Before delving into the issue at hand, which is the promise of the thanksgiving holiday, which falls on November 26, allow me to apprise our readers about my time of seclusion, and penance under an oath of silence which is now coming to an end.
Letter from America:with KENNETH MUFUKA
After losing my bet on Donald Trump’s re-election, and having promised a goat to my contestants, and since I am only a “grab farmer” (land grabbed from white farmers), the fulfilment of my bet would have seen me go straight into the poor house.
Therefore, fearing the worst, I sought favour with God in some form of Christian seclusion, with penance on my heart, and an oath of silence as my friend Fabian Mabaya handled the claims against me. Mabaya quickly found seven claims to be “without merit”, but allowed three to go forward. These, I can now announce without fear or shame, are Lance Guma at Nehanda Radio in the UK, Hama Saburi at The Daily News in Harare and Jairos Mokonese.
Thursday was “Thanksgiving Day” in the US, and my seclusion came at an opportune time.
Black Lives Matter The often violent protests organised by Black Lives Matter (BLM) are largely credited with raising the consciences of white Americans to the plight and oppression of people of colour who live under the flag of the United States of America.
To them, the dream of a free life under the law is a chimera as witnessed by events I describe below.
But thanks to a relentless and sustained effort, often violent protests since 2013, a chapter is now coming to an end as former vice-president Joe Biden assumes office, replacing Trump.
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Last week, I was asked to preach a sermon. My topic was, “A storm is passing”.
You can imagine, the brothers can holler and yell, as they see the Trump administration, described as a hurricane, passing away. The proper words in the song say, “I see de (sic) storm passing.”
If I were to list the accomplishments of Black Lives Matter, there would be no end to it.
Suffice it to say that the Democratic Party associated itself with Black Lives Matter while Trump supported the police institutions. As violence and protests continued relentlessly, and there was no end in sight while cities involved witnessed the burning-down of stores and buildings, American people decided to change “umkhokeli”.
Sometime in July 2013, three people of colour, Sister Alicia Garza, a woman with few social graces and an outlier gay social life, came together with Patrice Cullors and Opal Tomeli to form a hashtag movement Black Lives Matter.
The provocation was the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a Hispanic male vigilante who had murdered Trayvon Martin, a troubled youth who was walking in a “white” neighbourhood.
The list of contradictions is endless. Zimmerman was not “white” though he considered himself to be one. Trayvon’s father lived there, so the idea that it was a white neighbourhood is nonsense. Zimmerman only harassed people of colour; therefore residents like Trayvon’s father were his targets.
Alicia is the outspoken leader of the movement. Since 20 Africans were sold to a Virginia planter in August 1619, people of colour have been in these United States ever since. With James Baldwin, Alicia asked the white compatriots this question:
“Why is my existence in this country a question now?”
Now, you will say, “Ken, but what is the connection with Trump?”
The Democratic Party adopted Black Lives Matter as their Macedonian phalanx. The Republican Party, being the “stupid party”, and Trump, thought that the movement would go away.
Luck was not on their side as each killing of a person of colour, no matter what the cause, only served to illustrate that people of colour served an occupation government.
Americans generally have a “public conscience”. If one can create a public opinion that oppression has occurred, Americans will not stand for it.
That was the genius of Black Lives Matter and the fact that every citizen carried with him a zoom cellphone, recording police interactions with blacks.
Martin Luther King had first discovered this “hidden conscience” but used television as his messenger.
International mogul George Soros saw its use and awarded the movement $100 million. Ford Foundation is said to have awarded them another $200 million.
The killing of George Floyd brought the matter to a head.
When Derek Chauvin’s wife saw a television video of her husband choking Floyd, she asked for an “urgent divorce decree” on the grounds that Chauvin was not the human she married.
Trump lost 4% of the soft-hearted people, 2 800 000 million, a number, which in close elections can be decisive.
Black Lives Matter made a point that where there is no justice for people of colour, there will be no peace. Armed with a huge treasury they were able to bus masses of protesters from New York and Chicago to wherever they were wanted in a short space of three days.
They attracted young white “bravodos” who formed the majority of their justice warriors.
Last but not least, Black Lives Matter was the spirit behind a massive turnout of blacks in the South in support of vice-president Joe Biden. Biden has shown gratitude to people of colour by apportioning half his transition team to people of colour. That is a very big deal.
His vice-president is Kamala Harris, a sister.
That is also a big deal.
There are huge efforts in the works to renew the pledge made to Dr King. American must live up to its constitution, that all men (including people of colour) are equal.
Affirmative action seems to be having a second birth. Affirmative action favours people of colour in job applications.
The state of California has made Black Studies mandatory beginning in January 2021.
That is a big deal.
Companies are announcing in statements of purpose that diversity of the labour force is a primary goal.
But as educator Booker T Washington prophesied (1905), the prize will come to those who have prepared themselves by acquiring skills needed on the job market.
“Train them and wait,” was his motto.
The French traveller, Alex de Tocqueville, (1826) witnessed this admirable side of the American character. A person sees a problem, he makes himself chairperson of a committee, and they begin to solve the problem.
They do not wait for government.
So on Thursday, November 26, people of colour had a lot to be thankful about and a new year full of promises to look forward to.
l Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwen patriot and writer. His books are available at INNOV Bookshops in Zimbabwe and at kenmufukabooks.com.
