A couple weeks ago, John Avery, one of Belize?s bright young intellectuals, made remarks critical of the Belize Black Summit, which was held last year September 12?14. This was in a letter published in this newspaper. When I asked John about it this Tuesday night, he said he had not necessarily wanted the letter published. He had only wanted me to get a sense of his thinking.

I believe that if John Avery knew what a tremendous challenge organizing Belize?s first ever Black Summit was, if he knew how much work went into it, if he knew how expensive this three-day process was, he would have been less quick to criticize. But this is the way of youth, and I see a lot of myself 25, 30 years ago when I consider John Avery. So, I accept his criticism, because it is sincere, but his criticism is mostly unjustified.

The main thrust of his criticism has to do with John?s identifying of various groups in Belize whom he considers Belize?s ?white supremacists.? My sense is that he includes in those groups everybody who is not Creole, Garifuna or Mayan.

When UBAD people like myself speak of ?white supremacy,? we refer to a world order dominated by European nations, and a Western Hemisphere dominated by a neo-European nation which was founded upon principles of racial inequality and which still cannot eliminate racial bias and ethnic bigotry. We UBAD did not consider Belize?s Lebanese, Palestinian, Jewish, Indian, and Chinese populations as white, only the Mennonites.

I do not know if there will ever be a Black Summit in Belize again. It was that hard organizing and staging the first one. I have told you this, that the first attempt by UBAD to stage a black summit was to coincide with the 25thanniversary of the founding of UBAD ? February 9, 1994.

Young black males had already begun to murder each other at an alarming rate by 1994. In 1992, the sensational Belize City murder of the Crips leader, Derek ?Itza? Brown, had been followed just two months later by the even more sensational Brooklyn revenge murder of Lyndon ?Tunan? Arnold. It was pretty obvious that black elders, thinkers and leaders needed to talk.

But in 1994, a UDP government was in place, and many UDP people in Belize City and in the United States have traditionally thought of themselves as a Creole party fighting against a PUP they consider Latin. So that, a UDP government will feel threatened by the very idea of a black summit. Remember now, that there is a large and powerful faction of Creole people in the UDP who do not consider themselves ?black,? not the way we UBAD describe ourselves in the African context. That faction of the UDP holds on to the more colonial description of ?Creole.?

The UDP in 1994 did not support the concept of a black summit. That was my assumption, and early conclusion. Perhaps I was wrong. But I have no reason to think so. In the year 2003, the ruling PUP agreed to support the concept of a black summit. That much is history.

If John Avery were more experienced than he is, then he would know that if a ruling party decides to oppose a concept such as the black summit, if they decide to oppose it with all the energy, resources and jurisdiction at their disposal, then it is well nigh impossible for such a concept to get off the ground. That is my personal opinion, and I have fought ruling parties before. I have walked the walk.

If John Avery truly believes that a better, more relevant black summit is possible, then he should begin to organize it. I can guarantee him that everything Kremandala has, would be placed at his disposal. I am willing to bet, however, that it would not take John Avery long to realize how monumental a task he would have set himself.

So, as we prepare to mark next month the first anniversary of Belize?s unprecedented Black Summit, as inadequate as it may have been, I believe that the people of the UBAD Educational Foundation and the World Garifuna Organization who did most of the work, should have a little get together to congratulate themselves on last year?s achievement. The Belize Black Summit was considered by the UEF and the WGO to be a stunning success, against the odds of history.

If we achieved nothing else last year, for those three days the Creole and Garifuna tribes achieved a rare level of communication, communion and love. Any other black summit will have to concentrate harder on integrating the Mayans. We did have their input last year, and it was spiritually inspiring. But, we should have had more.

Anyway, we have more than a month to plan a little get together. I suggest we invite John Avery as a special guest. We need to find out if he can walk as well as he can talk.

Amandala. Power to the people.

P.S. If I sound rough with John Avery, that?s the way I handle my friends. Rough.