By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
\nJuly 20, 2007<\/i><\/p>\n
![\"Africans\"](\"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blogimg\/africans0108064959.jpg\")
One of the most perplexing, disturbing and still yet unresolved perennial reality-check dilemmas that afflict Afrikan-Trinbagonians is their supremely blurred vision to clearly ascertain the intrinsic, historical differences between emancipation versus liberation.<\/p>\n
In this regard, Malcolm X is perfectly correct when he concludes: “The major problem with Black people is that we left our minds in Africa.”
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\nHowever, the sad tragedy\/legacy of this historical dilemma is that the internalization of Afrikanness by Afrikan-Trinbagonians will “remain a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained” as long as they continue to celebrate emancipation instead of seeking total liberation, by any and all means necessary.<\/p>\n
The annual celebration of Emancipation Day (1st August) speaks volumes as to the tragic truism that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are exhibiting the symptoms of the deadly diseases of Afrikan dyslexia, amnesia, sclerosis, paralysis and atrophy.<\/p>\n
They are in serious denial of their inherited Afrikan self.<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians must realize that the most potent weapon to challenge European supremacy is for Afrikans to come out as a powerful people from Mother Afrika in ancient Kemet\/Egypt in the B.C. era.<\/p>\n
This period represents 99.9 percent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; most importantly, during this period, Afrikans were a free, spiritual, independent, liberated and powerful people. They were also the world’s original teachers and master-thinkers.<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that Afrikan peoples cannot challenge European supremacy as powerless, defenseless and nothing slaves coming out of the plantations in the Diaspora\/Caribbean in the A.D. era.<\/p>\n
This period represents only .01 per cent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; during this period, Afrikans were enslaved, colonized, dependent, powerless, religious-Christian, expendable, nothing, “infidel” peoples.<\/p>\n
Now is the time for Afrikan-Trinbagonians to delete\/expunge the ubiquitous, asinine Carnival-bacchanal mentality\/atmosphere that embodies Emancipation Day. Moreover, this day represents a total, utter mockery and bastardization of and insult to, the torturous, dehumanizing conditions our forefathers had to endure during their prolonged period of enslavement.<\/p>\n
The bottom-line is very simple: Emancipation is the problem; liberation is the only solution. Emancipation represents historical dislocation; liberation represents historical location, location, location.<\/p>\n
Emancipation focuses on Afrikan Nationality; liberation zeroes in on Afrikan Originality. Emancipation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 A.D.; liberation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 B.C.<\/p>\n
Emancipation focuses on the Afrikan connection with Father Europe; liberation focuses on the existence\/potency of Afrikans in Mother Afrika before there was a Father Europe. The philosophical construct of liberation suggests that Afrikan peoples do not need a European connection to make them legit.<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that there would not be a Europe of today if there were not an Afrika of yesterday. Indeed, the continent of Europe is named after Princess Europa of Mother Afrika.<\/p>\n
In addition, Emancipation represents a period in their history when powerless Afrikan slaves (our forefathers) picked cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, cocoa, etc, for powerful Europeans; liberation, on the other hand, represents a period in history when powerful Afrikans (our ancestors) civilized, humanized and educated the powerless Greeks (world’s first Europeans).<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that Europeans do not celebrate any period that manifests\/exposes their historical powerlessness.<\/p>\n
For example, Europeans do not celebrate their powerless\/lethargic experience during the Middle\/Dark Ages when they were people poor, land poor and resource poor. Europeans do not celebrate their Bubonic plague experience when Europe lost one-third of its population or 20 million people.<\/p>\n
Europeans do not celebrate their period of enslavement from the middle of the 7th century – a period known in history as their “thousand year fear of Islam.” This represents a period during which these European slaves referred to their slave-masters as “Infidel Arabs.”<\/p>\n
Afrikans are the only people on this planet who celebrate their history from a position of powerlessness. This is the overt dysfunctional nature of Emancipation.<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that a capitalist is a capitalist 24\/7\/365; he is not a capitalist only at Christmas time.<\/p>\n
Likewise, an Indian-Trinbagonian is an Indian 24\/7\/365; he\/she is not an Indian only on Indian Arrival Day, Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr. He\/she is also proud of Mother India.<\/p>\n
Similarly, a Chinese-Trinbagonian is Chinese 24\/7\/365; he\/she is not Chinese only on 18 October. He\/she is proud of Mother China, and so on, and on and on, for all ethnic groups in TnT. Afrikan-Trinbagonians are the only exception – the only motherless group.<\/p>\n
The stark reality is that on their national days, Indian-Trinbagonian performers always sing in the tongue of Mother India and on Chinese Arrival Day 2006, Chinese-Trinbagonian performers sang in the tongue of Mother China at Queen’s Hall. In addition, Chinese-Trinbagonians speak in their Mother tongue 24\/7\/365 – liberation cum historical location.<\/p>\n
Thus, the crucial question that immediately comes to the fore is: In what tongue do Afrikan-Trinbagonian performers sing during shows on Emancipation Day? – emancipation cum historical dislocation.<\/p>\n
It is indeed this ominous, scary historical differential that has compelled social commentator Morel Peters (Luta) to ask in song: “How free, how free are we?”<\/p>\n
Indeed, the Afrikans who celebrate Emancipation Day are just One-Ah-Day, feeling-good Afrikans. The more fundamental questions that must be faced are: Who are they from 2nd August to 31 July?; what’s their mind-set, worldview and modus vivendi during this period?; what clothes are they wearing, what foods are they eating and what Gods are they worshipping during this period?<\/p>\n
The reality is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are powerless on Carnival Monday and Tuesday; they are also powerless on carnival Emancipation Day.<\/p>\n
The celebration of Emancipation Day is a myopic, micro, truncated, divisive, albeit Euro-centric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history; the celebration of total liberation under the rubric\/banner of Afrika Year is a holistic, unifying, macro, linkage, albeit Africentric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history.<\/p>\n
This all-inclusive concept of Afrika Year embraces such Afrikan milestones as Afrikan Liberation Day (25 May), independence of Ghana (6 March), Emancipation\/slave resistance (August), Haitian revolution (1st January), Kwanzaa (26 December-1st January), Pan Africanism (July), just to name a few.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, Afrika Year seeks to re-connect, re-locate and re-vitalize the umbilical cord that was deliberately and purposely severed, dislocated and emasculated between Afrikan-Trinbagonians and Mother Afrika. It seeks to re-unite Afrikan children with their mother.<\/p>\n
Liberation emphatically postulates that there is a Mother Afrika and that Afrika is our Home, TnT is our Destination. Afrikan-Trinbagonians must be Afrikans in mind, spirit and action, 24\/7\/365 and not just on 1st August.<\/p>\n
In the final analysis, whereas Emancipation gives Afrikan-Trinbagonians a fish to feed themselves for one day (1st August), liberation teaches Afrikan-Trinbagonians how to fish so that they can feed themselves for the rest of their lives. <\/p>\n
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.<\/i><\/p>\n
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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu July 20, 2007 One of the most perplexing, disturbing and still yet unresolved perennial reality-check dilemmas that afflict Afrikan-Trinbagonians is their supremely blurred vision to clearly ascertain the intrinsic, historical differences between emancipation versus liberation. In this regard, Malcolm X is perfectly correct when he concludes: “The major problem with Black … Continue reading Emancipation versus Liberation<\/span>