I sat down with my Kingman, Manou Maka Africa, and asked him if he would speak to Black History month. I told him that I respected what he’d shared in the past about Black History Month being the shortest month of the year, and being that Black people built this country, being that Black people are African and African rooted people, African people gave birth to humanity, Black History Month wasn’t enough. But I’d recently noticed a shifting perspective. So, I asked him if he’d riff on anything that came to his mind starting with Black History Month. I turned on my recorder and then transcribed what he said. If you haven’t read part 1, I encourage you to before you read on. Here’s part 2. Enjoy:
“Majesty say, “Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior”. So until there’s no downpressor people, until there’s no injustice, until, until, until. So for me, if Majesty was here today he would still travel the whole world speaking. He’d try to bring Israel and Palestine to sit together and talk. He’d be in the Middle East and Africa. And I think Africa would be further than what it is now because that talk would still be happening. Africa would be united as a United States of Africa. Like Majesty wanted it. And today Africa would be in a different part of the story. Majesty would still be going all over the world and meeting with heads of governments and bringing forward the message, “We got to love one another and we got to live for justice, peace and equality for all humanity.”
“In the next year what I’d love to see is each government in Africa to have work, employment opportunities so children won’t be killed in the ocean, drowning in the ocean, escaping one part of the world to go to another part of the world to make a better life. Children shouldn’t be disrespected when they get to another country’s border. That is something I would love to see right away. Make sure young adults can work and earn. More employment and cleanliness. I’d like to see all the trash get picked up in Africa. And start educating the youth about who they are. Who they truly are. Stop giving us the same teaching about the Europeans, that they are the ones with the central culture and central power. And you know, most of the kids in Africa don’t know who His Imperial Majesty is. But, they know who Queen of England is. That is a problem. You know so those are the things I would love to see. That’s why when I check the movement, they’re trying to bring back Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line. But I feel like Marcus Garvey’s telling me you don’t need to bring my Black Star Liner back. You need to take the Black Start Line and start fixing Africa. Call upon musicians who have money and go in person and start building the villages, build the wells for water and build the electricity. Instead of we gonna demonstrate again for his Majesty’s son to be the king of Ethiopia? No! Majesty, he didn’t want that anymore. Majesty said unity for Africa. We don’t want any monarchy business anymore. He said he was the last to sit on the throne and now we done. Right now. Now we gonna let Africa become one. So, those are the reality who need to be spoken in gatherings where there is an open mind to develop. Put a bigger festival to develop Africa and all of that money can go to a certain place in Gambia or a certain place in Ethiopia and the next time to another certain place. This is the work instead of bringing back a monarch. No! We not here to bow to nobody because the King already gave us hope. The prophets, priests and high priests already gave us hope, strength and work to do. So we need to carry that work and make it stronger and start building Africa. And we can’t impose. No Rastafari movement can impose any African to turn to become followers of His Imperial Majesty. No you gotta respect people have their own faith. Just do what you come to do and you be the example. And people will see and know whoah, this is the Black heart man and they really do the work. So, for me that’s what I wanna see for Africa in a year. To really come and develop the youth because the youth need to know and the youth need to know you gonna fight revolution but don’t destroy things you gonna use tomorrow.”
“Africa’s gonna be a power. Africa will just represent as so-called powerful continent and country. You know, Africa’s voice will be there and there will be people speaking for Africa and development of Africa. The knowledge needs to be reinforced. Instead of, “O, I’m going to America”. Or. “I’m going to Europe” and then die in the ocean. You know and we know Africa has money. Africa has wealth. Africa not poor. Mm mmm.”
“I witness racism since I was a little youth. I didn’t know that’s what they call racism and for me, I just think this brother was pissed at me, and he didn’t like me so he come to bully me and call me names. And beat the hell outta me. So I deal with that and grow up and correct it. But, coming to America it feels totally different. Cause in America every 5 minutes is racism a gwaan. How they wanna judge you, how they wanna keep you from going forward and you know, I still walk free. Because I know how to defend myself in any kind of situation. When they follow me in Rhode Island and I’m trying to buy a cassette and this lady’s behind me and I turn, “Are you following me?”. I have my money and I show the money and I leave the store because I say, “This is not right”. So, that was my first experience in America. After that, at work me and my bredren Djohn were talking, working hard, and the manager figures, “Oh, these two Africans speaking their language, it should not be allowed” so I defend everybody that day in the factory. First, I got pissed and threw what I was holding but after I went to him and I said, “I see you for a long time talking to people like this, but when it’s directed to me I gotta tell you something. This is racism.” So, there I start knowing what this freaking thing racism is. I told him, “You cannot talk to me in this way ever again”. I said, “You are the head here, but you don’t know who we are. Don’t see us here, we working for you and you think we are nothing. The way you say, “Without this I don’t have a life”? You’re lying. You know what I’m saying?” So, I put him to his place and the other bigger, his boss saw and he came over and he go, “Well, everything Emmanual tell you is true. You gotta come to my office.” That’s the first time they saw a white man apologize to an African man in that whole thing and they all started calling me Amilcar Cabral. “Oh! You come like Amilcar!” and they start giving that power to me. But I say, “No, I just stand for my rights.” My brother Djohn was very happy I stood for both of us and for the whole rest of the crew who was from African descendants in that building. I’d been watching and observing the way they treat them. You know I love to clean. The whole place was getting cleaner. Until the bigger boss come and go, “Wow! Who’s doing all this cleaning?” They all go, “Emmanuel”. The boss said, “Wow!” But, Emmanuel you have your own work”. And so I said, “No worries. When I’m done, I just see things and I wanna keep the place nice for when inspectors come”. So, I became a really well respected guy in that job for a little while. And after a while, I left. Right? But, I always stand in my ground. I never feel lower than. I deal with the racism here and I keep going. I feel for my brothers and sisters what they been through for 500 years. You know? For that pain and that tribulation and that injustice, you know?”
“I’m hopeful for life. Just waking up and giving thanks. Hopeful for my Empress. Our kids. Grandkids, great grandkids. Hopeful for Love for Humanity. Hopeful for African liberation. Hopeful to see people learning and getting more conscious. I value family. I value work. I value music. I value Rastafari and Africa. I value enjoying being home with my Empress and family, cooking, eating, living life. I value enjoying our life playing music, touring, reaching a lot of people.”
“My family and I are all in this together because it’s not just me. I cannot do it without my Empress. I cannot do it without our kids. You know? So, it’s all our work. Even now, I’m the one who’s speaking but, you know it’s all our work and that’s where my family stands. My family is my backbone. My family have my back. My family is my right and left hand. I family is me. I am my family. So is no separation. From the first day we met, my Empress and me, that was the mission for me. Yeah, for me that was the mission. And is still the mission and will keep going forever.”
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