African-American or Black

Earlier this year I received a calendar courtesy of the Dutchess Community College Black History Committee, which inspired me to post my thoughts about significant dates in the history of people of African descent. For instance, May 14th marked the day which slavery was abolished in Brazil. As a people we tend to separate ourselves and identify with our country of our birth, with little interest in getting to know about one another's history. Hopefully, this blog will help to resolve this issue. I realize that will be no simple task, but I will attempt to make the effort. One thing I admire about Jewish people is that no matter which part of the globe they come from, they always identify with one another through their shared Jewish heritage. Over the years various terms have been used to describe people of African descent, some of them which have been meant to demean us and break our spirit. Many Black people currently define themselves as African-Americans. Personally, I do not have a problem with the term "Black", which to me seems to be more inclusive.

An Arab person who comes from Morocco, Libya, or Egypt living in America today technically could call themselves African-American since those countries are part of the African continent, but would they? Within the African continent itself people are referred to as "Black", which obviously makes reference to the color their skin.

Gradual Emancipation

This Saturday, March 28^th will mark the 210^th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the state of New York. Although, complete abolition did not occur until 1827, on the 28^th of March 1799, the gradual emancipation law was enacted. This act stated that a person born after July 4^th 1799, would be freed upon reaching the age of 20 or 25, depending upon whether that person was a man or a woman. I often wonder how many native New Yorkers realize this important date in African-American history. When it comes to celebrating independence about the only recognition is given to the 4^th of July. Personally, I find it rather odd that people of African descent recognize this holiday, since in actuality we were still enslaved after the American Revolution ended, so what’s the point? True, African-Americans did fight in the American Revolution; in fact one of the first men to die was a man of African descent by the name of Crispus Attucks.

As I continue to increase my knowledge of African-American history, particularly in the state of New York, it is my goal to increase awareness of the significant dates in the history of the African Diaspora, not just here in the United States, but wherever people of African descent reside. It is the opinion of some, that people of African descent have no history other than slavery, I aim to change these opinions.

One of my house-mates came into the kitchen this morning and asked me what I was doing. When I responded that I was writing a blog entry about the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the state of New York this Saturday, he responded that he really did not care. My response to him was “that’s the problem.” I am sure he is not alone in his attitude in regards to understanding African-American, or for that matter African history in general. As an example, if you are a fan of the game show “Jeopardy”, whenever there is a category relating to African history, many contestants avoid this category like the plague! Our history is often viewed as being insignificant, and that, in my opinion, is the root of many of the racist attitudes prevalent here in the United States and the world in general.

I really don’t expect the majority of Anglo-Americans, or for that matter any other race, to be as committed to ensuring that African history be disseminated throughout our society. So, it is up to us as people of African descent regardless from which area of the globe we claim as our home, ensure that our history takes its rightful place amongst those who for so long have dominated the historical world stage.

Slavery in the Hudson Valley

In preparation for the development of a Quadricentennial project recognizing the contributions made by people of African descent to the city and state of New York, I've met with members of the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery History Project, and the Dutchess County Historical Society Black History Committee, to learn as much as I can about the African presence here in Dutchess county, and the Hudson Valley region in general. Since the discovery of the African Burial Ground back in 1991, I have been fascinated with the history of Africans here in New York. When I was working with the Harlem Center for Education I designed an interactive presentation about the first enslaved Africans in what was once the colony of New Amsterdam, which gave me the opportunity to learn about what life was like for my African ancestors.

Like many New Yorkers I thought slavery was an institution that existed in the South. When I learned that slavery was an integral part of New York's development I became even more intrigued by the various stories, documents, literature, artifacts, etc. that allowed me to peer into the past.

I have been asked to come up with ideas for the Quadricentennial that will educate people about the significant contributions made by Africans to the development of "The Empire State". Since the Quadricentennial will commemorate Henry Hudson's historic sail, I came up with the idea of focusing on the history of people of African descent within the maritime trade. My goal is to partner with some of the organizations that are involved with educating the public about the maritime trade, such as the South Street Seaport.