400 years of slavery
Similarly, 400 years ago, in 1619, the first ship with 20 African captives landed at Point Comfort in Virginia against the captives will, ushering in the era of American slavery. See the article here. As John Rolfe noted in a letter in 1619, “20 and odd negroes” were brought by a Dutch ship to the nascent British colonies, arriving at what is now Fort Hampton, then Point Comfort, in Virginia. Though enslaved Africans had been part of Portuguese, Spanish, French and British history across the Americas since the 16th century, the captives who landed in Virginia were probably the first slaves to arrive into what would become the United States 150 years later.
400 is a significantly important number, especially from a spiritual context. There are many historical accounts where major shifts in economies and society happened on the 400th year. A significant miraculous shift has to happen for historical wrongs to be corrected.
Miracles at 400
400 years after the first slavery shipment into the America's, in November 2019, Covid19 was first mentioned in China. At that time, it was just another flu. Nothing to concern ourselves about. It has now affected 7.8m people and killed over 431,000 people worldwide as at 14th June 2020. America faces 27% of the infections and deaths. This virus has become the greatest miracle in our 20th Century history. Almost all nations worldwide went into a state of panic and entered into economic and social lock-down, people staying home, churches, mosques and offices closed, everyone wearing masks, social distancing and fear mongering on all platforms.
With the world locked down now for over 3 months and people restlessly sitting in front of their screens hoping for easing of restrictions, footage came on all our screens of the insensitive killing of George Floyd. With no other distractions, no sport to watch, no offices to attend to; those that would normally not care suddenly saw the brutality of police on a prone black man. This caused BlackLivesMatter protests across the world with all races involved. Politicians, including police and others acknowledged the disproportionate treatment of black men. The statements of the then American President (Donald Trump) with his apparent shows of racism and limited empathy, seemed to draw so close to Pharaoh's hardheartedness and stirring the protests more. It felt like the perfect setup.
Nothing in this world is ever truly new. Life is a series of trends. Could it be, that this anniversary is a major turning point for black people, walking away from slavery? From that historical first day of slavery, we are now seeing the miracles and sacrifices that are necessary for the emancipation of black people from slavery and segregation. Could it be that we are now entering the era of the miracles to force institutions; to say enough is enough and remove segregation and slavery laws. In the context of the Israelites leaving Egypt, should blacks expect to enter into a phase of 40 years of learning to not be second-rate citizens (slaves) and take their rightful place in the promised land without fear and trepidation?
What's going on really? Can we take a step back and take a panoramic view of all the things happening in the year 2020, especially the last 6 months since the 400 years lapsed...
Who would have ever thought that ancient statues and monuments put up by national founding fathers would be torn down by their own grandchildren?
Who would have thought that the death of a regular black man would spark the largest protests worldwide in history. All international news channels broadcast his funeral live for 5 hours with no interruptions. That's more coverage than anyone or any event.
Is this a watershed moment for global racial equality? America has steadily lost its moral status to the world; is this accidental or a spiritually guided movement?
Where does Africa and it's future stand in all this? During times of slavery, kidnapping and shipping of Africans to America, Asia and Europe caused a huge amount of instability from the colonizers. Minerals and resources were (and still are) stolen. Massacres have been committed. Coups have been influenced. Yet in the last few years, African nations have enjoyed some of the highest growth rates worldwide. Is this a correction slowly coming? Is this a re-balancing of world economies? Is this the time for African-Americans to return and reclaim their places in Africa?
Two things are certain for now.
Nothing in this world is ever truly new. Life is a series of trends. Could it be, that this anniversary is a major turning point for black people, walking away from slavery? From that historical first day of slavery, we are now seeing the miracles and sacrifices that are necessary for the emancipation of black people from slavery and segregation. Could it be that we are now entering the era of the miracles to force institutions; to say enough is enough and remove segregation and slavery laws. In the context of the Israelites leaving Egypt, should blacks expect to enter into a phase of 40 years of learning to not be second-rate citizens (slaves) and take their rightful place in the promised land without fear and trepidation?
What's going on really? Can we take a step back and take a panoramic view of all the things happening in the year 2020, especially the last 6 months since the 400 years lapsed...
Who would have ever thought that ancient statues and monuments put up by national founding fathers would be torn down by their own grandchildren?
Who would have thought that the death of a regular black man would spark the largest protests worldwide in history. All international news channels broadcast his funeral live for 5 hours with no interruptions. That's more coverage than anyone or any event.
Is this a watershed moment for global racial equality? America has steadily lost its moral status to the world; is this accidental or a spiritually guided movement?
Where does Africa and it's future stand in all this? During times of slavery, kidnapping and shipping of Africans to America, Asia and Europe caused a huge amount of instability from the colonizers. Minerals and resources were (and still are) stolen. Massacres have been committed. Coups have been influenced. Yet in the last few years, African nations have enjoyed some of the highest growth rates worldwide. Is this a correction slowly coming? Is this a re-balancing of world economies? Is this the time for African-Americans to return and reclaim their places in Africa?
Two things are certain for now.
- No-one can predict the near future, with all that is happening.
- Change is coming!
At a certain point, Pharaoh offered Moses to "take his people but leave the animals". It was almost what was being demanded and an interesting incentive compared to where they were then. It would have been easy to say yes. Similarly, before the offers, the slaves had been increased quotas, reduced resources and their lives were made more miserable so that they would turn away from the notion of freedom.
ReplyDeleteI see the current peace-meal concessions being offered by British, American and other western governments as a way to divert the pressure from this #BlackLivesMatter issue. Everyone is in a comfort zone about the injustice and it's difficult to see different after 400 years. To the blacks, it's so easy to accept smile at the crumbs and forget that this drive is a need to align the playing field - even though no-one else would want the same situation.
No-one knows what a future with blacks being equal citizens and enjoying equal treatment would look like. Like the Israelites, the older generation will probably have to die off before we have a generation that isnt scared and doesn't keep looking back at the bright lights of old...