Who is Black? What does Black mean? The debate has been open since the day a freed enslaved human being of equatorial African origin had the physical tools to write a different language. Times have changed, and words have changed. The unknown African of the Middle Ages, considered by whites, to be without a soul, was known as chattel, named a so called 'slave', colored person, a Negro with a capital N, and now by our own declaration of freedom, Black.
Colonialism, imperialism, direct and indirect rule, eugenics, the world was changing and we contested each obstacle on our way to humanity, with non violence, love and peace. Educationally, Africa was becoming a distant reference, while populations were moving, real distances were shrinking, words that identified human beings by color, were losing there impact of meaning and ceased to be really workable. Of course, in many parts of the world, the word Black is workable, but in Canada and mostly in young British Columbia, it is misleading: there are the Black Canadians, the Black Americans, West Indians, Africans...yet we recognize, we are all part of the great African Diaspora! The paradox is, that today it is common knowledge, all humankind originates from Africa! We recognize the literal definition of Africa, as the land of the Black. We are, also in full agreement our experience as human beings is to transform this society into something it is not. A society based on Love, and Peace, recognizing human variety with respect, and shared commonality. This is not based upon difference, or even diversity, but "content of character" not on deprivation, marginalization, identifiable because of the color of ones skin. We have seen and history has taught us that when this has happened as in the rise of the North Atlantic Slave Trade, complete groups of people are in fact subjected to crimes against humanity. This is self evident in the millions of our ancestors that died on slave ships, in bondage, lynched and struggled to survive. However our purpose in coming to this part of the world represents years of bringing a consciousness of humanity to this land now called North America. As part of our experience we know that our journey as Black People, is joined by people that recognize in the end, if we are to change this society to something it is not, away from war, greed avarice, racism, to the uplifting of the human spirit, their destinies are in fact linked to ours.
For the past 300 years or so, Blacks have been born and subjected to Western, Christian tradition, European languages can be their mother tongues, and their lives have been framed by questionable, Western values and customs. There are and were millions of people of African descent, in the Caribbean, in North and Latin America, and many thousands in Europe. Yet, they are still not considered as being totally a part of the mainstream of what fashions and shapes the Western world. This is a condition brought on by economics, miltarism and racism. They remain a expendable, impoverished population, and foreign element in there own countries.
Out of that peculiar situation, a strong sense of pride and a subtle kind of solidarity have grown. Outside all ethnic, national, religious, linguistic, socioeconomic or political considerations, that pride and that solidarity are based simply on the color– if not the complexion – of the skin. From there, only a small step can lead to conclude that being Black is an attitude towards life, a state of mind. The difference is the roots from which spring a whole culture.
Black pioneers in BC - find out more by clicking on the names below: