Voice of Revolution

Reparations Now

Juneteenth: Celebrate Resistance and Advance the Fight for Rights!

Across the country this past weekend, Juneteenth was celebrated. Taking its spirit from the broad and persistent resistance of African Americans to slavery, Juneteenth brings together many different organizations, artists, and activists to celebrate the victory over slavery and the on going fight for rights. It is with pride in resistance against great odds that African Americans justly stand and celebrate and organize to consolidate their best traditions. Juneteenth squarely puts forward that it is the people that are decisive and its is their struggle for rights that moves society forward, making it a day of celebration for all.

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Conference in Ghana, July 22 to August 3, 2006

Create the Future: Transformation, Reparations, Repatriation and Reconciliation

- National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N'COBRA) -

A Global Pan-African Reparations Conference will be held in Accra, Ghana, July 22 to August 3, 2006 to review, assess and improve the worldwide efforts of the Global Pan-African Reparations Movement and to develop and coordinate the implementation of strategies, which will help to reconcile and unite African Peoples so that their positive strengths are released in a focused manner to elevate Africa and Africans worldwide.

N'COBRA International Affairs Commission (NIAC), Sankofa United Continent African Roots Development International Family Association (SUCARDIF) of Ghana, and a number of other international reparations organizations and movements, request your participation in this most historic international reparations conference. Your commitment to the African reparations movement and your demonstrated leadership in the African community are critical to the success of this ambitious undertaking.

Create the Future: Transformation, Reparations, Repatriation, and Reconciliation

It has been four years since our victory in Durban, South Africa at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism. It was a time when African nations and African people throughout the Diaspora came together to talk about slavery, colonialism, and reparations. Together we achieved the impossible. We demanded that the most powerful and most criminal slavers and colonial nations on the planet acknowledge that African people are now and always have been human beings; and that the kidnap, rape, theft, captivity, and enslavement of African people are and always have been crimes against humanity.

Now it is time to come together again and pick up the unfinished business of Durban. We must focus on Reparations, and the Durban Program of Action [which included demands for condemnation of and apologies for slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, apartheid, colonialism and genocide and that states guilty of slavery, like the U.S., "take appropriate remedial and other measures to halt and reverse the lasting consequences [of slavery]."

Also, we must ensure that all of the Black African Diaspora and African Governments come together to reexamine that document to see where we are and where we are going with its implementation. And we must combat this new assault waged under the banner of philanthropy. There is no better time than now.

Purpose of Conference

The overarching objective of the conference is to develop a programmatic framework that allows the Global Pan-African Reparations Movement to develop and coordinate activities and Africans and African descendants reconciliation and reparations. Additionally, it is to gather, educate, and equip the Global Pan-African Reparations Movement with resources (i.e. templates, models, and examples) of successful organizing techniques and educational tools to engage the world.

Objectives of Conference

1. To deepen African, and other Indigenous peoples' understanding of the "global reparations movement" and our mutual understanding and support for Afro-descendants throughout the Diaspora seeking reparations;

2. To shape the conversation about the significance of the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade by the British Empire;

3. To promote a dialogue within the global reparations movement about "international capital" and its origins, the demise of capitalism as we know it, and the "new worldwide movement" for a new economic order;

4. To share strategies and tactics related to our respective local, regional, and national reparations issues, demands, and approaches for mutual support;

5. To identify the present opportunities, prospects, and means for forging direct linkages with African grassroots organizations and diplomatic bodies; and

6. To explore concrete ways to meaningfully participate in African initiatives that invite African descendants to return to Africa, specifically Ghana's Joseph Project and SUCARDIF's Tower of Return Monument Project. (see:www.ncobra-intl-affairs.org/conference.html).

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For Your Information

Reparations and the Demand for the Government to Pay

- National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America -

What are reparations?

Reparations is a process of repairing, healing and restoring a people injured because of their group identity and in violation of their fundamental human rights by governments or corporations. Those groups that have been injured have the right to obtain from the government or corporation responsible for the injuries that which they need to repair and heal themselves.

In addition to being a demand for justice, it is a principle of international human rights law. As a remedy, it is similar to the remedy for damages in domestic law that holds a person responsible for injuries suffered by another when the infliction of the injury violates domestic law. Examples of groups that have obtained reparations include Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust, Japanese Americans interned in concentration camps in the United States during WWII, Alaska Natives for land, labor, and resources taken, victims of the massacre in Rosewood, Florida and their descendants, Native Americans as a remedy for violations of treaty rights, and political dissenters in Argentina and their descendants.

Why Are African Descendants Entitled to Reparations?

The Trans-Atlantic Slave "Trade" and chattel slavery, more appropriately called the Holocaust of Enslavement or Maafa, was a crime against humanity. Millions of Africans were brutalized, murdered, raped and tortured. They were torn from their families in Africa, kidnapped and lost family and community associations. African peoples in the United States and the prior colonies were denied the right to maintain their language, spiritual practices and normal family relations, always under the threat of being torn from newly created families at the whim of the "slave owner." Chattel slavery lasted officially from 1619 to 1865. It was followed by 100 years of government led and supported denial of equal and humane treatment including Black Codes, convict lease, sharecropping, peonage, and Jim Crow practices of separate and unequal accommodations.

African descendants continue to be denied rights of self-determination, inheritance, and full participation in the United States government and society. The laws and practices in the United States continue to treat African peoples in a manner similar to slavery - maintaining dual systems in virtually every area of life including punishment, healthcare, education and wealth.

Is an Apology Necessary?

A necessary requirement of all forms of reparations is an acknowledgment by the government or corporation that it committed acts that violated the human rights of those making the claim for reparations. Some groups may want an explicit apology; however, neither the acknowledgement nor apology is sufficient - there must be material forms of reparations that accompany the acknowledgment or apology.

What Forms Should Reparations Take?

The forms of reparations received should improve the lives of African descendents in the United States for future generations to come; foster economic, social and political parity; and allow for full rights of self determination.

Reparations can be in as many forms as necessary to equitably (fairly) address the many forms of injury caused by chattel slavery and its continuing vestiges. The material forms of reparations include cash payments, land, economic development, and repatriation resources particularly to those who are descendants of enslaved Africans. Other forms of reparations for Black people of African descent include funds for scholarships and community development; creation of multi-media depictions of the history of Black people of African descent and textbooks for educational institutions that tell the story from the African descendants' perspective; development of historical monuments and museums; the return of artifacts and art to appropriate people or institutions; exoneration of political prisoners; and, the elimination of laws and practices that maintain dual systems in the major areas of life including the punishment system, health, education and the financial/economic system.

Who Should Receive Reparations?

Within the broadest definition, all Black people of African descent in the United States should receive reparations in the form of changes in or elimination of laws and practices that allow them to be treated differently and unequally. For example, ending racial profiling and discrimination in the provision of healthcare, providing scholarship and community development funds for Black people of African descent, and supporting processes of self determination will not only benefit descendants of enslaved Africans, but all African descendant peoples in the United States who, because of their color, are victims of the vestiges of slavery. This is similar to the Rosewood, Florida reparations package, where some forms of reparations were provided only to persons who descended from those who were injured, died and lost their homes and other forms were made available to all Black people of African descent in Florida.

Who Must Make Reparations

N'COBRA seeks reparations at this time from two groups: governments and corporations. We choose to focus on government and corporations because of their particular role in the horrific tragedies of chattel slavery and the continuing vestiges of slavery we live with today.

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A New Song

I speak in the name of the black millions
Awakening to action.
Let all others keep silent a moment
I have this word to bring,
This thing to say,

This song to sing:
Bitter was the day
When I bowed my back
Beneath the slaver's whip.

That day is past.

Bitter was the day
When I saw my children unschooled,
My young men without a voice in the world,
My women taken as the body-toys
Of a thieving people.

That day is past.

Bitter was the day, I say,
When the lyncher's rope
Hung about my neck,
And the fire scorched my feet,
And the oppressors had no pity,
And only in the sorrow songs
Relief was found.

That day is past.

I know full well now
Only my own hands,
Dark as the earth,
Can make my earth-dark body free.
O thieves, exploiters, killers,
No longer shall you say
With arrogant eyes and scornful lips:
"You are my servant,
Black man -
I, the free!"
That day is past.

For now,
In many mouths -
Dark mouths where red tongues burn
And white teeth gleam -
New words are formed,
Bitter
With the past
But sweet
With the dream.
Tense,
Unyielding,
Strong and sure,
They sweep the earth -

Revolt! Arise!

The Black
And White World
Shall be one!
The Worker's World!

The past is done!

A new dream flames
Against the
Sun!

- Langston Hughes

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Democracy

Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.

Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.

I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

- Langston Hughes

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Peoples say no to colonization of Puerto Rico

Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!

- Juan Antonio Ocasio Rivera -

At the United Nations yesterday morning (June 12) one thing was immediately clear: as the member nations of the Decolonization Committee noted, there is tremendous and lasting interest in the case of Puerto Rico and its political status. The Committee noted that, this year, the number of presenters and speakers during the hearing on Puerto Rico doubled from that of last year's hearing, which to them is indicative of the relevance and interest in Puerto Rico's colonial situation. Indeed, the crowds gathered in front of the United Nations main entrance were witness not only to the strong breezes of an oddly cool morning but to an assembly of Puerto Rico's most well-known and most committed political leadership: Ruben Berrios Martinez, Juan Mari Bras, Fernando Martin, Ismael Guadalupe, Hector Pesquera, and other similarly committed regional leaders such as Miguel Sanchez and Vanessa Ramos. Important organizations such as Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, Partido Independentista Puertorriqueno, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, and La Coordinadora Nacional Rompiendo El Perimetro made their presence felt as well. The Committee, formally titled The Special Committee on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, was formed to oversee and facilitate the process of decolonization of the world's remaining colonies. Named after UN Resolution 1514 (Resolution On the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples), it has reviewed the case of Puerto Rico since the early 1970s, passing resolutions consistently at the conclusion of its hearings calling for Puerto Rico's self-determination and independence. Its member nations include Venezuela, Mali, Iraq, Cuba, Congo, Argentina, Iran, Saint Lucia, Papau New Guinea, India, Chile, and others.

There were several significant aspects of this year's presentations. First, for the first time, representatives of international organizations took to the podium to support the call for Puerto Rico's independence. Gustavo Carvajal, of the Conference of Political Parties of Latin America, clearly called for an end to the colonial status of Puerto Rico and openly supported its independence, insisting that Puerto Rico was a Latin American nation and as such must join that community of nations. He also demanded that the General Assembly once again review the case of Puerto Rico, something not done since 1953. Raul Alfonsin, a former President of Argentina, representing the Committee of Latin America of the Socialist International, an organization representing more than 100 governments across the world, was another distinguished presenter. Following the theme of Latin American unity, Alfonsin also insisted that Puerto Rico is an integral part of Latin America. He stated that colonialism is a practice that runs contrary to the notions of democracy and stated that the independence of Puerto Rico has been on the agenda of Latin America since the 19th Century. He reiterated that the island has an inalienable right to freedom and independence, demanded that the island join the international community as equals, and poetically emphasized that the entire territory of Latin America must be free in order to meet the mandate of its founders.

Presenters denounced the environmental degradation occurring in Puerto Rico, with respect to water resources, nuclear weapons, and experimentation in land, air and sea. Presenters from the island of Vieques denounced the current process of gentrification that is occurring on the island, forcing many Vieques residents to move to St. Thomas and other neighboring islands as the price of land is being driven up by realtors and land grabbers. They also denounced the navy's practice of detonating remaining bombs on the island as a method of cleaning target areas, saying this will continue to damage the health of the already afflicted residents.

Juan Mari Bras, a significant and highly respected leader in the independence movement, gave an impassioned presentation demanding action by the Decolonization Committee. He proposed several amendments to the Resolution, including demanding that language be included which conveys the urgency of the need to address Puerto Rico's colonial situation and language that clearly condemns the assassination of revered revolutionary leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Mari Bras demanded action from the Committee after the dozens of resolutions the Committee has passed regarding Puerto Rico and called on the General Assembly to once again review the case of the archipelago. His testimony and furious delivery brought the public to its feet and drew a standing ovation from them as well.

Presenters from the Nationalist Party demanded an end to the current wave of political persecution, a theme repeated by Miguel Sanchez from the Coordinadora Rompiendo El Perimetro (Coordinating [Committee] Breaking the Perimeter), a group formed after the assassination of Ojeda Rios and which figuratively and literally works to break FBI perimeters such as the one that prevented help from reaching the wounded and dying Ojeda Rios last September. Sanchez gave a highly detailed and shocking account of the current experiences of Puerto Rican activists being persecuted for their political work. Accounts of small planes and helicopters flying and hovering over people's homes, unmarked sedans following people around, FBI visits to the homes of neighbors and friends, obvious interception of phone calls and cell phone reception, all actions designed to intimidate activists who are merely working people, professionals, who simply are working to organize fellow citizens around the issues of importance. He proclaimed that these activists are not terrorists and demanded that the General Assembly become involved to address these serious violations in the colony.

The ProLibertad organization called for the release and freedom of the Puerto Rican political prisoners as part of any decolonization process and recounted a brief history of the prisoners, their incarceration and conditions of imprisonment. It denounced, along with other presenters, the current incarceration of Antonio Camacho Negron. Recent reports indicate that Camacho is being now held in solitary confinement, having unknown drugs administered to him, in an effort to silence and discredit him. Camacho had been very active in Puerto Rico denouncing the murder of Ojeda Rios and organizing a new national Decolonization Conference and organization. He had previously served 15 years as a political prisoner and was re-arrested this year by the FBI, who claimed he still had time left on his sentence - a claim rejected by his lawyers and movement leaders.

Many other organizations testified and were brilliant, but the emotional high point of the day was when Edgardo Ojeda, son of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, testified in front of the Special Committee. His voice breaking with emotion, Ojeda said that he was there to demand justice for his father. He described what the family knows about the murder and later recounted how his father, while surrounded by hordes of FBI agents, demanded to meet with a reporter. Having this demand rejected, Ojeda Rios continued to resist the effort to assassinate him until the one bullet pierced his clavicle. He was left to bleed to death by the FBI agents present, who waited until the following day to enter the house. Edgardo Ojeda proudly recounted how his father consistently and brazenly defied the agents who were obviously there to murder him, continuously yelling patriotic slogans from inside the house such as, "Asesinos Fuera de mi Patria", "Yanqui fuera de mi patria", "Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre", etc. Once his wife was removed from the scene, no one knows exactly what took place in the final moments. Egardo Ojeda's forceful demand for justice and emotional delivery shook the public section of the audience, many of whom also in tears, stood and gave his testimony a prolonged standing ovation.

The resolution (A-AC-109-2006-L7), sponsored by both Cuba and Venezuela, was passed by consensus by the Decolonization Committee, without a vote and without objection. It was yet another victory for the subjugated nation of Puerto Rico, a proud people with a rich history, which has seen some of the most brutal elements of colonialism. This was evident yesterday when statehood supporters (one of which carried an American flag with her everywhere she went) pathetically made their own presentations calling for the UN to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the U.S. (something completely out of its jurisdiction). This unfortunate affliction is a direct result of centuries of having our island and our people controlled, governed, abused, and manipulated by another country. That is colonialism. However, the beauty of such a hearing at the United Nations was that although most understood that this will not bring freedom and independence tomorrow, surely history will record and reflect that there are Puerto Ricans who have overcome the noxious and demoralizing effects of collective enslavement and correctly and justly continue to demand that God-given right which is the right of all souls born unto this Earth - freedom and the right to forge their own destinies.

Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!

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UN General Assembly Committee Urges
Self-Determination for Puerto Rico

- UN News Service -

The special committee of the United Nations General Assembly that deals with decolonization issues today adopted a text calling for an expedited process in Puerto Rico to determine what kind of relationship the territory's population would prefer to have with the United States.

The unanimously adopted resolution, sponsored by Cuba, calls for an investigation into the September 23 assassination of pro-independence leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios and violent acts against others.

It also calls on the United States to respect fundamental human rights in Puerto Rico, pay for the cleanup and decontamination of areas of the island affected by United States military activities, and address the ensuing serious environmental and health consequences.

As in previous years, the special committee's text called on the president of the United States to release Puerto Rican political prisoners serving prison sentences for more than 25 years for cases relating to the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico and the demilitarization of Vieques Island, which had been used for combat exercises by the U.S. military.

Many petitioners speaking today and yesterday, including representatives of Puerto Rico's main political parties, supported the text, saying that the island's current relationship with the United States was deeply flawed and had stunted its socio-economic development and allowed the exploitation of its natural resources by American companies and the United States Navy.

The decolonization committee was formally known as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

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