Greetings
and Rastafari Blessings to the Rastafari Family Worldwide, Seven Hundred
and Forty-Eight days before the Ethiopian Millennium (September 11,
2007).
ADDRESS FOR THE
INAUGURAL MARCUS GARVEY LECTURE SPONSORED BY
THE PAN AFRICAN COMMISSION OF BARBADOS
AUGUST
21, 2005
Greetings
To
begin with, I would like to say something about Marcus Garvey, this
being the occasion of the inaugural Marcus Garvey lecture sponsored by
the Pan African Commission of Barbados.
But
in order to speak of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, I must first speak of our
ancestors who were brought here against their will, in chains, into
captivity. And it is here in Barbados, the eastern most island in the
Caribbean, that our ancestors first set foot on land after the hellish 3
month middle passage.
Some
of those ancestors came from the Bakongo tribe in central Africa. The
Bakongo were the first to migrate from Baba Tiba
Moutains, also called the Mountains of the Moon, through the
Ituri forest to the west coast of Africa. For hundreds of thousands of
years, the Bakongo taught that there was a great body of water that
separated their home which they called the “land of the living” from
the land of the dead. Imagine now, your Bakongo ancestor, who, after
having been captured, was brought to the great body of water that today
we call the Atlantic Ocean. (Prior to the 16th century,
however, it was called the Ethiopian Sea. You can check maps from that
time and see for yourself. But that’s another story . . . .)
So
when your Bakongo ancestor saw the great Ethiopian Sea, consider the
horror and dread that cursed through his veins . . .
He or she was forced into the holds of the slave ships, shackled
by chains of iron. For three months as many as one thousand six hundred
captured Africans lay in a space no larger than than the size of a
coffin filled with waste and filth and noxious air . . . . He or she was
fed rotten meat or “slabber sauce” or else starved. He or she was
whipped. Some, perhaps even most, were killed. All the while, a strange,
angry white face cursed him. . . . When that three-month horrifying
middle passage ended here in Bridgetown, your Bakongo ancestor stepped
on this land.
Try
now to tap into your ancestral memory . . . . try to consider the
thoughts of your ancestor when he or she first set foot in Bridgetown.
Had we not arrived into the very “land of the dead”? Were we not now
in the hands of an unmerciful “white demon”? Were we not forced by
the white demon’s whip into a life of misery, of constant toil from
sun up to sun down? This was the mind of our Bakongo ancestors who were
brought here and elsewhere throughout the North, South and Central
Americas. We even have proof of this mind of a captured African. The son
of an African chief born in Nigeria in 1745 was captured at age eleven
and put on a slaving vessel to the Guinea Coast. Olaudah Equiano arrived
in Barbados in1756 and later published one of the earliest slave
narratives. Describing his arrival in Barbados, Olaudah writes,
“As
the vessel drew nearer, we plainly saw the harbor and other ships of
different kinds and sizes and we soon anchored amongst them off
Bridgetown. Many merchants and planters came on board . . . . They put
us in separate parcels and examined us attentively. They also made us
jump, and pointed to the land signifying we were to go there. We thought
by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as they appeared to
us. When soon after we were all put down under the deck again, there was
much dread and trembling among us and nothing but bitter cries to be
heard all the night from these apprehensions. At last the white people
got some old slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not
to be eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should
see many of our country people. This report eased us much, and sure
enough, soon after we landed, there came to us Africans of all
languages.”
Our
ancestors only thought in the face of this terror was a prayer to be
delivered and to return home, to the land of the living. To go back to
Africa . . . . No matter
what language or culture or name of God, our ancestor’s most fervent
prayer was to return to their land in Africa . . .
and perhaps for the death of the white demon . . . .
And
this is where I would like to speak of Marcus Garvey. Almost eighty
years ago today, on August 22, 1920, the New York World published
a special feature by Michael Gold that headlined:
“The Moses of the Negro Race has come to New York and Heads a
Universal Organization Already Numbering 2,000,000 which is about to
elect a High Potentate and Dreams of Reviving the Glories of Ancient
Ethiopia.” By this
time, Garvey had already incorporated the Black Star Line Steamship
Corporation capitalized at US$500,000.
A
year later, when the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was
nearing its peak of power, Reverend James Morris Webb of Chicago, my
hometown, was invited to speak at UNIA headquarters in Harlem, New York.
Reverend Webb told the audience of “the Coming of the Universal Black
King.” Twice afterwards Reverend Webb lectured the UNIA in Harlem,
each time telling them of this Universal Black King.
The
following year, Ras Tafari, the Regent and Plenipotentiary of the
Ethiopian Empire, conveyed the following message to the 1922 Convention
of the Negro Peoples of the World:
“I invite the
Africans in America back to the homeland, particularly those qualified
to help solve our big problems and to develop our vast resources.
Teachers, artisans, mechanics, writers, musicians, professional men and
women – all who are able to lend a hand in the construction work which
our country so deeply feels and needs.”
In
response to Ras Tafari’s invitation to return home to our
forefather’s and foremother’s land, on behalf of the Fourth Annual
Convention of the Negro Peoples of the World, Marcus Garvey telegrammed
the following message to Ethiopian Empress Zauditu:
“Greetings
from the four hundred million Negroes of the world through our
convention now sitting in New York. We hope for you and your country a
reign of progress and happiness. Our desire is to help you maintain the
glory of Ethiopia. Your expression of goodwill toward us two years ago
through your consul-general is highly cherished and we are looking
forward to the day when large numbers of us will become citizens of
Ethiopia.”
During
the convention, Garvey addressed the crowds and said,
“The
coming together, all over this country, of fully six million people of
Negro blood, to work for the creation of a nation of their own in their
motherland, Africa, is no joke. . . . Our desire is for a place in the
world . . . to lay down our burden and rest our weary backs and feet by
the banks of the Niger, and sing our songs and chant our hymns to the
God of Ethiopia.. . . . As children of captivity we look forward to a
new day and a new, yet ever old, land of our fathers, the land of
refuge, the land of the Prophets, the land of the Saints, and the land
of God’s crowning glory. We shall gather together our children, our
treasures and our loved ones, and, as the children of Israel, by the
command of God, face the promise land
. . . . Good and dear America that has succored us for three
hundred years knows our story. . . . The thoughtful and industrious of
our race want to go back to
Africa, because we realize it will be our only hope of permanent
existence. We cannot all go in a day or year, ten or twenty years. It
will take time under the rule of modern economics, to entirely or
largely depopulate a country of a people, who have been its residents
for centuries, but we feel that, with proper help for fifty years, the
problem can be solved. We do not want all the Negroes in Africa. Some
are no-good here, and naturally will be no good there. The no-good Negro
will naturally die in fifty years. The Negro who is wrangling about and
fighting for social equality will naturally pass away in fifty years,
and yield his place to the progressive Negro who wants a society and
country of his own. . . . What are you going to expect, that white men
are going to build up America and elsewhere and hand it over to us?”
The
Convention concluded by sending a petition dated September 2, 1924
entitled: “Petition of Four Million Negroes of the United States of
America to His Excellency the President of the United States Praying for
a Friendly and Sympathetic Consideration of the Plan of Founding a
Nation in Africa for the Negro People and to Encourage them in Assisting
to develop already independent Negro Nations as a Means of Helping to
Solve the Conflicting Problems of Race.”
Therefore
it should be clear that Garvey fully intended a physical back to Africa
movement of millions of Africans over the course of the next 50 years,
with a focus of restoring Ethiopia’s glorious civilization and
becoming citizens of an Ethiopian Empire. Unfortunately, some scholars,
comfortable with life in the west, have attempted to down-grade
Garvey’s back to Africa movement by insisting that Garvey only
intended to create an African consciousness in the Negro and that the
Black Star Line steamship corporation and “Back-to-Africa” movement
in general was only intended for the purpose of trading, not actual
repatriation. Nothing, however, could
be further from the truth!
By
1928, even Garvey himself was preaching Reverend Webb’s message to
“Look to Africa for the crowning of a universal black king . . . . “
Thanks
to the world press, of course the whole world knows that on November 2,
1930 King Ras Tafari was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie, King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah. It was at that moment that
the ingredients of the Black Star Line, the Ras Tafari vision of
Repatriation, and divine prophecy were mixed together and the result has
brought us to this day, the 118th Anniversary of Marcus
Garvey’s birthday, where we are gathered together under the theme: Trade,
Cultural Exchange, Repatriation: Unlocking Frontiers Between Africa and
its Diaspora.
It
should be noted that the original idea for a theme was
“The
Rastafari: Successors to Marcus Garvey – Repatriation and the Building
of Bridges of Trade and Cultural Exchange between Africa and the
Diaspora in the 21st Century.”
How
is it that I am speaking to you on such an awesome and historic
occasion, giving the inaugural address, forever to be remembered
annually?
Most
certainly it is because Ras Tafari, as Regent, and later as Emperor
Haile Selassie I, inspired an international priesthood known throughout
the world committed to Trade, Cultural Exchange, Repatriation: and
Unlocking Frontiers Between Africa and its Diaspora.
That
priesthood of African Liberation known as Rastafari, is producing
generations of spiritual warriors. I am one among them theocratically
appointed to be a voice for Repatriation at this time.
I
have been asked to speak about the role of the African Union in
unlocking frontiers between Africa and its Diaspora.
The
African Union is on the right track. The AU Chairman recently visited
Trinidad on August 1 and declared that the AU is committed to including
the African Diaspora as a Sixth Region in the Pan African Parliament.
The AU has also recently stated its commitment to the principle of
continental-wide citizenship, perhaps by issuing AU passports in the
near future. The Rastafari community recommended these actions to the AU
after its First Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly of the African Union 3-4
February 2003. I hand delivered the letter. So we see that they are
moving forward.
I
would say, however, that current proposals for reversing brain drain and
increasing capital inflows, make a mistake by failing to target the
international priesthood of African Liberation for project
implementation. The African Union should consider the fact that the
Rastafari Movement represents the only group of Africans in the Diaspora
who don’t have to be convinced to repatriate to Africa. This is very
significant considering the fact the negative propaganda about war,
famine, and political instability in Africa has severely frightened the
African Diaspora into fearing the very land of their ancestors.
Therefore, the most cost effective way to permanently reverse the brain
drain and increase capital inflows is to facilitate the Repatriation of
the Rastafari people of African descent. Their spiritual holy order of
commitment will be the very thing necessary for Repatriation Pioneers to
overcome the immense challenges that will confront them in the
motherland. With the success of Rastafari Repatriation, more natural
lines of capital inflow in the form of remittances from Rastafari
family, friends and businesses, as well as the whole of the African
Diaspora, will emerge. Afterwards, having established Repatriation
infrastructure and a model of repatriation achievement to point to,
along with favorable exchange rates, the African Diaspora will then make
good on the long awaited “back to Africa” mass movement.
It
is already well known that all great civilizations were dependent on
trade routes for their development. This is true both for ancient
Ethiopia as it is for America today. Therefore, the role of the AU in
unlocking frontiers between Africa and her Diaspora (and I would also
say within Africa), is to open new, direct trade routes between Africa
and the Caribbean. That means both direct shipping and airline routes to
Africa. Here culture is a key element in this process. Sending
Ethiopian Airlines directly to Barbados or Jamaica, for example, for the
purpose of cultural exchanges, trade missions, tourism, football
(soccer) matches and especially popular
concerts, opens the way for regular direct trade routes while at the
same time serving as an engine for economic growth. Witness the recent
AU tribute to Bob Marley on his 60th Birthday Anniversary. As
a cultural attraction, the tribute to the world’s most famous
Rasta generated 300,000 spectators and tremendous tourism dollars. So
you see just one example of the Rastafari Movement’s potential to
generate economic development. Unfortunately this, and the movements
potential for ecologically sustainable development is critically
underestimated.
So
it is very important for the AU right now to firmly establish the
structural mechanism for African Diaspora participation as the 6th
region of Africa, to set a plan of action for implementing AU
citizenship and passports, and to facilitate new, direct shipping and
air routes. The AU, however, is not alone responsible for unlocking the
frontiers between Africa and her Diaspora. Trade, culture and
Repatriation is an exchange. The Diaspora needs a strong Africa
as a land base, which is its source of strength and wealth and dignity.
Africa, however, needs its Diaspora for Brain Gain and permanent
increased capital inflows. This is the historical imperative of the
African Diaspora at this time. Each one of us has a duty to contribute
to Africa now more than ever.
In
order to fully understand this, I want you to look at the African
Continent after the scramble for Africa. Ethiopia alone was left as the
sole remaining Empire of free African people during the first quarter of
the 20th century, Liberia notwithstanding.
When the Fascists invaded Ethiopia in 1935 to strike the final,
seemingly fatal blow to Ethiopia and her continent, Africa’s
Armageddon had come. The King of Kings and Lord of Lord, the Conquering
Lion of Judah prevailed and regained his throne on May 5, 1941. There
was, however, a major problem. Three out of four educated Ethiopians
were slaughtered by the Fascists. Elsewhere on the continent, four
hundred years of depopulation, and one hundred years of colonial
subjugation combined with trade routes designed for the direct benefit
of Europe, underdeveloped Africa. Emperor Haile Selassie was faced with
the task of rebuilding a country and a continent without an educated
class and severe skills shortage. What was his solution?
Repatriation
of the African Diaspora.
In
1919, as Regent of the Ethiopian Empire, Ras Tafari made his first
Repatriation Offer to the African Diaspora. Ras Tafari sent four
ambassadors by way of the ocean, to the United States. The Royal
Ethiopian Mission included Dedjamatch Nadao, Empress Zauditu’s nephew
and Commander of the Imperial Army, Ato Belanghetta Herouy Wolde
Sellasie, Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ato Kantiba Gabrou, Mayor of Gondar, and
Ato Sinkas, Secretary of the Commander of the Imperial Army. Their
purpose was to renew a Treaty of Friendship with the United States
signed by Emperor Menelik in 1904.
Before the Ethiopian Mission
ended, an invitation to return (“Repatriate”)
to Ethiopia was made to Rabbi Arnold Ford, who, you all must
already know, was a Bajan living in New York at the time. That the offer
of repatriation was given to him was extremely
significant because Rabbi Ford was leader of the Hebrew Israelites
(“Black Jews”) of Harlem. In this capacity, he would be able to
resettle the existing remnant of Israel that was captured in the slave
trade. In addition, Rabbi Ford was the musical director of Marcus
Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Given that
the UNIA was the largest, greatest organization of the scattered
Ethiopians/Africans, it makes perfect sense to make the offer to the
UNIA. Finally, as musical director, Rabbi Ford could use the
traditional, spiritual medium
of song (psalms, hymns), to communicate the Ethiopian message to the
mass of black people scattered in north, south and central America,
including the Caribbean. This Rabbi Arnold Ford did. It is, therefore,
no coincidence that Rabbi Arnold Ford gave the UNIA “The Universal
Ethiopian Anthem”, later to be used by the Ethiopian World Federation,
Incorporated (EWF). The Rastafari Family Worldwide still sings the
anthem at its gatherings today.
As
I already noted, Regent Ras Tafari made another Repatriation offer at
the 1922 UNIA Convention. Ras
Tafari followed up His Repatriation offer in 1922 by sending Dr.
Workeneh Martin (later to become Ethiopian Minister in London) to
America in 1927 to solicit Black Americans with technical
specialization, professional preparation, and scientific knowledge to
settle in Ethiopia and assist in the construction for a dam to be built
on Lake Tana. During this time, Dr. Martin told Malaku Bayen, an
Ethiopian student at Howard University in the United States, that “the
greatest service you could render your country would be to influence
thousands of Black People in the U.S.A. and the West Indies and let them
come and help us develop Ethiopia.”
A
year later, Dr. Martin visited Harlem with hopes of taking 50 black
professionals and technicians to Addis Ababa.
Finally,
in 1929, Dr. Martin returned to Ethiopia empty-handed because Black
Americans demanded salaries three times higher than the Ethiopian
government could afford.
This
did not deter Ras Tafari. Instead, Dr. John West set sail from America
for Addis Ababa, having interested Ras Tafari, about to become the new
Emperor, in a modern health program to be staffed by 50 Black physicians
recruited by him. In addition, Ato Gabrou Desta, then in the United
States on a special mission to obtain economic and educational advisers,
discussed Repatriation directly with Rabbi Arnold Ford whom the
Abyssinian Mission of 1919 had made the first Repatriation offer. Ato
Gabrou then issued the fourth invitation to Repatriate to Ethiopia in a
message from the newly crowned Negus meaning “King” Ras Tafari. The
invitation stated, “We would welcome them back to Ethiopia, their
Fatherland . . . . There is plenty of room for them here and we are
certain they would be of the greatest aid in restoring their ancient
land to its pristine glory.”
Three
months after this meeting, Ford’s congregation sent him to Ethiopia
accompanied by Miss Eudora Paris, a singer of note among Harlem
nationalists. They reached Addis Ababa in 1930, joining the elderly
Daniel Alexander who was the first Black American on record to
Repatriate to Ethiopia in 1909. They arrived just in time to attend the
Coronation Ceremony on November 2, 1930, when Ras Tafari became Emperor
of Ethiopia and was crowned Haile Selassie, King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah.” The total number of repatriates at
this time numbered around ten.
Haile
Selassie saw the need to recognize the incoming Repatriates as Citizens
of Ethiopia. Thus, when His Majesty issued the Consolidated Laws of
Ethiopia that become part of the 1931 Constitution, under Section 9
NATIONALITY 12(2) Haile Selassie provided for Citizenship for Black
people of the West:
“12(2)
If the Imperial Ethiopian Government deems any foreigner who applies for
Ethiopian citizenship to be of value or if it finds other special reason
which convinces it that the applicant should be granted citizenship it
may grant him/her Ethiopian citizenship even if he/she does not fulfill
the [residency and language] requirements prescribed in Article 12(b)
and (d) of the Nationality Law of 1930.”
Thus,
by 1931, with a framework in place for the full Repatriation of Blacks
from the West, Ato Gabrou informed Rabbi Ford and Eudora Paris of land
concessions granted. Thus, Barbados’ very own became the first to
receive a land grant by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Ato Gabrou
sent word to Ford’s congregation in America to arrange passage for the
next group of repatriates. Nine more members repatriated, including
Mignon Innes (who, also from Barbados, married Arnold Ford in Addis
Ababa and bore him two sons), Alberta Thomas, John Sandiford, Mary
Lynch, Jane Foster, Ada and Augustine Bastian (Virgin Islands, UNIA
members), and Thomas and Nancy Paris (Eudora Paris’ parents). During
this period, 1930-1931, approximately 100 Ethiopian “Blacks” from
America repatriate to Ethiopia.
Garvey’s
dream of a back to Africa movement was now set to take off. The Fascist
invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, however, completely interrupted this. By
the time of Emperor Haile Selassie’s visit to America in 1954 (13
years after the war), however, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was
ready to resume his Repatriation program. He sent an emissary to America
for 18 months to recruit Black Americans for Repatriation. While in the
America, Haile Selassie told black people that America had reached its
exalted position in the world in such a short period of time because of
the labour of people of African descent. Haile Selassie felt that
Africans in the Americas could come home to Ethiopia and do the same and
receive better treatment as full and respected citizens of Ethiopia.
Therefore, Haile Selassie made the following offer to Africans in
America: free transportation for one’s entire family, a house rent
free, a competitive salary, paid three months vacation, and round trip
airline tickets to America and back to Ethiopia. This repatriation offer
by Haile Selassie was the answer to all of the ancestors prayers to
return home.
Yet,
very few returned. What is the lesson of this history?
When
Emperor Haile Selassie made the offer in 1954, Ethiopia was not the
impoverished nation of famine-thin starving children that we think of
today. No, in 1954, Ethiopia had almost all of its forest cover. It was
exporting meat, cereals, and vegetables to the Middle East. Ethiopian
Airlines was everybit as competitive as American Airlines, and the
world’s state-of-the-art telecommunications facility had been built in
Kagnew, Ethiopia. Ethiopia was ripe for development and could have
competed with the United States as a world power. Today, no one need to
be reminded that Ethiopia is on the very bottom of nearly every index of
quality of life measurements and ranks last out of 189 nations.
How
could this be? How could this have happened after such a glorious
victory in war over the Fascists? How come this deplorable reversal in
just 50 years? A major contributing factor was the African in
America’s failure to respond to the call of Repatriation to Ethiopia.
We, the African Diaspora, Africa’s creators of tomorrow, failed to go
home and discharge our duty to our motherland. Ethiopia is in the
situation it is in today because the African Diaspora did not follow the
lead of your Bajan hero Rabbi Arnold Ford and return home.
So
it should be clearly understood, that the vision of Emperor Haile
Selassie, the Senior Statesman of Africa during the 20th
century, and Founder of the Organization of African Unity – was, both
before the Fascist invasion and after World War II, that African
Development was dependent on the contributions of the African Diaspora.
The great Malcolm X recognized this fact when he represented the 22
million African Americans at the OAU and when he returned to the United
States, stated, “After the Emancipation Proclamation . . . it was
realized that the Afro-American constituted the largest homogeneous
ethnic group with a common origin and common group experience in the
United States and, if allowed to exercise economic or political freedom
would in a short period of time own this country. We must establish a
technician bank. We must do this so that the newly independent nations
of Africa can turn to us who are their brothers for the technicians they
will need now and in the future.”
Malcolm
X said that back in 1965 – forty years ago. And just the other day,
South African President Thabo Mbeki announced that South Africa is
suffering a major skills shortage – as much as 30% in some regions,
and is therefore unable to provide the workers to run the country. Mbeki
also noted that on a scale of 1 to 4, the skill set of the South African
manager was a dismal 1.6! Compare that to the skill set of the average
Bajan manager, the manager par excellence in the Caribbean, whose score
must be, what 3.9 if not a perfect 4.0 . . . . .
It
should further be noted that at the FIRST
CONFERENCE OF INTELLECTUALS OF AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA 6 – 9 October 2004 DAKAR, SENEGAL, President
Thabo MBEKI stated that, “The
intelligentsia should help find replies to the second question which is ‘from
where Africa can obtain resources to develop itself?’.
And, ‘How to obtain huge capital for Africa while there is
substantial capital outflow because of debt?’
On
the issue of Brain Drain, President Pedro PIRES of Cape Verde urged the
intellectuals to identify activities to be undertaken jointly with the
politicians under the African Union and its programme NEPAD. The
Rastafari movement, the spiritual leaders of Pan Africanism, has
answered both President Mbeki’s questions and President Pires’
challenge by identifying the conducting of a Repatriation Census as the
most worthy activity to be undertaken jointly with the African Union and
its NEPAD program. Careful examination of the Repatriation Census shows
who has resources ready for deployment in Africa, and shows the what,
where, when and how Africa can obtain huge capital.
So
in closing, I would say to you all, that the vision of Repatriation held
by Emperor Haile Selassie I is the key to unlocking the frontiers
between African and her Diaspora. Repatriation and establishing direct
trade routes will solve Africa’s development problems. Bajans will
definitely be needed and called upon because of their management skill
set. Instead of 150,000 Bajans living in the US, 150,000 Bajans should
forward to all points Africa deploying their skills and discharging
their duty to African Redemption through African development.
However,
having learned a little something about the psychological makeup of
Bajan’s during my brief visit, I suspect that you will approach this
in the same way that you approach cricket – you will take your time
and gradually set a foundation for business and trade first, and will
consider Repatriation only when programs are set and have demonstrated
their worth. Well, that, is intelligent. But it is not the kind of
pioneering spirit that is needed now. Only the Rastafari Movement has
that.
The
Rastafari people and culture, when encouraged to take root and grow
throughout Africa, will serve as the Repatriation shock troops carrying
the engine for economic development. It can be a catalyst for
micro-technical missions if supported by the African Diaspora, and will
open the door to brain gain by showing that Africans in the Diaspora can
and should return home to create the Africa of the 21st
century. Without a holy order of commitment to Repatriation, Africa will
not reverse Brain Drain.
So
I encourage the people of Barbados, the Pan African Commission (whom I
would like to thank for bringing me here to speak to you, and the
African Union to intensify trade and cultural exchange through direct
shipping and airline routes while at the same time encouraging and
actively supporting the Repatriation Census which is open to all
descendants of the Africans taken into captivity in the west. In this
way Garvey’s back to Africa program and dream of African Redemption
will be fulfilled.
Thank
you.
BARBADOS
REPATRIATION CENSUS WORKSHOP RESULTS
Conducted
at Temple Yard, Bridegtown, Barbados, August 20, 2005
#
of forms collected:
24
Average
age: 43.25
yrs
Hi: 55
Low: 24
Sex: Male 19
Female 5
Descendants
of Africans taken into captivity:
11 (No answer 13 – many
came in late; estimate is that all 24 are descendants of Africans)
Country
and Region:
Barbados:
5
Central,
Barbados: 1
Bridgetown,
Barbados: 5
St.
Phillip, Barbados: 2
Fair
View, Barbados: 1
St.
John, Barbados: 3
St.
Michael: 4
St.
Andrew: 1
No
answer: 2
#
of years sighting HIM:
(473/24) = 19.7
(473/23=) 20.6
0
years: 1
#
years wearing dreadlocks: (447.5/24=)
18.6 (447.5/22=)
20.3
No
answer: 2
Amount
of personal of savings for Repatriation:
$12,000
$4,000
$3,000
$1,000
US$50,000
US$50,000
US$2,500
“house
and land $80,000”
“house
and $2000”
$0
: 2
No
answer: 8
“employment”
“any
amount of future personal savings”
“investment
in Barbados and in Guyana”
“nil”
Total: $20,000 (unkown currency); US$184,500
Desired
date of Repatriation:
“anytime”:
2
“now”
“as
soon as possible”: 1
August,
2006: 1
2007:
11
Sept
11, 2007: 1
2008:
2
2009:
2
2010:
1
No
answer: 2
Desired
location of Repatriation:
Ethiopia:
13
Shashemane:
3
Ghana:
4
Benin:
South
Africa: 2
“I
don’t know”:
“any
where (Africa)”:
“Temple
Yard”
No
answer: 3
Passport:
Yes: 21
No: 3
Rastafari
Affiliations:
Pan
African Commission: 1
Ethiopian
Peace Foundation (EPF): 3
Caribbean
Rastafari Organization (CRO): 2
Nyahbinghi:
7
Nyahbinghi
House in Mt. Carmel: 1
Temple
Yard: 7
“Benji”:
2
“house”:
2
“business”:
2
no
answer: 3
