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Friday, March 29, 2024

World Down Syndrome Day

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                                                                                   Al

Features                                                                                   Al

                                                                                 

I have often wondered who would’ve suffered “the slings and arrows” if in 1969, Evan X Hyde and his band of troublemakers, including Rufus X, and the rest of those misfits hadn’t introduced a new movement within the psyche of Belize. Making mischief and arousing curiosity in the minds of a very laid back, submissive society, submissive to the demands of a colonial system that taught us to play along, to get along. Raising alarms in the political sphere, already afraid of the upheavals to come, branding these heroes as communists, black panthers, and every conceivable negative description they could invent, to try and discourage the growth of an unstoppable phenomenon. Who would have stepped in?  I can’t think of anyone, any other organization that would’ve have taught us roots culture, revolution and chaos, to bring changes to the way we saw ourselves. If not for them we’d probably be like the British Virgin Islands, or Bermuda, playground for the rich and famous, and still dependent on our saviors from across the seas. They played a critical role in preparing us for the advent of independence!

The word “Al”, is derived from the people of color in Africa and Central Asia, who developed the alphabet, algorithms, algebra, arithmetic, astronomy! I’m talking about beginning around 2500 B. C., into the 7th century. Not recently, by recently I mean, in the last 1000 years. The Egyptians, the Babylonians, now Iraq, and Central Asia are responsible for most of the scientific advancements we enjoy today. Europe was still in the very dark ages, very dark, filled with superstitions, savagery, and ignorance, and that includes Greece, which in some quarters is credited for illuminating the world. Such hogwash!

The Europeans, once they found their footing, referred to us, people of color, as savages, as they raped and pillaged the world, especially the now Third World, of its riches. Seriously? Everything that made it possible for them to become prosperous was because of the established works of science, mathematics and literature of people of color, the savages!

I really don’t know why the first true thinkers and inventors didn’t rule the world; they could have. But I believe that it was because of their humanity, their respect for the universe that was, then. They didn’t have the savagery of the Europeans in their mindset, to just take and destroy and rule everything they saw and could conquer. In a historical rewrite, the Europeans took credit for everything. Their stories are about glorious victories, unbelievable scientific discoveries, about conquests and bringing light into the world. Africa, the dark continent! The Middle East, the Americas, saved and enlightened by the Europeans! If it weren’t so tragic, it would be funny. As far as they were concerned, there were no Als.

If not for UBAD, who would’ve stepped into the breach and suffered “the slings and arrows?” It’s a question that I don’t believe can be answered. We must never forget where we came from, or how our legacy was stolen, and how we became marginalized, became slaves, less than, when once upon a time we were the true kings, the teachers, the enlightened ones, in every true sense! Savages? We don’t know no stinking savages! Admiral, Alcoser, Alamilla, Guadalajara, all Arabic names! You can call me Al!

Glen

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