Posts
BACK TO AFRICA!-Ghana oo!-Steve Harvey ooo!
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/american-comedian-steve-harvey-explores-ghana-as-part-of-the-year-of-return-photos
Bobby Marley Gold was never the way Europeans got it today
Showing posts with label GHANA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GHANA. Show all posts
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Monday, February 18, 2019
Friday, September 08, 2017
BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES FROM GHANA-MENELIK CHARLES COMMENTS OOOO! -ON FACEBOOK
Menelik Charles is with Charles E Nelson Jr and 30 others.
If you’re not a man with a passion for dark-skinned Black women then you’ll probably never fully appreciate how scintillatingly sexy these women in the picture are!
People are entitled to ‘their opinions’, I guess. But when those ‘opinions’ have been corrupted by colorism, and poisoned by prejudice, then they are not opinions at all but perceptions distorted and infected by white supremacist, psycho-social, conditioning.
So if
you’re here too politely ‘like’ this status...while privately retaining
a bias towards the pale and the beige skin tones...then may I suggest
you go some place else to register your ‘like’?
You see, colorism cannot be successfully disguised by a ‘like’ any more than my appreciation for the gorgeous light-skinned model, Cocaine Lorraine, can disguise my overall preference for chocolate-skinned women like Kelly Rowland.
It is my contention, therefore, that attractive dark-skinned Black women have a grace and beauty, sensuality and sweetness, unequalled among women of other races! Indeed, and as I’ve written elsewhere, these sisters are so sweet that I imagine they shit sugar, and piss orange juice!
(c) Menelik Charles.
You see, colorism cannot be successfully disguised by a ‘like’ any more than my appreciation for the gorgeous light-skinned model, Cocaine Lorraine, can disguise my overall preference for chocolate-skinned women like Kelly Rowland.
It is my contention, therefore, that attractive dark-skinned Black women have a grace and beauty, sensuality and sweetness, unequalled among women of other races! Indeed, and as I’ve written elsewhere, these sisters are so sweet that I imagine they shit sugar, and piss orange juice!
(c) Menelik Charles.
Friday, June 23, 2017
BLACK PEOPLE OOO!-BACK TO AFRICA OOOO!-"WHY THIS BLACK AMERICAN MOVED TO AFRICA AT 50 AND NEVER LOOKED BACK"-"I DON'T LIKE AMERICA. I LOVE AFRICA"-FROM HUFFINGTON POST
FROM HUFFINGTON POST
BLACK VOICES
Why This Black American Moved To Africa At 50 And Never Looked Back
“I don’t like America. I love Africa.”
At 50 years old, Imahkus Okofu left New York City for Ghana, West Africa, and never returned.
In the video segment above shot for the BBC in
November, Okofu admits that as a native New Yorker, she had never had
any desire to visit the continent of Africa, let alone live in one of
its countries.
“I didn’t want to be no African,” Okufu says.
“The pictures that the media painted of Africa, the only Africa I saw
was Tarzan and Jane... Would you want to come to Africa? I didn’t want
to come to Africa at all, because there was nothing good that was told
to us about Africa.”
But
Okufu, who has now lived in Ghana for 25 years, has seen another side
of the continent. The shift came after a trip to Elmina Castle in Cape
Coast, where African slaves were held before being transported along the
Middle Passage to the Americas.
“[I
went into the women’s dungeon], and as I stood there... I remember
being terrified,” Okufu explains. “Gradually, I could feel people
touching me, soothing me, saying, ‘It’s alright. You’re home. You’re
safe. Welcome back...’ I knew then that Ghana was going to be my home.”
After
her experience, Okufu and her husband packed up their belongings, sold
what they couldn’t sell, and moved to Ghana in 1990. Okufu’s story
mirrors that of many African-Americans who have traveled or made the move back to Africa
in an effort to better connect with their roots and ancestry. While
Okufu emphasizes the fact that Africa isn’t perfect, she also insists
that life in Africa isn’t as much of a struggle as it was in America.
“I don’t like America,” the expat says. “I love Africa.”
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Melanin Rules......BY MENELIK CHARLES
Melanin rules...
I'm no longer a slave to the body I'm in
I'm no longer a slave to his pale skin
I'm no longer a slave to Satan's sin
I'm no longer afraid to compete
I'm no longer afraid of defeat
I know I can stand on my feet
I'm no longer a slave to the past that
Had me walking on glass and forced
To be the joke... or end up on a rope
Now whenever I win...I put it down to
My skin and a body they're envying
Because of my melanin
(c) Menelik Charles.
Monday, April 11, 2016
BLACK PEOPLE OOOO!---GHANA OOOO!-BLACK ROYALITYOOOO!-THE ASANTHENEOPOKUWARE II OOO!--FROMMEMNON UZAN ON FACEBOOK
Asante, Asantehene Opoku Ware II.....
Comments
Errol Percival Jr. Hmmm... The throne next to his?
Theresa S Edwards A Beautiful Sight For Sore Eyes. Alafia heart emoticon
Friday, March 04, 2016
BLACK POLYGAMY IN GHANA OOOOO!-FROM GHANA-NEWS.ADOMONLINE.COM
A 35-year-old man has tied the knot with two women in the same church at Akyem Topremang in the Eastern Region.
ghana-news.adomonline.com|By adomonline.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY/BABY!--FROM OKAYAFRICA.COM ON FACEBOOK
Thursday, November 07, 2013
GHANA!- "BACK TO AFRICA" FOR BLACKAMERIKKKANS!-THIS IS A GOOD COUNTRY TO CONSIDER! -FROM THEGRIO.COM- O SE O ABURO MI-ZAINABU AYIRA!
FROM THEGRIO.COM
O SE SISTER ZAINABU AYIRA!
We are now living in a time when Africa evokes images of vibrancy and growth instead of poverty, war and struggle.
In this context, Ghana is fast becoming a mecca for black Americans who are looking for lucrative opportunities in a new environment. According to recent reports, about 10,000 African-Americans visit Ghana yearly. Currently almost 3,000 American blacks reside in the capital, Accra, the major hub of Ghana.
Signs of a growing trend
While these numbers are not huge, they are still significant. Almost six years ago there were only 1,000 African-American expatriates living in Ghana, so clearly the numbers are rising steadily.
What has attracted them? The fact is this burgeoning nation has consistently enjoyed a peaceful political climate without many threats of internal or external strife since it gained its independence from the British back in 1957. The temperate weather also makes it an attractive choice.
But most importantly, there are elements that could resonate with anyone seeking a more laid back lifestyle. The pristine beaches, affordable living and a sense of spiritual calm that permeates the landscape makes Ghana an attractive alternative to the proverbial American “rat race.”
Ghana is living up to that hype, in addition to being a land of economic opportunity and bountiful resources.
Why relocate to Ghana?
Most Americans are starting to grasp the notion that they may have better luck financially in another country. As the American economy continues to falter, some blacks are finding that places new and unfamiliar could challenge them in ways leading to upward mobility.
Monies saved and invested elsewhere can yield bigger dividends. The educational attainment of many African-Americans can be put to immediate use in countries that have not been able to offer their populations similar luxuries until recently.
Much has been written about American blacks moving to South Africa for these very reasons, but I would like to suggest Ghana be added to the short list of locales for those considering planting new roots in the Motherland.
Technology, teaching and more opportunities
There are a plethora of companies in Ghana eager to recruit foreign applicants. If you are lucky enough to be well versed in all things digital, securing employment with a well-established technology firm is a strong possibility. Organizations such as Blogging Ghana have created platforms for interactivity within the social media realm that are reaching a global audience. Employees of such firms will have the opportunity to be proponents for change in an emerging field.
Or you can more easily start a family business. More than half of the African-Americans that reside in Accra are entrepreneurs. Local chiefs are often more than willing to grant prized land and other resources to budding entrepreneurs interested in real estate development, or other commercial ventures. This could also lead to a lucrative life in farming – or “agribusiness” – for those interested in a totally new, yet viable way of making a living.
Teaching is another highly desirable profession. English is the official language of Ghana; thus, entering academia as a teacher of the language could be one means of entrance into a coveted class. Plus, there are many supports extended to foreign pupils and the qualified staff who instruct them. You and your family could benefit from this aspect of the economy as native speakers.
Realistic challenges to immigration
But nothing comes easy. Newly minted migrants have encountered some issues adjusting to the regulatory patterns and overall atmosphere of their adopted homes. As progressive as Ghana is compared to their regional neighbors, there are still some difficulties that arise when it comes to everyday comfort. Coming from a Western culture creates certain expectations, and the thought of not having stable electricity, or constant running water can be a pain. Yes, this does happen, and may be a deal-breaker.
In addition, government agencies can also be hard to work with and in some cases they can prolong the process of becoming a citizen, which will limit your access to certain jobs. But, for many recent immigrants, aside from the “malaria issue” (which unfortunately is still the norm), settling in Accra isn’t nearly as intimidating as one would imagine.
Most importantly, acquaint yourself with the history of this very diverse country. Many Ghanaians are well traveled and knowledgeable about world affairs, so you have to be able to hold your own.
Weighing options for change
You have to look before you leap, so it’s advisable to visit first before you make such a drastic decision. You should ideally be armed with a well-drafted blueprint of what your vocation will be and have a few promising options lined up to assuage any doubts. Yes, it can take a considerable amount of time to achieve residency, but if you like Ghana and want to take a risk in your quest for a better life, you will likely succeed.
Ghana is the perfect choice if you are looking to experience living in Africa, because it has managed to take advantage of global opportunities, which has allowed the country to develop a comfortable level of stability. African-Americans will enjoy making a life in a place that will make them feel connected and celebrated in a way that they probably don’t fully enjoy in the U.S. as “minorities.”
Plus, you don’t have to be a millionaire in order to live quite decently. Moreover, there are resources available, like The African American Association of Ghana (AAGG), to help make your transition a smooth one.
Overall, you will be living among a people who are just as excited to get to know you as you are to know them. Ghanaians are very hospitable, which makes it easy to make friends and quickly build a network, which is ultimately the key to survival in any foreign country.
That’s what makes Ghana a welcoming and worthwhile choice for African-Americans who might be thinking of relocating to a new land of opportunity.
Follow Ezinne Ukoha on Twitter @nilegirl.
O SE SISTER ZAINABU AYIRA!
Why Ghana is fast becoming a hub for African-Americans
Local
chiefs wait for visiting Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander and
Princess Maxima at Elmina Castle April 15, 2002 in Ghana. From Elmina
the Dutch shipped over 50,000 slaves to Surinam and an unknown number to
other destinations in North and South America. (Photo by Michel
Porro/Getty Images)
In this context, Ghana is fast becoming a mecca for black Americans who are looking for lucrative opportunities in a new environment. According to recent reports, about 10,000 African-Americans visit Ghana yearly. Currently almost 3,000 American blacks reside in the capital, Accra, the major hub of Ghana.
Signs of a growing trend
While these numbers are not huge, they are still significant. Almost six years ago there were only 1,000 African-American expatriates living in Ghana, so clearly the numbers are rising steadily.
What has attracted them? The fact is this burgeoning nation has consistently enjoyed a peaceful political climate without many threats of internal or external strife since it gained its independence from the British back in 1957. The temperate weather also makes it an attractive choice.
But most importantly, there are elements that could resonate with anyone seeking a more laid back lifestyle. The pristine beaches, affordable living and a sense of spiritual calm that permeates the landscape makes Ghana an attractive alternative to the proverbial American “rat race.”
Ghana is living up to that hype, in addition to being a land of economic opportunity and bountiful resources.
Why relocate to Ghana?
Most Americans are starting to grasp the notion that they may have better luck financially in another country. As the American economy continues to falter, some blacks are finding that places new and unfamiliar could challenge them in ways leading to upward mobility.
Monies saved and invested elsewhere can yield bigger dividends. The educational attainment of many African-Americans can be put to immediate use in countries that have not been able to offer their populations similar luxuries until recently.
Much has been written about American blacks moving to South Africa for these very reasons, but I would like to suggest Ghana be added to the short list of locales for those considering planting new roots in the Motherland.
Technology, teaching and more opportunities
There are a plethora of companies in Ghana eager to recruit foreign applicants. If you are lucky enough to be well versed in all things digital, securing employment with a well-established technology firm is a strong possibility. Organizations such as Blogging Ghana have created platforms for interactivity within the social media realm that are reaching a global audience. Employees of such firms will have the opportunity to be proponents for change in an emerging field.
Or you can more easily start a family business. More than half of the African-Americans that reside in Accra are entrepreneurs. Local chiefs are often more than willing to grant prized land and other resources to budding entrepreneurs interested in real estate development, or other commercial ventures. This could also lead to a lucrative life in farming – or “agribusiness” – for those interested in a totally new, yet viable way of making a living.
Teaching is another highly desirable profession. English is the official language of Ghana; thus, entering academia as a teacher of the language could be one means of entrance into a coveted class. Plus, there are many supports extended to foreign pupils and the qualified staff who instruct them. You and your family could benefit from this aspect of the economy as native speakers.
Realistic challenges to immigration
But nothing comes easy. Newly minted migrants have encountered some issues adjusting to the regulatory patterns and overall atmosphere of their adopted homes. As progressive as Ghana is compared to their regional neighbors, there are still some difficulties that arise when it comes to everyday comfort. Coming from a Western culture creates certain expectations, and the thought of not having stable electricity, or constant running water can be a pain. Yes, this does happen, and may be a deal-breaker.
In addition, government agencies can also be hard to work with and in some cases they can prolong the process of becoming a citizen, which will limit your access to certain jobs. But, for many recent immigrants, aside from the “malaria issue” (which unfortunately is still the norm), settling in Accra isn’t nearly as intimidating as one would imagine.
Most importantly, acquaint yourself with the history of this very diverse country. Many Ghanaians are well traveled and knowledgeable about world affairs, so you have to be able to hold your own.
Weighing options for change
You have to look before you leap, so it’s advisable to visit first before you make such a drastic decision. You should ideally be armed with a well-drafted blueprint of what your vocation will be and have a few promising options lined up to assuage any doubts. Yes, it can take a considerable amount of time to achieve residency, but if you like Ghana and want to take a risk in your quest for a better life, you will likely succeed.
Ghana is the perfect choice if you are looking to experience living in Africa, because it has managed to take advantage of global opportunities, which has allowed the country to develop a comfortable level of stability. African-Americans will enjoy making a life in a place that will make them feel connected and celebrated in a way that they probably don’t fully enjoy in the U.S. as “minorities.”
Plus, you don’t have to be a millionaire in order to live quite decently. Moreover, there are resources available, like The African American Association of Ghana (AAGG), to help make your transition a smooth one.
Overall, you will be living among a people who are just as excited to get to know you as you are to know them. Ghanaians are very hospitable, which makes it easy to make friends and quickly build a network, which is ultimately the key to survival in any foreign country.
That’s what makes Ghana a welcoming and worthwhile choice for African-Americans who might be thinking of relocating to a new land of opportunity.
Follow Ezinne Ukoha on Twitter @nilegirl.
Monday, April 25, 2011
MALCOLM X SAID IT IN 1964 AND WE ARE STILL SLAVES IN AMERIKKKA- "I'M NOT AN AMERICAN,I'M A VICTIM OF AMERICANCISM!"-YES EVEN WITH OBAMA THERE!-WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE AND GET BACK TO YOUR TRUE BLACK SELVES AND BLACK FREEDOM ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE BLACK MAN'S LAND-AFRICA!
http://www.primarysourcebook.com/modern/malcolm-x-speech-in-ghana
Malcolm X Speech in Ghana
Posted by Auron Renius on Thursday, December 23, 2010 Under: Speeches
Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister famous for his outspoken stile of public speaking on civil rights. Always controversial, many saw him as a hero who courageously fought against the crimes of white America against African Americans, while others saw him as an advocate of racism, black supremacy and violence. This is an excerpt from a speech given by Malcolm X on the 13th May, 1964 at the University of Ghana;
I intend for my talk to be very informal, because our position in America is an informal position, [Laughter] and I find that it is very difficult to use formal terms to describe a very informal position. No condition of any people on earth is more deplorable than the condition, or plight, of the twenty-two million Black people in America. And our condition is so deplorable because we are in a country that professes to be a democracy and professes to be striving to give justice and freedom and equality to everyone who is born under its constitution.
If we were born in South Africa or in Angola or some part of this earth where they don’t profess to be for freedom, that would be another thing; but when we are born in a country that stands up and represents itself as the leader of the Free World, and you still have to beg and crawl just to get a chance to drink a cup of coffee, then the condition is very deplorable indeed.
‘A victim of Americanism’
So tonight, so that you will understand me and why I speak as I do, it should probably be pointed out at the outset that I am not a politician. I don’t know anything about politics. I’m from America but I’m not an American. I didn’t go there of my own free choice. [Applause] If I were an American there would be no problem, there’d be no need for legislation or civil rights or anything else.
So I just try to face the fact as it actually is and come to this meeting as one of the victims of America, one of the victims of Americanism, one of the victims of democracy, one of the victims of a very hypocritical system that is going all over this earth today representing itself as being qualified to tell other people how to run their country when they can’t get the dirty things that are going on in their own country straightened out. [Applause]
So if someone else from America comes to you to speak, they’re probably speaking as Americans, and they speak as people who see America through the eyes of an American. And usually those types of persons refer to America, or that which exists in America, as the American Dream. But for the twenty million of us in America who are of African descent, it is not an American dream; it’s an American nightmare. [Laughter]
I don’t feel that I am a visitor in Ghana or in any part of Africa. I feel that I am at home. I’ve been away for four hundred years, [Laughter] but not of my own volition, not of my own will. Our people didn’t go to America on the Queen Mary, we didn’t go by Pan American, and we didn’t go to America on the Mayflower. We went in slave ships, we went in chains. We weren’t immigrants to America, we were cargo for purposes of a system that was bent upon making a profit. So this is the category or level of which I speak. I may not speak it in the language many of you would use, but I think you will understand the meaning of my terms.
When I was in Ibadan [in Nigeria] at the University of Ibadan last Friday night, the students there gave me a new name, which I go for—meaning I like it. [Laughter] Omowale, which they say means in Yoruba—if I am pronouncing that correctly, and if I am not pronouncing it correctly it’s because I haven’t had a chance to pronounce it for four hundred years [Laughter]—which means in that dialect, The child has returned.
It was an honor for me to be referred to as a child who had sense enough to return to the land of his forefathers—to his fatherland and to his motherland. Not sent back here by the State Department, [Laughter] but come back here of my own free will. [Applause]
I am happy and I imagine, since it is the policy that whenever a Black man leaves America and travels in any part of Africa, or Asia, or Latin America and says things contrary to what the American propaganda machine turns out, usually he finds upon his return home that his passport is lifted. Well, if they had not wanted me to say the things I am saying, they should never have given me a passport in the first place. The policy usually is the lifting of the passport. Now I am not here to condemn America, I am not here to make America look bad, but I am here to tell you the truth about the situation that Black people in America find themselves confronted with. And if truth condemns America, then she stands condemned. [Applause]
This is the most beautiful continent that I’ve ever seen; it’s the richest continent I’ve ever seen, and strange as it may seem, I find many white Americans here smiling in the faces of our African brothers like they have been loving them all of the time. [Laughter and applause]
Source: hartford-hwp.com
In : Speeches
Next post: my-mother-from-am... Previous post: us-declaration-of...
Tags: "malcolm x" "civil rights" "african american" america "human rights" africa activism
Malcolm X Speech in Ghana
Posted by Auron Renius on Thursday, December 23, 2010 Under: Speeches
Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister famous for his outspoken stile of public speaking on civil rights. Always controversial, many saw him as a hero who courageously fought against the crimes of white America against African Americans, while others saw him as an advocate of racism, black supremacy and violence. This is an excerpt from a speech given by Malcolm X on the 13th May, 1964 at the University of Ghana;
I intend for my talk to be very informal, because our position in America is an informal position, [Laughter] and I find that it is very difficult to use formal terms to describe a very informal position. No condition of any people on earth is more deplorable than the condition, or plight, of the twenty-two million Black people in America. And our condition is so deplorable because we are in a country that professes to be a democracy and professes to be striving to give justice and freedom and equality to everyone who is born under its constitution.
If we were born in South Africa or in Angola or some part of this earth where they don’t profess to be for freedom, that would be another thing; but when we are born in a country that stands up and represents itself as the leader of the Free World, and you still have to beg and crawl just to get a chance to drink a cup of coffee, then the condition is very deplorable indeed.
‘A victim of Americanism’
So tonight, so that you will understand me and why I speak as I do, it should probably be pointed out at the outset that I am not a politician. I don’t know anything about politics. I’m from America but I’m not an American. I didn’t go there of my own free choice. [Applause] If I were an American there would be no problem, there’d be no need for legislation or civil rights or anything else.
So I just try to face the fact as it actually is and come to this meeting as one of the victims of America, one of the victims of Americanism, one of the victims of democracy, one of the victims of a very hypocritical system that is going all over this earth today representing itself as being qualified to tell other people how to run their country when they can’t get the dirty things that are going on in their own country straightened out. [Applause]
So if someone else from America comes to you to speak, they’re probably speaking as Americans, and they speak as people who see America through the eyes of an American. And usually those types of persons refer to America, or that which exists in America, as the American Dream. But for the twenty million of us in America who are of African descent, it is not an American dream; it’s an American nightmare. [Laughter]
I don’t feel that I am a visitor in Ghana or in any part of Africa. I feel that I am at home. I’ve been away for four hundred years, [Laughter] but not of my own volition, not of my own will. Our people didn’t go to America on the Queen Mary, we didn’t go by Pan American, and we didn’t go to America on the Mayflower. We went in slave ships, we went in chains. We weren’t immigrants to America, we were cargo for purposes of a system that was bent upon making a profit. So this is the category or level of which I speak. I may not speak it in the language many of you would use, but I think you will understand the meaning of my terms.
When I was in Ibadan [in Nigeria] at the University of Ibadan last Friday night, the students there gave me a new name, which I go for—meaning I like it. [Laughter] Omowale, which they say means in Yoruba—if I am pronouncing that correctly, and if I am not pronouncing it correctly it’s because I haven’t had a chance to pronounce it for four hundred years [Laughter]—which means in that dialect, The child has returned.
It was an honor for me to be referred to as a child who had sense enough to return to the land of his forefathers—to his fatherland and to his motherland. Not sent back here by the State Department, [Laughter] but come back here of my own free will. [Applause]
I am happy and I imagine, since it is the policy that whenever a Black man leaves America and travels in any part of Africa, or Asia, or Latin America and says things contrary to what the American propaganda machine turns out, usually he finds upon his return home that his passport is lifted. Well, if they had not wanted me to say the things I am saying, they should never have given me a passport in the first place. The policy usually is the lifting of the passport. Now I am not here to condemn America, I am not here to make America look bad, but I am here to tell you the truth about the situation that Black people in America find themselves confronted with. And if truth condemns America, then she stands condemned. [Applause]
This is the most beautiful continent that I’ve ever seen; it’s the richest continent I’ve ever seen, and strange as it may seem, I find many white Americans here smiling in the faces of our African brothers like they have been loving them all of the time. [Laughter and applause]
Source: hartford-hwp.com
In : Speeches
Next post: my-mother-from-am... Previous post: us-declaration-of...
Tags: "malcolm x" "civil rights" "african american" america "human rights" africa activism
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
BACK TO AFRICA! - CHIEF ALFRED SAM LED OKLAHOMA BLACKS TO AFRICAN IN 1916!
FROM hierographics.org/yourhistoryonline/chief_alfred_c_sam.htm
The longest way home;: Chief Alfred C. Sam's back-to-Africa movement,
Chief Alfred C. Sam The Akim Trading Company, Limited and Afro-American emigration to the Gold Coast The impact of African emigrationism upon white Americans was minimal. Only when actual migrations took place did most whites suspect that such black sentiment existed. On such occasions, furthermore, they were always caught unawares because customary "Negro spokesmen" had perpetuated the myth of the docile black peasant, content to stay at the bottom of society. While European immigrants by the millions entered the country, the very thought that anyone would want to leave the United States to look for better opportunities elsewhere seemed absurd to most Americans.
Within this general context, white reactions varied. Northern liberals like Tourgee rejected emigration because they believed the American love of justice would overcome the prejudice of race. More conservative whites endorsed the "gospel of wealth," as interpreted by Booker T. Washington, as the proper approach to race relations; they preferred the vision of industrious, uncomplaining workers to the prospect of radical malcontents who might upset the social equilibrium. The few whites who supported the American Colonization Society were either remnants of the pre-Civil War group that pictured emigration as a paternalistic solution to the race problem or representatives of a later generation that was concerned only for the welfare of Liberia. Although reactionaries like Thomas Dixon advocated deportation of blacks from the country, they found little support for the actual removal of Afro-Americans. Most whites simply wanted to keep the blacks at the lowest possible level of American society.
In Africa, however, the Afro-American emigration movement had considerable impact, although the thousand or so black peasants who sailed to Liberia between 1890 and 1910 helped that country but little. But the rhetoric of nationalism and the climate of protest among AfroAmericans reached far, and Bishop Turner's newspapers found avid readers in Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, and Lagos. His visits to West and South Africa stirred the Africans, to the dismay of colonial officials. Just as important, African students who had studied in American colleges returned home with a newly militant attitude toward the colonial powers. If white Americans considered blacks passive and content, Africans learned otherwise.1
Perhaps the most important effect of Bishop Turner's campaign was to foster the hope for a better life in Africa in the memories of black Americans. For the African emigration movement did not stop in 1910; it has continued, in periodic outbursts, well into the twentieth century. The best-known movements were those led by Chief Alfred C. Sam and Marcus Garvey. But if the leaders and organizations changed with time, the blacks who responded so vigorously remained essentially the same.
Chief Alfred C. Sam, from Gold Coast Colony in West Africa, suddenly appeared in Oklahoma in the summer of 1913. He was selling stock in his company, Akim Trading Company, Limited, and advocating Afro-American emigration to the Gold Coast, where he claimed to own land. Sam appealed particularly to the residents of several all-black towns, remnants of E. P. McCabe's settlement projects. Increasing prejudice and statewide disfranchisement had dashed all hopes for even local black independence; the blacks who fled to Oklahoma for refuge had found none. In their despair they embraced Chief Sam's nationalistic emigration scheme, invested their money accordingly, and prepared to sail to Africa. After purchasing a steamship and christening it "Liberia," Sam confounded his critics by sailing from Galveston with sixty emigrants and a black crew. Indeed, several hundred black Oklahomans who had gone to Galveston in the hope of sailing on Sam's first voyage were left behind, while hundreds more waited in Oklahoma for Sam to return. Financial, diplomatic, and political troubles cost Sam the ship, and many of the emigrants eventually returned to the United States. Like other schemes before it, Sam's efforts did little more than demonstrate Afro-American dissatisfaction.2
Chief Sam could hardly have found a state more hospitable to his scheme. In 1913 most of the blacks in Oklahoma had come from other states in their search for land and security.3 When Oklahoma proved to be just another Southern state in racial matters, the blacks were bound to be disillusioned, and candidates for emigration. National ism, moreover, already had a strong foothold in Oklahoma, as evidenced by its separate communities and the attempt to build a black state in the territory in the 1 890S. African emigration also had a strong local tradition. The blacks who traveled from Oklahoma to New York in 1892 and 1899, expecting to go to Africa, were solid evidence of that tradition. Samuel Chapman's emigration clubs helped keep it alive in the late 1890s, while Bishop Turner's newspapers and speeches fed the Afro-American desire to leave home for greener pastures. Chief Sam reaped what Turner had planted.4
The better-known Marcus Garvey came to the United States from Jamaica in 1916, just a year after Turner died. During the next ten years he built the largest mass movement in Afro-Ameri- can history around his Universal Negro Improvement Association. Garvey's appeals to black nationalism and African emigration earned him the title "Black Moses," a designation bestowed earlier on Bishop Turner. The black masses who had moved to Northern cities responded to this ideology in astounding numbers and intensity. Lack of business skill, however, caused the downfall of Garvey and his movement, and he was imprisoned for mail fraud and eventually deported. Few, if any, in his legion of followers settled in Africa, but the Afro-American community was thoroughly aroused. Many white Americans realized for the first time that the myth of the docile, satisfied black Sambo was false.5
1. For the impact of American black nationalism on Africa see, for example: Shepperson and Price, Independent African; Shepperson, "American Negro Influence on the Emergence of African Nationalism," Journal of African History, I (1960), 299-312; idem, "Ethiopianism and African Nationalism," Phylon, 14 (Spring 1953), 9-18, idem, "External Factors in the Development of African Nationalism, with Particular Reference to British Central Africa," Phylon, 22 (Fall 1961), 207-25 idem, "The United States and East Africa," Phylon, 13 (Spring 1951), 25-34; Mary Benson, The African Patriots: The Story of the African National Congress of South Africa (Chicago, 1963), pp. 28, 29, 47, 49, and passim; Sundkler, Bantu Prophets, pp. 38-64; Thwaite, Seething African Pot, pp. 36-39; Coan, "The Expansion of Missions," passim Thomas Hodgkin, Nationalism in Colonial Africa (New York, 1957), pp. 81, 101, 108, 180 f.; David Kimble, A Political History of Ghana (London, 1963), pp. 537-44; Ruth M. Slade, English-Speaking Missions in the Congo Independent State, 1878-1908 (Brussels, 1959), passim.
2. Bittle and Geis, The Longest Way Home, passim.
3. Oklahoma's black population multiplied almost sevenfold between 1890 and 1910; see U. S. Bureau of the Census, Negro Populatior', 1790-1915 (Washington, 1918), p. 129.
4. See Chapter 5 and p. 250 above.
5. Cronon, Black Moses, passim; Frank Chalk, "DuBois and Garvey Confront Liberia: Two Incidents of the Coolidge Years," a paper delivered at the 52d annual meeting of the Associa- tion for the Study of Negro Life and History, 13-17 October 1967, Greensboro, N.C.
From: Edwin S. Redkey. Black Exodus: Black Nationalist and Back-to-Africa Movements, 1890-1910 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1969). pp. 291-293.
77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
FROM dacb.org
7
The longest way home;: Chief Alfred C. Sam's back-to-Africa movement,
Within this general context, white reactions varied. Northern liberals like Tourgee rejected emigration because they believed the American love of justice would overcome the prejudice of race. More conservative whites endorsed the "gospel of wealth," as interpreted by Booker T. Washington, as the proper approach to race relations; they preferred the vision of industrious, uncomplaining workers to the prospect of radical malcontents who might upset the social equilibrium. The few whites who supported the American Colonization Society were either remnants of the pre-Civil War group that pictured emigration as a paternalistic solution to the race problem or representatives of a later generation that was concerned only for the welfare of Liberia. Although reactionaries like Thomas Dixon advocated deportation of blacks from the country, they found little support for the actual removal of Afro-Americans. Most whites simply wanted to keep the blacks at the lowest possible level of American society.
In Africa, however, the Afro-American emigration movement had considerable impact, although the thousand or so black peasants who sailed to Liberia between 1890 and 1910 helped that country but little. But the rhetoric of nationalism and the climate of protest among AfroAmericans reached far, and Bishop Turner's newspapers found avid readers in Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, and Lagos. His visits to West and South Africa stirred the Africans, to the dismay of colonial officials. Just as important, African students who had studied in American colleges returned home with a newly militant attitude toward the colonial powers. If white Americans considered blacks passive and content, Africans learned otherwise.1
Perhaps the most important effect of Bishop Turner's campaign was to foster the hope for a better life in Africa in the memories of black Americans. For the African emigration movement did not stop in 1910; it has continued, in periodic outbursts, well into the twentieth century. The best-known movements were those led by Chief Alfred C. Sam and Marcus Garvey. But if the leaders and organizations changed with time, the blacks who responded so vigorously remained essentially the same.
Chief Alfred C. Sam, from Gold Coast Colony in West Africa, suddenly appeared in Oklahoma in the summer of 1913. He was selling stock in his company, Akim Trading Company, Limited, and advocating Afro-American emigration to the Gold Coast, where he claimed to own land. Sam appealed particularly to the residents of several all-black towns, remnants of E. P. McCabe's settlement projects. Increasing prejudice and statewide disfranchisement had dashed all hopes for even local black independence; the blacks who fled to Oklahoma for refuge had found none. In their despair they embraced Chief Sam's nationalistic emigration scheme, invested their money accordingly, and prepared to sail to Africa. After purchasing a steamship and christening it "Liberia," Sam confounded his critics by sailing from Galveston with sixty emigrants and a black crew. Indeed, several hundred black Oklahomans who had gone to Galveston in the hope of sailing on Sam's first voyage were left behind, while hundreds more waited in Oklahoma for Sam to return. Financial, diplomatic, and political troubles cost Sam the ship, and many of the emigrants eventually returned to the United States. Like other schemes before it, Sam's efforts did little more than demonstrate Afro-American dissatisfaction.2
Chief Sam could hardly have found a state more hospitable to his scheme. In 1913 most of the blacks in Oklahoma had come from other states in their search for land and security.3 When Oklahoma proved to be just another Southern state in racial matters, the blacks were bound to be disillusioned, and candidates for emigration. National ism, moreover, already had a strong foothold in Oklahoma, as evidenced by its separate communities and the attempt to build a black state in the territory in the 1 890S. African emigration also had a strong local tradition. The blacks who traveled from Oklahoma to New York in 1892 and 1899, expecting to go to Africa, were solid evidence of that tradition. Samuel Chapman's emigration clubs helped keep it alive in the late 1890s, while Bishop Turner's newspapers and speeches fed the Afro-American desire to leave home for greener pastures. Chief Sam reaped what Turner had planted.4
The better-known Marcus Garvey came to the United States from Jamaica in 1916, just a year after Turner died. During the next ten years he built the largest mass movement in Afro-Ameri- can history around his Universal Negro Improvement Association. Garvey's appeals to black nationalism and African emigration earned him the title "Black Moses," a designation bestowed earlier on Bishop Turner. The black masses who had moved to Northern cities responded to this ideology in astounding numbers and intensity. Lack of business skill, however, caused the downfall of Garvey and his movement, and he was imprisoned for mail fraud and eventually deported. Few, if any, in his legion of followers settled in Africa, but the Afro-American community was thoroughly aroused. Many white Americans realized for the first time that the myth of the docile, satisfied black Sambo was false.5
1. For the impact of American black nationalism on Africa see, for example: Shepperson and Price, Independent African; Shepperson, "American Negro Influence on the Emergence of African Nationalism," Journal of African History, I (1960), 299-312; idem, "Ethiopianism and African Nationalism," Phylon, 14 (Spring 1953), 9-18, idem, "External Factors in the Development of African Nationalism, with Particular Reference to British Central Africa," Phylon, 22 (Fall 1961), 207-25 idem, "The United States and East Africa," Phylon, 13 (Spring 1951), 25-34; Mary Benson, The African Patriots: The Story of the African National Congress of South Africa (Chicago, 1963), pp. 28, 29, 47, 49, and passim; Sundkler, Bantu Prophets, pp. 38-64; Thwaite, Seething African Pot, pp. 36-39; Coan, "The Expansion of Missions," passim Thomas Hodgkin, Nationalism in Colonial Africa (New York, 1957), pp. 81, 101, 108, 180 f.; David Kimble, A Political History of Ghana (London, 1963), pp. 537-44; Ruth M. Slade, English-Speaking Missions in the Congo Independent State, 1878-1908 (Brussels, 1959), passim.
2. Bittle and Geis, The Longest Way Home, passim.
3. Oklahoma's black population multiplied almost sevenfold between 1890 and 1910; see U. S. Bureau of the Census, Negro Populatior', 1790-1915 (Washington, 1918), p. 129.
4. See Chapter 5 and p. 250 above.
5. Cronon, Black Moses, passim; Frank Chalk, "DuBois and Garvey Confront Liberia: Two Incidents of the Coolidge Years," a paper delivered at the 52d annual meeting of the Associa- tion for the Study of Negro Life and History, 13-17 October 1967, Greensboro, N.C.
From: Edwin S. Redkey. Black Exodus: Black Nationalist and Back-to-Africa Movements, 1890-1910 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1969). pp. 291-293.
77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
FROM dacb.org
7
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
SLAVERY! -SEE THE SLAVE CASTLES AT GHANA AND CRY YOUR HEART OUT BLACK PEOPLE!-ALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN THRU!-SISTER ALLISON SAMUELS AT NEWSWEEK TELLS HOW SHE SAW IT!
from theghanajournal.com
By Allison Samuels | NEWSWEEK
It takes four hours on an un-air-conditioned minibus called a tro-tros to get from Accra, the capital of Ghana, to the town of Elmina. The drive is lovely, especially when the road dances above the beautiful Cape Coast and when it enters Elmina’s twisty streets lined with palm trees and hundreds of people trading fish like we buy hamburgers at McDonald’s. The town’s main attraction is a huge white castle that sits on top of a hill. From the road it appears so suddenly, it takes your breath away. The Elmina Castle, with its enormous white walls and red-tile roofs peering out onto the Indian Ocean, could easily be confused for some decaying Mediterranean resort. Such a pretty building—for a hellhole. Elmina Castle is actually one of 20 buildings running along the Ghanaian coast that housed African captives before they were shipped off to the New World. Which is why these buildings are more commonly, and oxymoronically, known as slave castles.
The Portuguese built Elmina Castle in 1482 as a trading post for goods bartered for local gold and gems. As demand for slaves increased in America and the Caribbean, the castle began to store a more precious and perishable trade. Although the castle is empty now, there are many reminders of its horrible past on the inside. In the middle of the courtyard stands a cast-iron ball and chain the size of a backyard barbecue; slaves who disobeyed, including women who refused to sleep with their captors, were shackled to it and left to die in the burning African sun. The castle’s interior is rimmed with closet-size rooms where the Africans waited for their dock at the shore. When our guide offered my tour group a chance to get locked into a cell to experience what it might have felt like to be held there, I was the only one to decline. The tears were beginning to well up as I wandered off alone, thinking of how my ancestors would have been crammed on top of each with no room to breath, and without knowing that their lives would only get worse on the ships that would take them through the “middle passage” and across the ocean. If they made it that far.
The tour ended at a dank, dark cell that housed only a door: the “door of no return,” an iron gate that led to the planks where the captives were loaded on the ships. Wreaths, flowers and other mementos surrounding the door now pay tribute to the lives that passed through it, and were changed or lost forever. As I peered through the holes in the gate and gazed at the Indian Ocean beyond, I realized that walking in the footsteps of my African ancestors was perhaps even more painful than I imagined it would be ever since I watched Roots as a child in the ’70s. That feeling was complicated by the fact that because the history of slavery isn’t taught in the Ghanaian schools, many of the children and adults I met simply thought of me as a foreigner, and what they call “ye vu”—white visitor. I felt like a stranger in a land where the people looked exactly like me. Yet I felt like a native, too. I guess going home can be like that—sadness and wonder all mixed together. That’s especially true when you follow the path back to your ancestors and find yourself looking at the door of no return.
By Allison Samuels | NEWSWEEK
It takes four hours on an un-air-conditioned minibus called a tro-tros to get from Accra, the capital of Ghana, to the town of Elmina. The drive is lovely, especially when the road dances above the beautiful Cape Coast and when it enters Elmina’s twisty streets lined with palm trees and hundreds of people trading fish like we buy hamburgers at McDonald’s. The town’s main attraction is a huge white castle that sits on top of a hill. From the road it appears so suddenly, it takes your breath away. The Elmina Castle, with its enormous white walls and red-tile roofs peering out onto the Indian Ocean, could easily be confused for some decaying Mediterranean resort. Such a pretty building—for a hellhole. Elmina Castle is actually one of 20 buildings running along the Ghanaian coast that housed African captives before they were shipped off to the New World. Which is why these buildings are more commonly, and oxymoronically, known as slave castles.
The Portuguese built Elmina Castle in 1482 as a trading post for goods bartered for local gold and gems. As demand for slaves increased in America and the Caribbean, the castle began to store a more precious and perishable trade. Although the castle is empty now, there are many reminders of its horrible past on the inside. In the middle of the courtyard stands a cast-iron ball and chain the size of a backyard barbecue; slaves who disobeyed, including women who refused to sleep with their captors, were shackled to it and left to die in the burning African sun. The castle’s interior is rimmed with closet-size rooms where the Africans waited for their dock at the shore. When our guide offered my tour group a chance to get locked into a cell to experience what it might have felt like to be held there, I was the only one to decline. The tears were beginning to well up as I wandered off alone, thinking of how my ancestors would have been crammed on top of each with no room to breath, and without knowing that their lives would only get worse on the ships that would take them through the “middle passage” and across the ocean. If they made it that far.
The tour ended at a dank, dark cell that housed only a door: the “door of no return,” an iron gate that led to the planks where the captives were loaded on the ships. Wreaths, flowers and other mementos surrounding the door now pay tribute to the lives that passed through it, and were changed or lost forever. As I peered through the holes in the gate and gazed at the Indian Ocean beyond, I realized that walking in the footsteps of my African ancestors was perhaps even more painful than I imagined it would be ever since I watched Roots as a child in the ’70s. That feeling was complicated by the fact that because the history of slavery isn’t taught in the Ghanaian schools, many of the children and adults I met simply thought of me as a foreigner, and what they call “ye vu”—white visitor. I felt like a stranger in a land where the people looked exactly like me. Yet I felt like a native, too. I guess going home can be like that—sadness and wonder all mixed together. That’s especially true when you follow the path back to your ancestors and find yourself looking at the door of no return.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
