The Diaspora Declaration By Dr. Frederick Monderson

At 11:00 AM July 7, 2022, patriots of “Mother Africa” revealed The Diaspora Declaration in front of the United Nations. Many persons are familiar with the Seven Principles of Kwanza, viz.,

Umoja (Unity): unity among family, community, and African people.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): being able to define, name, create, and speak for ourselves as Africans.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): problem solving and building and maintaining cohesiveness.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): pooling resources to build and maintain businesses to profit from such.

Nia (Purpose): to work collectively building communities to restore the greatness of Africa’s people and institutions.

Kuumba (Creativity): to move Africa forward in a better condition that when those today first encountered Mother Africa.

Imani (Faith): having faith and belief in God, our families, our leaders, our young and to see Africans progress worldwide.

Outside the United Nations, the Delegation begins walking towards the African Union office symbolically reversing the Transatlantic voyage of Enslaved Africans.

On this historic day, the DaylightAfrica.org announced the Transatlantic Family Reunification Declaration (TFRD), a movement calling attention to Africa’s obligations to its sons and daughters in the Diaspora directly affected by the Transatlantic Enslavement Trade. In a clear and united voice, the Declaration issued the Diaspora Declaration document of Seven Principles entitled:

1. A full restoration of African citizenship privileges for all descendants of Transatlantic Enslavement Trades.

2. A full restoration of connections to the continent with respect to all the connections enjoyed by the Africans born in the continent.

3. A full restoration of ties to cultures, religions, ethnicities, languages, legacies, identities, families, traditions, names, African personhood and history.

4. A full restoration of birthrights to live, work, establish enterprise, marry, invest and having dual citizenships, where applicable.

5. A full restoration of dignity, honor, respect, tribal/ethnic ties and honorary societal accolades.

6. A full restoration of birthrights to represent multinational corporations doing businesses in Africa from the diaspora, and,

7. A full restoration of birthrights’ unfettered access to all things African globally.

Gathering at the United Nation’s “Ark of Return,” in the distinguished presence of Harlem’s Queen Mother Dr. Delores Blakeley, along with Ambassadors, African patriots and friends, the Delegation then walked to the African Union Headquarters to symbolically mirror the Atlantic Ocean crossing in reverse towards the “Door of No Return” thereby fully opening the “Door of Return.” There they delivered the Diaspora Declaration to the representatives of the African Union. What made this symbolic walk important, is its effort to galvanize continental African conscious awareness of the Return that mirrors Sonny Carson earlier, though individually, opening the “Door of Return” by transporting his ancestor, “The Runaway, Samuel Carson,” to Ghana, some 25-years ago on August 1, 1998. This development encouraged Ghana’s President Jerry Rawlings to initiate the First Emancipation Day Ceremony with the “Runaway” as the symbolic motif. Thus, on August 1, 2023, Africans worldwide will have an opportunity to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of this momentous occasion that culminated when another enslaved African female, Crystal from Jamaica, West Indies, was transported and buried beside Samuel Carson at a place named Asin Manso; that is, beside the river where Africans were given their last bath before being ushered through the “Door of No Return.” Sonny Carson’s intent in “The Bones of his ancestor’s return” was to create a site of pilgrimage for Africans seeking their roots and to have a starting point in Africa to regain their African consciousness so ruthlessly ruptured in the ghastly undertaking. Therein, lies the need for bold and thoughtful action for unity in Africanness with inherent ramifications of Return. The historic act of furthering the Return, begs the important question, “If not now, when?” and “If not us, by whom?”

This call for action by Africans worldwide goes beyond the call for unity but stresses commitment and constructive collective action and effort to further the well-being, welfare and future of Africans and their sons and daughters, even as Marcus Garvey insisted; for, “Those at home and those abroad!” Thus, the intent of today’s declaration and clarion call, mirrors the admonition of the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, who exhorted, “Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will!”

This galvanizing effort, mindful of the devastating psychological and emotional ravages of the Slave Trade, the great and devastating assault on Africa in which “Partition on Paper” and “Partition on Land,” actively consumed “Mother Africa, brings to mind African steadfastness as in prelude to the Battle of Adowa of 1896. Then, Emperor Menelik II issued a call to Ethiopians, “Meet me at Baromeda to fight the oppressive invaders.” The same patriotic and stalworth nationalism in defense of Africa was demonstrated by Shaka Zulu, Samori Toure, Moshesh – the Basuto, Cetawayo and similarly Nana Yaa Asantewaa and Queen Nzinga, among others, in efforts of furtherance of the well-being of Africa’s children, the well-being of Africa itself, and in defense of Africa’s territorial integrity, humanity, culture and defense.

Standing outside the Office of the African Union, Queen Mother Dr. Delores Blakeley (center) with members of the Delegation as they exhibit copies of the Diaspora Declaration.

The present times are challenging and changing, for even as W.E.B. DuBois had nurtured the Pan-African Movement with assistance from Sylvester Williams and George Padmore, he then passed leadership on to Kwame Nkrumah while endorsing the Fifth Pan-African Congress at Manchester, England, at the end of World War II, in 1945. As Chairman, Nkrumah there received a Mandate to decolonize Africa and bring about its Independence. Also, let us not forget Blaise Diagne, great Senegalese, who recruited some 100,000 Africans to help France stave off German assault in World War I. Thus, as the world currently realigns and readjusts itself, if Africans don’t pay heed and act in the continent’s best interest; Africa may again be colonized under new forms of neo-colonialism; so, there may not be a more appropriate time to stress oneness of African people across the globe.

Mitta Monderson dressed in colors of the Ghana flag on March 6, 1957 (left) and her mother, Cherise Preville, a Garveyite from as early as 1920, early Pan-African Internationalists.

My Name is Dr. Fred Monderson, born in Georgetown, Guyana, a member of the Pan African Movement, Guyana Branch, and Chairman of the “Bones Committee” that returned the “Bones of Samuel Carson” to Ghana in 1998. My mother, Mitt Monderson, Secretary of the African Apostolic Brotherhood Church, is pictured on March 6, 1957, wearing the colors of the Ghanaian flag, fighting for that nation and Africa’s freedom. Much of this Pan-African Internationalism, she learned from my grandmother Cherise Preville, who in 1920, at 25 years old, was a member of Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa Movement. I am simply continuing that Pan-African Internationalist and African tradition of clear thinking and insightful action in defense and furtherance of Africa’s well-being.