While it is rare to find such a direct statement of a slave past as that of James Brown, it is safe to presume for the majority experience for black convicts transported between 1788-1820 their formative experience had been of slavery, be it in North America, or the West Indies, or the slave
ships intercepted. After 1820 the penal colonies VDL and NSW began to receive a new kind of African convict: chattel slaves transported directly from Mauritius and the Caribbean.
Bruce, a slave who arrived in NSW in 1821 had been sentenced to life in St Vincent in the West Indies. Bruce was unusual in that the slave status of convicts sent from British colonies was rarely stated on the official documentation, a reflection of some kind of official squeamishness about being complicit in the slaving business. Bruce was transported at some considerable cost, since his master would have been compensated for the loss of his property. In those cases where slave owners had not managed to get their property returned, I would guess that the offence was an act of retaliation or rebellion. Certainly that was the case for Sophie, a Malagasy slave from Mauritius who had set fire to her mistress’ barn. She was found guilty of a breach of her mistress’ trust — an interesting concept in a master-slave relationship — and sentenced to death. Transportation to NSW was a condition of her pardon. Her owner was compensated for the
worth of Sophie, and her compensation included the worth of the baby that Sophie had given birth to while in prison. There is no record of the child arriving in NSW. Likewise the slave Theresa, a native of Madagascar, was transported from Mauritius in the same year, guilty of assault on her master and child. She went to strike the child with a hoe and when her master tried to stop her she had seized his testicles and squeezed so hard that he fainted. She admitted her violence was retaliation for the brutal treatment she had received. Her owner was well-compensated for the loss of his troublesome property.
Attempting to kill one’s master was not an uncommon capital offence. Two child slaves, Constance, aged eight, and Elizabeth, aged twelve, were found guilty of trying to poison their mistress and transported to NSW for life. Poison was a favourite weapon of rebellious slaves. Over 50% of attempted murder and murder cases involved poison. Yet Maria, a slave from the remote mahogany-cutting British settlements around Belize on the Bay of Honduras, used a knife.
At first there was only an occasional trickle of slaves from the colonies, but this traffic dramatically increased as the anti-slavery movement in Britain grew louder and more persistent. Although the slave trade had ended in 1808, the complete abolition of slavery in the British colonies did not finally come until 1838. After 1830, the slave colonies, notably those in the West Indies, sought transportation as a means to control a dangerously restive slave population excited by rumours of impending emancipation.
Between 1830 and 1838 at least eighteen slave colonies were able to transport hundreds of their troublesome black chattel to Australia.
So basically Creole Mauritians have slave heritage and we come at least partially from Madagascar, where obviously our ancestors were Malagasy. This passage describes and analyses how slaves were transported as convicts to what was then Van Diemen’s Land and NSW (now part of Australia), and for what purposes. From 1788, Indigenous peoples and lands are colonised by the British. Pybus states that from 1820, slaves were transported as convicts from Madagascar in Africa, and from Belize and islands/countries in the Caribbean. Pybus contradicts the other historian which I read today whom said that there was a Black convict specifically from Madagascar on the First Fleet in 1788.
Pybus also talks about some of the content of slave resistance, and the costs of that resistance. This turning the slave into a convict weaves neatly into the wider slave resistances happening across British colonies which through transportation of resisting slaves, the British tried to quell.
So basically our people were dehumanised as slaves and some were then doubly dehumanised as convicts. But then dehumanised is an inappropriate word because our ancestors were never even allowed to be human in the first place.
Oh they didn’t just start with Latinos/Hispanic people
For years upon years in the South West, they literally outlawed spanish speaking children from speaking it in schools. My own Spanish teacher admitted she didn’t learn until college because she was punished by teachers in school for doing so.
She and others she knew had to seek out even the bare mentions of Chicano/Latino history and even then could scarce do academic papers and research because of a lack of resources or Professors who said what they did wouldn’t add to any field/lacked validity/bullshit.
YEp!! exactly , which is why Columbus day , Thanksgiving , The French history books , the Spanish History books , The Portuguese History books , Fuck the Entire History Of EUROPE is just one big fucking lie after another
I will give an example In France , they lie about the Haitian revolution and tell the students that A Frenchmen liberated the Haitian from slavery , Now when you talk about the mainland that makes sense to their racist fairy tales of history , but French has Territories in the Caribbean in Guadeloupe and Martinique black children are being lied to about Haiti and about slavery .
The Spanish in their History books says that they did not participate in the genocide of first nation /native folks ? Carib ?Arawaks/ Taino in their history books disease was the only reason so many of them died.
white people who write History books have this uncanny ability to pull shit up make shit up out of their assholes. and called it an accurate version of history
we must be vigilant or these fuckers will lie to black and brown kids all over the world!
the church who also educates lot of black and brown children in the global south is very dangerous too , they spread that idea of white supremacist history.
Religious schools here used to ban the use of creole in school. now they teach creole as an official language in most school except the French and American ones
non-black PoC have to be very very careful when engaging with Black People, whether it be in dialogue or in general.
cause ya’ll, we have a history of taking part in the marginalization/oppression/murders of black people, just to uphold white supremacy. cause sometimes our every action includes stepping on Black People to feel just a lil better about ourselves, just a lil closer to whitey.
and i understand our cultures and countries have been drenched in anti-blackness and the legacy of colonization remains, but youre constantly being told that your actions and words are oppressive and anti-black, and u continue devaluing a Black Woman’s hurt or struggles cause some how you feel your opinion is more valid in a dialogue about anti-black racism on BLACK WOMEN, you are shit.
so im saying, think before u say, and if you end up saying…fucking listen yo. listen to someone who is way more experienced in such.
Worship whatever gods you feel work for you! Like the Celtic gods? The Norse? Egyptian? Even Greek gods? Go right ahead. No one should dictate to you what gods you worship.
…This needs a caveat.
Be aware of the culture you’re taking them from, especially if you’re white. Cultural appropriation is not cool, and odds are your preconceptions of the religion and the gods are prooobably going to be misinformed.
No one can tell you what gods to worship, except people of that culture, especially if there’s a history of colonialism involved.
THIS^^
The commentary ♥
the bolded.
not like white folks need another “it’s ok because I’m honoring this culture!” sort of excuse for appropriating whenever whatever however they think will enrich their lives at the expense of others
Let those bully boys walk behind me in the playground. Let them tell me ‘You’re a darkie. Faith’s a darkie.’ I am the granddaughter of Grace and William Campbell. I am the great-grandchild of Cecilia Hilton. I am descended from Katherine whose mother was a slave. I am the cousin of Afria. I am the niece of Coral Thompson and the daughter of Wade and Mildred Jackson. Let them say what they like. Because I am the bastard child of Empire and I will have my day.
Thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts and crimes committed during the final years of the British empire were systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of post-independence governments, an official review has concluded.
Those papers that survived the purge were flown discreetly to Britain where they were hidden for 50 years in a secret Foreign Office archive, beyond the reach of historians and members of the public, and in breach of legal obligations for them to be transferred into the public domain.
The archive came to light last year when a group of Kenyans detained and allegedly tortured during the Mau Mau rebellion won the right to sue the British government. The Foreign Office promised to release the 8,800 files from 37 former colonies held at the highly-secure government communications centre at Hanslope Park in Buckinghamshire.
I think even things like Disney’s version of Pocahontas—an inaccurate and essentialized story of a romance that never actually existed—is telling because it’s one of the first lessons children absorb about Native peoples, gender, and sexuality. It’s not surprising they cast the Native beau as simple, stoic, and chiseled, and that they write him into the story simply to demonstrate that Pocahontas’ sexual preference is white male modernity, and that the ‘traditional’ masculine Native will die out both literally and figuratively (in the consciousness of his people).
white people *arriving in exotical brown people place*: oh dear, look how raw. they arent fucking with everything yet. what a pity. we will teach you, brown savages!
brown people: no, actually, if it aint broke, dont fix it. we like it this way, thanks, also, we're not fucking savages. gtfoh. asap.
white people: i like it here. its mine now. you will learn our advanced ways of tinkering w nature and being a selfish, individualist fuck, also, you will have to die en masse, hope you dont mind!
brown people: dsjf;fko;iyuiouihgjkdfhgjfghjhdgfhjgsdfg
white people: look how marvelous things are now that we've been here for a few years. oh wait, everything around you and about you is fucked now? it was for the greater good.
brown people: dkjfkdhfgjkhdkghffadshgfsgdgfhfgfjgfjgjhg
white people: oh fuck. everythings fucked. we need a more "green" approach. how fucking genius are we for figuring this shit out?
brown people: :|
white people: see, arent you glad we colonized you so we could create all this technology that scientifically proves, if it aint broke, dont fix it?
What does American Evangelicalism have to do with the murder of Uganda’s most prominent LGBT activist? More than you’re probably comfortable with.
A visiting neighbor found him lying on the floor. He was bleeding with serious wounds to the head where he had been struck with a hammer. The mysterious assailant had fled the scene. David Kato died on the way to the hospital.
The police quickly labeled it as a robbery - but those who knew the victim suspected otherwise. Kato was, after all, a marked man. Only a few months before, a local Ugandan tabloid called The Rolling Stone had released a list of “top homos” complete with names and addresses. Kato’s picture was on the front page, along with a banner that read “Hang Them.”
“When my brother wanted to do something then no one could stop him. He was very brave.” - John Malumba Wasswa, Kato’s brother.
Kato was a prominent LGBT activist in Uganda, a country where homophobia is reaching a fever pitch. It is a place where many believe that homosexuals are “recruiting children” and “raiding schools.” It is also where the “Kill The Gays” bill, a piece of legislation that would make homosexuality a crime punishable by death, was proposed.
Kato’s murder and the controversial “Kill the Gays” bill caused international uproar and left human rights groups scratching their heads. What caused Uganda’s descent to violent homophobia?
The chilling answer traces hatred and violence in Uganda back to the United States and the religious right. David Kato, before his death, had spoken out against American evangelicals stirring up homophobia in Africa. His allies in Sexual Minorities Uganda have also cited the role of America’s religious right as pivotal in the rise of hatred against homosexuals in Uganda. And now we can attempt to answer the question: Who Killed David Kato?
“David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S. evangelicals in 2009. The so-called U.S. evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood.” - Val Kalende, the chairwoman of one of Uganda’s gay rights groups.
Homosexuality has long been a taboo in Uganda. Economic devastation and internal political strife, however, had taken precedence over the issue. It wasn’t until evangelicals took an interest in the African country that homosexuality and politics began to merge. And so the scapegoating of gays began - an export of America.
For American missionaries, Uganda was ideal. As the gay rights movement in the United States picked up steam and homosexuality was becoming increasingly more acceptable, anti-gay Christians on the far right began to feel that they were losing the culture war. And so they turned to a place where there ideals might take root a little better. Missionaries began visiting Uganda and preaching to the people there.
Unfortunately, they did not preach peace and love. They chose instead to conduct a little social experiment with Uganda by preaching intensely anti-gay rhetoric.
Three of those evangelicals and their actions are chronicled below.
1. Scott Lively
Scott Lively is an American author and attorney. He co-wrote a book called The Pink Swastika in which he states that homosexuals are the true inventors of Nazism. He is the former state director of the California branch of the American Family Association. He brought these radical ideas to Africa where they stirred up hatred of gays.
“If your definition of homosexuality is being able to do whatever you want to and that you should be able to go and engage in sex with another person and because of that the disease you have is going to spread to that person and they’re going to take it home and give it to their wife, how much tolerance should we have for that?…zero tolerance.” - Lively on homosexuality
Here is a clip of Lively detailing his role in the “Pro-Family” movement in Uganda:
2. Richard Cohen
Richard Cohen is an American conversion therapist. He is a leader in the ex-gay movement and is, in fact, an “ex-gay” himself. He is also an evangelical Christian. His book, “Coming Out Straight,” has been cited as an inspiration for the “Kill the Gays” bill.
“Homosexuals are at least 12 times more likely to molest children than heterosexuals; homosexual teachers are at least 7 times more likely to molest a pupil. 40% of molestation assaults were made by those who engage in homosexuality.” - Cohen in his book “Coming Out Straight.” His book has been criticized for being based largely on assumptions.
And just how much has his book affected homophobia in Uganda? Take a look at this video in which Stephen Langa, head of the Family Life Network in Uganda and the main proponent of the “Kill the Gays” bill, references Cohen’s book:
3. Lou Engle
Lou Engle is a charismatic Christian leader in America. He is best known for founding “The Call” which hosts twelve hour prayer rallies. His ministry is also featured in the documentary “Jesus Camp.”
“Today, America is losing its religious freedom. We are trying to restrain an agenda that is sweeping through the education system. Uganda has become ground zero.” - Engle, speaking to a crowd of Ugandans on making homosexuality punishable by death.
Engle traveled to Uganda to praise their government’s efforts to combat homosexuality - including the “Kill the Gays” bill. Here is a clip of him speaking out to a crowd of Ugandans:
So, who killed David Kato?
Homophobia, globalized culture wars, and Americans preaching hate.
None of the missionaries listed above actually struck Kato with the hammer, but they and others who brought their twisted anti-gay ideas to Uganda are responsible for his death. And they are also responsible for the rise of hatred and violence against LGBT people in the country.
Things like this:
And this:
are the direct results of American evangelicals stirring up homophobia in Uganda.
So what does this story mean for those of us who support gay rights here in America? It means we have to be vigilant. What anti-gay evangelicals did in Uganda is what they wish they could accomplish here: a culture that believes gays are evil. While many of them have tried to distance themselves from the controversial “Kill the Gays” bill, they remain unchanged in their view of homosexuality as a disease to be eradicated.
David Kato was buried by his close friends after the pastor who was supposed to oversee the ceremony chose instead to go on an anti-gay tirade. Even in death, peace seemed elusive for Kato. Indeed, for all gay people in Uganda, the road ahead is long and tumultuous.
To honor David Kato’s memory and to stand with our allies in Uganda, we must remember that we cannot afford to be complacent. The men on this list who caused so much damage to the gay community in Uganda reside right here in the United States where they continue to preach hatred. We must support gay rights and human dignity in America if we ever want to see a day where their vitriol cannot harm anyone else.
Would you like to see a film on the life and death of David Kato?
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