THE LAWKEEPERS
"Giving ALL Due Praises to the Most High God"I
will scatter them, and then I will gather them: Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64; 32:26;
Isaiah 11:12;
Jeremiah
23:8 / Read about the African Slave
Trade in Deuteronomy 28th Chapter.
REPARATIONS NOW IN
OUR LIFETIME!
N
E W S L E T T E R…….#16
MAY 2001
“Take
direct action against the U.S. government!” Dr. Robert Brock
*********
GIVE
POWER AND MEANING TO
THE
REPARATIONS MASS MOVEMENT
GIVE
OF YOURSELF!
Note
from the REPNOW Newsletter Editor:
I am truly
excited about this month’s REPNOW issue.
Actually, I’m always excited about every publication, but this one is
chock full of wonderful articles that give us good reason and energy to fight
for Reparations and feel good about the fact that our efforts will not be in
vain. WE ARE GOING TO GET
REPARATIONS, not because Whites feel they owe us, but because we are due this
compensation in order for us to correct all the ills of the African Slave Trade
and its affect upon us and our children!
The
Reparations Movement is growing in strength and vigor. One organization after another is
joining the Movement, and individuals are starting to speak out in support of
it, while yet even others ask more and more questions that raise consciousness
to the great need for this compensation for the African Slave Trade. If we are to repair the human tragedy
that has been dealt us by the powers-that-be of old and of today, we must keep
the Reparations Movement in the forefront.
WE MUST FORGE ON FEARLESSLY
UNTIL WE NOT ONLY SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL BUT UNTIL WE BECOME THE
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND A PEOPLE TO BE RECKONED WITH IN THIS
WORLD!
Every Black man and woman in the United
States and in every country who has been victimized resulting from the
Triangular/African Slave Trade should be appalled that the United Nations and
the Human Rights authority in Geneva, Switzerland continue to dismiss the
horrors of the merciless and cruel trade in human beings and the degradation
that sustained descendants of Slaves depraved and second-class
citizens. If White Folks can protest and raise
consciousness to air and water pollution, animal rights, and what they deem
proper trade relations, why, then can’t Blacks demonstrate for our Human
Rights? Why isn’t there a
protest march in every major city in the United States to make White Societies
realize that we are serious about Reparations, so that we can be about improving
our lifestyles? Are we going to
subject our children for generations to come to more police brutality,
discrimination, racial profiling, impoverishment, destitution, inferior
education, and humiliation? When do
we say: ENOUGH ALREADY, AND LET’S
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!
Where is all the Congressional Representation that is
supposed to speak for Black Folks?
Are they turning a blind eye to the discrimination, deprivation, and
injustice Blacks endure in America?
I listened to some of them, one at a time speak about the ills of the
Presidential Election in Florida.
They went on and on for days, weeks, and months expressing their disdain
for the outcome of the election, and all to no avail. They thought that Former VP Al Gore
would make a better President for Blacks in America. I think they forgot that Former
President Clinton was in office for eight years with their unconditional
support, but he did nothing for the pain and suffering of Blacks. But I don’t want to get back into that
bag…
My point is that Reparations is a fight that we must
battle for ourselves with the forces that we have in place. We
cannot depend on White Folks to fight this battle. Had the White Jews waited on others for
compensation for the European Holocaust, they would not have received
Reparations; they fought relentlessly.
Had the Native Americans just looked to the Whites in government to speak
for them, they, too, would not have received Reparations. And had the Japanese not been so
involved and concerned for Reparations for their internment, they would still be
waiting for $ 20,000 per victim.
If Blacks have but ten members of Congress to speak
in support of Reparations and ending the crimes against Black humanity, that is
more than enough for a REPARATIONS FILIBUSTER that can expose the
Founding Fathers of the United States, as well as the European countries
involved in this institution of Slavery and provide profound reasoning and ample
evidence of US involvement in the buying and selling of Black men, women, and
children and sufficient rationale for restitution for making Blacks captives in
these United States. Our families,
in the millions, have been brought to desolation, sorrow, and despair, and yet
we, as a People, have not done all that we possibly can to resolve this racism
and the debilitating conditions placed upon us by White Folks. HELLO! Slavery ended in 1865, and our captors
are still the head and we the tail.
They say that intelligence is based on the ability to
solve problems. Well, Black Man, we
have got to resolve this problem or forever be subjects of another People and
the underprivileged in their lands.
If Congressional Representatives need articles on
“Why Reparations for Descendants of Slaves is the Right Thing to Do,” to start
this Reparations Filibuster, they can use the revealing articles in the
REPARATIONS NOW IN OUR LIFETIME Newsletters written by the various Black
professors and heads of organizations involved in the Reparations
Movement. And once the Representatives finish
presenting the articles in the Newsletters, we can supply them with much more
information out of sensational books written by knowledgeable and articulate
Black authors. I am always amazed
at the knowledge and intelligence that we comprise but that is unfortunately
kept subdued by the White society in order to maintain the myth that Blacks are
inferior to Whites. Right now,
short of major protests and demonstrations, a Reparations filibuster is a
dynamic approach that our Black Congressional Representatives should give some
serious thought.
Turning to another matter of most importance is
THE UNITED
NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM taking place
in Durban, South Africa (August 31, - September 7, 2001). Folks, I cannot tell you how critical
it is for this meeting to be a whopping success. The WORLD must know in great
detail that our forebears experienced the worst Human Rights atrocities ever to
occur on this planet, and that Descendants of Slaves are yet victims of these
atrocities all because we are until now victims of “ethnic cleansing” and
“forced migration.” Until
Blacks are given Reparations to relocate to friendly countries and establish
businesses and safe and quality Communities, whereby, we can regain our
cultures, worship freely, utilize self determination, and re-educate our
children, we will never be free of the captivity of countries that took us into
Slavery. And for those who choose
to remain in the lands where our forefathers were enslaved, then let them, too,
be afforded the amenities that promote well-rounded, healthy, members of a New
World Order in which Blacks make up an integral part of the whole in determining
genuine justice for the operation of this planet.
For the sake of our children’s rights to a pursuit of
happiness, we have got to make THE UNITED
NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM a worthwhile experience that will make Reparations a
reality. We cannot afford to let
the Rulers of this World deter our efforts to acquire Reparations – we can’t -
WE JUST CAN’T!!! At all
costs, the focus at this conference must be Reparations for Africa and for
Descendants of Slaves!
Otherwise, we will be averse conspirators playing the game right
along with the descendants of the Slave Masters.
This UN WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM is a matter
that has the potential to start to change the lives of Black Peoples all over
the World. Remember, first the continent of Africa
was raped, and then the peoples.
Restitution must be made for both these atrocities that resulted in
completely discrediting and damaging the reputation of Blacks on this planet and
inhibiting our voice, influence, and empowerment to improve matters for Black
Peoples and Descendants of Slaves.
If you can afford it, get to the UN World Conference Against Racism, as
this might be our last aggressive chance to voice our right to
Reparations.
And, by all means, make it your business to be
enlightened about the Reparations Movement. Read the articles in the Reparations
Newsletters and visit the various WebSites of people and organizations involved
in the Reparations Movement. All
our efforts are to inform Black Peoples about our predicament and what it takes
to rise above sustained oppression and White Control of our lives and our
minds.
Spread the word, forward E-mail to others on your own
personal Reparations Mailing List made up of: family and friends, college students,
newspaper reporters, Congressional Representatives, and those in political
positions at every level. This is the least anyone can do to
generate even more energy in the Reparations Movement. There is strength in numbers. Those of you in positions to organize
Reparations meetings with access to halls and auditoriums, might consider
setting dates to have N’COBRA, local college professors, or others
informed on the topic to speak on the African Slave Trade and Reparations for
this crime against Black humanity.
Be sure to inform your local radio and TV stations of these events. And of course send me an E-mail of these
dates so that I can list them on the Reparations Calendar of Events. You might also want to call the
Reparations organizations in your area and ask them how you can help with
our Reparations cause.
I’m tired of fighting against discrimination and for
justice and watching little Black children trying to be White or wishing they
were. I want to expend my energies now on
making our youth realize that Black is truly Beautiful. We have so much to offer of our
histories, our true cultures, and our talents, and with Reparations we can
educate our children OUR WAY to first know THE REAL TRUTH and then to be
admirable members of this global society.
Work with me, work with others, but let’s all work
TOGETHER for the betterment of Blacks all over the World. Either we attain this goal and be
successful and prosperous Black Peoples, or we can continue on the destructive
paths headed for the demise of Black Peoples that Descendants of the Slave
Masters have paved for us.
Tziona
Yisrael, Editor
REPNOW
Newsletter
[www.thelawkeepers.org]
*********
Stay strong in the struggle; we will win!
Dejoser
*********
ANNOUNCEMENT
AN
AFRICAN AMERICAN NATIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING FOR
THE
UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM (UN
WCAR)
COLLABORATING
ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS:
(include, but not limited
to)
REPRESENTATIVE
CYNTHIA McKINNEY
MEMBER
OF CONGRESS
FOURTH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, GEORGIA
REPRESENTATIVE
DONNA M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSEN, MD
MEMBER
OF CONGRESS
U.S.
VIRGIN ISLANDS
REPRESENTATIVE
JOHN CONYERS, JR
MEMBER
OF CONGRESS
FOURTEENTH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, MICHIGAN
NATIONAL
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
STUDENT
NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
DECEMBER
12th MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
NATIONAL
BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
FIRST
AFRICAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
LITHONIA,
GEORGIA
THE
UNITED FRONT FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN DONOR ORGANS
DECATUR,
GEORGIA
WINGS
OF ANGELS, INC.
ATLANTA,
GEORGIA
ATLANTA
AD HOC COMMITTEE
THE
UN WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM
NEW
AFRIKAN PEOPLES ORGANIZATION
MALCOLM
X GRASS ROOTS MOVEMENT
WAYNE
GARFIELD
WAYNE
GARFIELD ENTERTAINMENT
NEW
YORK, NEW YORK
DR. AVERY F.
BROOKS
ACTOR/COMPOSER
NEW
BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY
CONFERENCE
ORGANIZER:
Jewel
L. Crawford, MD,
Chairperson, Atlanta Ad Hoc Committee for the
UN WCAR
P.O.
BOX 1675
Lithonia,
Georgia 30058
(877)
677-7625 Fax: (770) 981-1856
Web:
www.geocities.com/atladhoccomm/
CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Jewel L.
Crawford, MD, Chairperson
Vynnie
Burse, Co-chair vynnie2@aol.com
Gene R.
Stephenson, II, Co-chair itsheavy@hotmail.com
DATE
OF PREPARATORY MEETING: Saturday
May 5, 2001
TIME:
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location:
Renaissance Hotel
590 West
Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta,
Georgia 30303
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:
The history
and legacy of slavery for displaced Africans in America has been characterized
by persistent human rights abuses and violations since the inception of the
slave trade.
The
suffering experienced by Africans in the Americas as a result of these abuses
and violations, has persisted to this very day, and is in direct violation of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the General Assembly of the
United Nations (UN) on December 10, 1948.
Despite the glaring and harsh reality of racism that African Americans
deal with on a daily basis, this issue has never been fully addressed by the
world body; the General Assembly of the United
Nations.
On August
31, 2001 in Durban, South Africa, African Americans and others impacted by
racism worldwide will have an opportunity to have these issues
addressed.
In 1997,
the UN General Assembly agreed to hold a World Conference Against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The following are the primary objectives
of the conference:
1) To
review progress made in the fight against racism and reappraise the obstacles to
further progress in the field and ways to overcome
them;
2) To
increase the level of awareness about the scourges of racism and racial
discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance;
3) To
review the political, historical, economic, social, cultural and other factors
leading to racism, racial discrimination, and
xenophobia;
4) To
formulate concrete recommendations to further action oriented national, regional
and international measures to combat all forms of
racism.
PURPOSE
OF THE MAY 5, MEETING:
On May 5,
2001 an unprecedented, historic gathering of African Americans will convene in
Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of this meeting is:
1) To
inform ALL AFRICAN AMERICANS and associated organizations about the
WCAR;
2) To
provide an opportunity for African American non-government organizations (NGOs)
to learn how they can become accredited to attend official UN meetings and have
input on matters pertinent to the African American community;
3) To
review and respond to the Declaration of the African NGO Forum produced at the
recent African Regional Preparatory Conference of NGOs in Dakar,
Senegal;
4) To
include African Americans in the preparatory process that will begin to redress
our present and historical grievances in an assembly of the nations of the
world;
5) To
discuss and document the impact of racism in all aspects of our
lives;
6) To make
concrete, action-oriented recommendations to the UN for provisions to be enacted
and enforced to combat all forms of racism; and
7) To
affirm the right of the descendants of the victims of the African slave trade to
just and fair compensatory measures for the suffering they and their ancestors
have endured.
KEY
ISSUES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS:
*
Declaration of the Trans-Atlantic Slave
Trade and Slavery as a Crime against Humanity.
*The Economic Roots of Slavery: How European
and white American society have benefited financially from the slave trade and
racial discrimination
*
Reparations for the descendants of the
victims of the African Slave Trade.
PREPARATION
FOR THE WCAR:
Preparation
for the WCAR has been ongoing since last year when the first of a series of
planning meetings, both regional and worldwide, began. An Inter-agency Taskforce was created by
the Clinton Administration to oversee and coordinate US Government efforts
related to participation. A series of closed (by invitation only) meetings have
been hosted by the US Government Inter-agency Taskforce, which have not allowed
for any public discussion, input or review into the government preparation
process for the WCAR. This closed process is in stark contrast to the open
meetings, publicity, and widespread government and non-government support in
preparing for the last UN Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in
1995.
NGOs
however, in the US and worldwide have been conducting open, public planning
meetings of their own. While a number of prominent African Americans have been
diligently working to prepare for the conference, information about the
conference has not been widely disseminated in the African American community.
Of note, is the fact that longstanding African American organizations that have
advocated for the African American community in various arenas over the years,
have not received notification about the WCAR; nor have many of them been
advised as to how they can participate on an organizational basis. The second
and final worldwide preparatory meeting for the WCAR will take place in Geneva,
Switzerland, starting on May 31, 2001. This is the last opportunity that African
Americans will have to get these pressing issues and concerns on the agenda for
global discussion and review.
This
national preparation meeting for African Americans will take place on May
5th
This will be the last opportunity for African Americans who plan to attend the Geneva Preparatory Conference starting May 31, 2001, to present a series of resolutions and recommendations from a wide cross section of African American organizations to this world conference.
THE ROLE OF
NGOs at the WCAR:
The United Nations distinguishes between governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. The UN consists of member countries. Each country appoints its UN representative to represent its ruling government. Non-governmental organizations are local, regional, national and international groups that are not appointed by the U S government, but which play a key role at UN World Conferences. While not members of the UN, it is recognized that NGOs offer valuable experience and knowledge to the UN. Therefore provisions have been made to accommodate their participation. The lobbying and participation by NGOs at the WCAR can assure the passage of resolutions and plans of action to accomplish set goals.
*********
THE
UNITED STATES SEEKS TO SABOTAGE
THE
REPARATIONS MOVEMENT
As the
August 30, opening of the UN World Conference against Racism rapidly approaches,
U.S. attempts to derail the growing movement for reparations are escalating.
The
United Nations World Conference against Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance will be the first UN World
Conference of the 21st century. It represents a unique opportunity for African
people to implement the demand which Malcolm X left usâ ”to put our issue before
the world. It will be held in Durban, South Africa, from August 30-September 7,
of this year.
Since
1997, when the UN agreed to hold this World Conference, the United States,
Canada and Western Europe (the "WEO" Group of countries) have done all they can
to prevent it from succeeding. "Success" is always
determined from whose side of the fence you are looking. Malcolm X often quoted
the African proverb, "What’s good news for some is bad news for others."
For people of African descent, within the Diaspora or
on the African continent, a successful World Conference must address three key
issues:
1) A declaration that the trans-Atlantic slave trade is
a crime against humanity;
2) 2) Reparations for the descendants of the victims of
the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery; and
3) the economic basis of
racism.
The United
States, Canada and Western Europe, all the former colonizing/settler-colony
countries, have formed a united front to ensure that these issues will not be
addressed at the World Conference. It is normal practice
before UN World Conferences are actually held, that they are preceded by a
PrepCom (Preparatory Committee meetings)
in the
various geographical regions of the world where the actual content of the final
document and program of action is worked out.
For the
upcoming World Conference, all of the regional PrepComs have been
completed. In Geneva, Switzerland,
a working group meeting from March 6-9, considered a Draft Declaration (the
"Durban Declaration") and tried to resolve a dispute about whether or not
"compensatory relief" (i.e.
reparations) should even be
considered as a theme of the World Conference. This is only an issue because of
U.S. and Western European opposition.
In respect to the
situation of African people, on the Continent and in the Diaspora, the
proposed Durban Declaration (written by the UN Secretariat but clearly
influenced by the WEO Group) is pathetically weak. It disregards the thrust
of the Dakar Declaration which came out of the African Regional PrepCom.
There is no clear statement that the Trans-Atlantic
Slave Trade is a crime against humanity. There is
no mention of reparations in the context of the descendants of victims of the
trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery.
It
highlights anti-Semitism, but
incredibly doesn’t mention Negrophobia, i.e. white supremacy against Africans,
the very situation that gave rise to the ideology of racism.
On these key issues, the
Durban document reflects the compromise language which the U.S. and Canada
finessed out of the Santiago PrepCom (held in Santiago, Chile, and attended by
the author). At Santiago, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries,
in the interests of consensus with the U.S. and Canada (neither
of whom are members of this Regional Grouping and who usually attend the WEO
meetings), agreed to watered-down language on the issues of the trans-Atlantic
slave trade and reparations. At the last minute, when
it was too late to incorporate stronger language, the U.S. and Canada pulled out
and refused to support the language they had put forward as being acceptable to
them. It is clear that they had never intended to agree to
any language on these issues and the "negotiations" were actually a ploy to
weaken the final Santiago Declaration.
For more
than a decade, the December 12th Movement International Secretariat has fought
in defense of the human rights of African people at the United Nations, in both
Switzerland and in New York. During that time, we
have come to understand that while we as African people may
not recognize the importance of the international arena to the progress of our
struggle, the U.S. and its allies are crystal clear about it. As a result, we as
an African people must step up our organizing. We must
demand that our elected officials take a stand on these critical issues. We must
plan to attend the World Conference in Durban.
For more
information, The
December 12th Movement can be contacted at
(718) 398-1766; (718) 623-1855(fax). The Dakar Declaration can be retrieved from
the UN website:
www.unhchr.ch.
By Roger Wareham,
Esq.
Roger Wareham is a
founding member of the December 12th Movement. He is the
International Secretary General of the International Association Against Torture
and a partner in the law firm of Thomas, Wareham & Richards located in
Brooklyn, New York.
Contributed by
RHazard
*********
CITY
COUNCIL CANDIDATE CALLS FOR REPARATIONS
FOR
BLACK NEW YORKERS
On
Wednesday, April 4, 2001, City Council candidate Charles Barron, accompanied by
numerous members of N'COBRA and other organizations, entered City Hall and
delivered to the office of House Speaker Peter Vallone the "Queen Mother Moore"
Reparations Resolution for Descendants of Enslaved Africans in New York City.
The resolution was also forwarded to the Chairperson of the Black and Latino
Caucus of the City Council and the Public Advocate.
Mr. Barron, who is
running for office in Brooklyn's 42nd Councilmanic District, first read this
resolution in its entirety at a press conference on the steps of City Hall.
He stated that "slavery wasn't just a Southern
atrocity; New York City had its own brand of legal chattel slavery.
African
people built the infrastructure and economy of New York City during the colonial
period and we the descendants are owed a debt." The
resolution calls for the formulation of a Reparations Task Force to explore the
impact of New York City's enslavement of African people during the colonial
period and beyond.
This press conference
concluded a day of activities in observance of the assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. It was organized by N'COBRA, Descendants of the
African Burial Grounds, Coalition of African Students at BMCC, Sankofa Roots at
CCNY and students from Medgar Evers, Hunter and other colleges, the December
12th Movement, the Black Radical Congress, the Unity Party and
more.
By Marie Roberts /
Greenwich Village
Gazette
Black Reign News links to
the two publications I know of so far.
The first is the Greenwich Village Gazette:
http://www.nycny.com/columns/guests/roberts04-13-01.html
The second is The
Black Reign:
http://www.theblackreign.web.com/
The above information was
Contributed by OnajeMuid@cs.com (Onaje Muid)
***
BARRON
CALLS FOR FORMATION OF REPARATIONS TASKFORCE
Brooklyn City Council
Candidate Seeking Reparations For Black New Yorkers
"Slavery
wasn't just a Southern atrocity; New York City had its own brand of legal
chattel slavery. African people built the infrastructure and economy of New York
City during the Colonial Period and we, the descendants, are owed a
debt."
Charles
Barron
***
BROOKLYN, NY- On
Wednesday, April 4, City Council candidate Charles Barron, accompanied by
numerous members of N'COBRA (National Coalition Of Blacks for Reparations in
America) and other organizations, entered City Hall and delivered to the office
of House Speaker Peter Vallone the "Queen Mother Moore Reparations Resolution
for Descendants of Enslaved Africans in New York City".
The resolution calls for
the formulation of a Reparations Task Force to explore the impact of New York
City's enslavement of African people during the colonial period and beyond. The
resolution was also forwarded to the chairperson of the Black and Latino Caucus
of the City Council and the Public Advocate.
Barron, who is running
for office in Brooklyn's 42nd Councilmanic District, first read this resolution
in its entirety at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. He stated that
"slavery wasn't just a Southern atrocity; New York City had its own brand of
legal chattel slavery. African people built the infrastructure and economy of
New York City during the colonial period and we the descendants are owed a
debt.
This press conference
concluded a day of activities in observance of the assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. It was organized by N'COBRA; Descendants of the African Burial
Grounds; Coalition of African Students at Borough of Manhattan Community
College/CUNY; Sankofa Roots at City College of New York; students from Medgar
Evers, Hunter and other colleges; the December 12th Movement; the Black Radical
Congress and the Unity Party.
The day began with a walk
from BMCC to the African Burial Ground at Duane and Reade Streets. There,
libation and prayers were offered, and people spoke about the meaning of the
Ancestors and what they endured, and of the justice of reparations
now.
Speakers also called for
the return and re-intern of the remains of their beloved Ancestors, and the
construction of a museum and memorial. From there, people proceeded to City Hall
where Barron read the following:
Whereas:
In 1625 the Dutch established the village of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island
and began the wholesale kidnapping and enslavement of African people from the
Caribbean and Africa; and
Whereas: African laborers in 1639
worked daily in Manhattan Islands' Northern Forest (Upper East Side and Harlem),
clearing timber and cutting lumber at the Colony's Sawmill (74th Street and
Second Avenue); and
Whereas: These Africans also
built farms beyond New Amsterdam, i.e. (Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens);
and
Whereas: In 1664 the English won
control of new Amsterdam and renamed it New York after the Duke of York, and
continued the wholesale thievery of African people from the Caribbean and
Africa; and
Whereas: These Africans were
forced to provide "free labor" to New York City under British rule that was even
more aggressive and cruel in its participation in the so-called Transatlantic
slave trade; the greatest crime committed against humanity;
and
Whereas: These Africans during
New York City's colonial period of enslavement, cleared land, built houses,
paved roads, built forts and bridges, planted and harvested crops;
and
Whereas: The enslavement of
Africans continued in New York City after the colonial period when the United
States ratified its constitution in 1789 and became the United States Of
America, until New York City abolished slavery in the 1840's;
and
Whereas: In short, Africans built
New York City's infrastructure and economy and were never paid;
and
Whereas: Not only were these
Africans never paid, they were subjected to the worst kind of rape, torture,
brutality and murder the human mind can conjure up; and
Whereas:
Evidence
of this cruelty can be validated by the over 20,000 African ancestral remains
located in downtown Manhattan, particularly 427 of those African ancestral
remains that have been excavated from the African Burial ground located on Duane
and Reade Streets; and
Whereas: These Africans are now
represented by over 2.1 million people of African ancestry in New York City,;
and
Whereas: Queen Mother Moore, born
Audley E. Moore on July 27th, 1898, and passed on to be with the Ancestors on
May 21st, 1997, spent 77 years of her life fighting for human rights, civil
rights, liberation, Black nationalism and reparations for African people;
and
Whereas: Queen Mother Moore spent
decades of her struggle fighting in Harlem, New York City;
and
Whereas: In the early 1960's,
Queen Mother Moore formed "The Reparations Committee of Descendants of United
States Slaves" to demand reparations for Africans in America from the U.S.
Government. She canvassed the country to get over a million signatures to
petition the government and was successful in presenting the signatures to
President John F. Kennedy; and
Whereas: Queen Mother Moore
continued the struggle of I.H. Dickerson and Callie House, who engaged in one of
the earliest calls for Reparations when they established the "Ex-Slaves Pension
Movement" from 1890 to 1920; and
Whereas: Queen Mother Moore
joined many other Africans in America in the fight for reparations, such as-
Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., The Republic of New Africa,
The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N'COBRA), The
December 12th Movement, The Black Radical Congress, The Patrice Lumumba
Coalition, United African Movement, National Action Network, The Black United
Front, the Unity Party and countless others.
Be it
resolved: That a
"Queen Mother Moore Reparations for Descendants of Africans of New York City
Task Force" be established; and
Be it further
resolved: That this Queen Mother
Moore Reparations Task Force be created by individuals and organizations of the
New African Community of New York City in conjunction
with the Black and Latino Caucus of the City Council;
and
Be it
further resolved: That the Queen Mother
Moore Reparations Task Force be funded by the City of New York for the duration
of time deemed necessary by the Task Force to hold hearings, conduct research
and recommend compensation to the new African Descendant Community of New York
City for the debt owed for the enslavement of their African Ancestors during the
colonial and post-colonial periods in New York City.
The above information was
Contributed by OnajeMuid@cs.com (Onaje Muid)
***
The following is a
worthwhile reprint.)
BLACK
REPARATIONS: THE NEW AMERICAN CIVIL
WAR PRIVATE
The
National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, N'COBRA, hosted its
11th Annual National Conference from June 14 - 20, 2000 in Washington, D.C.
A
standing room only audience (500 plus) filled Blackburn auditorium at the Town
Hall Meeting on June 16 to hear presentations from Congressman John Conyers,
Randall Robinson, Conrad Worrill, Claude Anderson and
others.
Most significant about
this annual conference was the announcement that N'COBRA
will launch a lawsuit this year against the United States government for the
continued human rights abuses and vestiges of slavery against Black people in
America.
The
national reparations movement has come of age. After over forty years
of mass activism, reparations resolutions have appeared in local city councils
and state assemblies around the country. Many of
the resolutions are in support of John Conyers' HR40 reparations
bill.
N'COBRA as a mass
movement has moved beyond its beginnings amongst Black nationalists, who long
held high the reparations banner. The demand
for reparations now enjoys the endorsement of many Black organizations.
Through
education, advocacy and activism, reparations is becoming mainstream in Black
America, including Sigma Gamma Rho, Delta Sigma Theta, the National Association
of Black Social Workers and the National Bar Association. Indeed, the NAACP
listed Conyers' reparations bill as one of its two primary legislative agenda
items in 1999. Randall Robinson's recent book, The Debt: What
America Owes to Blacks, is making serious headway in the Black middle class.
Reparations resolutions are sweeping the country, from Camden, N.J. to Chicago,
IL, to Detroit, MI. The pitch and tremor for reparations has never been louder
and is expected to swell even more during the immediate years to
come.
History of
the Movement
The reparations movement is not new. As early as 1861, Sen. Charles Sumner (MA) and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens (PA) introduced several acts demanding reparations. Then, at the Sherman Savannah Meeting in 1865, General Sherman issued Special Field Order 15 granting "40 acres and a mule" to freed Africans. This popularized the movement and gave it its "40 acres and a mule" tag. Jointly, these represented the swing point of the reparations movement, (for more information, read The Forty Acres Documents, by Amilcar Shabazz). The quarter point of the movement was marked by such names as Callie House and Rev. Isaiah Dickerson. At the midpoint, Elijah Muhammad, Robert Brock and Queen Mother Moore. On the three quarter point, names like Nabilah Uqdah, Imari Obadele, Adjoa A. Aiyetoro, Nkechi Tiafa, Chokwe Lumumba, Dorothy Lewis, Irving Davis and James For