NATIONAL BLACK PEOPLE’S DAY OF ACTION 2013: Report

NATIONAL BLACK PEOPLE’S DAY OF ACTION 2013: Report

The annual NATIONAL BLACK PEOPLES DAY OF ACTION (NBPDA), 2nd March, is deeply rooted in Afrikan (Black) people’s history of resistance to racial oppression in Britain. In 2011, the Afrikan community ‘Named It and Claimed It’ a National Holiday, with the primary demand for ‘Nation Building’. Birthing a new tradition under the motto ‘Commemorate, Evaluate, Organise to Liberate,’ it has grown in strength and 2013 was no exception.

COMEMMORATE 

At 9am Afrikans gathered in their numbers at Fordham Park, New Cross, in London — from as far afield as Bristol, Bradford, High Wycombe and The Midlands — for a commemorative procession. Veteran historian and activist Elder Cecil Gutzmore, of the Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum, set the tone by breaking down the context of the day and its history. On the 2nd March 1981 — 25, 000 Afrikan men, women and children took to the streets of London in a powerful protest for the first NBPDA in Britain. This event was sparked by the New Cross Massacre (NCM), a suspected racist fire bomb attack, killing 13 young Afrikans and injuring many more.

Far from being an isolated incident, Elder Cecil reminded us that the local area had been the scene of racist violence for many years, and how the New Cross fire was one of the triggers that led to the uprisings of Black youths in Brixton, and other Black communities in that same year. Fuelled with this valuable insight, the procession commenced, weaving its way through the streets of New Cross south-east London, with chants calling for Justice!  Led by Bro Ldr Mbandaka, Co Chair of iNAPP, and Spiritual Leader of the Alkebulan Revivalist Movement. The procession paused at 439, New Cross Road, Lewisham — the site of the New Cross Fire — to pour Libation and honour the lives of the victims, survivors and their families. Accompanied by the Alkebulan drummers, there then followed a lively and animated march, which exuded positive atmosphere under directed chants of: “NEW CROSS FIRE DAT AH MURDER!”, and “THIRTEEN DEAD AND NOTHING SAID!” and …”NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!” We then moved on to Lewisham police station, where we remembered and condemned the brutal treatment of survivors by police, who had obstructed the course of justice, by failing to properly investigate the incident back in 1981.

EVALUATE 

In 2011 when Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka and Prof. Gus John put out the call for NBPDA commemoration, it was understood that the day would not be given to mere remembrance. For the past thirty years, Afrikans in Britain had been facing the same injustices, in light of which, it was decided that it was clearly time for ACTION. This inspired the call for a “National Afrikan People’s Parliament (NAPP)”, a nationwide, independent, representative body, mandated to promote, preserve and protect the best interest of Afrikan people domiciled in the UK. Various interviews from the march can be viewed by clicking NAPPmedia. After dispersing from Lewisham Police station, the masses reconvened in their hundreds at the Convention, held at the JK Banqueting Suite hall, Forest Hill, to

forward the agenda, around the theme, ‘Rebirth of a Nation’. (A promotional music video performed by Amen Noir and Nyrai Kizzy, entitled: Black Butterfly, was produced as part of the Media & Publicity strategy to promote the NBPDA)

ORGANISE 

The packed convention opened with multi-faith prayers followed by an interactive story telling for the children, by Mama Yishibah of the African Hebrew Israelites. The interim NAPP Youth Core (yNAPP) then took to the platform, with a powerful artistic representation from Sister Maskelah, doing a rendition of Sister Olive Morris on the theme of Stop & Search. This was followed by Youth Core Leader, Sister Afryea Adofo, of Afrika Bantu Saturday School, who outlined the programme for iNAPP Youth engagement for the coming year, affirming: “As youths, we cannot create any excuses for not getting involved. It is our duty and responsibility.”

iNAPP Media & Publicity co chairs Sis Sonia, of Black History Studies, and Mama Yishibah then unveiled the iNAPP website, as a community interface for interactive development. Sister Jendayi Serwah, iNAPP vice chair, of the John Lynch Afrikan Education Programme, followed by presenting the first draft of the iNAPP manifesto, thus initiating the Manifesto Community Consultation Process. Vice chairs, Sister Asher Jean-Baptiste and Brother Kojo Asare-Bonsu, of Afrikan Heartbeat, then spoke on the need for National mobilisation, especially in the out of London regions.

LIBERATE 

Then came the key note address by Sister Ekua Stanford-Xosei, iNAPP Co-Chair, of the Pan-African Reparations Coalition of Europe (PARCOE). Crystallising the vision and purpose of iNAPP, she declared: “We’re about a rebirth of a nation.  And it’s very simple. We need a vehicle, a platform, a lobby group, a parliament, a representative body that will shape policy, that seeks to govern ourselves…. together under this united front of a National Afrikan People’s Parliament….. It’s no small feat what we are trying to do… we need all of you to come on board.  Do you want to become part of this nation building process or not?  Or are you going to keep trying to carve out a place for yourself within the British nation.  That’s the two choices that we have.”

The final session of the day, was a thought provoking Q&A session chaired by Sis Lorna Campbell, of Black History Studies, which was conducted with a panel consisting of iNAPP subcommittee co-chairs; Sis. Ekua Stanford-Xosei, Legal & Constitution, Bro. Kojo Asare-Bonsu, Defence & Security, Sonia Scully, Media & Publicity, Omowale Kwaw, Finance & Fundraising, and Afryea Adofo of the Youth Core. The event was concluded with the usual unity circle, giving thanks for a much needed commemoration, with a distinct sense of greater things to come.

Tafadzwa ShakaRa Mbandaka
iNAPP, Media & Publicity

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