200 Years - Nothing's Changed!!

The month of March marked the 200th anniversary of Britain's legal abolition of its slave trade. Of course, this proclamation was more word than deed, more pomp and circumstance, holier than thou nose thumbing than righteous moral repentance for the hundreds of thousands of human lives brutalized and snuffed-out as a direct result of its (Britain's) legalized, sanctioned, unabashed genocide.

This is evidenced by two facts.

One, Britain has maintained or created colonies (both internal and external) for over 150 years after (and arguably up to this very day) through neocolonialism and occupation directly supported by slavery - in many of its subtle forms, which by definition are hard to detect.

Two, nothing was done then, or over the past 200 years, to repair the unfortunate damage to Afrika and her people throughout the world, caused by Britain's zealous slave trade.

During the month of March, all over Afrika, there were ceremonies of remembrance and reflection on the genocide and holocaust that Afrika's people, diaspora-wide, have endured as a result of colonialism (of which slavery is a major tool).

However, here in North Amerika, there was even less news coverage about Afrika than usual - this most important authentic Afrikan memorial ceremony was subjected to an all out whiteout. We must think about this in a context that lies deeper than the surface racism and supremacist disdain western culture has towards Afrikan peoples and peoples of color in general. Such thinking allows one to come up with two of the main causes or points behind such continued hatred.

First and foremost there is the issue of self-determination. For any people, but especially Afrikans, to commemorate the holocaust which we've survived as a result of western man's blood thirsty lust of war, murder and power, is for Afrikans to announce worldwide, "Never Again!" It is to display our refusal to be dominated, controlled, or subservient and to celebrate our and all oppressed people's ability to thrive in the face of the ugliest evil mankind can bring to bear on mankind.

This is the one thing that cannot be tolerated, simply because it is evidence of free thinking, of courage in the face of fear. And freethinking, courageous people equals free beings. This is the antithesis of western power.

Secondly, it's one example of the fact that the old divide and conquer game is still in full swing. The supremacist thinking goes something like this...If the self-determination being displayed by Afrikans in Afrika, in commemorating and reflecting on our holocaust, is shared with other Afrikans throughout the worldwide Afrikan Nation, you'll begin to have a united Afrikan people. False identities (Afrikan-Amerikan, Latino, etc.) begin to fall away like leaves in Autumn. We would begin to experience the realization that the bonds which bind us to Afrika and Her to us are far deeper than the false citizenship in the home-colonies of our abuser, murder, and criminal host. This they cannot allow, for obvious reasons.

Nonetheless this is exactly the type of solidarity we as the Hip Hop Generation must begin to push for amongst all people who dabble in our cultural expression throughout the world. This push needs special focus on north amerika, because it's here in north amerika -- by virtue of its position in the leadership of western imperials -- that all the world is focused on.

We hip hoppers, activists, and conscious people in general cannot afford to continue missing the boat on such chances to solidify and work in solidarity with hiphoppers all around the world. No more lip service. If hip hop is the music of a new generation, of breaking down old walls, let us prove with action that there exists a better way of live for all human beings. This is where the revolution will be launched and from where unity is found.

There is honor, love, and loyalty in our historical perspective, cultural reality, and suffering.

love and loyalty,
akili