African and Native Americans rally against 400th anniversary of european genocide

 

Britain’s head monarch, Elizabeth II went to cement the work of her ancestors with her first visit to North America for 16 years. Elizabeth and her husband, Philip visited Jamestown, Virginia to celebrate the 400 year anniversary of the first permanent english settlement in America named after King James 1. Organisers of the anniversary charade managed to coerce some Native Americans and African Americans into taking part in the ceremonial proceedings in order to validate their ceremonial gathering.

Jamie Ware-Jondrau was one such individual. She claimed: "It's not a celebration. It's a commemoration to remember all of the native people who have lost lives. It's very sad but I don't stay stuck on sad. How would you feel if a generation of your people was almost annihilated? You can't change history, it was ugly and native people died. But today is a new day.” The british monarch praised what she described as the “melting pot” philosophy of North America, hailing it as indicative of the country’s strength.

Jamestown is known as the one of the first places in America that kidnapped Africans and native Americans were enslaved and forced to work on tobacco labour camps. The arrival of the colonists was also followed by the mass murder of the indigenous American population. Despite the collusion of some people in the quadricentennial celebrations, native American and African American activists and organisations protested against the celebrations and pronounced ‘Shame on Jamestown’s 400th’. Their campaign included a rally and demonstration which featured a number of speakers under the themes; ‘Advocates for the victims expose the true history and the community speaks out’ and ‘The Indigenous/Indian and Black African Holocaust on Public Display’.

In an official statement released by the organisers of the campaign they stated:

“To White America, Jamestown’s 400th Year Anniversary will be a great celebration of achievement and pride. However, to the Indigenous Red peoples or Indians, May 11-13th, 2007 in Jamestown commemorates the beginning of the European/ American Holocaust and tragic genocide perpetrated against many millions of indigenous/ Indian Nations and peoples.

To White America it will be a time of great joy and remembrance but for Blacks or Africans in America this day is contradicted by the shameful reality that Jamestown marks the commemoration of The European Transatlantic Slave Trade which imposed upon many millions of innocent Africans the tragedy of inhuman chattel slavery and the beginning of the Maafa (Great Suffering), in the United States of America.

Organizers of the Jamestown 2007 project have whitewashed the project and have attempted to rewrite history in a blatant attempt to sanitize the crimes committed at Jamestown which resulted America being originated on the corrupt foundation of racism, population removal, mass murder, slavery and a litany of crimes against divine law and humanity.”

Amongst the many speakers at the two day rally were Wabun-inini Nindiz-nikaz from the American Indian Movement (A.I.M) Grand Governing Council, Attorney Malik Shabazz, President of Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ), Bob Brown from the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party, Warrior Woman, an Indigenous/Indian Activist from Dakota Nation and Redwind Nation, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, professor of African Studies at City University New York and Attorney Chowke Lumumba from the New African Peoples Organization.