Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!

by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at

London-Reparations-March-Baba-Jahahara-on-Westminster-Bridge-3-min.-silence-for-ancestors-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at stands with thousands of other reparationists on Emancipation Day, 1 Mosiah (August) 2016, for three minutes of silence for the Ancestors on the Westminster Bridge in London, England. Behind them is the British Parliament – House of Commons and House of Lords – with the “Big Ben” clock tower, where a major rally was later held. Petitions demanding reparations were also delivered to No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister.

Greetings of imani (faith), esteemed G-o-ds!

May our Divine Mother-Father Creator of and in all – and Beloved Ancients and Ancestors from yesteryear and yesterday – find you and your extended family in healing spirit.

On 1 Mosiah (August), thousands of Pan Afrikanists from around England, Europe, the Afrikan continent, the Caribbean, Australia and other former colonies like West Papua – accompanied by billions of our Afrikan forbearers! – assembled in London for major mass actions. In this, the Annual Afrikan Emancipation Day Reparations March, the themes of “Stop the Maangamizi: We charge genocide and ecocide” and “Demand reparatory justice and reparations” united all.

London-Reparations-March-Leader-Esther-Stanford-Xosei-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
Leader Esther Stanford Xosei leads the march from Brixton to Parliament. The Afrikan-Haitian banner says “Reparations by Our Own People’s Power! Liberty or Death!”

In a vivid display of spiritual and people’s power, the march began with prayers and sacred offerings to our Ancestors. Foremost were the profound words of Dutty Bookman, a key leader of the monumental and successful revolution in Ayiti (Haiti), which valiantly overthrew the vicious European enslavers:

“The God who created the sun which gives us light, who rouses the waves and rules the storm, though hidden in the clouds, he watches us. He sees all the white (enslavers) do, the God of the white (enslavers) inspires them with crime. But, our God calls upon us to do good works. Our God who is good to us orders us to revenge the wrongs. Our God will direct our arms and aid us. Throw away the symbol of the god of the white (enslavers) who have so often caused us to weep. Listen to the voice of liberty, which speaks in the hearts of us all!”

London-Reparations-March-Makeda-Coaston-formerly-of-SF-080116-by-Jahahara-web-225x300, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
God(dess) Makeda Coaston, formerly of San Francisco and now living in London, wears Marcus Garvey on her back. Ase’.

Led by the Libete Oubyen Lanmo (Liberty or Death) banner from Haiti, the march featured the vivid red, black and green liberation colors of the UNIA/ACL movement, spearheaded by Ancestor Marcus Mosiah Garvey, and super-strong Rastafari movement, Nation of Islam, Black Lives Matter, nationalist, socialist, youth and labor contingents. From Woodrush Square in the predominately Afrikan community of Brixton, marchers stepped in unison for the three and a half mile trek to the imperialist, enslaver and colonialist Houses of Parliament and Lords.

Through intermittent rain, the damp air was filled with shining and spirited calls to the Ancestors, pulsating drum and percussion beats, revolutionary chants for reparations and Mother Earth, especially, the beautiful rhythmic and collective choruses of songs like Ancestor Nesta Robert “Bob” Marley’s “Get Up! Stand Up! For Your Rights and Reparations!” Ase`.

“Today, we challenge the officials of one of the most brutal, abusive and criminal governments in all of humanity,” said G-o-d Esther Stanford Xosei, a key leader of not only this march but in our diasporan efforts for reparations, after leading a smaller delegation of elders, seasoned activists and youth to deliver thousands of petitions to No. 10 Downing Street in London. That’s the official address of Prime Minister Theresa May, who recently replaced David Cameron after his resignation following the “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union.

London-Reparations-March-Jahahara-youth-leaders-at-Windrush-Square-Brixton-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
Baba Jahahara with youth leaders of the Reparations March Outreach Team at Windrush Square, in Brixton

G-o-d Xosei continued: “But, this is more than a march. This is part of our education and preparation… for reparations! Together, we are building a grassroots movement of Afrikan people worldwide. To stop the Maangamizi! To end this continuing genocide and profit-driven eco-side! And for our just reparations!”

We trust the accompanying photos will tell more of the story of this powerful March and growing worldwide movement of Afrikan people for reparations! Ase`.

And, for those of you who haven’t signed the petition yet, please go to: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-maangamizi-we-charge-genocide-ecocide.

Baba Jahahara’s message

This message was delivered on 1 Mosiah (August) at the Afrikan Emancipation Day Reparations March in London, England:

(Baba Jahahara singing:) “You deserve reparations, Afrikans! / I deserve reparations! Yes I do! / We demand reparations, Afrikans! / for our nations and ascendants! Yes, we do! / me and you! and you! and you! and you!”

Amen-ra hotep (Divine peace and continuous blessings), G-o-ds!

London-Reparations-March-PM-Winston-Churchill-statue-Parliament-Square-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
Reparationists march past the statue of the criminal and former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, at Parliament Square.

What a glorious day it is! Ase`. Even with the threatening rain. Brothers and Sisters, please turn to the person next to you, give them a loving hug and/or a powerful fist bump and say to them: “I’m a G-o-d! And so are you!” Tell them, “I appreciate you being here! And asante sana (thank you) for being an Afrikan survivor – and, a thriver! You all just carried out another powerful act of and for reparations! Will you do that daily when you meet other Afrikan people? Bless you! Ase`.

I am Baba Jahahara Amen-Ra Alkebulan-Ma’at, the fourth of seven sons of Ancestors Elizabeth Oaks-Armstrong and Cleveland Lee Armstrong Sr. Ase`. I feel so fortunate to have traveled from the united capitalist prison states of america and a little town in the occupied lands of the Indigenous Ohlone people, who were almost completely wiped out by the genocidal European terrorist settlers and gold-seekers.

It is now called Oakland, California. This is where we will be commemorating, this October, the 50th year anniversary of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, whose Ten Point Platform was, indeed, demanding reparations. I am also a co-founder of the Afrikans Deserve Reparations campaign, as well as a life member and past national co-chair of our National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA).

We are so proud to join you today and add our voices to exposing the worst and longest continuing war, acts of terrorism and horrendous crimes against humanity and nature in our story of civilization. Please know, we fully support you in this monumental action for truth, for justice and for reparations sasa (right now)!

London-Reparations-March-GÇÿYes-for-ReparationsGÇÖ-at-Parliament-Square-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
Thousands say “Yes for Reparations!” at Parliament Square.

Now, the shirt I’m wearing says Black Lives Matter! If one truly believes those words, then you must also conclude that, as my shirt also says, Africans Deserve Reparations in all its forms, including healing our spiritual selves, re-education, self-determination, land, independence, climate and environmental justice, abolishing the for-profit prison industries which make billions of dollars, pounds and euros by encaging and exploiting Afrikan men, women and children, immediate release of our courageous and long-suffering political prisoners and exiles, like, in the USA, Mumia Abu-Jama, Jalil Muntaquin, Herman Bell, Sundiata Acoli, Mutulu Shakur, the MOVE 9, Edward Poindexter, Maroon Russell Shoats, Pete O’Neal, Assata Shakur, Leonard Peltier, Oscar Lopez Rivera and hundreds of other brilliant and revolutionary reparationists! Ase.`

Next, I must call out the names of a few of our Beloved Ancestors who fought hard for reparations in the united capitalist prison states of america over the past century and whose spirit, work and sacrifices guide us every day: Callie House, Isiah Dickerson and the National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty and Pension Association! Ase`. Marcus Garvey and the UNIA/ACL! Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam! Betty and El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, aka Malcolm X, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity!

William and Louise Patterson, James Malloy, Louis Burnham, Paul Robeson, Harry Haywood and We Charge Genocide! Queen Mother Audley Moore! Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Ossie Davis, Shirley Chisholm, Huey P. Newton, W.E.B. Dubois and others in the second We Charge Genocide Petition!

London-Reparations-March-GÇÿReparations-Now-for-GenocideGÇÖ-080116-by-Jahahara-web-300x225, Reparationists take the power, and da funk, to Parliament in London!, World News & Views
“Reparations Now for Genocide!”

Imari Obadele and the Republic of New Afrika and N’COBRA! Sonny Abubadika Carson! Nana Yaa Asantenwa, aka Dorothy Benton Lewis! Kalongi Olusegun! Merle Africa! Raymond “Reparations Ray” Jenkins! Charshee Mcintyre! Hannibal Afrik! Elombe Brath! Johnnie Cochran! Amiri Baraka! Kwame Afoh! Geronimo Ji Jaga! Njere Alghanee! Gil Noble! Marilyn Buck! Damu Smith! Chokwe Lumumba! Erline Arikpo! Rob Penny! Phil Africa! Jean Damu! Herman Ferguson! Mondo we Langa! Joanna Golden! and so many other most creative and brave souls! Ase`.

Finally, as an expression of our solidarity, appreciation and love for our movement here in England, I present this modest contribution to you from our Africans Deserve Reparations campaign and members of N’COBRA. This is for all the outstanding work you are doing for Afrikan people in England, around Europe, on the Afrikan continent and worldwide. And for the many victories we are claiming on our collective path forward. Ase`. Ase`. Ase`.

(Chant)

Reparations! Now! Reparations! Now! By any means necessary!

Asante sana (many thanks), G-o-ds!!! Ase`.

Baba Jahahara Amen-Ra Alkebulan-Ma’at is the author of numerous songs and several books, including the recent “Afrikans Deserve Reparations: With Many Paths to Kujichagulia (Self-Determination).” Check out samples of his music at soundcloud.com and reach him at support@africansdeservereparations.com or c/o FONAMI, P.O. Box 10963, Oakland, CA 94610 USA.