The public will be better educated on slavery and its persistence as the 12th of July Movement in Dominica is to host a lecture on the topic ‘Emancipation and the Persistence of Slavery- A Caribbean Predicament’ on November 19.
The lecture, which the organizers said is of great importance, will be presented by Dr. Rev. William Watty at the University of the West Indies Open Campus on Elmshall Road.
“It is an extremely important topic because what we find almost unknowing to us and unseen a habit which was established over 400 years,” a spokesperson for the 12th of July Movement, Attorney-at-Law Bernard Wiltshire told Dominica News Online on Tuesday. “What impact this has had, what effect and imprint this has left upon the mind and how does that manifest itself in the way that we deal with things?”
He continued, “There is no longer a white man with a whip over a gang of Africans in a plantation or beating them to work. That doesn’t exist anymore but in what form does that form of slavery still continue in the Caribbean after that physical slavery is gone?”
According to him the topic is important not only for Dominica but for the rest of the Caribbean region.
“Physical slavery as we know it in the 19th Century, that is gone but what forms of slavery, in what way, what forms has slavery is being continued,” he stated. “It is really a way for all of us to reflect and to open our minds and to deal with some things that is not normally dealt with…either in schools or in the colleges or even in text books.”
He further mentioned that the topic is also important as the country is in its Independence season.
“It will be a very interesting evening of discussion, of reflection…a time when we really need to reflect on our identity, who are we as a people and what characterizes us, how do we look at things, how do we look at the world…,” Wiltshire explained.
The lecture begins at 7:00 pm.
Slavery is not over…When slavery on the plantation was abolished, it took a different form.
I you haven’t yet, read Willie Lynch letter, do so now. He came from St.Kitts. Slavery was and is an institution which was implemented, willie lynch style, to psychologically keep the chains on our forefathers, their children, their children’s children, our grandparents, us and our kids. It was meant to last 300 yrs. However, it can last longer if we do not begin to break the cycle, psychologically. This year marks the anniversary and deadline. We have to break the cycle now!
We black people are still slaves to all other races on the planet. This medium is not conducive to point out all the evidence. Slavery has taken a new and more subtle form. But don’t fool yourself, neither allow anyone to tell you that slavery has been abolished. I see things on a daily basis that clearly shows that slavery is still here. Take a look at the Hundreds and Thousands of people fleeing Syria into Europe and other places, and they are being received with open arms – Had they been black people, what do you think might have happened to them? “Food for thought.” The white race cannot rid themselves of their hatred towards black people. Similarly, a leopard cannot change its spots. It’s that simple.
Say on 4-cars, most of our people want to forget the real story of the ancestors and want to move on and and pretend that nothing happened. It is time that the story of our ancestors be told by us so that our children will know who they are and not be ashamed because our ancestors were not born as slaves but they became slaves when they left the great continent of Africa. You see, the white man’s jesus has been used to brain-wash most of our people and they can’t see past that book called the bible. They believe that life started in the “garden of eden,” when our ancestors were already all over the planet.
Read the true story, “our story,” and not his story.
UNAPOLOGETIC
I see small and little children – Was wondering where did they (the grown-ups) find the time and place to have sex and have babies. In de bush? That bush “thing” was past down to us. We too, love it in the bush.
We have moved a long way since the days of slavery. I either slave for myself to survive, or slave for a company, and if you refused these two you beg. You were not hand picked to become a slave, they bought their man, so they treat them as their own property. The only thing that replaced slavery is justice. The only slave left is the “Magistrate court house”. Sit down, stand up, hush up or Ten Days in the slammer, I just love this. What you read about or what was told to you is one thing, and seeing them before your own eyes is another. A SENTENCE is a group of words so arranged as to make complete sense. Our parents went through a lot of hardship to ensure we had a better way of living and we done it and wish the same for our own children. Were are not going back for if we do we failed our forefathers.
There is no properly informed white person who does not know that slavery was evil beyond words. We are sorry and ashamed of this vile practice and disassociate ourselves from it. I am not an authority on the subject but let me share what I was told.
Year ago I was holding evangelistic meetings on a large Caribbean Island in some of their biggest churches. One church had me staying in a very fine rooming house for the week. I found a young black detective was also staying there. One day a conversation developed around the subject of slavery.
He told there had been black men who had black slaves. Then he said there were other times when it was black people who had white slaves. This was new to me. But I had no reason to challenge him. He was a decent chap as the English would say, and obviously quite knowledgeable.
Continued …
As much as white men were the instigators of slavery and were responsible for its vile practice it should be remembered that white people also fought slavery and brought the emancipation. An intelligent person will realize that we are talking about two entirely different types of white people here.
The slaves and their so called masters are no longer with us. Today black people are well represented in the professions. They rank high in the entertainment world, in sports, and in music. In my own field I see black pastors and bishops with mega-churches. The U.S.A. has a black president. Black people serve as governors and mayors. These wear their heritage as a badge of honor.
There comes a time when we must let go of the past and let the healing begin
A good lecture will encourage forgiveness, and help people rise above the hurts of so long ago.
There is no better advice to give than Romans 12:17-21. This is a new day!
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
Yes, Mr. Hill: but what about the sciences?
Where are our scientists, and inventors? America, has a black President, but don’t forget that he is the most disrespected president in the history of America. There has been more thereat’s on his life than any other president in American history. I cannot condemned every White person, however, there are white people today if they had their way, they would kill every Black person alive!
I am not prejudice okay; my younger daughter is married to a white Russian, my younger son has a son with a white woman, and as I said I may have left one in Germany, and one in England, I have about five grandchildren born to Mexican women. Guest the point is made.
If you want to see joke counsel yourself in a motor vehicle and travel from Canada, to Los Angeles, with a Black person; man or woman driving and count how many times they are pulled over!
Then you drive and see if you get pulled over once!
Francisco:
You are right about the sciences. This is why Black young people should stay in school as long as possible. However, it has been heartening to read in DNO of a few Dominican young people pulling down Ph.D.s, in the sciences. We would like to see more of this.
About Black drivers being pulled over more often for questioning. This is happening in Canada
as well. You and I know the reasons they give to justify it. But there is now a real effort being made to stop this in Ontario. Their excuses do not have the substance to justify such an annoying practice. There is too much groundless suspicion and fear.
Let me share a good report to counter some of the garbage.
I was walking across an intersection in Toronto when I heard a Black man call to me. I looked. He was running up behind me. This was a tall strong man. More than my match! Was he going to rob me? He held out a $20.00 bill and told me I had dropped it on the street.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill…
White people instigated slavery and were responsible for its practice. But it was also white people who fought for Emancipation. It should be understood we are talking about two different kinds of white people here.
The slaves and their so called masters are no longer with us. Today black people are well represented in the professions. They are prominent in the sports and in music. America has a black president, and black people are serving at every level of government.
Unfortunately the principle of equally is not always practiced and discrimination can be found. We must work to eliminate these things. This is a new day.
We must leave the past behind and let the healing begin. The best way to do this is to practice Romans 12:14-21. These are the things that are part of the new day. Let God use you to usher it in!
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
OOPS!
Sorry for this. When I tried to post my first submission it disappeared from the screen. I though I had lost it. So I did it again. Then the first and second appeared together. There are slight differences due to my memory. Please forgive this unintended repetition.
Sincerely, Rev. Don hill.
While this is a good initiative, we should not dwell too much on the past so that it reminds us of what we are not now. Memory of these atrocities that were perpetuated on our ancestors have it’s own malaise; some of which are self-hate, low self esteem and guilt. We should focus much more on using our history as a spring board to propel us forward to the heights of imminent domain. I might add, that’s not a cakewalk either, but it is right and fitting.
The focus, for a long time now should have been on a few more efficient methods like merging our religion to our culture; in order to do that, I propose, an education system that is more black oriented and a return to the batter system because the quest for what we don’t have (money) and that which is not readily acquired is the catalyst for many negative consequences in black communities.
One of Dominica’s fist black doctor’s is a Watty, born in Wesley if I am not accurate it could be in Portsmouth, however he had a brother Cecil who lived in Wesley all of his life, next door to one of my father’s house in the center of the village next to the old dispensary, and the old government School which is Hundreds of years old ; old Doctor Watty, treated me in that old dispensary in the late 1950’s
His family has always devoted themselves to be involve in the life’s of our people. About the ending of the 1950, there was an accident, people died leaving their children old Dr. Watty, pity and took in more than two of them I remember: be kind to the man, insults cannot help the situation!
The modern day slave masters are without a doubt the American government. Has anyone renewed their house insurance or opened a bank accout recently? Well to renew your insurance you have to full out a form disclosing your source of income employment history and all that crap, before once your property came up for renewal you just paid got your receipt matter closed. To open a bank account the information required is equally ridiculous, all this because of a US law designed to track down Ameriocans who might be inclined to avoid paying taxes. That in my opinuion is not our business America should not impose its laws on us for its own selfish reasons. If the financial institutions in Dominica refuse to comply, they can be fined heavily and can be denied access to corresponding banks in the US, this the Americans are well aware would criple the islands giving them little choice but to comply. This is what we have to talk about, ……………
This also is the type of mental and economic slavery that has persisted since emancipation. A slavish mentality that encourages us to denegrade our own people and economic policies that borders on sevitude. When we talk about emancipation we must talk to the issues that keep remnants of slavery alive, we have to address external economic forces that impact our progress. So I don’t need to be educated on slavery for we all came from the nigga yards of years past.
It is very sad when I see some of us still buying to the idea that African brothers and sisters participated in the capture and selling of their own people too. This is all the white man’s story in an effort to share the blame for the heinous atrocities that they perpetrated in the name of God and greed.
My people we must stop blaming our forefathers for a holocaust that was brought on them/us. They themselves were terrorized into doing many acts that they knew nothing about before these Europeans taught them how to kill and rape. So how can we the descendants of such innocence be blaming the victims? The lies continue even onto this day. “Read a White man’s book and you will think like him.” Is a saying by an African professor. So don’t blame our Caribbean leaders of today since most of them studied in US or EU, so tell me what kind of book they read?
A very interesting topic that I hold dear to my heart. Enlighten our people in that area. Mr. Wiltshire and Dr. Watty thank…
This is just a Jewish trick to make you guys believe a lie that has been lurking in all Black Countries, Communities and Churches and for Dominica, they chose the mighty Reverend William Watty.
Dominicans know your history and know it well because we are enslaved by the American System, United Nations and the European Union who still persecute the true Hebrews today. The Americans which are the Tribe of Judah are waking up, The Tribe of Benjamin in the West Indies need to wake up as well. We live in concentration camps still ruled and poisoned by the wicked Idumeans who sit in high places.
They poison us by their philosophy, the foods that are filled with Aspartame, MSG’s . Negroes came from the land of Israel and in the year AD70, The city of Jerusalem was encompassed with the Army of General Vespacian and his son Titus, the israelites fled into Africa and tried to mix with the other Black tribes namely Libyans, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Caananites etc and were captured.
You will never be free if you keep praying to a white Jesus. Orginized Religion was created for the feeble minded African. You will never be free if you dont give up all Religions that does not reflect you as an African.
You are so wrong.
People will not be free from the guilt and bondage of sin unless they BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
RECEIVE Him as their Savior. This is because He and He alone suffered, bled, and died on the cross to pay the terrible debt of their sins, and rose on the third day as He promised He would.
The Bible clearly says He is the Savior in St. Matthew 1:18-21. He is the ONLY Savior according to St. John
14:6 and Acts 4:12. We must BELIEVE in Him as it says in St. John 3:16 and St. John 3:36, and RECEIVE Him as our Savior as we are told in St. John 1:12 and Revelation 3:20.
I am a Gentile. I pray to a Jewish Jesus! So why should black people have a problem praying to a white Jesus?
However, the very fact that the Bible does not say if He was black or white shows the colour of His skin is not an issue – it makes no difference. If He was black so be it! He is my Lord and Savior!
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
To refer to Africans in general as feeble minded is not scientific reality. To call them feeble minded is slanderous. I don’t want to see the likes of this again on DNO. Nor was organized religion created for any feeble minded people, as if the creators of religion knew the feeble minded would be fooled by it.
If you actually think this you probably have not read the four Gospels which tell us about the beginning of Christianity. Did you not know that in the Old Testament we have the writings of the ancient Hebrew prophets describing hundreds of years in advance His death by crucifixion, and His resurrection?
Black Christians are not all simple uneducated people. Some are. But others hold degrees, and are
leaders in their fields. The same is true of white Christians.
Continued …
To refer to Africans in general as feeble minded is not scientific reality. To call them feeble minded is slanderous. I don’t want to see the likes of this again on DNO. Nor was organized religion created for any feeble minded people, as if the creators of religion knew the feeble minded would be fooled by it.
If you actually think this you probably have not read the four Gospels which tell us about the beginning of Christianity. Did you not know that in the Old Testament we have the writings of the ancient Hebrew prophets describing hundreds of years in advance His death by crucifixion, and His resurrection?
Black Christians are not all simple uneducated people. Some are. But others hold degrees, and are
leaders in their fields. The same is true of white Christians.
Continued …
continued…
(1) Christianity is a credible belief system.
When Christ was here He made certain claims including (a) that He was the Son of God, and (b)
that He was the ONLY way to heaven.
He foretold His own death by crucifixion and His resurrection on the third day.
When He stepped out of that tomb on the morning of the third day He validated all His claims
(2) Christianity is growing in Africa because it meets the needs of the people and satisfies the longings of the human heart not because the Africans are simple minded people. We have large churches in Africa with black members and they are under educated black pastors. I can assure you these men are not feeble minded and would not be fooled or taken in by a religion with no substance.
I invite you to visit our website
http://www.livinghopeministries.ca
Click onto SERMONS. Listen to my sermon MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS. I will share proofs of the resurrection of Christ.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald hill…
I have been talking about this for a while but many people are in denial of what slavery really was and what it has left in the minds of many. For those who are commenting on our own brothers being sold by their own kind, if they didn’t do that, they would be killed. They were forced to do that. The invaders went to the mother land with their guns and their bibles
I truly do not understand why we resist talking about what our fore-parents went through when people of various races never forget their history. Why are we ashamed of our own history? The so-called Jews never forget the holocaust.
Every other race remembers their country of origin, regardless of where they reside. An Indian in Trinidad or Guyana does not forsake India. Even though some of them are darker than many of us, they do not consider themselves to be black.
It is time that we develop some common sense and familiarize ourselves with what is our history, which is second to none.
As one brother commented, “it is time that we teach about our history way before slavery day.” We were the greatest people for a very long time until the Europeans invaded Alkebulan. Mental slavery really has many of us subjugated because of the religions imposed upon our ancestors, which they passed down to us. We need to liberate ourselves from reading the bible and start reading the truth of who we are from the history books that are available.
UNAPOLOGETIC
These people need to move on and stop talking about slavery and put work in Dominica for people to do to much Talking not even a small city like Roseau we can keep clean please people to many meetings up on meetings and nothing happening put work for us to do to take care of our family , as am at it CAN ANY DOM-IN-CANS name me one thing that we set out to do in D/A that is working and can now say its done right ? please just one.
ok , i got it . november 19
7 pm when? it didnt say when, the date
All of the people who are talking about prior to slavery, are just ignorant people. Unless some of you have never been to school, I will inform you that some of us are knowledgeable in regards to tribal traditions, yes indeed Africans killed Africans
There has always been tribal, and territorial wars between different factions on the continent of Africa, to this very day in the year 2015 okay! Our concern is slavery in Caribbean, and how it got here, no point of saying without the some tribal chief in Africa, perhaps there would be no slavery. Certainly the white man could enter Africa, and took without the corporation of the tribal chiefs!
With that out of the way our concentration should to eradicate the economic, and mental slavery perpetrated on our people since the abolition of organizational slavery. There is a kind of slavery in Dominica, whereas some politicians are free to say what the wish, and as soon as others speak they are arrested! That is mental slavery!
“no point of saying without the some tribal chief in Africa”
Let that read, no point of saying without the help of some tribal chief, on the African continent, and other Black corroborators, there would be no slavery!
Our forefathers could have challenged the slave buyers who ventured into West Africa, to buy us they did nothing!
Our true freedom came when the colonial government severed the British colonial yoke from around our necks. That was the ultimate freedom, which crowned us kings and queens of our own destiny. However, instead of using the opportunity to develop our country, we allow our sick political mentality to dominate our wicked mind; which caused us to victimized, prosecute, and brutalized our political opponents. How shameful?
we are still in slavery
You must be still living in the past and you were not yet born during slavery; were born many years after emancipation. God help you to broaden your mind.
Facts, you and I did not attend the same educational institutions, we did not major in the same disciplines, we do not read the books or literature. You seems to get your education from the Internet, whereas mine derive from elementary to college and university.
The pre-slavery I spoke about, concerning the tribal wars among different faction on the continent of Africa, was taught to me in an Elementry School in Wesley, in grade three, you know like in “Standard lll” (3), we term it those days, the primary level went to “Standard 7” after completing grade seven, they gave you what was called then a “School Leaving Certificate.”
In those days if one was black and poor they could not even hope to go to a secondary school, remember the era when Black people could not even work in a Bank in Dominica, Barclays, and the Canadian Royal Bank brought people from Canada and England to work in their banks!
True that. Dominicans still believe they owe a party something and even if a dog go up for the party, they would vote for it. Our late Prime Minister say it was ignorance but is more slavery mentality than anything else.
Good effort by Wiltshire and Dr Watty. Mental slavery is king Dominicans. No wonder the Skerrit clique has no website with the history of the Labour Party after 15 years in power. All we see is sell out by passport year in and year out. Only a nation laboring under the shackles of mental slavery will allow a so called attorney general to travel to Singapore to sell passport and not even understand that little Singapore is smaller than Dominica, has no rivers, and developed because if strong visionary and honest leadership. They did not sell passport to build Singapore or give hand outs. That country progressed based on giving the job to the best qualified not the best brainwashed follow de leader types as we have on Dominica. What independence? Not even a madras shirt, or shirt jack like LeBlanc chupes!
When some of you are so negative and consistently bring up matters which are better left dead, is it any wonder some say that some of you have a slavery mentality. You make it to be that way.
Facts, what you are doing here is nothing more than suggesting that Black people bury their history. We should not suggest that, because as horrible, and wicked it was to enslave a human, slavery served its purpose!
And so I may wish to ask those clowns, so called preachers who impress on their illiterate congregation, and those Dominicans who believe God is killing people with hurricane, if it was God who caused millions of Black’s to be captured, stolen, sold and brought to the Americas, and the West Indies?
In any event perhaps without slavery you and I would not be in North America, and others wherever they are commenting on this: God allow things to happen for a purpose, and slavery may have served its purpose! Our forefathers was enslaved for about four hundred years, so too were the Israelites, in Egypt. I can also give you an account on white Slavery, for they at some point and time were subjected to slavery! That is not my purpose at this time! Nevertheless, we should…
That is not my purpose at this time! Nevertheless, we should now worry about the modern day slave masters, like Skerrit, and those so called government, ministers, and prime ministers around the Caribbean; they dominate, and brutalize the citizens of our countries, they lie, to keep people in subjection!
They give handouts to their supporters who look up to them as gods, to get a few pence which aids in keeping them in poverty. The difference between this poverty, and economic slavery is that our forefathers were beaten while they work, however I suggest the food they eat to remain alive they worked for and in the process their blood was spilled, as such they earned their meal with their spilt blood!
Look carefully who are wielding the stick and holding the guns in that picture. Our own brutalizing our own, and so it will ever be until and unless we break our own mental chains.
Who gave those accounts of slavery? The same propagander machine did not allow historians to depict the white man on the horse (not seen in picture), the same way they took out all references to Africa from their bible. They have spread this successfully for many many years. Lies!
In their accounts they say it wasn’t them. The whites were quietly going down the African coast and here came some black guys flagging them down offering them slaves so they bought them. Lies! If you believe that they can sell you a flame thrower to sanitize your igloo.
You have to look at the bigger picture. This is just a drawing and can be depicted in many ways. You have to look at who came to their shores and convinced them that they should hold guns against their own people for a dollar. Is this still going on today ?
Don’t blame the end users .
Have you ever considered the possibility that they were sold those guns in return for slaves? Why do we always have to picture ourselves as the victims only, as if we only have goodness and not vices like any other human being. We should stop wallowing in self pity as an excuse for a hand out instead of relying on ourselves.
Great! A progressive theologian!!He is not afraid! He speaks truth to the powerful!
Excellent topic! I look forward to this stimulating discussion on a theme that has marked our evolution as a people. Without a doubt, Dr. Rev. Watty is a great speaker – a man of letters and the cloth. Every student thinking Dominican should attend. For the first time, let us flood the Open Campus lecture theatre. Let them beam the lecture in the car park. It’s a “must attend session.”
man its time that we teach about our history, way before slavery days. Back in africa and the kings, queens and great kingdoms. We learn of great european wars, napoleon etc…. what about the great conquests by africans, from mansa musa to hannibal…
Yes Ya Ya, we need to know about our history before slavery as this will teach us about the slave trade where our forefathers were sold into slavery by their black brothers. We also have to look at ourselves in Dominica where as a result of political greed some with no evidence at all would willingly hand over Skeritt to the Americans to be jailed.
Did you see the movie Roots? I would think practically every one saw the movie. I saw it on TV.
Who made slaves of their very own? I would think it is more than time to pass on this emancipation and slavery and leave it alone. I am not against recognizing it for it is an important part of our history. However, please do not use it against any authority. This is what some of you are doing and stating to others on this Website that they have a slave mentality, which is an insult to them, as if you do not have one. The pot always calls the kettle black.
Facts, you are on the defending again!
Lady, mental and economic slavery is worst than been in physical bondage of slavery, when the mind is enslaved there is no escape: we talk about vagrancy in Dominica, have the people in government running off their mouth talking about vagrancy ever thought for a moment that mental slavery is part of the cause!
What can one do when the are unemployed; what can one do when the see those in power own so many million houses, and expensive motor vehicles, and they lack the mere necessities of life. What is the effect on the common man who has no hope than to stoop to a politician simply to get a handout only to survive for a day.
What about those who have to kiss the Butt, of a politician, unable to speak their mind for fear of reprisal, that is mental slavery Facts! All of those people who cannot look Skerrit in his face when speaks to them are modern day slaves been kicked around by Skerrit! In case you do not know Facts, Skerrit is the…
The Back-raw slave master no longer exists; however they are replaced by black oppressors who are even more vicious than the former white, slave owners, and masters!
Today in Dominica in particular, the English slave masters are replaced by the so called modern day dictators , who keep the island and people in economic, and the slavery of poverty! He sits in his castle on the pedestal upon which modern day peasants and slaves placed him.
The lower the slaves bow at his feet the more they benefit in handouts. When shall economic slavery be abolished in The Commonwealth Republic Of Dominica?
Francisco:
Do you still have the problem with your computer? I am still experiencing same. This is a big problem.
Yes, I have some issues which might be due to a defected Wi-Fi System, I am about to reset it at this very moment. However, I am still unable to submit comments consecutively on DNO. I do not believe my WI-FI system has anything to do with that.
Great job WATTY.Hope our poor people come out and listen and hopefully they will still see the effects of slavery and it continues under the reign of Skerrit.dno no need to post its the truth.
@Grell, I am assuming that you are in Dominica. If you are, are you forced to work without compensation? Are you whipped when you refuse to work or are you jailed when you express your opinion? If such is the case please give me the name of the plantation on which you are enslaved so I could mount a rescue operation. And while I wait I will be reestablishing the gallows at the old market to greet the neck of the oppressors.
Boy, you people like to insult people, if only you knew the background of the family “Watty” perhaps you would have some respect for that man. His Family hales from Wesley, and Portsmouth; more than a hundred years ago one of his forefathers had a private School educating our people.
My grand mother was born on the first day of January 1890 and expired in 1993 in Wesley at age 103 years old! She was a very smart woman, both her and her sister, who is the grandmother to Lois Robinson; in the Marcus Gravy day were involved in the back to Africa movement.
When she was encouraging me to get a good education, I ask her about her own, that is when she told me that her teacher was Mr. Watty, and told me her parent had to pay a penny per month to go to school, that is an indication Watty’s school was perhaps one of the fist private school in Dominica.
One of Dominica’s fist lack doctor is a Watty, I believe was born in Wesley if I am not accurate it be
“Great job WATTY.Hope”
Okay Grell I blew that one, I thought I read “get a job” that is why I wrote my comments and mentioned “insults.” Although I regret that error, it may have served a purpose in reference to his family background!
Sorry!