Thanks for inviting me to speak to you during Black History month 2016. I take this opportunity to open up the minds of our youths to their glorious past; to educate them on our proud, rich African/Caribbean history and heritage. A history and heritage that says we are the first world people; that says we are the first world civilization; that says we are the creators and inventors of science, math, engineering, arts, writing, technology, geography, chemistry and more. A history and heritage which started on the Nile River in Egypt centuries ago. That was the birthplace of Jesus, Moses, Abraham and the prophets of Biblical times, who were all black.
I salute you today… with the knowledge and facts that our history did not start with slavery and the slave trade. Our history started in Africa; we built the great pyramids, we taught the Greeks, the Europeans how to read. Africa had the first universities and schools of learning, where many students flocked to get their education.
Read and research the great empires of Mali, Songhai and Timbuktu, where a vibrant, life sustaining culture could be found. This is the history we must pass on to our students – that we as a Caribbean and Kittitian people must stress, must dignify because it’s our roots.
It is in exploring our roots that we know who we are and where we came from. I want to tell you students about our history, struggle and survival as a people before the pirates and murderers like Christopher Columbus, Sir Thomas Drake, and Sir Thomas Warner came, saw and conquered our lands and people with that false doctrine and by the sword/gun.
The late Marcus Garvey said, “a race without power and authority is a race without respect.” It is very important that from kindergarten to college, we teach our children the truth about their Black Heritage; that Black is beautiful; let’s say it LOUD: I’m black and I’m proud!!
*Western white civilization is founded on African civilization.
*Real father of medicine was Imhotep, the African multi-genius, and not Hippocrates, who lived 2,000 years later.
*The white finding fathers of USA built America on the wealth of black Egypt’s knowledge
*Jesus was a Nazarite with dreadlocks
Numbers 6: Verse 2,5. Leviticus 19:27 and Chapter 21: Verse 5. Rev $:3
*Africans invented karate and kickboxing, not Chinese.
*Africans were the first to travel the world – trade and do business.
In terms of math and chemistry, falsely accredited to Pythagorus and Euclid. The facts are that they got their schooling and knowledge from the first Universities known to man, with branches as far as China. The mile long Temple Universities of Luxor with priests/professors at all levels of teaching some 80,000 students. It was the African Moors who originated Algebra and Chemistry. And where would we be without paper and the Alphabet? Africa gave us both.
This is the history that we must teach and expose to our children.
We all know that our young people face significant challenges today – some falling through the cracks into unacceptable social behavior, crime and violence. The lure of drugs, guns and gangs lead to an early exit from life into Springfield. And many parents claim they did not know when/where/how it happened.
I call on parents to be good role models to your children. When children need good role models, they look to parents, guardians and other family members. They look to teachers, pastors, and politicians to lead them the right way.
And that is why children must know their history; why this black history must form a vital and functional part of the curriculum and educational system in SKN and the Caribbean. We again call on our leaders to step up to the mark and teach this history, our history, to our youth to preserve our heritage.
Let our leaders swear allegiance to our people, and our country to jump start the process and bring healing to our land.