We are in the “International Decade for People of African Descent” (2015-2024) as declared by the United Nations (UN). The reason behind such declaration is to have specific ethnic group partners with the government to address issues affecting them. The UN charges the government to address the “need to strengthen national, regional and international cooperation in relation to the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in all aspects of society.”
I am unaware which ethnic group the next decade will be dedicated to. What I know is the African community has less than five years to effect positive and meaningful change in our lives and I shall continue to raise my voice, as done during successive governments, to ensure the pursuit of social, economic, political and cultural fairness leaves none behind.
Some are saying to Africans, the fact that the coalition government was headed by David Granger means our problems have been resolved. It is for us to determine when our problems are resolved, not any other. The African problems could only be resolved when we are treated as equal and participating members of this society, regardless of who is elected to office. Thus, we must continue to demand what is ours as protected in the Constitution. We must demand inclusionary democracy as per Article 13 through legislation that could make meaningful shared governance at the national, regional, and local levels. We need all supporting hands on deck to make this possible.
In the pursuit of our goal to be treated with respect and as equal participating members of the society there must be resilience and struggle against anybody who wants to deprive us. Do not be fooled, some look just like us. Not every black man has the black interest at heart. Some could not be bothered and would undermine and disperse our political capital not in our best interest and continue to do so. Not every person in black skin is committed to the black cause and has the black interest at heart. They are cloaked in black skin but are not black, they do not support the black agenda. Let us stop fooling ourselves and giving leaders a pass.
It is a shame that in the decade of People of African Descent the past government did nothing to help and we did not do enough to force them. This is so even when we had a black leader, who we assumed in the decade, as he served the national interest would have at least honoured and promoted black interest. Unfortunately, the scorched memory of many is his tongue lashing delivered on Emancipation Day in the proud village of Beterverwagting.
I am aware that a document proposing to address issues impacting the Black Agenda was placed before the David Granger administration. It would be a shame if this decade is completed and nothing has been achieved. The President himself had five years to at least do a little what the previous government did not do. How can we blame one and not blame the other?
Our struggle for equal rights and justice stands the risk of losing authenticity when we only see the need to stand up and to fight against those who do not look like us, forgetting that those who look like us can also not operate in our best interest. It is about the issue. We must remain focused on the issue and the principles. Those are what must guide our struggle. People who say not to fight your own are not with you. It ent about your own when your own is oppressing and fighting you the same way.
Then we must deal with those who are too dignified to identity. I can recall a previous Chief Justice of the Judiciary, a lady of African ancestry, who was invited to an African function but refused to go because she felt gracing the function was improper given the nature of her job. Shortly thereafter a previous Chancellor, of Indian ancestry, was invited to an Indian function and went. When he was asked by the media why he graced that function given what the Chief Justice had said about not gracing an African function, his response was:- “Who don’t like it can go to hell.” Whilst I am not knocking her and understand her being tied to the values and principles of the judiciary, which we must commend with pride, we must also recognise that those values do not always work for us.
We must recognise that our struggles are not only external but internal and the first thing we are called upon to do is to get rid of leaders who do not serve us, who do not identify with us, who do not care about us, who use our political capital not for our development. Leadership is more encompassing than scholarship. Where is your heart, your compassion? Black people must learn to support those who support us and while we look to our brothers, they disappoint us sometimes.
Resilience means you must fight anybody and everybody, anybody who is a hindrance to the fulfillment of your basic and fundamental needs and rights becomes an enemy to the process and your well-being regardless of the texture of their hair. And let us not forget that in this struggle we need allies. The black struggle has never been one where blacks alone have done it. From the beginning there have been others who have stood alongside, fought for, and with people of African descent not just for their colour and skin but because they believe in the value of humanity and we must recognise this.
