Dear Editor,
An organisation recently formed to promote African culture, heritage, unity, and to drive and empower communities in positive social change, among other noble ideals, plans to host its own Emancipation Day festivities.
This has evoked the ire of another organization, who sees this development as a ‘contemptuous and wicked ploy’ to divide and destroy, and has called for the cancellation of the event in support of the traditional event.
The call suggests the right to host Emancipation celebrations is owned exclusively by the traditional organization, and no other is allowed to challenge that right. This is Pure balderdash!
Every year, at this time, the ugly head of divisiveness, discord, disunity, animosity, among several other adjectives, must rise to the surface in what is essentially a time of celebrating and commemorating an occasion of our people. Why does it have to be this way?
Africans organizing and promoting an African event to showcase cultures and values of the African people are deemed and labelled ‘contemptuous and wicked’. Now, who is being disingenuous?
Sincerely,
Shamshun Mohamed
