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Offline zuluwarrior

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EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« on: July 30, 2007, 03:12:41 PM »
Emancipate your self from mental slavery and free your mind , ON August 1st iz Emancipation day in T&T .i zulu identify myself as a citizen of t&t of African decent, ah have on my dash e ki armed wid my drums and i going to celebrate wid the ancestors  and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
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Offline Tallman

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2007, 03:15:37 PM »
...and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
dat jes eh sounding right  :rotfl:
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Dutty

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2007, 05:13:11 PM »
...and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
dat jes eh sounding right  :rotfl:

Sound like zulu go need ah box ah kleenex for when he done
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Offline Organic

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2007, 05:17:33 PM »
...and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
dat jes eh sounding right  :rotfl:
de thread get mash up second post.

lemme repond to de man thread..I TRINI. My ancestors from rio claro, grenada and arima, and venezuela and ah eh sure where de indian part from so lemme say debe..lol
Perhaps the epitome of a Trinidadian is the child in the third row class with a dark skin and crinkly plaits who looks at you out of decidedly Chinese eyes and announces herself as Jacqueline Maharaj.- Merle Hodge

Offline Tallman

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2007, 05:45:32 PM »
...and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
dat jes eh sounding right  :rotfl:
de thread get mash up second post.

Ah know it was wrong eh, but ah jes couldn't help mehself  ;D.

Anyway, I headin down Trini dat day, and yuh know ah go be steppin orf de plane in meh Nigerian dashiki.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Dutty

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2007, 05:53:48 PM »
...and ah go beat the skin of the drums till it geh soft .
dat jes eh sounding right  :rotfl:
de thread get mash up second post.

Ah know it was wrong eh, but ah jes couldn't help mehself  ;D.

Anyway, I headin down Trini dat day, and yuh know ah go be steppin orf de plane in meh Nigerian dashiki.

Ah hope de airline doh lorse yuh luggage and de rest of yuh dashikis end up over in lagos


say wha yuh could always buy ah real big classic trini shirt-jack and put ah pretty print on it
Little known fact: The online transportation medium called Uber was pioneered in Trinidad & Tobago in the 1960's. It was originally called pullin bull.

Offline TriniCana

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2007, 06:15:11 PM »
well Ricky tell meh i is dis...dey latest breed ah nationality
African West Indian American Canadian

so ah confuffle a lot :(

Offline zuluwarrior

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2007, 07:16:01 PM »
So tallest wah int soundin right ,when yuh beatin ah drum eh after ah while the skin doz geh soft eh, to tighten it yuh either heat it or yuh slacken the string and pull the skin to stiffen it again eh.
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Offline TriniCana

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2007, 08:04:33 PM »
<stares at Zu>

falls off dey blasted chair.....

Offline just cool

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2007, 08:51:07 PM »
I specificly remember a man start a tread about happy indian arrival day. no body was dissing and laughing , but the opposite. it was cool and collective, but as soon as it have something to do with black ppl and africa , the jokes dos start flying. and that same man who start the thread was proud to claim his indian roots, but beating round the bush about his african heritage like africa need yuh. goway byoi, africa doh need allyuh, the craddle of all civilization , the jewel of creation, the beggining of all life, we don't need non ah all yuh. allyuh self haters!!!   big up tallman, hold tight cause i know you is a soldier from way back in the days, when you and KP was knocking out dem white trash biker boys by the scrap bar.       allways positive.
The pen is mightier than the sword, Africa for Africans home and abroad.Trinidad is not my home just a pit stop, Africa is my destination,final destination the MOST HIGH.

Offline zuluwarrior

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2007, 09:27:23 PM »
Among us will always be those who sneer at outpourings of respect for heritage, shielding themselves with the unassailable argument that we are all Trini, as if such concepts were mutually exclusive but even that diminishing group must regard strides made over the past 35 years by determined keepers of the flame.

One thing is certain: With each passing year, more Trinis of African heritage are joining in the celebration and consequently fewer are left to scoff at it and, at every sequence, the festival's form and content have risen to match its still-evolving circumstances.

Although the psychological damage left by centuries of enslavement will necessarily take time to be completely erased from the thinking of descendants of the shackled, Bob Marley's urging (in "Redemption Song") remains the critical first step: "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."


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Offline just cool

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2007, 09:57:31 PM »
Eh zulu , i was there for the first emancipation day celebration when they changed it from african liberation day. there was about 100 ppl in that celebration. we gathered at the top of henry st. and proceded down to woodford square playing drums and singing, then when we got to the square there was a speach on how we faught for our freedom from the british, many died, many were flogged, and many went to jail in that struggle, even during the camboulue riots many suffered the same consequences. now after all that struggling, ppl want to trivialize comemorating the struggle for freedom. could you immagine this generation of couch potatoes back in them times, we would be still cutting cane for free saying , yes massa yes boss. it's a pitty how ppl today take freedom for granted when nuff ppl had to fight hard and lose thier life in the process to attain it.    positive.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2007, 10:09:31 PM by just cool »
The pen is mightier than the sword, Africa for Africans home and abroad.Trinidad is not my home just a pit stop, Africa is my destination,final destination the MOST HIGH.

Offline Quags

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2007, 10:08:44 PM »
Happy emancipation day ,brothers and sisters . Yah should n tah have to be emancipated from nuttin in the first blasted place . :'( :'(
« Last Edit: July 30, 2007, 10:14:40 PM by Quagmire »

Offline zuluwarrior

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2007, 10:10:06 PM »
The land is ours. It's not European and we have taken it, we have given it to the rightful people... Those of white extraction who happen to be in the country and are farming are welcome to do so, but they must do so on the basis of equality."
These are the words of ROBERT MUGABE and i hope you live long long life to complete what you have started .On this i wish all african people those at home and abrode happy EMANCIPATION DAY.
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Offline Organic

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2007, 10:13:07 PM »
The land is ours. It's not European and we have taken it, we have given it to the rightful people... Those of white extraction who happen to be in the country and are farming are welcome to do so, but they must do so on the basis of equality."
These are the words of ROBERT MUGABE and i hope you live long long life to complete what you have started .On this i wish all african people those at home and abrode happy EMANCIPATION DAY.
??? ??? ??? ???
well i see it all yes  :-\ :-\
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Offline Organic

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #15 on: July 31, 2007, 10:15:42 PM »
I specificly remember a man start a tread about happy indian arrival day. no body was dissing and laughing , but the opposite. it was cool and collective, but as soon as it have something to do with black ppl and africa , the jokes dos start flying. and that same man who start the thread was proud to claim his indian roots, but beating round the bush about his african heritage like africa need yuh. goway byoi, africa doh need allyuh, the craddle of all civilization , the jewel of creation, the beggining of all life, we don't need non ah all yuh. allyuh self haters!!!   big up tallman, hold tight cause i know you is a soldier from way back in the days, when you and KP was knocking out dem white trash biker boys by the scrap bar.       allways positive.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Perhaps the epitome of a Trinidadian is the child in the third row class with a dark skin and crinkly plaits who looks at you out of decidedly Chinese eyes and announces herself as Jacqueline Maharaj.- Merle Hodge

Offline Bourbon

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2007, 11:50:09 PM »
Among us will always be those who sneer at outpourings of respect for heritage, shielding themselves with the unassailable argument that we are all Trini, as if such concepts were mutually exclusive but even that diminishing group must regard strides made over the past 35 years by determined keepers of the flame.

One thing is certain: With each passing year, more Trinis of African heritage are joining in the celebration and consequently fewer are left to scoff at it and, at every sequence, the festival's form and content have risen to match its still-evolving circumstances.

Although the psychological damage left by centuries of enslavement will necessarily take time to be completely erased from the thinking of descendants of the shackled, Bob Marley's urging (in "Redemption Song") remains the critical first step: "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."




To be honest....that's a ideal view....and in my opinion a far cry from what really is done. Yes you might get more people wearing dashikis etc but thats as far as emancipation goes. Few would wear a dashiki out of season as such. It have about 15 fete advertise for "the night before the holiday" and i sure you can guess who a great number of those patrons are likely to be. While the scars of slavery still have an effect...many black people need to get out of the victim mindset and fend for themselves. As you quoted......"No one but ourselves can free our minds...." and we seem content to have them shackled. Many Afro Trinbagonian students are underachieving.....not taking advantage of opportunities provided.......have few positive male role models........and you begin to wonder if we are really enjoying the benifits of true emancipation. This time of year meets me in a reflective state because of it.........observing how many seem to think of it as a costume event where they can say they went to emancipation village.........but the other 364 days of the year they just as ignorant about their heritage as any other ethnic group. Admittedly our culture was stripped from us by slavery....but.....we can do much much better.
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Offline fishs

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #17 on: August 01, 2007, 12:07:10 AM »
The land is ours. It's not European and we have taken it, we have given it to the rightful people... Those of white extraction who happen to be in the country and are farming are welcome to do so, but they must do so on the basis of equality."
These are the words of ROBERT MUGABE and i hope you live long long life to complete what you have started .On this i wish all african people those at home and abrode happy EMANCIPATION DAY.

Strictly speaking  de land ent ours, we were forced there for economic purposes. The real natives of the land are dead and just a few remain.
Mugabe take back land but at the same time have millions suffering.
Emancipation for me is an on going process since the masters have never really relinquished there hold (ah not talking bout whites and syrians etc who are trinidadian, they are as shackled as we are).
I celebrate the ancestors that died honorably regardless of whether they were fighters or passive.
But ah could never say we Emancipated when our own values are shaped on standards and norms that are those of the colonisers.
Ah want de woman on de bass

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #18 on: August 01, 2007, 12:25:40 AM »
Zulu saying,

Among us will always be those who sneer at outpourings of respect for heritage, shielding themselves with the unassailable argument that we are all Trini, as if such concepts were mutually exclusive but even that diminishing group must regard strides made over the past 35 years by determined keepers of the flame.

*****

And ah listening. Some serious Middle Passage talk in effect.

Offline Jahyouth

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #19 on: August 01, 2007, 08:32:43 AM »
Happy Emancipation Day everyone.  200 years since the abolition of the slave trade in the British West Indies (1807) as well.

"200 years have gone.... how yuh feel?"
« Last Edit: August 01, 2007, 12:22:52 PM by Jahyouth »

Offline trinindian

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #20 on: August 01, 2007, 10:55:17 AM »
Wishing all well on the anniversary of Emancipation.
 

Offline zuluwarrior

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #21 on: August 01, 2007, 07:11:17 PM »
Emancipation versus Liberation
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
July 20, 2007

One of the most perplexing, disturbing and still yet unresolved perennial reality-check dilemmas that afflict Afrikan-Trinbagonians is their supremely blurred vision to clearly ascertain the intrinsic, historical differences between emancipation versus liberation.

In this regard, Malcolm X is perfectly correct when he concludes: "The major problem with Black people is that we left our minds in Africa."

However, the sad tragedy/legacy of this historical dilemma is that the internalization of Afrikanness by Afrikan-Trinbagonians will "remain a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained" as long as they continue to celebrate emancipation instead of seeking total liberation, by any and all means necessary.

The annual celebration of Emancipation Day (1st August) speaks volumes as to the tragic truism that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are exhibiting the symptoms of the deadly diseases of Afrikan dyslexia, amnesia, sclerosis, paralysis and atrophy.

They are in serious denial of their inherited Afrikan self.

The fact of the matter is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians must realize that the most potent weapon to challenge European supremacy is for Afrikans to come out as a powerful people from Mother Afrika in ancient Kemet/Egypt in the B.C. era.

This period represents 99.9 percent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; most importantly, during this period, Afrikans were a free, spiritual, independent, liberated and powerful people. They were also the world's original teachers and master-thinkers.

The fact of the matter is that Afrikan peoples cannot challenge European supremacy as powerless, defenseless and nothing slaves coming out of the plantations in the Diaspora/Caribbean in the A.D. era.

This period represents only .01 per cent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; during this period, Afrikans were enslaved, colonized, dependent, powerless, religious-Christian, expendable, nothing, "infidel" peoples.

Now is the time for Afrikan-Trinbagonians to delete/expunge the ubiquitous, asinine Carnival-bacchanal mentality/atmosphere that embodies Emancipation Day. Moreover, this day represents a total, utter mockery and bastardization of and insult to, the torturous, dehumanizing conditions our forefathers had to endure during their prolonged period of enslavement.

The bottom-line is very simple: Emancipation is the problem; liberation is the only solution. Emancipation represents historical dislocation; liberation represents historical location, location, location.

Emancipation focuses on Afrikan Nationality; liberation zeroes in on Afrikan Originality. Emancipation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 A.D.; liberation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 B.C.

Emancipation focuses on the Afrikan connection with Father Europe; liberation focuses on the existence/potency of Afrikans in Mother Afrika before there was a Father Europe. The philosophical construct of liberation suggests that Afrikan peoples do not need a European connection to make them legit.

The fact of the matter is that there would not be a Europe of today if there were not an Afrika of yesterday. Indeed, the continent of Europe is named after Princess Europa of Mother Afrika.

In addition, Emancipation represents a period in their history when powerless Afrikan slaves (our forefathers) picked cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, cocoa, etc, for powerful Europeans; liberation, on the other hand, represents a period in history when powerful Afrikans (our ancestors) civilized, humanized and educated the powerless Greeks (world's first Europeans).

The fact of the matter is that Europeans do not celebrate any period that manifests/exposes their historical powerlessness.

For example, Europeans do not celebrate their powerless/lethargic experience during the Middle/Dark Ages when they were people poor, land poor and resource poor. Europeans do not celebrate their Bubonic plague experience when Europe lost one-third of its population or 20 million people.

Europeans do not celebrate their period of enslavement from the middle of the 7th century - a period known in history as their "thousand year fear of Islam." This represents a period during which these European slaves referred to their slave-masters as "Infidel Arabs."

Afrikans are the only people on this planet who celebrate their history from a position of powerlessness. This is the overt dysfunctional nature of Emancipation.

The fact of the matter is that a capitalist is a capitalist 24/7/365; he is not a capitalist only at Christmas time.

Likewise, an Indian-Trinbagonian is an Indian 24/7/365; he/she is not an Indian only on Indian Arrival Day, Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr. He/she is also proud of Mother India.

Similarly, a Chinese-Trinbagonian is Chinese 24/7/365; he/she is not Chinese only on 18 October. He/she is proud of Mother China, and so on, and on and on, for all ethnic groups in TnT. Afrikan-Trinbagonians are the only exception - the only motherless group.

The stark reality is that on their national days, Indian-Trinbagonian performers always sing in the tongue of Mother India and on Chinese Arrival Day 2006, Chinese-Trinbagonian performers sang in the tongue of Mother China at Queen's Hall. In addition, Chinese-Trinbagonians speak in their Mother tongue 24/7/365 - liberation cum historical location.

Thus, the crucial question that immediately comes to the fore is: In what tongue do Afrikan-Trinbagonian performers sing during shows on Emancipation Day? - emancipation cum historical dislocation.

It is indeed this ominous, scary historical differential that has compelled social commentator Morel Peters (Luta) to ask in song: "How free, how free are we?"

Indeed, the Afrikans who celebrate Emancipation Day are just One-Ah-Day, feeling-good Afrikans. The more fundamental questions that must be faced are: Who are they from 2nd August to 31 July?; what's their mind-set, worldview and modus vivendi during this period?; what clothes are they wearing, what foods are they eating and what Gods are they worshipping during this period?

The reality is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are powerless on Carnival Monday and Tuesday; they are also powerless on carnival Emancipation Day.

The celebration of Emancipation Day is a myopic, micro, truncated, divisive, albeit Euro-centric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history; the celebration of total liberation under the rubric/banner of Afrika Year is a holistic, unifying, macro, linkage, albeit Africentric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history.

This all-inclusive concept of Afrika Year embraces such Afrikan milestones as Afrikan Liberation Day (25 May), independence of Ghana (6 March), Emancipation/slave resistance (August), Haitian revolution (1st January), Kwanzaa (26 December-1st January), Pan Africanism (July), just to name a few.

Most importantly, Afrika Year seeks to re-connect, re-locate and re-vitalize the umbilical cord that was deliberately and purposely severed, dislocated and emasculated between Afrikan-Trinbagonians and Mother Afrika. It seeks to re-unite Afrikan children with their mother.

Liberation emphatically postulates that there is a Mother Afrika and that Afrika is our Home, TnT is our Destination. Afrikan-Trinbagonians must be Afrikans in mind, spirit and action, 24/7/365 and not just on 1st August.

In the final analysis, whereas Emancipation gives Afrikan-Trinbagonians a fish to feed themselves for one day (1st August), liberation teaches Afrikan-Trinbagonians how to fish so that they can feed themselves for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.

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Nantambu's Homepage


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good things happening to good people: a good thing
good things happening to bad people: a bad thing
bad things happening to good people: a bad thing
bad things happening to bad people: a good thing

Offline Organic

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Re: EMANCIPATION DAY AUGUST D 1ST
« Reply #22 on: August 03, 2007, 07:28:54 AM »
An excerpt from B C Pires thanksgod is friday
trinidadexpress.

shivering with cold, nauseous to the extreme, deep in misery, just before the waves of vomiting that at last began to liberate me, and as my own suffering reached its final stages, I thought of the Middle Passage and the African slaves brought to the Caribbean by force 300 or 400 years ago, forebears of every single one of us here today, including the De Verteuils, Lees, Sabgas & Beharrys.

Anyone who's ever seen the LP album cover of Bob Marley & the Wailers' Survival album knows what the decks of a slave ship looked like. (CD jewel box-sized booklets don't do justice to the injustice. ) Up to - sometimes more than - 600 slaves (you, me, our mothers and sisters and daughters, our little boys, our unknown fathers) were packed into ships of a size most modern yachtsmen would scorn as inadequate for a long weekend. Each human being was jammed into a space six feet long, 18 inches wide and high, made of hard, rough wood (but worn smooth by the blood, sweat, tears, urine and menstrual & faecal matter of thousands of former occupants) a space smaller than a coffin; and, for two out of every three, that's what it became.

You lay in the dark, with someone screaming in terror and/or agony above, below and to the right and left of you. Your arrival in that claustrophobic space would have been preceded by violence. You were bound by heavy iron chains, a thick band around your neck, wrists and ankles similarly manacled. You lay in ever increasing heat - even as body heat was reduced as those around you died, atmospheric temperatures rose outside as the ships drew closer to the West Indies.

The voyage took three weeks, if you were lucky.

If you lived, you were likely to have dysentery or at least diarrhoea - and then you would have a knot of rope shoved up your rectum, to prevent leakage that might lower your sale price. And that was just how you got here! Your suffering didn't really start until after you left the ship.

I don't blame you for wanting to think that was part of someone else's history, not yours; but it was all ours. Wednesday was Emancipation Day.

If we dont know how lucky we are today that our african grandfathers and grandmothers were freed a centruy-and-a-half ago, she shold be sick to our stomachs. And if we dont understand that, unless we are free to create a bit of wealth for ourselves, instead of us being exploited to make buckets of it for a handful of others ( or a far more damaging form of freeness  being handed money WE HAVENT EARNED by well wishers free of basic intelligence), no one here will ever truly be free; and not even the richest of us will have the limited freedom necesary to spend his blood money.


This is de best emancipation "message" i have read.

« Last Edit: August 03, 2007, 07:35:41 AM by Organic »
Perhaps the epitome of a Trinidadian is the child in the third row class with a dark skin and crinkly plaits who looks at you out of decidedly Chinese eyes and announces herself as Jacqueline Maharaj.- Merle Hodge

 

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