by Zolo
Agona Azania
(published
May 1988)
copyright
Zolo Agona Azania
Preface
Slavery, oppression and injustice are not good. The true
meaning and purpose of life is to struggle against that which is not good.
Terrible damage is done in words and in deeds to a human being on the basis of
race. But words live only by physical action. The slave masters knew this very
well when they began labeling Afrikan slaves with the most negative degrading
words. When the Afrikan slaves accepted those negative degrading words as their
own they began to think and act negative, which made matters worse. The
psychological (mental) enslavement of people with deceptive words and false
labels is an old game of the world. This is the point of the preface. If We are
ever to be free again We must struggle against this old game, by any means
necessary, and win. A people ignorant of self, or miseducated with false
knowledge about self does not see the significance, nor understand the
importance of this struggle, and the righteousness of striving in the cause for
nothing less than self-determination. It is incumbent (resting) upon the New
Afrikan intellectuals to re-write comprehensive dictionaries and encyclopedias
that adequately re-define the words and terminologies describing Our own race
and culture in all spheres of life. These books are to be used constructively
at home, in Our liberation schools, and everywhere there are people. The
re-education (and re-training) of Our beloved people will bring us into unity.
This little pamphlet was written by the author as an effort to make a humble
contribution to this worthy cause.
Who is the New Afrikan?
The New Afrikan is a Black person whose ancestors
were kidnapped from many different Afrikan tribes (mainly from West and South
coast of Afrika) and brought to Amerikkka in the holds of slave ships. They
were stripped of name, languages, identity, religion, culture, country and
family ties.
For
about the first 200 years after people of the Afrikan race were brought to
Amerikkka as slaves and prisoners of war they continued to identify themselves
as “Afrikan.” Then [New Afrikan] and Negro. These latter words were rejected
for a while, but accepted in hostile reaction to, among other things, the
option of some Afrikans living in quasi-free states going back to Afrika
leaving loved ones behind in slavery. The organization which spearheaded this
back to Afrika movement was called the “American Colonization Society.” But
many influential anti-slavery abolitionists were in opposition to this
particular movement. For example, Dr. Benjamin Quarles wrote:
“The colonization scheme had a unifying effect on
Negroes in the North, bringing them together in a common bond of opposition.
Within a two-year span in the early 1830’s Negroes in twenty-two cities held
formal meetings of protest. Their resolutions might vary in form one group might declare themselves the
legitimate sons of America, with no desire to leave their native land, and
another group might report that they regarded the colonization society in the
same light that lambs regarded wolves. But there was no mistaking their common
attitude. Indeed, this hostility to the American Colonization Society led the
delegates to a national Negro convention meeting in Philadelphia in 1835, to
adopt unanimously a resolution “to remove the title of Afrikan from their
institutions.”
But, one
of the most damaging criminal offenses that contributed to destruction of the
cultural unity and identity of the Afrikan was done by labeling and classifying
Afrikan people according to the shade of their skin. How did that happen?
Afrikan
women and girls were raped by the Caucasian enslavers. As a result of this, and
other factors, millions of Afrikan people today have starkly different shades
of skin complexion ranging from very dark to very light.
It is
worthy to note however, that prior to the conquest of Afrikan land and the
enslavement of its people, all Afrikans did not have one exact shade of skin
complexion. Why?
Those
living along the North, Northeast, and Northwest coastal area of the
Mediterranean and Red Seas had been in close contact with Asian, Arabs, and
Caucasian tribes for thousands of years. Intermarriage with members of another
group, family, tribe or nation, and miscegenation (interbreeding and marriage
between white and non-white person), wars and other social relationships
resulted in race mixing. The skin coloration of the children born of those
relationships was an array of ochres to burnt sienas (light yellowish, reddish
brown, and shades in between). We also take into consideration the hot tropical
climate which made some light-skinned Afrikans look like Caucasians or Arabs
with a deep sun-tan.
Afrikans
living deeper in the interior (central Afrika), and those living along the
West, South and Southeast coastal areas was a natural array of raw umbers to
strong ebony (very dark brownish-[New Afrikan]) were less effected by race
mixing. Be that as it may, each tribe or nation had their own individual
characteristics and customs that identified or distinguished one person, ethnic
group, tribe or nation from another, their blood, however, remained essentially
pure and dominant during that epoch (a particular period, point, or time in
history) than those in the North, Northeast and Northwest Afrika.
So, the
hue, coloration, or complexion of Afrikan people’s skin, contingent or
dependent upon the region in which they lived and other circumstances involved,
was an array or variety of shades prior to their arrival to what later became
known as Amerikkka. In spite of those facts however, the variation of Afrikan
people’s skin complexion was not as widespread as it is currently (now).
The term New Afrikan is not a fly-by-night in
thing or fad premised (introduction or proposition upon which an argument is
based) upon regional and geographical consideration. Nor is it only a mere
physical reality. It is a re-awakened people, a spiritual force, part of the
human family creating within themselves a socio-national conscience of
paramount importance to one’s dignity, integrity, strength, freedom, security
and stability.
In light of those sentiments We enter into further
discussion: who is the New Afrikan?
The Caucasian used deceitful words and scathing (harmful
and abusive) labels designed to divide the unity of the Afrikan race according
to the shade of their skin complexion. This was done by classifying the Afrikan
as: “mulatto”, “quadroon”, “octoroon”, “sambo”, “coons”, “colored”, “nigger”,
“negro”, “black”, and whatever else.
Mulatto is a person having one Caucasian and one Afrikan
parent. Quadroon is a person having one quarter (1/4) Afrikan blood and the
rest Caucasian. Octoroon is one who has one eighth (1/8) Afrikan blood, the
offspring of a Caucasian person and a quadroon. Sambo is a word used by the
Caucasian to define Afrikan men as humble pets, apes, beasts, stupid, dumb
creatures and rapists white women. Coon is a slang derogatory term short for
“raccoon” used offensively against Afrikan people describing them as watermelon
eating thieves. The watermelon is native to Afrika. Colored is a person having
mixed Afrikan, Indian, and Caucasian blood, or a dark-skinned people of Afrikan
descent. Nigger is Latin for blacken, darken, dirty, denigrate, disgraceful,
belittle or defame. Negro is Spanish for [New Afrikan], dark, dirty, or someone
that is no good. Black is English for dirty, shameful, ugly, evil, sadness and
everything negative.
The aim of the Caucasian was not only to enslave Afrikan
people physically, but, also to enslave them psychologically. The Afrikan was
forced by violence to denounce their heritage. Afrikan babies were brainwashed
from the cradle to believe they were members of the so-called colored, nigger,
or negro race. They grew up not knowing their true ethnic identity, or
nationality.
Even had this not been so, the fact that We were
kidnapped and dispersed throughout various parts of the Earth, enslaved and
colonized held in isolation cut off from Our ancestral homeland and subjected
to the most barbaric treatment imaginable, contributed to the dissolution of
Our direct relationship with Afrikan culture. This also led to the destruction
of the normal Afrikan mind-set (mentality).
It’s very important for one to be conscious of one’s own
ethnic identity [which] indicates belonging to a particular nation by origin or
birth. For example, some light-skinned Afrikan slaves were so mentally confused
that if one had asked what was their ethnic identity the reply would often be,
“mulatto”, “quadroon”, “octoroon”, “colored”, or something of the sort. Light
or high yellow complexion was considered a status symbol. Dr. Kenneth M. Stampp
wrote:
“But the most piteous device for seeking status in
the slave community was that of boasting about white ancestors or taking pride
in a light complexion.”
After a
period of time went by they accepted the label “Negro,” and would feel angry,
hurt or both if one would call him or her Black. They hated the descriptive
word Black being attached to them because they hated their own self. Many
mistakenly thought being associated with Black was shameful and ugly.
Another
period of time arrived when the consciousness of Afrikan people increased
again. They gradually returned to identifying themselves as BLACK people. One
by one they threw off the deceitful words and false, abusive labels put on them
by the Caucasian. Some Afrikans continued to identify themselves as nigger and
negro because they had been brainwashed to believe that lie all their life; and
were fixed in their old ways and conceptions. Others simply refused to change
the negative way they thought about self in fear for their lives.
Deceitful
words and false, abusive labels used for over 400 years to describe members of
the Afrikan race are no longer accepted. The term “negro” has fallen into
disuse. Afrikans now gleefully accept being called BLACK. It added positive
meaning to their lives. For instance, the Afrikan definition of Black is not
the same as the Caucasians definition. Indicative of this is the expression:
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL. One drop of Afrikan blood in their body is enough to make
them Black. it doesn't make any difference what shade of color their skin is. The
word Black, as used in this context, is a state of mind (Black-consciousness).
The word
“Afrikan” had also been used synonymously with backwards, shameful and
unintelligent. This word or term infuriated those Afrikans who hated self more
than any other because, most considered it a vicious insult to remind them of
their true identity. But now they're happy to be called “Afrikan”,
“Afrikan-American,” or “Afro-American.” That is the NEW AFRIKAN mind-set
(mentality).
On the
other hand however, there were many beloved New Afrikan sisters and brothers
like Sojourner Truth, Denmark Vesey, Gabriel Prosser, David Walker, Nat Turner,
Dr. Martin R. Delaney, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Marcus M. Garvey,
Paul Robeson, Elijah Muhammad, Harry Haywood, Ella Jo “Fundi” Baker, El-Hajj
Malik El-Shabazz, Zayd Malik Shakur, George Jackson, Kuwasi Balagoon, Mtayari
Shabaka Sundiata, Bobby Hutton, and Jonathan Jackson, only to name a few, who
always acknowledged their Afrikan heritage, even under pain of death.
The rise
in the level of New Afrikan consciousness is the flowering of the human mind.
It took a long time before the term “New Afrikan” gained wide acceptance by the
masses of Our people. Indicative of this is the desire and progressive action
of the descendants of the Afrikan slaves to define the words or terms to
identify and describe Our own race. It was a continuous process of spirited
struggle, of defiance, and of self-sacrifice to re-claim Our humanity; to
re-define Our own identity; to re-shape Our own destiny (self-determination).
The New
Afrikan represents unity of mind and body of the highest order. Yet on this
point there need not be any doubt who is the New Afrikan. Our history brings Us
together. The bottom line is that, in slavery We came to Amerikkka from many
different Afrikan Nations sometimes called tribes. Here We became one people, a New Afrikan people, and a New Afrikan
Nation.
(copyright 2000 by Zolo Agona Azania)