not rob of your culture and heritage, you were rob of your God and lastly you were not rob of your mind.
Many of the Irish people that migrated to the United States in the 19th and 20th century arrived through Ellis Island, as legitimate immigrants looking up at the Statue of Liberty which was giving to America as a gifted from France. The African arrived in the holds of slave ships, they did not get the privilege to be welcome as an immigrant like the Irish and other European immigrants.
These people on this site are to intelligent to be duped by your nationalist spin on history. Lastly, by virtue of your skin color the Irish Jews and the Irish Gentiles both integrated into what ever society they chose and became apart of the dominant culture based on skin color and received benefits due to us living in a “Pigmentocracy” (a society where rewards and privileges are granted based on race and ethnicity). The Africans can not change their color.
Now! this is what I do agree on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once stated, "Injustice anywhere, is injustice everywhere.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
I happen to be Irish. The real deal, born and bred there. I am not a Nationalist of any ilk.
Where are you getting your figures from? Anyway, since when do numbers count? One million, ten million, one hundred million. It is all unnecessary suffering. Anyway, your statement is not 100% correct even if it is not entirely incorrect.
Now you are demonstrating your ignorance or your unwillingness to contemplate the suffering of others. Our land was occupied. We had to fight hard to get it back and even then only two thirds of it were returned. The majority religion was outlawed, as was our native language. Our native language to this day barely survives
Most Irish immigrants in the 19th century were forced into emigration through famine. No amount of whitewashing on your part will change that.
I think you have a rose-tinted view of the 'welcome' immigrants received, even though I acknowledge that you have a point with respect to the way the African slaves arrived and the way they were treated. I'm not excusing that treatment for one moment. However, you would do well to remember that the Irish were forcibly taken to the Caribbean and Tasmania in similar conditions long before they arrived as immigrants to America.
Nationalist? Spin? If ANYONE is putting a spin on things, it is you, by dint of your refusal to acknowledge that slavery and suffering existed outside of the trade in African slaves. For me at least, this is not about Africans, Irish, or anyone in particular. I didn't intend my contributions to focus on the suffering of one group and if it came across that way, I apologise. To focus exclusively on the suffering of any one group is to absolutely ignore the suffering of countless others - the Native American, the Australian Aboriginal, the Maori, the Indian, the Arab... the list goes on and grows longer with every passing decade.
Here you are displaying your ignorance of the nuances of the reality. No pun intended, but this is not a black and white matter. Again, just as an example, Irish people encountered active open discrimination in the United Kingdom as recently as two decades ago. Irish people seeking accommodation in the UK often found signs in windows of properties to rent saying "No blacks, no Irish, no dogs". The WASP community in the United States actively discriminated against Catholic immigrants as recently as the 1950's. Nothing is as cut-and-dried as it might seem to you.
At least we agree on that much. Despicable criminality and terrible injustice is everywhere, which is precisely the point I have been trying to make. Financial compensation doesn't make it any better. It doesn't provide closure.
I don't think my family had anything to do with slave trading on either side, but that is not the point. I don't think anyone can honestly look at the present economic condition of the black community in the United States and say that slavery is not partially responsible.
Blacks were supposed to get 40 acres and a mule in addition to their freedom. The obvious reason for this was that the newly freed slaves had virtually no property. Were magic fairies supposed to feed them? Unfortunately, "40 acres and a mule" never seemed to materialize into anything more than a slogan. Blacks became economic slaves, and were oppressed by Jim Crow laws and unfair voting practices that lasted until Brown v Bd. of Education and the voting rights act of 1965. (Actually, these unfair practices lasted longer than that, but the VRA established a means of weeding them out.)
Although some blacks were able to prosper through their own skills and hard work, we can see that many have been trapped by the invisible bonds of prejudice, ignorance and crushing poverty.
I know that people of all races are born into less than desirable circumstances, but how many of us can trace our lineage to one brought to this country brought in chains? Who can say that all of their ancestors were denied an equal right to go to school, to work or to vote? It is easy enough to tell someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but it is cruel to say that to one raised in a dysfunctional society caused by deliberate and calculated prejudice.
So I am for reparations, in the same spirit of those originally intended. "40 acres and a mule" were the means to make a man financially independent if he was willing to work. I think we should give the descendants of slaves the same opportunity to make good and to have a sense of dignity.
-----------------------
"Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly."
a Math day for me, dunno.
Anyway, Christopher, whom I agree with most of your post BTW, I did a couple of simple calculations to illustrate your good intentions. Let's see:
A 40 acre plot and a mule, hmmm, don't know the going rate for mules so let me skip that. Forty acres-let's say $5,000/acre; seeing that country land is cheaper than city, of course. Heck land where I live in FL goes for $125,000 an acre and it is rural land! So, $5K will do since I've shopped land in many states.
Next, there are approximately 39,000,000 Blacks (13% of 300 Million). Let's not argue semantics or figures here,...please?
So, leaving out the mule then we arrive at $7.8 TRILLION Dollars: (39M X $200,000)
Holy smokes! I smell riots in the streets already.
how about this. We, as a consortium of concerned and benevolent citizens, convince the Federal Reserve to make all African Americans "Member Bank Individuals" and then create instant wealth. This way, as the Fed Reserve has recently shown with their $200 Billion injection since 8/10/07, we could avoid that messy and potentially long delay of Congress Passing/Presidential signing process.
Well if the Fed reduced the amount to $10K each it's only $390 Billion. Much easier to swallow AND we don't even see a tax increase!
I think you'll find that farmland is a lot less expensive than you think. Here is the first 40 acre farm I found:
40 +/- acres near Ritter. Remote Non-Buildable, uncut timber, good hunting area, LOP tags. 1/4 mile from the North Fork of the John Day River. River has a native Steelhead run and world class small mouth Bass fishing. $55,000.00
Here's one in Missouri:
40 ACRES----This excellent acreage has 26.1 acres CRP at $75.60 per acre till 2007, 13.9 acres timber with 1 pond.? This one has it all, great hunting with CRP income, lots of wildlife and a pond.? There is also several excellent sites for building, plus 1/2 mile of road frontage.? Located near Jameson in Daviess County with an offered price of $68,000.
Who Knew? Check it out:
http://www.farmseller.com/
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"Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly."
now your spectacular research lowered the tally to, what, $2.2 TRILLION?
I did politely say Please didn't I? You know, the semantics and figures. It was to make a very valid point while putting aside the other arguments such as merit and actual directly demonstrated hardship.
This entire discussion, including my own brilliant display of mathematical skills, really does not belong here IMO. It serves to further divide us and GUESS who benefits from that.
You are trying to overlook the most important aspects of this argument by trying to dismiss and minimize the numbers. Moreover, as though the 100 million does not mean much as far as what took place in the African Slave Trade, that alone represents typical European DENIAL.
We still have not giving those (Africans) the respect of a proper burial and interment service. Yes. Reparations will always be on the table; you can take it or let it alone. The numbers matter to people of African descent because, it represents the death of human beings, my ancestors and our collective suffering that we will never allow to be dismissed by Europeans perpetrators talking this emotional rhetoric of no historical value.
Now let me give you a little history, many black freedom fighters of the 1960' and 1970's such as Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael), Jamil Abdullah Amin (H. Rapp Brown), Robert Williams of Deacons of Self-Defense, the Black Panther Party head by Huey P. Newton, Joanne Chesmire (Assata Shakur) of the Black Liberation Army, etc., had allied themselves with the IRA as comrades in arm struggle.
They backed the liberation struggle being fought by the Irish Liberation Army (IRA) in their fight against United Kingdom's imperialism and oppression.
Many of these freedom fighters became targets and victims of J. Edgar Hoover (Former FBI Director) Counter Intelligence known as COINTELPRO because of their support for liberation struggles from around the world. There are some things I will never say on this site, but we are not ignorant to the liberation struggles that have taken place around the world.
You mentioned the Irish arrived to the United States (they still came as immigrants officially recognized by the United States Government) escaping a famine, the Africans could not make that determination, and we came as PRISONERS OF WAR, CAPTIVES ACROSS A DEATH MARCH (via the Atlantic Ocean and the slave ship). You mentioned your language barely surviving, at least it survived. How about this, nothing survived for Africans under Chattel Slavery.
Let me give you three of my most definitive sources relative to the numbers: The first book is titled, "Reparations: The Cure for America's Race Problem" published 1994, which written by a Caucasian scholar by the name of Ida Hakim, the next source is titled, "The Debt: What America Owes to Black America" Published in 2000, authored by Randall Robinson and the next source is titled, "The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews" published in 1991, by the Nation of Islam Historical Department.
What I do agree on, is this, we can agree to disagree. But let's not denigrate this debate to covert personal insults.
Thanks,
Fahim A. Knight
one of the many reasons that inspired me to investigate the roots of our current (and past) problems here in the USA and the World, were the incessant imposition of various groups demanding Special treatment.
The Jews impose the holocost, the Blacks impose the slave issue, the Gays impose their lifestyle, the liberals impose PC, NOW imposes whimphood, the Corporations impose Golden handcuffs, the local, State and National Governments impose Taxes, and on...
All have in common one thing and that is Talmudic Zionist Doctrine and the MONEY backing to go with it.
So please don't hide behind your righteousness. You are either a Dupe or an informed instigator and you are presently talking to my hand.
Mr. Honestabe thank you for your response. But I am not imposing anything on anyone other than giving the facts of the African Slave Trade. The African Slave Trade is not a Hoax and it was not invented by Hollywood on the Big Screen. Racism is a disease and I do not have a cure, but just like the Zionist, you want to stifle this debate.
Sir your response sound just like one of those agent provocateurs of the Zionist Anti Defamation League or one of these Gentile Front agents defending the interest of your Zionist PAYMASTERS. They have mastered the ART OF DECEPTION and your comments sound like something out of their DOSSIER PLAY BOOK. It is disrespectful to talk to peoples hand, I prefer talking to you.
Reparations for the Africans.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
Now you're a full blown African, cool. 'You had me at' African. Yeah!
What is Wrong the Cat got your tongue. I will debate your best scholars on this issue. Send me your best Zionist inspired scholars. I have not read one post that is based on research. EMOTIONALISM, EMOTIONALISM, EMOTIONALISM.
Send me your best.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
People can disagree with me. That's cool and its your right.
But how about this metaphor:
You come up the intersection and you see a guy who is a beat up. You say to the guy, "What happened to you?" He points to another fellow and says, "He beat the crap out of me."
So you ask the other guy and he admits to beating up the injured guy. You say, "You have to make this right." And he says, "Yeah, but you know how much it's going to cost?"
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"Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly."
Poor metaphor. You can not make the victim the criminal and the criminal victim. You make it appear like it is a crime to question the perpetrator. You went straight to the questing of money, but your metaphor example did not acknowledge the fact that a criminal act took place (Justice was over looked in your example). You can not put the cart before the horse, it will cause confusion; thus, people have to first know and acknowledge that a crime indeed took place. Educate the people on the issue do not incite people with these poor metaphors.
Chattel Slavery was a crime. I have many conversations with my Caucasian brothers and sisters (yeh my Caucasian family).They have an Organizations called Caucasians for Reparations, you probably can Google search them on line and learn more about this group if you are interested in their work. They are humane and decent people.
We may disagree on some things, but we all agree that Chattel Slavery was a barbaric act committed against African people and Reparations is a just demand. Congress John Conyers (D-Michigan) has put forth a Bill to study the question of Reparations into United States Congress.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
Because I certainly didn't understand your post.
Let's try this again. There's Person A. He finds a guy who's beat up. That's person B. (In this metaphor, he represents the descendants of slaves.) A asks B what happened. B says person C attacked him. C admits to doing this. (Person C is the country that has profited from slavery.) But he refuses to make good because of the cost.
(I don't know what you are talking about with "You can not make the victim the criminal and the criminal victim." My metaphor was only this one act number with no scenery changes.)
(You might be wondering who person A is. A is a guy who runs a sporting goods store and likes pictures of girls holding wrenches.)
My point is that if C did something wrong to B, it is of no import that it will cost a lot of money to remedy the situation. Justice demands that C do something. As you say: Justice was over looked in your example That was the whole point.
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"Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly."
I also mentioned that Irish people were taken to the Caribbean as slaves, a point you conveniently overlooked. The slave trade in Africa was not the first, neither was it the last. Our history as the human race is blotted with such displays of utter barbarism. I agree that these things need to be acknowledged by the perpetrating nations and sincere apologies given. However my original issue with your piece stands. Not all Europeans nations were involved in or benefited from these atrocities, yet you seem to think that we all collectively owe the descendants of the victims of the slave trade an apology. The truth is, we do not. I can not will not be held accountable for what the British, French or Dutch did two centuries or more ago.
By the way, the Irish language survived because people put their lives on the line for it, not for any other reason. It is simply NOT TRUE that nothing of African culture survived. A trip to Brazil will quickly show that African customs and traditions survived amongst the descendants of the slaves there.
seeing that Ya'll ain't from these here parts let me splane it to ya,...I ain't buyin' what yer a sellin'....Kapesch?
I do not deal with ignaorance, but to the intelligent posters comments I will be dealing with you at some point later in the day. I am actually in REPARATIONS meeting as I write you all this post.
They (the intelligent posters) deserve and are entitle to an intelligent response. I do not address covert personal insults.
Where I am from there is an old country saying, if it is to hot in the kitchen, get out the kitchen.
Thank you,
Fahim A. Knight
I'm enjoying watching Sullivan take the historic shilelagh to you, Fahim. Your ignorant comments about Irish slavery and genocide should preclude your attendance at any reputable reparations conference until you take some real history courses.
By all means continue to fence with Sullivan. He has a logical mind like Aristotle and a tongue that could clip a hedge!
"I will be dealing with you at some point later in the day."
There are many major faults with your basic premise and I find it personally degrading to spend valuable time dealing with your ignorance and your racially divisive agenda.
You certainly have a right to express your desires for reparation but as a similar adage goes, your right to discuss monetary reparations ends with your stealing money out of My pocket. Likewise, your right to differ with my opinion ends with your above thinly veiled threat.
You, Fahim, introduced the "Race card", not I. You, Fahim, identify yourself as an African, not an American; I am an American. You, Fahim, introduced arbitrary and unprovable homicide numbers here, not I. You, Fahim, reference racially bigoted militants, such as the Black Panthers, to bolster your argument, not I.
If you are so blind as to not see your own vividly demonstrated racial bigotry then may God help you see it and may God protect me from it!
Thank you all kindly, for your comments and replies. I am just ending my day after attending a REPARATIONS Conference in Detroit, Michigan. Perhaps at some point I will share that experience with those who are interested in the welfare of humanity and give them an up-date.
Mr. Sullivan, you still have not shown me historically where no Irish were in slavery for over 300 years in the Caribbean nation of Barbados. I have my source right here in front of me titled, "Slavery and Capitalism" by one Eric Williams, a Caribbean historian and the former Prime Minister of Jamaica and who is an acceptable authority on Caribbean History who was highly academically trained. Mr. Williams does not support your claim as in-depth as you articulated. But I had to investigate you passionate story, but could not find the historical documentation which to support your passionate Irish claim. Sorry.
Some Europeans were taken to the Caribbean’s as INDENTURED SERVANTS. Let me define that for you in legal terminology what that mean. These individuals had signed contracts to labor for a prescribed period of times and after completing those contract they were set free and many of them became slaveholders themselves over Africans.
Now! The British Jew and the Irish Jew were co-conspirators who disguised themselves as Catholics and Protestants, but shared the same interest of human economic exploitation of the Irish people. I think the Irish people should seek REPARATIONS from that Irish Jew and that British Jew. And we will support your legitimate right to make this case in the United Nations.
In the early from 1607 to 1770 the early American settlers came to the so-called “New World” as part of England’s quest to expand its boarders in search of economic gain and compete with other European nations like France, Portugal, Holland, etc., who began to acquire land acquisitions in the “New World” and expand their territories.
The British were inspired to engage in these voyages due to the fact that the Spanish had propagandized of the treasures they acquired in Mexico and Central America. Thus, Great Britain expansion and explorations expeditions were inspired by the ideal of enriching the Royal Throne.
England during the 17th century was an agrarian nation at this time in history and the nation was experience difficulties trying to sustain its populous economically. Many British who volunteered to come to the “New World”; some historians maintain they were the dregs of Europe. For example, criminals, mentally ill, derelicts, undesirables, etc., but there were some British citizens that was good citizens and accepted an indentured servant status to compensate for their trip to the “New World and they took advantage of this opportunity to come to this new frontier, in hope of acquiring a new opportunity.
You mentioned Brazil. The Africans that live in Brazil lost the most essential cultural connection to any people, which is their language. Black people in Brazil speaks Portuguese, the slave masters tongue and not Hausa, Bantu, Akhan, Fulani, Mandinka, etc., indigenous African languages. A peoples, mores, folkways and cultural values are tied to the tongue.
One of your cheering squad members mentioned my numbers relative to the DEATH MARCHES (Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage) I guess he assumed they were inflated. Brazil is a perfect example of the displacement of African People and Brazil with its fifty million African populations represents the largest Diaspora of black people outside of the continent of Africa. The United States have the next with its forty million Africans living in America. These numbers are real and can be supported. How do you think the descendants of Africa got to these alien places? Answer: Slave Ships.
One of your cheering squad members spoke about his pride in being an American. I am not an American and proud to say (I did not have the privilege of entering the United States via Ellis Island) I am one of the 40 million victims of Americanism. Blacks were made "Americans" with the passing of the Thirteen Amendment to the United States Constitution. This statement alone is the basis of our REPARATIONS CLAIM.
President Bush has shown you good Americans what your patriotism mean. Nothing other than sending your sons to Iraq and Afghanistan to STEAL OIL and OPIUM and serve as a tool for United States Foreign Policy (which benefits the Zionist State of Israel). He stripped your U.S. Constitution down to nothing. He has taken the meat of your Bill Rights and passed numerous Executive Orders and legislation rendering us powerless and modern day slaves. At least I can recognize these factors. And in short while he is going declare Marshal Law on all you good ole American boys.
Lastly, I think one of your cheerleaders mentioned that I threaten him in my posting. He must be hallucinating and/or just in shock that African can out think him. Moreover, he doesn't understand it is against the LAW to threaten people over the Internet. We live in the time of the United States Patriot Act and the Military Commission Act; it is not wise to be threatening people over these wires. I know that good ole patriot should understand that but may be not, he might be too wrapped up in that FLAG.
I think someone equated your intelligence to one of the Greek Philosophers. Right away Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates went to school in Egypt (Black Africa) and were taught either directly or in directly in the Egyptian Mystery Schools by Africans.
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "INJUSTICE ANY WHERE IS INJUSTICE EVERYWHERE". REPARATIONS FOR THE AFRICANS AT HOME AND ABROAD.
I got some good laughs at some of the ignorant posters. They can not debate me. Send me your best Zionist inspired scholars because you GENTILE FRONTS are losing this debate in a dismal way.
Fahim A. Knight
You must first show me where I stated that they were enslaved in Barbados. Then you might disclose your sources for your fantastical claim of 100 million African victims of slavery and any other unsubstantiated claims you have made. You don't substantiate any of your claims. Why should I?
He said it, therefore it must be true. Is that the extent of your ability to carry out thorough academic research?
That is because you can't be bothered. That is because it doesn't fit with your racially-biased perception of slavery.
How about you provide some proof for this ludicrous assertion? Where is the EVIDENCE?
That is simply not true. The fact that the slavery was misrepresented as an indenture by the colonial power is neither here nor there. It was not an indenture - it was slavery.
The Proclamation of 1625 ordered that Irish political prisoners be taken from Ireland and transported overseas to be sold as laborers to English planters who were settling the islands of the West Indies. In 1629 a large group of Irish men and women were sent to Guiana, and by 1632, Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat in the West Indies. A census in 1637 showed that just short of 70% of the population of Montserrat was made up of Irish slaves - a matter which was recorded as being a cause of concern to the English planters.
The Cromwellian government in Ireland handed the slave monopolies to Puritan merchants who then sold their slaves on to other Puritan merchants in the Caribbean, Virginia, and New England. If you know even the smallest detail about Cromwell and his cronies, you will know that they were not in the business of 'signing contracts'.
Apparently the first witch killed in the famous Massachusetts witch trials was an old Irish slavewoman (Anne Glover) who had been taken by Cromwellian forces and sold as a slave in the 1650s. She could recite the Lord's Prayer in Irish and Latin, but didn't speak English and for this 'sin' was hung.
So what? Are you saying this because it suits your obviously racist agenda?
They can't debate you because you don't provide facts, just conjecture. When asked a question you don't like, you simply ignore it. How does that facilitate debate? The fact that you can repeat your unsubstantiated propaganda ad-nauseum, ad-infinitum does not make you a scholar and doesn't give you the right to look down your nose at others here.
They are not losing the debate. There is no debating with the very obvious prejudice you exhibit.
By the way, as you claim to be first-generation African, I am curious to know what you are doing at a reparations conference? Surely the issue of reparations has nothing to do with you, given that your ancestors were not amongst those taken in slavery? Indeed if you are 1st generation African, then your ancestors may well have been amongst those who facilitated the slave traders.
http://www.jewwatch.com/jew-atrocities-slaves-jewish-slave-ship-owners.h...