Voolavex

Ben Carson, M.D. – The Dreamlife of a Fool March 7, 2017

(Originally posted as “Won’t You Let US Take You on A Sea Cruise?”)

A little-known part of  American History has been revealed to us recently. And since it came from the mouth of an African-American – it should have been received with gratitude because it finally cleared up a long time argument in this country. – But some of us caught the comments and it bears further inquiry.  Oh that Dr. Ben Carson had expanded his words to include a timeline for the advent of Africans into this not yet country?  Even before this land became a new one conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men were created equal – Africans from the west coast of that great continent were pushing and shoving to board ships to take them to a better life in as early as 1444.  Spain gave “The Asiento” to Britain for the exclusive transport of these happy immigrants who sought a better life in the New World (no, I didn’t forget Pope Nicholas V who added his imprimatur.  in that same decade). You didn’t know that?    And who welcomed these dark-skinned human beings and granted them lifetime citizenship?  Why Maryland of course and it was a reversal of a previous law that allowed them access to Christianity and the freedom to move about the land. Yet by 1725 Virginia did see the founding of an African American Baptist church. Nonetheless, African religious customs of many countries were incorporated in that faith;  no Eurocentric Jesus as their savior.  By this time, there are estimated to be 75,000 brand new citizens – with guaranteed jobs,  in the colonies.  The creation of jobs appealed to the newcomers and despite the language issues – they increased the colonies’ profits enormously. (An aside about language – just as the wave of refugees in 1908 were a polyglot, so too were the Africans – despite the idea that these first “African-Americans”  all communicated in a sort of “lingua franca” – they didn’t.  The language on those ships was a linguistic Babylon; Hausa, Ibo,  Yoruba, Wolof and to some degree Swahili [although it is an Eastern African language] and small subgroups influenced by travel agents (mostly Arabs)  and other Europeans tongues who facilitated these voyages to a better life.   Are you as surprised at this hidden history as I was when I heard it – from the mouth of a descendant of those very immigrants?

Why have these facts not been in play for so many years?  Why did we just learn, from a Cabinet member, of this body of the events in the year 2017?  Who perpetuated this horrid scenario of “slave markets”, crowded ships and mistreatment when these Africans were, in fact, simply humans seeking a better life in a free land.  Why have we been exposed to the ugly propaganda of “slavery”.  Was the entire Civil War a hoax.  Alt-fact?  Fake history?  Were the “slave owning” Framers of our Constitution ( an aggregate of about 1400 “captives between them) a myth?  Why did we even invent a Civil War.?  “A house divided among itself shall perish” – a fiction?

When a physician – a man of medicine – reveals something that may actually be called a “bombshell” – who are we and who are the African-Americans to protest?  The so-called enslaved and stolen humans of Africa were no different than the wave of Europeans flooding New York Harbour – with their families searching for the streets paved with gold.  According to this revered man of medicine – we – as Americans – have been fed a bill of goods.  How will this nation absorb this news?  You tell me because I am well and truly confused.  I had a dream too.

Ref:  Kevin  C. Davis.  Ali A. and Alamin M. Mazrui