Four, five days from today it’ll be time for the observance, the celebration, the jollification – soirees marking the anniversary of the 1838 emancipation of enslaved Africans from the British– owned sugar plantations of the British Guiana Colony.
So I have promised myself, solemnly, not to bother you- all with my annual lament, under my now usual theme of “my Emancipation Blues”. You know: how every year I urge today’s Afro- Guyanese descendants to pool resources from here and the Diaspora to establish and initiate tangible, long–lasting projects to benefit “their own”, in town or village; or how I admonish today’s afro – folks over not owning bakery complexes, pharmacies, manufacturing entities – or their very own medical clinics or educational centres. No, see I am avoiding that today, in this my pre – Emancipation offering.
For I’ll be told of the cards stacked against “black people” before and during these days. (Much, not all, of the excuses could be valid.)
Then again, next week’s Emancipation events will be riddled with the Linden Syndrome. The enormous challenges pitched in front of one section of Afro–Guyana. Oh yes, besides Hopetown, the Linden tragedy and “martyrs” will hold “freedom’s” centre – stage next week.
So guess what. I’ m offering you a most brief tale hereunder. It’s short fiction, but based on historical fact.
Agekofi – never slave, but never free?
Agekofi (pronounced Ajee – Kofee) “arrived” in post – Emancipation Guyana with his “family” in 1850. His group and tribe were of the kroo.
Unlike other African immigrants – free but fettered – who were “invited” to British Guiana to replace, on contract the earlier Indian indentures who had succumbed to an extended period of Yellow Fever and Malaria, Agekofi’s people came to the colony quite voluntarily, eager to work, also for a three–year contractual period, initially.
Let’s have the twenty–plus Age take up his story, in summary manner.
“Some stubborn, greedy European plunderers were reluctant to see their sugar fields of wealth suffer because of the 1838 full freedom of de enslaved earlier brothers and sisters brought here as cargo–labour for centuries. Spain and Portugal, we knew were furious as were some British ex – slavers. So even after 1845, our/my fellow Africans, still somewhat captive came to this Guiana to work.
But my family and some Sierra Leone people came here on our very own. At no time were we slaves, “owned” by any European. Things I learnt and observed were so strange and confusing in this tropical South American, yet British possession.
On the West Bank of Demerara, I saw poor Chinese and Portuguese for the first time in my life spent on two continents. Hundreds of Indians from the Big India also toiled on the Demerara West Bank plantations.
It was mighty strange, amusing, dangerous and then advantageous for my own group. The other labour–people were jealous because we were never enslaved as they once were. A few even treated us with respect and admiration!
The white–man owners found my family interesting as many of us were already schooled in our African Home-land. I suppose that was partly why it happened!”
Mental slavery, later “middle–class”
“In 1860 I moved to Hopetown to live with a local Creole African Lady Teacher. We were proud of each other, yes.
Then I received news from our original La Retraite, West Dem Home! It was both amusing and shocking. My beautiful Kroo black, twenty–year old sister was impregnated by a reasonable, liberal, but promiscuous white overseer!
Yesiree, my little sister with child for a half English–half Scottish European!
No abortion gave way to her bouncing mulatto Baby Boy. Future historians have written about the demographics of the colony between the Emancipation Year 1838 and 1900; how the freed slaves, other creoles, my type of free continental African, made up the majority of the B.G. colony then; wid de Portuguese and Asians workers! B.G. was, dey said,” cosmopolitan.”
I close by telling this: we all were never really free then. I mean free from the Dutch or British influence of our mind, tho’ we kept our African soul – in a way. Two more things: my sister’s son and his descendants became members of the rising “black” middle –class in the colony- educated, professional, sometimes haughty too. You may know some of those descendants, who still stay in Guyana – fair-skinned afros- in the professions, in sport, and a few in politics. Finally, remember this: many of you Afro-Guyanese did not have fore-fathers who were slaves who suffered here! No-No! Your groups of ancestors were free. But celebrate Emancipation next week too. Because we were all victims. And victors. Hopefully…”
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Suffering, Survival, Soirees
Time and space do not allow me to expand further on the African experience, in historic Guyana, of suffering, survival and struggles.
African slavery by others was indeed its own extended holocaust. Slavery in these Guiana colonies was a portion of mankind’s insidious world-wide demonstration of his inhumanity to his fellow beings.
Groups of humans in bondage always found ways to survive, if not live. Every trick was utilized. Again I advise: let today’s African descendants reflect upon how their freed fore–fathers related to land after 1838. What should be the strategy today? I promised not to lament, not to preach.
Let the drums and the folk songs and the dance and food be there on Tuesday night, Then on Wednesday, consider why you must remain in Guyana. And how…
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Ponder…
1) American/Western Justice – again I’m absolutely fascinated by the facts and procedures of the American justice system.
A brilliant student, seemingly mentally upset and disturbed, mows down innocent moviegoers in Colorado USA. He is seen by scores to have done the crime. But though he also thoroughly planned to kill any who would enter his house afterwards, he is now still a “suspect” who allegedly committed several crimes.
He must be given a good public defender and later a competent attorney. Great meals, medical attention and all his rights too. Great system over-bearingly “fair” and just. Guns-or no guns.
`Til next week!
(comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
