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A Date with a Brazilian Prison

SPECIAL - BLACK HISTORY FEATURE

B l a c k H i s t o ry Is there a link to Domestic Violence?

Issue 9

Stimulates - Educates - Motivates - Elevates

Black - B r i g h t

Obama, Obama!! Are we thinking enough about Obama in the UK? I know I wasn’t really. I saw a tasteful looking man on TV and thought, he looks good, has a good temperament but I am sure he has been put there to set us up - to give us hope. I am a cynic you see. I feel that he is going to get so close to the position that he can taste it and then someone (like the previously tortured prisoner of war, McCain) will pip him to the post.

I went to America end September and got Obamania – it became no longer, for me an American thing, but a potential leader trying to prove his eligibility to be President of the United States. Many might remark that he certainly has, as his book suggests, the “Audacity of Hope”. While in New York, I listened to his arguments, and then I listened to McCain’s and feel that if the Americans allow their prejudices to influence their judgement, i.e. fearing a ‘black man in charge’ they will not only be subjecting themselves to an unhealthy future, but the rest of the world with them!

We are not asking Americans to place their future into men who were or are considered extremists like Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, Robert Mugabe or Dr York, we are talking about Barack Obama, someone whom I personally feel possesses integrity, and who I strongly believe, will do a good job.

This is not a question of colour (although colour cannot but be brought into it), it is a question of whether or not he is qualified to be President, and I think he has proved he is. The American people need to go with their gut instinct and not be swayed by their fears. It’s time for a change, time to change the future - it’s time to vote for Obama!

AUDACITY OF HOPE - OBAMANIA An Editorial by Founder, Myrna Loy

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He then decided to mop the floor, but the mop was gone. You see, Thomas W. Stewart, a black man, invented the mop. Theo yelled to his Mom, Mom, I am not having any luck. Well son, she said, let me finish washing these clothes and we will prepare a list for the grocery store. When the wash finished, she went to place the clothes in the dryer but it was not there.

You see, George T. Samon, a black man, invented the clothes dryer. Mom asked Theo to go get a pencil and some paper to prepare their list for the market. So Theo ran for the paper and pencil but noticed the pencil lead was broken.

Theo ran to his room to put on his clothes and shoes.

His mother took one look at him and said Theo, those clothes are all wrinkled son, I must iron them. But when she reached for the ironing board it was no longer there. You see Sarah Boone, a black woman, invented the ironing board. Similarly, Theo couldn’t find his shoes because Jan E. Matzelinger, a black man, invented the shoe lasting machine.

She changed the subject: “Oh well, please go and do something to your hair”. Theo ran in his room to comb his hair, but the comb was not there. You see, Walter Sammons, a black man, invented the comb.

Theo decided to just brush his hair instead, but the brush was gone. You see Lydia O. Newman, a black female, invented the brush. Well this was a sight, no shoes, wrinkled clothes, hair a mess, even Moms hair, without the hair care inventions of Madam C.J. Walker, well you get the picture! Mom told Theo, lets do our chores around the house and then take a trip to the grocery store. Theo’s job was to sweep the floor.

He swept and swept and swept. When he reached for the dust pan, it was not there.You see, Lloyd P. Ray, a black man, invented the dust pan. So he swept his pile of dirt over in the corner and left it there.

Well his mother thought about that for a moment, and then said son, follow me around today and let’s just see what it would be like if there had never been Black people in the world. Mom said; “Now go get dressed and we will get started”.

This is a story of a little boy named Theo, who woke up one morning and asked his mother, Mom, what if there were no Black people in the world?

(Anon)

A STORY ABOUT BLACK HISTORY

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Mom went to turn up the heat, and what do you know. Alice Parker, a black female, invented the heating furnace. Even in the summer time they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones, a black an, invented the air conditioner. It was almost time for Theo’s father to arrive home. He usually takes the bus. But there was no bus, because it’s pre-

Well he was out of luck because John Love, a black man, invented thepencil sharpener. Mom reached for a pen, but it was not there because William Purvis, a black man, invented the fountain pen. As a matter of fact, Lee Burridge invented the typewriting machine, and W. A. Lovette the advanced printing press. Theo and his mother decided to head out to the market.

When Theo opened the door he noticed the grass was as high as he was tall. You see, the lawn mower was invented by John Burr, a black man. They made their way over to the car, and found that it just wouldn’t go. You see, Richard Spikes, a black man, invented the automatic gear shift and Joseph Gammel invented the supercharge system for internal combustion engines.

They noticed that the few cars that were moving were running into each other and having wrecks because there were no traffic signals. You see, Garrett A. Morgan, a black man invented the traffic light. Well, it was getting late, so they walked to the market, got their groceries and returned home. Just when they were about to put away the milk, eggs and butter, they noticed the refrigerator was gone. You see John Standard, a black man, invented the refrigerator. So they just left the food on the counter. By this time, Theo noticed he was getting mighty cold.

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(Anonymous Contribution)

So if you ever wonder, like Theo, where would we be without us? Well, it’s pretty plain to see. We would still be in the DARK!!!!

cursor was the electric trolley, invented by another black man, Elbert R. Robinson. He usually takes the elevator from his office on the 20th floor, but there was no elevator because Alexander Miles, a black man, invented the elevator. He also usually dropped off the office mail at a near by mailbox, but it was no longer there because Philip Downing, a black man, invented the letter drop mailbox and William Barry invented the postmarking and cancelling machine.

Theo and his mother sat at the kitchen table with their head in their hands. When the father arrived he asked, Why are you sitting in the dark? Why? Because Lewis Howard Latimer, a black man, invented the filament within the light bulb. Theo quickly learned what it would be like if there were no black people in the world. Not to mention if he were ever sick and needed blood. Charles Drew, a black scientist, found a way to preserve and store blood, which led to his starting the worlds first blood bank. And what if a family member had to have heart surgery. This would not have been possible without Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a black doctor, who performed the first open heart surgery.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN IT BE LINKED TO SLAVERY?

Who is Tyrone Bravo?

Why Our History Still implicates us today

BLACK HISTORY

Fea ture:

IN THIS ISSUE...

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© Myrna Loy

Then we approach the millennium And the Race Relations Act comes in To protect black Britons from discrimination But it opens other cans of worms – More assertiveness, more violence ‘I’m alright jack’ and lack of self-esteem, More challenges, less motivation We need a new dream…

Black Britain in the 90s..

There’s a recession so fun starts diminishing; All kind of drugs start coming in..

And black family life starts dwindling.

Single parents on the increase Community spirit on the decrease Children start to get feisty, And young parents start get lazy It is a time when there is more opportunity But more people play and less people study.

Black Britain means black people in Britain Those remnants of slavery, Windrush and more recently prison; Black Britain – doesn’t conjure up sweet memories; some feel alienated, disenfranchised, stressed or lonely.

Black Britain in the 80s When many of us felt free..

When we took a chance to gatecrash a house dance, And got in the next morning at 7:30!

When we used to rub up with someone And den find out he was someone elses’ man!

MY BLACK BRITAIN

The door slammed shut, and my heart dropped to the bottom of my belly. The room was about four feet wide and perhaps about sixteen feet long . There was a urinal that spanned the width of the outside wall, and even the cold breeze that hissed through the broken glass in the small rectangles well above head–height, did nothing to disperse the vile dank odour of stale urine that permeated the air. The walls were high and covered with the stains of the sufferation and tribulations of previous ‘guests’. It looked as though someone had at some stage, tried to remove the evidence of what had gone on in that dim and heart-breaking cubicle of dismay, but had only served to merge and fuse the blood and filth into a homogeneous smear. I imagined that this was what slavery was like!

The three of us said nothing - each lost in our own thoughts. I gathered the blanket that had been given to me and placed it around my shoulders. I sank to the cold floor with my back against the wall and tried to block out the present horror with the blissful oblivion of sleep.

I slept intermittently for what must have been a few hours, because by the time I heard the keys turning in the lock, the bleak glow of a lonely lightbulb high-up in the ceiling was being augmented by sad streams of daylight.

Daylight which seemed to force its way through the gaps in the wall under protest at having to illuminate such a distressing scene.

We were ushered through dark corridors and down dismal stairs until we came to an underground car park. Police stood around, casually sporting an array of small arms and machine guns. I had the feeling that it would take only one small movement from us, for us to go down under a hail of bullets. The three of us were fused together with

A True Story by OT, London

Doin’ time in a Brazilian Prison

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two pairs of hand-cuffs and made to get into the back of a car - two policemen got into the front. Our car was in the middle of two other unmarked cars as we pulled out of the police station. I don’t remember much of the journey - I suppose that the state of shock that I was in prevented any form of constructive sight-seeing. What I do remember is taking out my much travelled and much loved designer sunglasses and putting them on to block out the strong sun rays or maybe subconsciously to disguise myself. Bad move! One of the policemen in the front of the car turned around and looked admiringly at my shades, whisked them off my face and promptly put them on his own - all the time smiling profusely and bantering away in a language unfamiliar to me. I did not feel like smiling back, and was about to tell him a few home truths in my own language when Freddy sensed my intention, dug me in the ribs and translated the officer’s comment for me, which was that the officer thanked me very much for my kind donation. I got the message!

We soon arrived at the gates of a formidable looking concrete fascia - lovingly referred to as the “Casa”. The cars went through a series of gates and eventually they stopped. We got out of the cars and were handed-over to another group of men. Although the men we were handed over to carried no guns, there were guys in grey uniforms patrolling the walls with some interesting looking machine guns, as well as holstered pistols. I felt as though we were there to stay. The next minutes seemed to go by in a haze as I inwardly pondered the enormity of the grave situation I found myself in. We sat on a bench and our names were taken. We were then ushered out through a number of doors and out into a large courtyard.

The courtyard was like a busy village square, with men and groups of men going backwards and forwards in all directions; some pushing trolleys, some carrying bags or packages, all seeming to be intent on a purpose. They laughed and joked with each other as they passed, some directing their words to us. I understood nothing, but as my companions smiled, I gathered that they were saying nothing that boded any immediate danger.

We were taken across the square and into what could have been a shop. There was a long counter and rows of shelves with stacks of boxes and cases. There were a few men behind the counter - some standing, some leaning on the counter and some sitting down behind it drinking coffee from small glasses while smoking cigarettes.

One of the men who had been sitting down put down his glass, stood up, walked around the counter and came towards us . He did not seem to be a particularly friendly individual, and although I did not understand what he was saying, his tone of voice and his body language told me that he was not a very nice person. It was clear that he had

no love for his fellow man - least of all, us. One of my companions translated his comments for me. We had been told to remove our trousers and directed to sit on a wooden bench in a corner. We complied, apprehensive as to what was now in store. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when I heard one of my companions being called to the counter and saw him being thrown a pair of beige coloured trousers which he gratefully put on. This was obviously the clothing store. When my turn came, I did not respond immediately as I did not recognise the mispronunciation of my name until one of the Bolivians gave me a dig with his elbow and motioned to the counter with his head. Grumpy was apparently displeased with my seeming lethargy and showed his displeasure by putting down whatever he had in store for me and pulling something from under the counter and throwing it in my face .

It was a rag posing as a pair of trousers His accompanying banter must have been quite funny as everybody laughed, including my Bolivian companions who, despite my request, did not feel that it was necessary to translate the banter for me. I did not force the issue, but put on the trousers - for want of a better word. The fringed cuffs reached half-way up my shins, the flies had no zip or buttons, and as I stood there wondering how I was going to manage to get through this experience on my feet while holding up the primitive breeches, another man behind the counter must have read my mind, because he threw me a piece of twine, which I threaded through the loops.

I remember thinking that it was a good job that I was wearing briefs, and not boxers or I may have found myself on another charge for indecent exposure.

When we left there, Freddy one of my Bolivian partners in crime, explained to me that prisoners wore their own clothes, but that their trousers had to be beige in colour, as only the warders wore blue jeans or dark coloured trousers. It was then that I was able to start distinguishing between the warders and the inmates.

The next stop was the doctor who instructed me to drop my trousers and briefs, pull my t-shirt up to my armpits and turn around. He scribbled something on the paper in front of him, and with a flash of his hand, signalled that the audience was over .

The courtyard square was like a mall with various activities taking place in separate units that could have been shops, workshops and places of business. There was what appeared to be a barber shop with more barbers than clients and we were escorted there; each of us being shown to a different chair. The chairs were real barbers’ chairs - albeit a little worse for wear. My hair was hackedoff from across the back of my head and above my ears.

The barbering tools must have been as old as the chairs, because I could feel a stinging sensations in the various places where I had been nipped. The barber then whipped out a crusty looking cut-throat razor and began to remove my moustache together with the odd bit of 5

(An extract from a true experience - OT, London)

Here endeth my first day in a Brazilian prison. I needed to share the experience.

skin. I almost jumped up in pain but realised that if I had done so, I would probably have lost my top lip as well.

I looked at the mirror and gasped in horror at what had been done to me. I used sign language to show the barber where to trim in order to tidy it up a bit and he laughingly complied, but when I still was not satisfied, he shrugged his shoulders and downed his tools. I am certain that I was not given a verbatim translation, but the gist of what he said was that I was not in a hairdressing salon, but in prison getting a reception haircut!

News must have spread about the three ‘foreigners’, because we were soon surrounded by a large number of guys asking all kinds of questions. I could not understand the language, but a lot of the time I could get the general meaning. For instance, one of them asked if I was a boxer and another wanted to know how many kilos of coke we had been caught with and when Freddy answered: “thirty kilos”, I wondered why he had lied. He told me later that he had done so because the bigger the amount of coke, the more respect we would command.

The freak show was soon broken up when a warden came to get us. We were taken into one of the buildings, up several flights of stairs and shown into a large room. The door slammed shut. I am usually an optimistic person and can usually look on the brighter side of things, but at that particular moment I began to seriously think that death would be a better proposition than having to face another day not knowing what would threaten my life. I was scared. This was the worst place I’d ever been in my entire life, and I could not see a way out of it; and I sensed there was worse to come. Some time later the door was opened and three large pieces of cardboard were thrown in before the door was once again slammed shut. The pieces of cardboard were our beds.

Time passed, it seemed like several hours without anything happening other than the sound of voices and footsteps coming and going outside the iron door. The onset of night was signalled by the lack of light coming through the dingy broken panes of glass. Once again I sought refuge in the oblivion of sleep, which came and went, with an increased feeling of despondency each time I resurfaced into consciousness.

Freddy told us that his brother and sister-in-law would be visiting us the next day, which was a Saturday. Visiting day .for those who had people to visit them!

(Adjacent Review by Myrna Loy)

October 7-26, 2008 @ Hackney Empire London

Written and Performed by Debra Ehrhardt (Directed by Francis Megahy)

Jamaica Farewell

(for more information on the artist, visit this painter ’s website) www.myspace.com/tyronebravoart www.myspace.com/tyronebravoart (Front Cover- Tyrone Tyrone Bravo)

Paintings Tyrone Bravo

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“ Exhuberant High Comedy!” NEW YORK TIMES

My friend and I were directed into a ‘theatre’ which was a row of seats and a flat stage. I was lucky - my seat was positioned in such a way that the heads of the people in front of me did not block my vision. Bob Marley was playing in the background and other familiar reggae tracks filled the air, putting me in a good mood. A lady reminded us to turn off the mobile phones, the lights dimmed and the scene was set.

A solitary female form came on the stage. Her ‘apache’ type hairstyle forced (I am sure) the audience to question her heritage and because she stood there alone, to make various assumptions. Was she black; white; Indian? Did she have an oriental background?

How old was she? Was she in her 20s, 30s, 40s? You couldn’t tell, and therefore could not make a judgement. My friend was indignant that she was white, I refuted stating that she was black, but it didn’t matter - cool, soft, clear words bounced in the air, put a halt to the banter. A child-like voice commanded the stage as Debra first played herself, then her friend (both aged around 7 years old) and subsequently several other characters intermittently as and when appropriate.

Now you might ask:“how could one grown woman get away with convincingly acting as a child?” but Debra did. I don’t know if it was her pigtail or her diminutive stance, but the play was effective!

And that was how the production ensued, keeping me (and others) glued to our seats, eyes transfixed on her as she transformed herself from one character to another; male and female, young and old, Jamaican and American, without losing authenticity. I lost count of how many characters she assumed after she enacted, her friend, her mother, her father, a pastor, a teacher, her employer, an American, her father’s friend, a brothel owner, a bus driver, a dread-locked rapist, immigration personnel and ‘Bullet’ the CIA agent!

I was captivated. Her performance was nothing short of miraculous. We learned of her yearning to go to America so that she could have ‘anything she wanted’ and her determination to get there no matter the cost. We learned of her mother’s tolerance and loyalty to her drunken father who gambled away everything in the home. We heard the sexual groans from a brothel which was the only place Debra could find solace when she was put off a bus at the last stop, clutching US$1m she was illegally transporting.

Debra, a deceptively strong nature, equipped her single-handedly to enact 20 contrasting roles with seeming ease -roles that required strength of character in some, and humility of spirit in others! She managed to emit various intonations; moods and circumstances, with expertise, humour and charm. The theatre was in hysterics – and even the horrifying scenes which, in a film would have left many of us gasping in horror, had the majority of the audience laughing outrageously.

It is difficult to explain how Debra managed convincingly, the various ranges, intonations and characters without changing her clothes in order or to play different roles, but she did – you would have to see the play yourself to understand!

All I can say is the play was extremely entertaining, and if it comes around again, I strongly recommend you go to see it. ‘Jamaican Farewell’ proved that it can take one person to bring a play and her audience alive and that person is Debra Ehrhardt!

I am not sure how the visual can be translated effectively into text to summon everyone who is anyone, to see the play when it comes around again, but I hope this review does the trick!

How can one woman command a stage playing 20 different roles without changing her garb?

I was to find out in “Jamaica Farewell!”

“We have a history to be proud of... before Romulus founded Rome, before Homer sang, when Greece was in its infancy, Meroe was the chief city of the Negroes along the Nile.

Its private and public buildings, its markets and public squares its inventive genius and ripe scholarship made it in the cradle of civilization and the mother of art. It was the queenly city of Ethiopia. Egypt borrowed her light from the venerable Negroes up the Nile. Greece went to school to the Egyptians, and Rome turned to Greece. Thus the flow of civilization has been from the East, the place of light to the West”

Did you know...?

Sschh...

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103.6 Eclectic Reggae on Saturdays (12 - 2pm) Listen live via www.lifefm.org.uk

Channelling Reggae Vibez on Life FM

Lady Loy Selects With Respect!

Copyright 2008 Hogarth Blake Ltd For full transcribed article 1st printed by The Times of London 8 January 1897, go to www.hh-bb.com.

...The most important territories of Nigeria lie beyond the boundary of the two rivers.

.. Before the name Nigeria was put forward, this area of the Western Sudan had been known under a variety of titles including the Niger Empire, the Niger Sudan, the Central Sudan, and the Hausa Territories...

“The name Nigeria was first suggested in a special article published in The Times on January 8, 1897. The article, in accordance with the traditions of the newspaper, was published anonymously, but it was in fact written by Flora Shaw, who spent eight years in Printing House Square as an expert on colonial affairs. Later, in 1902, she married Sir Frederick Lugard then High Commissioner of the Northern Nigerian Protectorate…

... that according to some material disseminated by Hogarth Blake, someone called Flora Shaw gave the name “Nigeria”:

DID YOU ALSO KNOW….

Black history is the history of our forefathers.

Black history is the impact of slavery, and how the slaves through revolt sacrificed their lives for our freedom today.

The only ‘black history’ some of us know is what our parents told us about our grandparents – how they worked hard to send them to school, how some of them had to walk to school ‘bare foot’, how they had to heat fire with a ‘kerosene pan’ - it never seemed to go beyond that - because reminders of slavery was too painful.

MODERN BLACK HISTORY is moving away from slavery, celebrating instead, the contributions of the valiant, the revolutionaries, the successful black people who others who have left their legacy for us to feel a sense of pride, not shame. Black History Month happens throughout the month of October in the UK. The first blacks in Britain may have been those who came here 2,000 years ago with the Roman Imperial Army. They were not called blacks then, they were called ‘Berbers’ or ‘Moors’ and came from Northern Africa. Some of them came as personal servants along with whites, and others were soldiers.

“Freedom and equality” came at a price. The price was slaves being murdered, lynched, executed, by their homes being burned in certain parts of the United States. Sacrifice of such lives allowed men like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to have a voice. They ‘allowed’ Mohammed Ali, to have a stance on his religion; Sidney Poitier (raised in the Bahamas) to accept roles where he 8

(fs who’s history?)

Black History

Slaves were usually chained two by two. The weak were taken to Negro houses or prisons and the strong were branded with a hot iron with the stamp of the trading company.

In revolt some slaves refused to eat – they went on hunger strike. Because the traders felt they would lose money if slaves died from hunger or too weak to work, they broke their teeth out and force-fed them.

The slave-traders contained too many slaves in one area, as a result many died from suffocation, illness and claustrophobia. Some went mad while others committed murder to create space for themselves. Those that tried to commit suicide and failed, were beaten unmer-

The word ‘Negro’ and ‘Negar’ came from the Latin word ‘black’ — ‘Niger’ after which the River Niger and Nigeria are named, although this is being questioned.

We hear names like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass et al., — but what do these names mean to us in this day and age? Not much!

Those who fought for our civil liberty are just ‘whispers of our past’.

could act with dignity as a black man; Tiger Woods to be recognized for his skill in golf, Lorraine Hay to be the first black Magistrate; Barack Obama, vying for American Presidency, David Lammy; Tasha Danvers, Dizzie Rascal should be recognised; as should other celebrities such as Patterson Joseph, Shabbaz Menelik, Eamon Walker, John Taylor MP, Bernie Grant, Moira Stewart, Angie Greaves, and Kelly Holmes. So when we talk about Black History we mean to identify those black people who have made a difference to our history.

JIM CROWS LAWS 1896 because Homer Plessey challenged the legality of “separate but equal” railroad cars, and

STATE RIGHTS 1886 devised by Rutherford B Hayes because southern slave votes were needed to win an election.

HOME RULE 1865 devised because slaveholders in the south wanted to remain as ‘the master’.

SLAVE CODE 1822 & 1831, created because slaves like Vesey and Nat Turner rebelled and killed whites

The Black Code was only one of many codes that the slave-traders devised to hide their fear and greed.

Other codes are as follows:-

The Black Codes were designed to perpetuate wealth for the whites and poverty for the blacks.

“Christians” are not responsible for destroying personal property (slaves).

Slaves shall be whipped or branded on the face if they strike a “Christian”.

All slaves must carry a pass at all times.

If a slave owner beats his slave to death or kills one by mistake, there shall be NO legal repercussions.

You may wonder if blacks outnumbered whites why they didn’t stand up for themselves (revolt)? But whites devised a strategy to prevent potential insurrection (revolt), which didn’t stop slaves revolting, but it minimized the occurrences. The British Parliament adopted an Act in 1667 to regulate slaves on the British Plantation. It was called ‘The Black Codes Act’.

This Act stipulated:

Europeans turned the Caribbean into a slave-making factory. By 1724 there were 32,000 blacks to 14,000 whites in Jamaica alone.

cifully for even thinking about it. Likened to animals they were treated as though they had no soul.

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In Jamaica, in 1760 a young slave named Tacky led a violet uprising backed by tens of thousands of slaves.

When news of this reached Britain, it was decided that if blacks were so savage they required more cruel laws.

GABRIEL PROSSER was a slave from Virginia. He and his co-conspirators collected guns and swords in a plan to take over the Richmond arsenal. It was two

Slaves rebelled directly and indirectly; some took their own lives and planters had to pay for new slaves and retrain the replacements. Pregnant women preferred abortion to bringing a child into slavery (a subtle form of rebellion); some tried to slow the pace of work by shamming illness; causing fires and breaking tools ‘accidentally’.

You might ask why didn’t the slaves fight back. They did and there are 250 slave revolts on record, and with each revolt it was usually their own kind that betrayed them preventing it from being successful.

LIFETIME SLAVERY 1662 was instigated when the Virginia planters began to realize the advantages of holding blacks to a lifetime of slavery, which meant depending on the status of the mother, black babies would be born with no opportunity for freedom.

WILLIAM TUCKER was the first black baby born in the British Colonies (1624), he escaped the Act.

~ Assemble in groups of more than 5 ~ Own property or testify in court ~ Strike a white person ~ Learn to read and write or buy and sell goods ~ Conduct a religious service without a white present ~ Possess firearms ~ Beat drums, etc.

There were also Slave Codes. Slave codes meant that slaves could not:-

SEGREGATION & DISCRIMINATION 1890s because Blacks tried to better their lives by using the ballot, education and organization to protest.

Abolition activists Lucretia Mott, Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were leaders of the suffrage movement; Harriet Beecher Stowe (wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in reaction to the outrageous Fugitive Slave Act); Prudence Crandall opened a school for Negro girls in her Connecticut home (the townspeople had her arrested).

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was a slave who changed his name to Frederick Douglass and went on to be the most articulate spokesman of the

Harriet Tubman — freed herself via the railroad, returned to free her family — she made 19 additional trips;

LEADERS IN THE REVOLT TO FREEDOM

Despite anti-slavery legislation there were still separate entrances in existence, ‘separate but equal’ railcars, separate shops, post offices, drinking fountains and libraries for blacks; Negro blood was segregated in blood banks until the 1840’s.

In 1833 Parliament finally said slaves were to be freed. However the new law did not take effect until 1 August 1934 and even then only those aged six and under would be entirely free.

Whenever possible slaves ran away but escapism was easier than staying free. With no papers to prove they had been freed legally they were recognized as ‘runaways’ and returned to their ‘owners’. Some escaped to South America or, later, to England or parts of North America where there was no slavery.

BLACKS AROUND THE WORLD ARE PROOF THAT PEOPLE CAN CHANGE EVEN THE MOST HORRENDOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

slaves that betrayed him and revealed the details to their masters. The government was alerted and the state militia was prepared. Prosser and 34 others were convicted and hanged.

In July 1822 a black slave called VESEY prepared a revolt by bringing 9,000 blacks into his plan.

However once again betrayed, he was executed along with other leaders.

In 1831 NAT TURNER killed his Master and his Master’s family. 60 whites were killed during this revolt within 24 hours. Turner was executed. In the same year The New England Anti-Slavery Society was formed by WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.

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However, Civil War broke out on 12 April 1861.

Negroes flooded Union camps. In the North they were ready to enlist. General Ben Butler declared them “contraband of war” (still property) and put them in camps where they worked for the army. A Union officer declared “Negroes could not enlist or fight in the war.” Blacks repeatedly offered their services to the War Department but were turned down.

Many of the slaves were returned to their masters, some Negroes in the south, fled. By late 1862 – Lincoln enlisted Negroes to fight in the war (Militia Act).

To be continued....

At midnight on 1 August 1838 freedom came at last.

Whites fear revenge attacks, but their fears were unfounded, the celebrations of thousands of black people were peaceful, a mark of the character of the black community.

Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1859. In 1863 when the nation was two years into war, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

anti-slavery cause.

Homer Plessey challenged a Louisiana railroad which was forcing him to sit in a separate ‘but equal’ car, charging that it was a violation of his constitutional rights. Justice John Marshall Harlan spoke on Plessey’s behalf “… there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens.

There is no caste here. Our constitution is colour-blind.” However, the other judges did not agree. Jim Crow laws were sanctioned.

It is a busy year for anniversaries connected to national identity and liberation.Three hundred years ago, the Act of Union that brought together the kingdoms of Scotland and England was passed; 50 years ago, Ghana won independence from British colonial rule; and, of course, 2007 is the 200th anniversary of . . . well, something to do with slavery, judging by all the activity. The Royal Mail is issuing a set of postage stamps featuring abolitionists such as Olaudah Equiano, Hannah Moore and William Wilberforce. There will be a commemorative £2 coin, exhibitions in the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery, and a number of memorial services.

The Mayor of London is proposing an Africa Day in Trafalgar Square in May. Along with Dr Nima Poovaya Smith (director of the Leeds-based arts organisation 11

An African-Caribbean family walks into an English country house that is open to the public. As they pass the ticket desk, a member of staff calls after them,“There is an entry fee, you know.” Without breaking stride, one of the adults says,“We’ve already paid.” And they carry on with their tour. This story may be apocryphal, but the point is clear: the great house was built with the profits made from the blood, sweat and tears of that family’s African forebears, and it is time for some reckoning.

Two centuries after Britain began to dismantle the slave trade, the whole issue is still beset by myths, half-truths and ignorance, says Lola Young

(Extract from the Guardian, 15 March 2007)

Truth in Chains

Some white people are hooked on guilt, and others are

What is the point of this year’s commemorations? “I hope it will help British people of all kinds to be able to look each other in the eye and talk without hostility or embarrassment about the events of the past,” said the writer, curator and academic Mike Phillips, who was involved in several of last year’s events. But that is a lot to ask of a series of uncoordinated events and activities - and the signs are that there is entrenched hostility, as well as significant pockets of guilt. It is hardly surprising that such sentiments exist, given the way in which debate about the subject has been stifled over the years: the story of Britain’s role in transatlantic slavery is, to use Professor Stuart Hall’s term, a case of “historical amnesia”.

Racist theories that “explained” Africans’ supposed inferiority were used as a justification for enslavement.

The chilling logic of this attitude is demonstrated by what happened on the slave ship Zong in 1781. Many of the malnourished occupants were thrown overboard by order of the captain; the ship’s owners subsequently claimed compensation for the loss of “their” slaves. Sending kidnapped African people to certain death was not considered a crime because they were “goods”, to do with as the owner saw fit. The most direct comparison with the systematic dehumanisation of Africans is that of the murder of millions of Jewish people under the rule of Nazi Germany.

But what, precisely, is it that we are all marking?

Ministers and other public figures, along with newspapers (including the Guardian, sadly), have referred to 2007 as the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery. That is not so. Even to say that the slave trade (that is the trafficking in human beings as distinct from “slavery”, which is the condition of being enslaved) was ended in 1807 is not strictly true: the act did not come into effect until 1808 and “the abominable traffick” was continued by Europeans and North Americans for decades afterwards. So, to be precise: 200 years ago the British parliament passed a bill to end trading in enslaved Africans using British ships. Before slavery was finally stamped out, somewhere between 10 million and 30 million Africans had been traded, transported or killed

by Europeans in the Caribbean and the Americas.

Alchemy), I have developed a project to commemorate the bicentenary, Freedom and Culture. This is a yearlong programme of performing, literary and visual arts commissions and related educational materials, with national reach.

Sengor, Marcus Garvey, Robert Mugabe - A few black men instrumental in changing our history.)

(Below: Barack Obama, Barry Bonds, Geoff Palmer OBE, Haile Selessai, Paul Bogle, Leopold Sedar

And although our ancestors can be correctly identified as victims of the slave trade, we should not infer meekness on their part. A damaging side effect of the focus on white people’s role in abolition is that Africans are represented as being passive in the face of oppression.

In popular public consciousness, Wilberforce ended slavery. This perception makes projects such as Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s exhibition about Equiano so important: how many Britons, black or white, have even heard of this prominent African abolitionist?

The British Museum’s Day of Resistance and Remembrance will also help to set the record straight: trustee Bonnie Greer describes it as a time to honour the forms of resistance deployed by Africans - through armed struggle, culture and spirituality - under enslavement. So while it is right that Wilberforce is recognised for taking up the abolitionist cause as an MP, [successive years] gives us the opportunity to highlight other personalities and factors that led eventually to the end of the slave trade. (Written By Lola Young is a cross-bench peer)

seeking to appropriate the bicentenary to promote the image of a benevolent Britain ridding the world of slavery. Some black people, meanwhile, are locked into seeing themselves in a state of victimhood. I am sure few people really enjoy these feelings, although they can masquerade as a source of comfort. For me, as a black Briton of Nigerian descent, it is essential to recognise that millions of our predecessors were victimised.

However, we can achieve this recognition without seeing ourselves as wholly determined by a history of enslavement. As the author Andrea Levy put it,“I’m not a victim of the slave trade - I just live with its legacy.”

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After a successful run off-Broadway this Spring, Jamaica Farewell has been touring the United States, Canada and made the UK Premiere at the Hackney Empire during Black History Month from 7 - 26 October in the UK. A member of the Writer’s Guild of America, Ms Ehrhard is currently adapting Jamaica Farewell for the big screen.

JAMAICA, FAREWELL tells the story of Debra Ehrhardt’s journey in which she escapes revolution-torn Jamaica in the 1970’s. Left to her own devices, she risked prison time, and even death in an attempt to pull off a daring and dangerous caper with the unwitting help of an infatuated American CIA agent to fulfil her lifelong dream of starting over in America.

The Hackney Empire Studio presented the UK premiere of the award-winning playwright and actor Debra Ehrhardt’s JAMAICA, FAREWELL, based on her true-life story and “dedicated to my father who recently passed away”

Hackney Empire Studio presented The UK Premiere of Debra Ehrhardt’s Jamaica, Farewell “Exuberant! High Comedy!” - NEW YORK TIMES

Men have historically been at the seat of power, however, this does not automatically translate to the fact that all men and not any women would or would not systematically beat and batter others in the social hierarchy to retain their socioe- 13

Throughout history the majority of women were subjugated by and subordinate to most men. History also documents that the majority of men and some women were more than pleased with such a societal structure. An unbiased review of history reveals that most often when one group is powerful enough to control another group and profit from that domination, they will do so regardless of gender. Ambition is genderneutral and many women have no less a need for power than many men. It was Marie, not Louis who said, “Let them eat cake.”

Patriarchy is not the primary cause of domestic violence and there is little to no empirical scientific evidence to demonstrate that it is. Research concerning the issue demonstrates that there are multiple independent variables that, under specific yet varied circumstances, may cause those who profess love for each other, to beat and batter one another. There is no single scientific validation of any single theory can explain the cause of the calamity. However, I suggest that society’s general acceptance of the use of force as a legitimate means of attaining an end, is a overlooked social norm that allows many to condone this type of violence.

WHY WE BEAT THOSE WE PROFESS TO LOVE

Beating is a way to control a woman, to instil fear, the slaves were also beaten for the same reason, to control them, to instill fear in them (not to run away). For some men (and women), therefore, it simply allows them to control a person and situation because they lack the skills to handle conflict; they also lack self-esteem and confidence.

WHY DO MEN BEAT WOMEN?

Domestic V iolence is it linked to slaver y?

The battle for gender equity clouds the issue concerning the criminally violent behavior of those who do batter women and children. There is no question that we have not yet reached gender equity. However, to continue to proclaim that men

Feminists and victims’ advocacy groups should examine what they have to gain by continuing to claim, without empirical scientific evidence, that patriarchy is the primary reason, men in general hate women and hence many men will beat and batter women to keep them in their economic, institutional, or social place. Clinging to outdated, unsupported and contradicted beliefs hinders rather than helps bring about needed social change. These claims only serves to further fan the flames of the desire in some women and men for further confrontation. It should be the purpose of all of us who desire change, to make men a part of change, not to keep them a part from it.

There remains a tendency by societies to resort to force when one wants to change or alter the behavior of another society or nation. Societies often legitimize their use of physical force as a means of attaining their perceived “legitimate” goals. When someone is killed during a war they haven’t been “murdered.” We bomb the village to stop people from hurting each other. We bomb a country to ensure our flow of oil. Is not logical to conclude that societies historical acceptance of the use of force as a legitimate means of conflict resolution continues to influence our behaviour concerning interpersonal relationships?

A cursory review of history will reveal that most mores, norms, rules, or codified law customarily serve the needs of the wealthy and powerful, regardless of gender. History documents that the interests of some men are served more than others, the rich more than the poor, high-status males and females more than the low-status males and females. The mores, norms, rules, or codified laws serve the interests of adults more than children, regardless of gender. The majority of Americans still believe that it is appropriate for men and women to hit [spank] children for behavioral modification.

The majority of adults, regardless of gender, accept the use of physical force as a proper process for changing or altering the behavior of others. A society that condones and legitimizes the use of physical force as a proper means of behavior modification should not be surprised that many of its citizens will find a rationale for that type of behavior in its interpersonal relationships. Both men and women have become acclimated to the use of force as a right of the powerful.

Research concerning domestic violence must investigate more closely how human behavior is affected from a Darwinian (the powerful over the weak) perspective and also examine Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We cannot ignore nor cast aside the connection between our genes and our behavior. History documents that the strong, regardless of gender, often exhibit behavior that is intended to dominate the weak.

conomic, educational, or institutional place. An unbiased review of history demonstrates that the vast majority of men have been subordinate to many other men and some women. Men have been and remain the victim of more violence than women. Historical records demonstrate that males have been more aggressive than females. No one can deny and data documents that men, especially young men, have always been at the heart of violence. Male violence is a historical fact! However, it is also a well documented fact that men are not only and/or specifically violent against women.

Write to the Editor at blackbrightnews@aol.com and let her have your views.

Can domestic violence be linked to slavery - after all doesn’t domestic violence has similar traits - domination, instilling fear, intimidation, taking away an individual’s human rights?

Strategic: batterers inflict the greatest violence and the greatest damage when women try to leave. The strategy of abuse is to keep the woman from escaping.

Systems failure: men often keep abusing because no one— not their families, not their friends, not the neighbours, not the police, not the media, the workplace, the church or the courts—no one effectively intervenes;

Socialized behaviour: men learn to be violent toward women from their families and their fathers, and other male role models, especially those on television, in the movies, and in magazines;

Sanctioned: many traditional laws and religions, until recently, permitted or encouraged men to beat their wives (the reverse has not been true);

One side of the dynamics is that men abuse. Why? Because abuse is:

“In time, we will see everyone adopt the new “equality” belief system, in which men and women are partners and neither is superior or subservient,” Eidt says. “Right now we are on the cutting edge of that. Most of the men in our program are still from the old school. Dad was the boss. But as more people are educated and society provides new role models to follow, we will see a change.”

Jim Witters adds:

WORKING WITH BATTERED WOMEN:- A Handbook for Health Care Professionals

demons, that new paradigm will escape us?

have been reduced to beating women and children only to maintain their social status is a claim totally absent any factual data. Susan Faludi in her book Stiffed writes on the last page, “And so with the mystery of men’s nonrebellion comes the glimmer of an opening, an opportunity for men to forge a rebellion commensurate with women’s and, in the course of it, to create a new paradigm for human progress that will open doors for both sexes.” Why she does not understand that as long as women continue to paint men in general as

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Karma Nirvana Honour Network (forced marriage and honour based violence: 0800 5999 247)

Force Marriage Unit: 0207 008 8706/0220

Sexual Violence Legal Advice Line: 0207 251 8887

National Helplines Domestic Abuse Helpline: 08082 000247 RESPECT – Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327

Independent Domestic Violence Advisor 07889 815 289

Voluntary Agencies: NSPCC: 01582 436 070 Victims Support: 01582 723 779

Social Services Out of Hours: 08702 385 465

Police – Domestic Violence Unit – 01582 394 384

Some useful telephone numbers:

- Do not suffer in silence - Find a safe place to go - Find out your local Women’s Aid Number (or use any of the numbers below)

RECOMMENDATION:

Some 2004 national statistics: 1 in 4 women will be affected by domestic abuse in their lifetime; on average two women a week are killed by a partner or ex-partner; at least 75,000 children a year will witness domestic abuse; 30 percent of domestic abuse starts in pregnancy; the Forced Marriage Unit received 5,000 enquiries and handed 400 cases in 2007.

Domestic Abuse can take many forms and apart from the above definition, sexual abuse, isolation, harassment and forced marriage comes under this category.

“Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

THE GOVERNMENT’S DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC ABUSE