body-container-line-1

TODAY IS TRAYVON MARTIN'S DAY!: 9th April, 2012

Feature Article TODAY IS TRAYVON MARTIN'S DAY!: 9th April, 2012
APR 9, 2012 LISTEN

Monday, 9th April, 2012, International Day of Solidarity & Justice for Trayvon!

The great tide of history flows, and as it flows it carries to the shores of reality the stubborn facts of life and man's relations, one with another. One cardinal fact of our time is the momentous impact of Africa's awakening upon the modern world. The flowing tide of African nationalism sweeps everything before it and constitutes a challenge to the colonial powers to make a just restitution for the years of injustice and crime committed against our continent.

But Africa does not seek vengeance. It is against her very nature to harbor malice.

- Kwame Nkrumah . [See: "Pan-African Leader Kwame Nkrumah In His Own Words & His Son Gamal Nkrumah Reflects On His Father's Legacy http://bit.ly/qtqDE0

For us, unfortunately, this is just the tip of an iceberg. Trayvon Martin, a young African-American boy of seventeen years old, was shot and killed on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighbourhood watchman. Trayvon who was visiting his fiancée had just gone out to a local store to buy some candy and ice tea.

He was not armed. Trayvon is stalked by a relatively heavy built George Zimmerman, who is armed. The very fact of following Trayvon was already against the law. More so, this is against the express instructions by the police not to do so! George Zimmerman had determined that Travon was "suspicious", and complained to the police, using expletives that "they always get away!", and confronted the unarmed young boy, shot him and killed him.

It is outrageous enough that this could happen, but it is even more outrageous that the murderer is still free! We find it extremely alarming that this is happening in a country that likes to pride itself as a champion of human rights in the world, and even goes to the extent of interfering militarily in the affairs of other nations in the name of human rights, the rule of law, and Justice for all.

As Pan-Africanists, we follow the advice of Africa's man of the millennium, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, when he admonishes us as follows: "Finally, we must encourage and utilise to the full those still all too few yet growing instances of support for liberation and anti-colonialism inside the imperialist world itself." [See: Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of imperialism by Kwame Nkrumah http://bit.ly/i6AnzR] We need to let Uncle Sam take a deep look at himself, and come to terms with the fact that it takes more than cosmetic changes in the skin of the President, to begin to proclaim a post-racial America, and to deal effectively with racism, racial profiling, criminalization of the African youth, and the prison industrial complex.

Charity, they say, begins at home. Before they come preaching to us about whom we should have sex with, as though the most important problem facing Africa is who sleeps with who. We oppose its neo-liberal agenda driven by its handmaidens – the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This agenda allocates costs to the public purse, and hands profits to private interests. It has and continues to widen the gap between the rich and the poor, to subvert the sovereignty and democratic will of peoples and nations everywhere.

The minimum that is expected from the United States of America is the respect for the human rights of her own citizens. The rate at which these stories are spring up is extremely alarming. And it is about time that America took care of our brothers and sisters in America, if they really mean well to Africa. Where is the confidence if even this is the treatment being meted out to her own citizens. We did not see much complaint from the US when the NTC was maltreating Black African migrant workers in Libya, during and after the war. Even though it is clear that at the time President Gbagbo was being indicted, the ICC had documented 48 cases of death in which he was “suspected” of involvement. It is instructive to note that the ICC is more than aware of the fact that within a spate of three days, 1600 innocent people massacred there by the pro-Ouattarra forces, carried out a systematic massacre of civilians in Duekuoue, in the Western part of La Cote d'Ivoire, and confirmed by numerous independent sources.

The rebel movement that carried out these atrocities have a clear leader and an accomplice in the one in whose name they were fighting, the one who paid the piper and called the tunes, Allhassan Ouatarra. His rebels were under the command of Guillaume Sorro, who later became Allhassan Ouattara's Prime Minister. There has been a wall of silence as to what steps the ICC is taking even to attempt to investigate these crimes. The ICC appears to be so effectively biased as to show no interest whatsoever in bringing the perpetrators of these horrible crimes to Justice because, like Zimmerman, they are the hands of a system that gives them protection for what they are doing to us! Whilst the ICC was busy preparing for the prosecution of President Laurent Gbagbo, Guilliaume Sorro, only received a letter of congratulations from the ICC, upon his appointment as the Prime Minister of La Cote d'Ivoire. To make matters worse, the ICC has even threatened that they will only try President Laurent Gbagbo, and “not do the rebels” simply because of budget cuts.

The level of impunity is alarming! As Jeremiah Taterssall of the University of Florida, put it the other day, ”A man that needed help got a bullet instead. It's so sad that this is still happening. Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. was on Democracy Now today and gave a powerful testimony. http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/29/killed_at_home_white_plains_ny. This is what happens when a society combines gross militarism, the politics of perpetual fear, and institutionalized racism. Chamberlain is another Adu-Brempong who is another Oscar Grant, who is another Troy Davis who is another Trayvon Martin.”

And this is for you, Brother Mumia Abu Jamal, even as we march for Justice for Trayvon Martin, we do not forget you! On the contrary we feel strengthened with the conviction that we know you are with us in spirit and in truth! The candles are many, but the light remains the same. We have the pleasure to share with our Facebook friends an interviews conducted by Peter Terryn of Iamwe please see his work on The History of MOVE as told by Ramona Africa http://on.fb.me/Ide3re, and also, http://iamwe.be/ and an expert on our special Working Committee »Towards…OCCUPY FOR MUMIA & END MASS INCARCERATION April 24th, 2012, 58th Birthday Anniversary of Mumia Abu Jamal! Minister of Agitation interviewed Mumia Abu-Jamal We are with you!

Above all else, our hearts go to the grieving family in these extremely difficult and painful moments. We insist on stating firmly that we stand firmly with them in demanding Justice for Trayvon. If we don't do that for our own, who will do it for us?

Above all else, our hearts go to the grieving family in these extremely difficult and painful moments. We insist on stating firmly that we stand firmly with them in demanding Justice for Trayvon. If we don't do that for our own, who will do it for us?

“We have to prove that greatness is not to be measured in stockpiles of atom bombs. I believe strongly and sincerely that with the deep-rooted wisdom and dignity, the innate respect for human lives, the intense humanity that is our heritage, the African race, united under one federal government, will emerge not as just another world bloc to flaunt its wealth and strength, but as a Great Power whose greatness is indestructible because it is built not on fear, envy and suspicion, nor won at the expense of others, but founded on hope, trust, friendship and directed to the good of all mankind.” Kwame Nkrumah, [See: I Speak of Freedom http://bit.ly/I7rC03]

In demanding Justice for Trayvon, we affirm the human rights of all!

Justice for Trayvon!
For Life, the Environment, and Social Justice!
Social Media Outreach
Pan-Africanist International – a grammar of Pan-Africanism and its manners of articulation.

body-container-line