BlackNationalism201Class#1 Historical Foundation for Black Nationalism

Instructor: Mba Mbulu Black Nationalism 201

Prerequisite Course: Failure to take Black Nationalism 101 will hinder your understanding of the issues dealt with in Black Nationalism 201. If you have not taken Black Nationalism 101, please do so. If you have taken Black Nationalism 101, please review it.

Class #1 [AudioVersion]

Read the information that follows. Be able to expound on the following issues.

(1) How are the experiences of Our ancestors in Africa prior to the arrival of white kidnappers and enslavers relevant to the rights of Black People in North America today?

(2) Did the fact that Black People were enslaved and became accustomed to being subservient to white people eliminate or weaken Our right to govern Ourselves?

(3) List several of the historical reasons that support Black People's right to establish an independent nation in North America and govern themselves.

(4) Is there any evidence that the US government is aware of Our right to govern Ourselves?

(5) Is there any evidence that the US government has unfolded a plot to deny Us the right to govern Ourselves?

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This course will begin with a quick review of the historical foundation for a totally separate and independent Black government in North America. It would help if you reviewed Class #1 from Black Nationalism 101 as part and parcel of this material.

Historical Foundation for a Totally Separate and Independent

Black Government in North America

(1) When Black People were in Africa, Black People were Black Nationalists. We had Our own Black nations, and We were governing Ourselves. The fact that We were kidnapped, brought to this country and enslaved did not mean that We had given up Our right to govern Ourselves. Our right to govern Ourselves came to this country with Us; in the same way Our ability to talk came to this country with Us; in the same way Our kinships, customs and skills came to this country with Us; in the same way Our eyesight, hearing and ability to smell came to this country with Us. When We were enslaved and brought to this country, We did not lose any of Our rights, including Our right to govern Ourselves. Instead, We were presented with the opportunity to enjoy those rights in a different physical location, a different country, a different Black nation.

(2) Our right to govern Ourselves and continue in Our Black nationalist ways was not weakened by the fact of Our enslavement. Quite to the contrary, Our right to self-government was further substantiated, augmented and strengthened by Our experiences in this country. Because We were kidnapped and forcefully taken from Our native home, We had the right to resume Our Black Nationalist activities on the land We were taken to, and to do so at the expense of those who had kidnapped and forcefully removed Us from Our homeland. Additionally, as We lived on this land for longer and longer periods of time, worked this land for longer and longer periods of time, made this land richer and richer and fought longer and longer periods of time to survive on this land, We assumed a greater right than ever to claim this land for Ourselves and re-establish the Black nationalist way of life that We had been living in Our natural homeland.

(3) Additionally, We have the legal right to establish an independent Black nation here because:

(a) We have experienced self-government here before and sought self-government without end. The activities of the maroons, the Blacks who revolted because they wanted to govern themselves, the Blacks who died because of their refusal to submit to domination by white people, the Blacks who governed themselves during and after the civil war, the efforts of Blacks like the Exodusters who went west in search of establishing Black towns that would be far away from the white power establishment, and the efforts of Black leaders like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X are proof of Our objectives and aspirations. Additionally, the United States government recognized Our right to self-government; indirectly by championing principles such as those expressed in the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence and international law directives, and directly by the issuance of laws such as Special Field Order #15 (which ceded Black People land and recognized Our right to govern Ourselves during the civil war), the Emancipation Proclamation (which recognized the fact that We had freed Ourselves) and colonization initiatives embarked on by US officials as a result of the illegal role the US government played in transporting Black People to this country.

(b) We cannot trust Our welfare, health, wealth, education and government to the people who kidnapped and enslaved Us. White power and white people had ample opportunities to relate to Black People in a fair and humane manner, but never did so. They never did so because it was never their intention or desire that Black People should be citizens of the "new [white] world." In fact, free Black persons were in this country before the English colonists arrived. We were not subject to white laws at that time. Additionally, in the 150 or so years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, free Black persons were living in this country, but not recognized as English citizens [They were free persons living in the British colonies]. After the Revolutionary War, free Black persons were in this country, but not accorded American citizenship [They were free persons living in the United States]. When We began to free Ourselves en masse in 1861, We were not recognized as United States citizens [We were simply free persons living in the United States and some of its territories]. Free Blacks had always been viewed as separate from the United States. Blacks in the 1860s recognized that and fought Union armies after the Civil War to maintain the right to govern themselves. Non citizenship for Blacks was understood; the Constitution of the United States did not allow for Our citizenship. We were free people, a nation of free people, living within the boundaries of the United States. Period!

(c) Developments and the passage of time have rendered Us unable and/or unwilling to return to the land of Our forefathers (We have forged out a new Black reality for Ourselves in this land called the United States of America) and

(d) We freed Ourselves from American enslavement, governed Ourselves during the Civil War and afterwards and had both recognized by the United States government.

(4) Moreover, We have the legal right to establish an independent Black nation here because, after We had freed Ourselves in masse, We were deceived by the very same people who had kidnapped Us, forcefully brought Us to this country and enslaved Us. After We had freed Ourselves in masse, the United States government, which legalized Our enslavement and later recognized the fact of Our freedom, was obligated by the dictates of international law to make Us aware of all of the options that were open to Us as a people. It failed to carry out this obligation. We should have been told that We had the right to (a) Seek admission in or ask to be admitted to the white country called the United States of America as citizens (b) Return home to Africa at the expense of the US government, if We so chose (c) Relocate to another country at the expense of the US government, if We so chose or (d) Set up an independent government where We were and receive reparations from the US government. Because Our rights had been violated and We had been shut out from the channels of political communication, We were not aware that We had all of these options. The US government knew We would choose to govern Ourselves if We knew We had the right to do so. Because they did not want to cede Us the land We had the right to, because they did not want to pay Us the huge sum in reparations that they owed Us and because the results of the Civil War would be overturned if We established an independent nation of Our own, the US government ignored its responsibility to tell Us the truth and acted in its own interests--- it made Us, forced Us to be, citizens of the United States.

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