Hilary Robertson-Hickling

The coincidences of history have allowed the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British Slave Trade, the 50th anniversary of Ghana, and the Cricket World Cup which consists of nations and players who were once either the colonized or the colonizers in the British Empire, to occur at this time. History is still unfolding in the 21st century and some of the old issues are still alive and problematic.

The paradox of the hymn Amazing Grace is that its writer was a slave holder and would today be guilty of human trafficking. The tune issupposed to have come from African-American slaves' efforts to sing the Lord's song in a strange land.

Christianity's duplicitous role in this sordid episode of slavery and the slave trade should be identified; and the apology of the Pope in Cuba and the Archbishop of Canterbury in England are a good beginning to righting the wrongs. The film by the same name of the hymn should be careful not to credit benevolent abolitionists with the end of the trade. Unknown numbers of Africans in the New World fought and died for the change to be made.

Ghana's struggle for independence as well as some of the problems in Africa particularly in those countries that were decimated by the slave trade are also connected to this past. Twenty-first century solutions to the problems created by this history must be developed. We are faced with a legacy of violence, racism, psychological and economic exploitation and efforts by the same old slave masters to continue to set the agenda of the world. Reparations represent only one part of a large agenda which requires articulation and action.

Racism

Throughout the Americas, the new millennium's version of racism and apartheid is embedded and without its removal there will continue to be difficulties. It is very difficult for many of us to articulate the feelings of worthlessness and unspeakable shame of being hated because of the colour of one's skin. That is then internalised to become a hatred of self and one's own kind and a desire to become like that of the oppressor. In that context, bleaching makes a lot of sense and a language and ethos of denial of the impact of racism emerge by way of our own apologists who glory in the benefits of being enslaved.

I am amazed that so many Africans and their descendants survived and even thrive in a world which has used every possible weapon to attempt to destroy them. Some of our own colluded with the enslaver and Ghana is making efforts to address this fact by such initiatives as the Joseph Project which seeks to repair the breaches caused by slavery and emerged in the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers who sold him into slavery in Egypt. Some like Erna Brodber, our own panafricanist scholar and community activist, have suggested how we might go forward.

The efforts to promote the Cricket World Cup have indeed taken us beyond the boundary, according to another intellectual giant, C.L.R. James. The global audience could see themselves whether they have come from Africa, Asia, Europe or the Americas or Australasia. We in this region have also proven to ourselves and to the world that we are capable of excellence. There are problems and cost overruns but physically, psychologically and economically we have risen to the challenge. We have to continue to go ahead. That would be the ultimate demonstration of amazing grace.