African Opinion - Freedom Archives

INOTr : The following two letters addressed to Mr. Jom.0
Logan, director of "African Ambassadors Ball & Dinner
Committee", are released as information only .
The writer of one is the outstanding African Statesman,
Hon . Mark W. Mwithaga, member of the Kenya
Parliament, who introduced the measure to "grant
African Citizenship to her dispossessed sons and
daughters in the United States and the Caribbean" .
The other is Mr . E. U. Essien-Udom, professor of
political science at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
My dear Jomo,
I have to thank you for your letter of 19th June,
'69, which reached me on 1st July, 1969, and the
magazines which you enclosed therein, which I must
confess, enthrilled me a lot .
You may not believe it, I was somehow set to thinking
how unworthy I am to be selected by your organization
to receive this year's "Black Power Law Award",
set for the 26 October, 1969, in New York City . But
then, my philosophy on the rebirth of the African
peoples' lost shining shrines the world over could not
allow me otherwise than to accept the Award . I accept
the selection and of course the Award with open arms
and joy.
When I first thought of the need for Africa to allow
her dispossessed sons and daughters, now scattered all
over the world and mainly in America, was when I was
on a study tour of the United Kingdom. There I met
a lot of my brothers and sisters. And after interviewing
a number of them, I could not help thinking of
the ways of getting them back to their motherland,
Mother Africa .
I held and still hold a strong belief that not one of
you or your forefathers left this continent of one's
accord, but as slaves in shackles, manacles and fetters
of the white empire builders . This was a criminal act
against nature, humanity, and morality. It was a
criminal act which has to be deplored each day of our
life by all those who have pride in their being black
people ; by all those who feel that time is ripe for
Africa and her peoples wherever they may be the
world over, to rebuild the destroyed shrines . It is in
this field and this position that I find you and my
other brothers and sisters on that part of the globe.
All other peoples on the basis of their race, are busy
trying to organize their true places in this world. Yes,
the Arab world mobilization, the French intentions to
reach Canada and other parts of the globe ; the Irish
reunionization, the Jewish mobilization and Zionism,
the European and of course the white man's scramble
for the Space. Where is the Black man's position?
Merely gaining freedom and independence is not all.
It must be accompanied with absolute recognition of
his position and his origin.
We must organize to unite wherever we may be, for
it is not until then, that we can regain our pride, our
12
LETTERS FROM THE HOMELAND
rightful position, our destroyed shrines, indeed, our
heritage. We must organize for absolute freedom to
move and settle where we elect in our Mother Africa .
This is what our States must continue to be told now
and again .
You on that part of the world can rest assured of
positive victory in the end, now that you have taken
the heavy burden on your shoulders to get all with you
in that land to search for HARAMBEE (Jomo Kenvatta's
Kenyan motto for togetherness) with their
brothers and sisters in Mother Africa . You are not
alone, and you'll never be alone.
It was because you were not, are not, and will not
be alone that I took the initiative and had the courage
to table my motion in our National Assembly, to enable
all Afro-Americans and the Caribbean Islanders to
become automatic citizens of Kenya and other States
of the Organization of African Unity. I maintain this
is necessary ; I maintain this is inevitable . And I was
filled with joy when I received hundreds of letters from
that part of the world by individuals and organizations
appreciating my efforts . Indeed even the East African
Students Union wrote me a wonderful note on the
platter, and I dare say, all those appreciative notes
meant the opening of new horizons for organizing all
our peoples here and there to get to understand one
another more than ever before.
Get to work together in all spheres more than ever
before ; get to struggle together to rebuild the destroyed
shrine . It is my sincere hope that I will be able to
meet many of them if I can come to America. I should
like to see and meet the people I have so much affection
and love for . I should like to meet them in that part
of the world they were forced to. I should like to meet
the brothers and sisters I want to see allowed to return
to their Mother Africa as and when each one of them
feels the need to do so .
In the meantime, I send my warm regards to all
your co-workers, associates, activists, and sympathizers .
I send them salutations for the most sacred and glorious
struggle you and them are carrying out. I dare add
that persistence in struggle means victory .
And until I hear from you, I remain,
My dear Mr . Logan,
In Internaional Brotherhood
of the Black Peoples,
MARK W. MWITHAGA, M.P .
Nakuru Town Constituency
The delay in acknowledging your letter of 19 June,
1969 is very much regretted . I was pleased to learn
for the first time of African American For Friendship
& Retainment of our Image Culture & Arts. Naturally,
I welcome the formation of your organization realizing
the continuing need for black people in Africa and the
Western world to maintain and intensify our contacts .
I am therefore pl-ased to know that I have been unani-
AFRICAN OPINION