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HISTORY
Deep Look: Tortuga Island and the Birth of St. Domingue ResourcesHaiti National Holidays - Main Events Past ArticlesDeep Look Series Other Articles Jean-Jacques Dessalines: 1758-1806 - Hero or tyrant? Part 1 Song Fiere Haiti by E. Tardieu
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The Reconstruction of Black History Month
Black History Month has traditionally celebrated African American
heroines and heroes. However, that is not enough. We hold that the
celebration of Black History month must be transformed in two fundamentally
important ways. The first of these ways is the expansion of the celebration
to include not only African-Americans but Afrikans in Afrika and the
Diaspora. The second purpose is to remove the limitation put on the
celebration of Black History Month. The celebration of our history
must not be limited to one month per year, for history affects our
present and future. Thus in this essay we will address figures in
the lives of Black people who have been either misunderstood like
in the case of Marcus Garvey or those who failed to gain notoriety,
like Amilcar Cabral, for a number of reasons.
However, before we begin to address the issues posited we must first expound on our reason for changing the lens through which we view Black History Month. The current period of globalization makes it imperative that Black people worldwide unite in their struggle. As a result, we aver that Black people must realize the interdependence of our struggles. The struggle for Black Liberation and the salvation of all oppressed people necessitates a reconfiguration if not removal of geographical boundaries so as to encompass all whom struggle for the rights of the oppressed. No longer can we limit the celebration of Black History month to those who are African-Americans especially, as the history of our people predates our introduction to the Americas as enslaved people. Therefore, and this cannot be emphasized enough, Black History is the history of the Afrikan Continent; it is the history of Antiquity; it is the history of the world's earliest civilization. So, Black people the world over from our great past to our present must be acknowledged regardless of their place of residence as the struggle of our people is globalized. We have limited the following list of Black
figures deliberately for the purpose of focusing on those who have
contributed to the struggle of people of Afrikan descent. The list
also reflects those leaders who have been misrepresented, ignored
and/or maligned. First we will take a look at figures from the Americas
and then we will address important figures in Afrika. Marcus Garvey
The largest mass movement, of people of Afrikan
descent in the twentieth century was achieved by Marcus Garvey. Born
in St Ann's Bay, Jamaica on August 17, 1887, Marcus Mosiah Garvey
was raised in a rigidly racist society in Jamaica which was divided
in three groups of people: the white elites, the mulatto middle class
and the large and greatly discriminated against black underclass.
Garvey, as part of the black class, resented the lack of opportunity
and leadership in his group.He later travelled around the world particularly
in South America where everywhere he met the inferior status of the
Negro socially. On his return to Jamaica, he founded the United
Negro Improvement Association, (UNIA) which aims and objectives
display a comprehensive plan to change the dismal reality of oppressed
Afrikan people.
The ability of this man to capture the desires
and aspirations of the majority of people of Afrikan descent makes
Garvey a historical figure of great proportions. Huey P Newton
In 1967, Huey P Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
(BPP) to address the exploitation and oppression of people worldwide
by beginning with Blacks in the Oakland community. The BPP established
chapters in over 30 states in the US and several international chapters.
Huey's first initiative was to arm BPP leadership with knowledge of
the law and citizen's rights. Their knowledge of the law enabled them
to defend their community against police brutality. As the BPP's chief
theoritician, Huey foresaw the need for BPP's social programs and
their potential for empowerment. BPP's grassroots movement played
a pivotal role in conscientizing Black youth following the sudden
deaths of Malcolm X and Martin L. King, Jr. Malcolm X
Malcolm was a great figure of the Black Nationalist Movement whose
untimely death occurred during an evolutionary phase. Malcolm's untimely
death is of great importance because it coincided with his vision
of uniting Afrikan liberation struggles, the African-American Civil
Rights movement and the struggle of oppressed people all over the
world. Malcolm identified the civil rights issue faced by African-Americans
as a human rights issue. He planned to bring charges against the US
at the UN for the human rights violations of African-Americans. He
was assassinated a few months before his presentation before the UN.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
Born in 1743 in the Haut Du Cap on the Breda Habitation in Haiti Toussaint
would rise from the depth of slavery to become one of the best and
most celebrated black revolutionaries of the Americas. His fight against
slavery will usher in the abolition of slavery in Haiti and the founding
of a new nation in 1804 : The Republic of Haiti.
When the revolution broke in Haiti in 1791 Toussaint was the driver
of his master, Bayon Libertat. Toussaint did not directly participate
in the north uprising of 1791 although he was among the organizers
of that revolt. In November 1791 nonetheless, he joined the troops
of François Biassou, an important maroon leader of the north uprising,
as the healer of the army. With his chief, he worked for the Spaniards
in Spring 1793 in Santo Domingo to dismiss the French from the island.
Under the guidance of the Spaniards Toussaint learned how to organize
his troops and lead them to victory after victory.
In 1794, however, he decided to leave the Spanish side and fight for the French. In fifteen days, in 1794, he successfully fought the troops of Biassou and Jean François (Spanish) and reconquered for France all the lost lands of the North and the Centre of St Domingue. Everywhere, he raised the French flag proclaiming freedom for all the blacks. From 1794 to 1795, Toussaint relentlessly fought both the Spaniards and the Spanish in favor of the French. At the same time, he actively worked at limiting French authority in St Domingue for the liberation of the blacks. By 1801 he had proclaimed the island autonomous from France, drawing its own constitutions which nominated Toussaint Governor general of the island. In 1802 Napoleon sent an expedition to fight Toussaint and reestablish slavery in the colony. After a bloody war, Toussaint decided to sign a cease-fire with the French troops while preserving his freedom and that of the blacks. Considerably weakened, Leclerc, the cousin of Napoleon Bonaparte who conducted the expeditionary army in Haiti, accepted the cease-fire, which was signed between the two generals on May 6th 1802. This cease-fire was not to last long however, as the French traitorously arrested Toussaint and his family on June 7th 1802. With his family, Toussaint was deported to France on a ship ironically called "Le Heros", (The Heros). In setting foot in the "Heros" Toussaint pronounced these famous and prophetic words: "En me renversant, On n'a abattu a Saint Domingue que le tronc de l'arbre de la liberte des noirs; il poussera par les racines parce qu'elles sont profondes et nombreuses" (In arresting me, you've only pulled down the trunk of the tree of freedom; it will outgrow from its roots for they are deep and numerous). Indeed, Before Toussaint's death in France on April 7th 1803 the colony had entered in a final rebellion against the French which will result in the Independence of Haiti on January 1st 1804 and the abolition of slavery in the new nation. The importance of Toussaint in the struggles
against slavery lies in him being the leader and military strategist
paving the way to independence for the first Black republic in the
world. Under his leadership, Afrikan and Haitian slaves and ex-slaves
fought against and defeated Napoleon Bonaparte's army. Jean Jacques Dessalines
If Toussaint was considered the great thinker and instigator
of the Haitian Revolution, Dessalines was its great fighter. He is
recognized to have been an incredible warrior; his energy knew no
bound. He was the one who achieved the prophetic words of Toussaint
along with a union with the mulatto group. His motto was "Libete
ou lanmo" (Freedom or death) and he went to great length to achieve
this belief.
What Toussaint envisioned became a reality
under Dessalines' leadership. He completed the revolution for Haiti's
independence following Toussaint's imprisonment by the French. Steve Biko
The founder of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)
in South Afrika, Steve Biko, was a South Afrikan lawyer who advocated
for the rights of oppressed South Afrikans. Biko's BCM expounded a
philosophy that developed Black pride so as to create greater pride
and unity among the oppressed. The BCM philosophy was also important
as it made the oppressed confident in their ability to overthrow their
oppressors. Steve Biko provided his people with a voice that would
not be silenced by banning, imprisonment, exile, banishment or murder.
Amilcar Cabral
Unquestionably a great revolutionary leader, Amilcar
Cabral, started his struggle in the Portuguese colony of Guinea (modern
day Guinea Bissau). Cabral eventually went to Angola where he continued
his struggle by founding the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation
of Angola) which was one of the most important national organizations
of Angola. Cabral's MPLA mobilized the countries patriots to struggle
for freedom. As a Socialist Cabral was not only concerned with destroying
Western imperialism and neo-colonialism. Rather, as an extremely intelligent
internationalist Cabral saw the struggle of his people as a part in
a greater struggle against the forces that oppress the majority of
the world's people.
By all means the leaders we have selected may be controversial because of all those who could have been included. However, we have chosen these leaders as a start in what we consider to be an important process. Namely, the reconfiguration of the boundaries which have traditionally defined those leaders celebrated in Black History Month. Additionally, we hope that this short essay will be influential in developing a new paradigm by which we develop our own criteria for selecting important Black figures. Courtesy of: Toni Cela Any comments or questions, please email us
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