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For more than five
hundred years St. Kitts Nevis like most of the Western Hemisphere and Africa,
suffered tremendously from the carnage of Racism, Imperialism, Capitalism
and Slavery. The complete annihilation of two ethnic groups, the
so called ‘Arawaks and Caribs’ was accomplished through out the Caribbean
except in Dominica and St. Vincent , where a very small community of Caribs
continues to reside. In 1624 and 1625 on the islands of Liamigua and Oualie,
which the Europeans renamed to St. Kitts and Nevis respectively, the striving
community of people the "Caribs", welcomed the Europeans to share a part
of the paradise of St. Kitts Nevis. Following a very short period of peaceful
coexistence, the Europeans, driven by absolute greed, constantly harassed
and attacked the "Caribs". The "Caribs" led by their leader Tegreman , fought
to protect their country and thus were branded as cannibals, warlike and
fierce. It all came to a head in 1626 when virtually the entire "Caribs" community
numbering in the thousands was wiped out in a surprise bloody massacre.
It is said that a nearby stream flowed with the blood of men, women
and children for many hours. The site of that terrible massacre is
located on the island of St. Kitts and is known today as Bloody Point.
On the island of Nevis many "Caribs" were rounded up as slaves and forced
to hunt mercilessly for nonexistent gold and precious metals. Many were
taken to an island off the coast of Venezuela to dive for pearls. Where
of course they all perished under the inhumane circumstances. Soon on the
island of Nevis there were no "Caribs" left to toil for the Europeans. Then came
the vicious attack on mother Africa where many Africans suffered through
the MAAFA ( African holocaust of Physical and Psychological Slavery,
Direct and Neo- Colonialism, Imperialism, and Racism; To see examples/pictures click
MAAFA) . Africans, by the hundreds of thousands,
were brutally attacked, kidnapped, raped, packed on boats and brought to
the Western Hemisphere. For the captured Africans, the journey across the
Atlantic ocean , which was called the Middle Passage, surpassed any torture
and suffering, ever known to man. The devilish misery that the Africans
endured caused many to die from diseases, commit suicide, become permanently
handicapped or go completely insane. As many as 40% of the Africans died
during this Middle Passage. To offset the loss of so many Africans the
wicked European slavers usually over load their slave ships by
densely packing Africans into every
little space ( an example of a packed slave deck of captured Africans is shown in the picture to the left) . During the history of the heinous act of the MAAFA,
Europeans never felt any remorse. As a matter of fact they felt justified
in their actions. Many felt it was the will of God for them to kill, rape,
and enslave Africans. So much they believe this, that many named their
slaves ships after biblical figures. One of the most infamous slave ship
name was, Jesus. For those Africans who survived
and made it to the plantations on islands such as St. Kitts Nevis, the
suffering continued.
Once on the plantation, every effort was made to reduce the Africans to living, working Zombies. The Europeans used all their resources to try and brutally beat the African personality out of them. Their name, clothes, language, perception of God and religion, education, political system, economics etc. were mercilessly taken away or polluted with the European version of personality. The Willie Lynch method was used to break the captured African spirit. Here is an excerpt from the Willie Lynch writings describing how to break an African into a docile working slave.
"When it comes to breaking the uncivilized nigger, use the same process as breaking a horse, but vary the degree and step up the pressure so as to do a complete reversal of the mind. Take the meanest and most restless nigger, strip him of his clothes in front of the remaining male niggers, the female, and the nigger infant, tar and feather him, tie each leg to a different horse faced in opposite directions, set him afire and beat both horses to pull him apart in front of the remaining niggers. The next step is to take a bullwhip and beat the remaining nigger male to the point of death in front of the female and the infant. Don't kill him. But put the fear of God in him, for he can be useful for future breeding".
To get a full length description of the devilish slave breaking process click HERE
Despite these vicious attacks, Africans still maintained many parts of their personality. Things like their artistic abilities, creative instincts, love of self expression, and love of freedom were still very much a part of their ingrained character. That is why there was the constant resistance to the MAAFA, where many Africans rebelled by running away, poisoning their Europeans tormentors, burning the plantations or declaring all out war. No where was this more evident than in Haiti, where between 1779 -1804 Africans soundly beat the French with Napoleon, the British and the Spanish to gain their freedom. A famous African leader in this Haitian revolution, Henry Christophe, was born in St. Kitts. St. Kitts Nevis also had its share of the resistance, where Africans formed thier resistance movements in the mountains and on the plantations. Maroon Hill in Nevis is one of the places known for the African's resistance to the MAAFA. To curb these resistance movements in Nevis especially after the Haitian success, Europeans instituted many vicious laws. Africans who were caught in the resistance movements suffered immense torture by being publicly whipped for hours until death. An example of this viciousness was administered by a plantation owner on Nevis whose name was, Edward Huggins who in 1810, whipped more than twenty Africans to death in the Charlestown Square. Still, this did not quell the african drive for freedom.
The constant resistance by the Africans to the MAAFA soon led to the total emancipation of the Africans in St. Kitts Nevis and other British colonies on 1st August 1834. The Spanish and French colonies soon freed their Africans also. Then came the Africans in Brazil who gained their liberation in 1850. Africans in the United States of America saw their freedom in the 1864. For the people of African descent that was one aspect of the MAAFA that they overcame.
They now turn their
struggle to Colonialism, where the momentum to topple this other aspect
of the MAAFA accelerated in St. Kitts Nevis during the 1930s. Here
there was a massive uprising for people rights and better economic conditions.
This movement soon spread throughout the Caribbean, which then led to the
rise of trade unions and political empowerment movement. This in effect
led to toppling of Colonialism in many Caribbean countries in the 1960s,
1970s and 1980s with St. Kitts Nevis gaining its political independence
in 1983.
Now we as a people of African descent are at the cross roads, we are currently engaged in
the struggle to over come Imperialism, Neo - Colonialism and Mental/Psychological
Slavery which are the aspects of the MAAFA which are most difficult to conquer. But we Will WIN!!
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