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Whites and Repatriation
Taken from a reasoning on Rastafari Speaks Message Board
The thread for this reasoning is linked here
By Ayinde
April 17, 2004
The questions below were posted by 'raggamuffin' on the Reasoning Forum.
I am placing the post here for more comments. I will add my comments later.
Universal Blackness
Posted by raggamuffin : April 15, 2004
Since humanity was born out of Africa, should other non-black races be included in the back to Africa movement?
Should whites consider this their home as well?
Please reason with me on this complex issue.
Posted by heat_air_wata
Coming from a mixed heritage Mother is irish, father is Apache and mexican, i sight my home with the Fatha. If Ithiopia is INI Fatha's Gates
then i hope i am welcomed into ini Fathers mansion,by Both the Father and My Brothers and Sisters - heat_air_wata, April 15, 2004
Posted by Ayinde
While it is legal for whites to migrate where they wish like anyone else, I don't support any white person moving to Africa under the label of repatriation, which is a term generally used for those Africans who were forcibly removed from Africa.
There are Whites that embrace some brand of Rastafari, go to Africa to reside, and they then call that repatriation. Although some Blacks embrace this as a sign of togetherness, I don't. I see it as a cop-out by some Whites that should be in the West trying to dismantle the antisocial capitalist system.
Remember that I said I don't support it, not that I can stop it. But I do all in my power to ensure that my funds do not go to such muddling moves.
Blacks who embrace this are equally delusional as they fantasize a world of earthly togetherness that is not based on justice for all. Justice mandates that those who have benefited from the abuse of others should pay reparations, and they should allow the former victims to rediscover their own social systems. Any well-intentioned White person should invest their time and resources in educating others about the ills of the capitalist system as it is, and they should be using their 'privileged' position in these societies to fund and promote progressive Black movements without trying to take controlling interest.
To add insult to injury, some whites leave the West and go to Africa then want others to finance them. This to me is a gross insult. Resources should be going to Africa to support progressive Black movements, and to alleviate the sufferings of those indigenous to the region that cannot easily move out. Resources should not be going to Whites who choose to go back there to play 'grassroots poor'. Those Whites should leave Africa, Repatriate to the West, and get a job. Their history first exploited Africa, now they return to extract more, and divert necessary attention and funding from more deserving African causes.
- Ayinde, April 15, 2004
Posted by Ras Adam Simeon
This strikes me as an odd topic to tackle since the actual # of rastafari whites who have rematriated to mama Ethiopia is tiny and the # who will actually move there one day is miniscule. These facts make this argument seem more personal than practical. There are so many thousands of things to concentrate on in Ethiopia. getting more settlers, getting computers, getting books, clothes , farming, skills training, improving schooling, housing, etc etc etc.. who gives a damn what color the rastas who move there are! sis leah issa from manchester is over there working with the school; working with the website giving her time and talent. you want to grudge her cause she's a japeth?!? Instead of complaining about white rastas how about getting over there and working along side her. Mind you i'm not talking about hippy fashion dreads who claim rasta as an excuse to get high all day. i'm saying the only rastas who would move to ET are hardcore livicated people no matter their melanin content. Really until there is some big influx into ET i see this as a non issue.
- Ras Adam Simeon, April 17, 2004
Response by Ayanna
Well I in turn find your response were odd indeed. First of all the topic is speaking about repatriation and not voluntary resettlement. I think every poster has agreed that anyone can resettle where they choose but that whites cannot and should not benefit from the repatriation movement, which specifically involves AFRICAN PEOPLE DISPLACED THROUGH THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE.
I have found in my observations of peoples response to topics like these, that those who most claim that colour does not matter, (usually whites) or that there are more important things to discuss, or who decides the manner in which Africans are to improve are quite arrogant and have questionable motives. They seem to believe that they have some ideal blueprint for African redemption and that they more than anyone else know the ideal way to solve the problems of African people. Well I very much doubt that any African anywhere on the continent or those in the Diaspora need a white person to tell them how to solve their problems or what is important for them to discuss. We know how things work and we see very clearly the racism and false motivations of many whites who go to Africa to "save black people" Oh indeed, I do give a damn about the color of people who claim to support the cause, and I do give a damn about their level of awareness and not just the 'good works' that some can claim they are doing.
As I said in an earlier post, there is no way that I can support any whites financially that claim to support repatriation. And in this same vein I will not support financially any whites that establish groups or movements of their own instead of devoting their time to black groups to let them solve their own problems. Blind acceptance of supposed 'help' from any and everybody is indicative of the same 'hippie' 'everything is everything' attitude that is very typical of those who again would like to either control something that is not their place to control, or who would simply like to assuage guilt but not bring about justice.
We do not want any white saviors going into Africa feeling that they know best or can best help to solve African issues. We have enough of that with the missionaries. There are indigenous African groups doing their own work on the continent and others in the Diaspora doing the same. It is them who will get my support any day.
- Ayanna: April 17, 2004
Posted by Ras Adam Simeon
It is not a white plan of saving Africa. it is Black Jamaicans living on the land that say they need books schools computers farm equip teachers etc..
The foundation to help them based is DC is Black Jamaican Owned.
this is not some white takeover thing.. this is Afrikan works. By repatriation, if you are speaking of a goverment buying some black star lines and paying to move people forward to Afrika; I agree, this is for the slave descendants who were ripped outta their homeland brought here in bondage. period. But i dont think of repatriation as just an official gov. sanctioned move. I think repatriation is a move back to the source of humanity for those with something to contribute a skill etc not loafting. a
- Ras Adam Simeon, April 17, 2004
Posted by Ayinde
I started this as a general discussion and you seemed to have personalized it. No big thing. Although you are free to your view of what is important or not for some Blacks to discuss, it is the same old White arrogance for my part.
As an African I am clear on what Repatriation means to me, and it in no way includes Whites that choose to go settle in Africa. They can call it anything they want but as far as I am concerned it is not the same.
I don't know where you get this government sanctioned part. Maybe you are unaware that Blacks have been 'Repatriating' to Africa without government support.
Until all Blacks who choose to repatriate can do so without struggling for resources, or do not have to cower to Whites to do so, then the idea of Whites repatriating to Africa remains part of White privileges and contributes to the problem.
- Ayinde: April 17, 2004
- Whites and Repatriation
April 17, 2004 - By Ayinde, Ras Adam Simeon, Ayanna
- Which white privileged position?
April 18, 2004 - By Jahvier
- Re: Whites and Repatriation
April 19, 2004 - By Ayinde, Ras Adam Simeon
- The term Repatriation to Africans is no Semantics
April 21, 2004 - By Yan (Ayanna), Ras Adam Simeon
- Rastafari and its African context
April 22, 2004 - By Ras Tyehimba
- Thinking about Repatriation
July 05, 2004 - By Ayinde
The archived thread for this reasoning:
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