Remembering and Honoring 1619 - 2019 Film and Discussion

                                      By Annette Walker

     "Genocide and slavery are crimes against humanity," said Roz Duman in her introductory remarks at the recent 1619-2019 commemorative event.

     Duman is the Founder and Executive Director of the Coalition Against Global Genocide (CAGG) which convened the recognition of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans to be sold into bondage on North American shores.

     She pointed out that genocide involves the intentional mass physical elimination of a group of people by a state, other authority or another group of people.  According to the United Nations over the past 40 years genocides have occurred in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, the Darfur region of the Sudan, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and northern Iraq (the Yazids).

     The United Nations estimates that there are approximately 40 million people currently enslaved worldwide.  The UN defines slavery as ". . . .forced labor so that the slaveholder can extract profit."  However, the UN has expanded the concept of slavery to include forced child labor, child soldiers, sex trafficking and forced marriage.  Although slavery exists throughout the world, the UN has determined that the highest concentrations are in the Asia/Pacific region, the Arab states and sub-Saharan Africa.  Canada and the United States are among the multitudes of nations listed for sex trafficking.

     "CAGG's mission is to educate, motivate and empower individuals and communities to oppose genocide and other crimes against humanity." said Duman who established the nonprofit organization in 2008.  The Denver Urban Spectrum and the Denver Film Festival co-sponsored the event which was held at the McNichols Civic Center Building.

     "The ravages of slavery and genocide continue to impact humanity on a global scale and while different, are not mutually exclusive," said Alonzo Porter, Denver Urban Spectrum Editor and journalism professor.  "There is purposeful dehumanization lending to unintentional apathy on behalf of the industrialized world, allowing these atrocities to continue to flourish." he continued.

     "We know that issues in films create conversations and that is part of the mission of the Denver Film Festival, said Kevin Smith, Director of Marketing and Partnerships.  "We are focused on building community partnerships for these important conversations."  

     There was a screening of "The Downward Spiral" which is Episode One of the 4-part series Slavery and the Making of America.  Directed and produced by Dante James, it opens in the 1620s with the introduction of 11 men of African descent and mixed ethnicity into slavery in New Amsterdam.  Working side by side with white indentured servants, these men labored to lay the foundations of the Dutch colony that would later become New York.  There were no laws defining the limitations imposed on slaves at this point in time.  Enslaved people, such as Anthony d'Angola, Emmanuel Driggus, ad Frances Driggus could bring lawsuits to court, earn wages, and marry.

     Narrated by Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman, the series examines the integral role slavery played in shaping the new country and challenges the long-held notion that it was exclusively a Southern enterprise.  The remarkable stories of individual slaves offer fresh perspectives on the slave experience.

     The series was broadcast on PBS in 2005.  "The vision for the series was that the enslaved were not passive victims," said James.  "They fought their oppression in every way possible.  Slavery was and continues to be a critical factor in shaping the United States.  Consequently, we must understand slavery if we are ever to be emancipated from its consequences," he continued.

     During the post-screening discussion, Dr. Rachel Harding, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, Denver campus elaborated on the need for the recognition of the 400th anniversary.  "It's important to acknowledge the 1619-2019 historical marker because it is one way to recognize the central role that Africans and their descendants played in the creation of our nation," she said.  "On the one hand, it's important to understand how fundamental Black people's forced, unpaid, and then underpaid labor has been to the creation of the extraordinary wealth of the United States.  Even after the abolition of slavery, the economic and social structures of our society continued to plunder the wealth and resources of Black communities through segregation, redlining, mass incarceration and terrible disparities in education, health and employment," she continued.

     "On the other hand, it's also essential to recognize that African-Americans have constantly pushed the country toward its most significant democratic advances.  That is to say, Black people have been at the forefront of most of the historical struggles that have moved the United States in the direction of greater democracy.  Among these struggles have been the Abolitionist Movement, the Labor Movement, the Women's Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  All of these efforts were either led by Black people or had crucial African-American participation."

    Rev. Quincy Shannon, who is also on the faculty at the Denver School of Science and Technology, commented on the current movement for reparations. 

"By definition, reparations means 'making amends for a wrong by paying to or helping those who have been wronged'.  My premise is that reparations within the yet to be United States is a joke because America has yet to fully be honest about our past.  It's difficult to make amends for something that some erase out of history books and downplay as a smaller event than it was."

     Shannon also pointed out issues facing the African-American community.  "Mass incarceration is plaguing the Black community," he said.  "Another problem is the way we have allowed media to develop what being Black is.  We are often associated with that which is bad and framed in a way that is detrimental to our communities." 

     Joel Odonkor, a native of Ghana and resident of Denver, reflected on the 400th anniversary.  "There is a spirit in Americans of African origin that can

never be killed nor destroyed no matter what.  I believe the awareness and the recognition of this 400-year period is a testament to the resiliency and strength of the African spirit no matter where and how it finds itself.  I believe the awareness should be more meaningful to the American of African origin than anyone else.  We should use it as a platform for renewal."

   (This article originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of the

       Denver Urban Spectrum)

   

           Sudanese Community Rallies Outside State Capitol.  

                 The Struggle for Justice in their Homeland Continues.

                                                    by Annette Walker

      Several hundred local Sudanese rallied on Sunday, June 30 at the Colorado State Capitol Building.

      The event was organized by the Colorado chapter of the Sudanese-American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA), a national organization currently headquartered in Denver.

      Although SAPAA's general mission is to promote and strengthen the well-being of Sudanese-American communities, the June 30 event was motivated by the political situation in the Sudan.

     "We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Sudan," said Wafa Saeed, SAPAA's Executive Director.   "June 30 is the anniversary of the beginning of the 30-year dictatorship, and we wanted to represent our opposition to that", she continued.

     Sudanese-Americans in other parts of the United States and internationally organized similar rallies.

     For the past few decades the Sudan has received global attention for the massive displacement and death of hundreds of thousands of its citizens due to political reasons. 

     "Since its independence from Britain in 1956, Sudan has been bedeviled by a succession of civil wars and political instability," said Ahmad Sikainga, a native of Sudan and Professor of History at Ohio State University.  "These conflicts can be attributed to the deeply rooted regional, political and economic inequalities that have persisted for decades," he continued.

     Sikainga noted the role of government and the social elite in the continuing conflicts.  "These inequalities are exemplified by the political, economic, and cultural hegemony of a small group of Arabic-speaking Sudanese elites who have held power and systematically marginalized the non-Arab and non-Muslim groups in the country's peripheries."

     Until 2011 the Sudan was Africa's largest nation in area.  Its regional conflicts have been serious enough to garner global attention.

     The northern region includes Khartoum, the capital city, and always the center of power.  Over 90% of the inhabitants are Muslims and many are of Arab origin.

     The southern region is primarily inhabited by Christians and practitioners of African indigenous religions.  Resistance to northern political dominance has been continuous.  Tension increased after the 1978 discovery of oil in the southern region.

     After independence from Britain, the idea of dividing the Sudan into separate nations became common and formed the basis of the establishment of various political groups in the South.

     The western region of Darfur has been a major conflict area.  Ironically, many of the inhabitants are Muslims, and conflicts are related to resources and governance. 

     On June 30, 1989 General Omar al-Bashir led a military coup against Sudan's elected government.  He was eventually appointed president, but established a military government.  His tenure in power was so oppressive that in 2009 he was among the first world leaders to be issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.  The Court allows the accused to turn themselves in.  Al-Bashir refused, but ceased to join other world leaders at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

     In 2009 the United Nations described the Sudan under al-Bashir as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis".  This was in reference to the Darfur conflict in which over 300,000 persons have been killed and thousands displaced into refugee camps, often in neighboring countries,

     There have been periods when political parties were banned.  When the bans were lifted, the Bashir government made life very unpleasant for vocal political opponents.

     In July 2011 South Sudan officially became a separate nation.

     In the Sudan (North Sudan) there was a steady increase in civil protests over a variety of issues.  The Bashir government responded with arrests and attacks on media coverage of events and general persecution of opposition politicians.

     On April 11 of this year the military toppled Bashir in a coup and pledged a two-year transition to democracy.  Protests continued with demands for participation in the political process.  In July, the military agreed to engage in discussions with the pro-democracy movement. 

  

                  SAPAA Responds and Local Activities

      "SAPAA is cautious about the agreement," said Wafa Saeed.  "We are watching the process," she continued.

       At the June 30 event, many were attired in light blue T-shirts, blouses and shirts.  This is in honor of a young artist killed by government forces in early June.  He used blue in his artwork and had suggested that it become the official color of the Sudan.

     Meantime SAPAA will continue its work with a Convention and Youth Summit in early August in Denver.  One of SAPAA's goals in to assist with the adjustment of Sudanese children and youth to U.S. society.

     SAPAA estimates that there are approximately 200,000 Sudanese residing in the United States.  There are approximately 5,000 residing in Colorado, primarily in the metropolitan Denver area.

(This article originally appeared in the August 2019 edition of the Denver Urban Spectrum(

 Joe Neguse Makes History and Will Work to 'Keep Hope Alive".

                                                             by Annette Walker

     “With so much vitriol right now in Washington and our political system, we must remember that, while fear is contagious, so is hope," said Joe Neguse immediately following his electoral victory last November.   "Tonight, I am deeply hopeful for the future of our country, as we work together to rebuild our democracy." 

     Neguse's victory is historic, making him Colorado's first African-American to be elected to the United States Congress.  He represents the 2nd Congressional District which encompasses Boulder, Fort Collins, Vail, Grand Lake, Idaho Springs, Broomfield, Clear Creek, and Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Summit and Park counties.  The district also includes Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster.

     Neguse has been a resident of Lafayette (Boulder County) for the past 15 years.  

     He replaces Governor-elect Jared Polis in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Neguse, a Democrat, won 60 percent of the vote over Republican Peter Yu's 34 percent as well as the Libertarian and independent candidates.

     At age 34, he is the youngest member of Colorado's Congressional delegation and one of the youngest in the U.S. Congress.  The son of Eritrean refugees who fled during the armed conflict against Ethiopia, Neguse is one of two newly-elected Congresspersons who are children of African immigrants.  (The other is Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota.  Born in Somalia, her family fled that war-torn nation and in 1995 received refugee status in the United States.)

     Neguse's parents were granted asylum and became naturalized citizens.  Born in Bakersfield, California, he came to Colorado with his family when he was six years old.  They lived in Aurora and Littleton, and he graduated from Thunderidge High School in Douglas County.

     At Thunderidge he commenced what has become steady engagement in organizing and public service work.  "I was involved with student government and served as class president," he said.

     He attributes his continued activism to his parents' influence.

     "At an early age my parents emphasized the importance of taking advantage of opportunities that do not exist in all countries," he said.  "My parents never forgot nor took for granted the freedom and opportunities the United States gave them and their children."

     After graduation, he entered the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Under CU's tri-executive system, Neguse served as co-student body president.  Other Coloradans who held that position and later moved into politics are State Senator Steve Feinberg and State Representative Leslie Herod.

     Neguse points out that Colorado's public education system is one of the lowest-funded in the United States.  "During my time as a tri-executive one of our goals was to increase funding for public education."

     He majored in political science and economics and graduated 'summa cum laude'.

     One of his first jobs was working for then-Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Andrew Romanoff.  During that time Neguse co-founded New Era Colorado, which became the state's largest youth voter registration and mobilization non-profit in Colorado.

     The organization, which has been featured in the New York Times and Time magazine, registered thousands of young people to vote across the state.  It also secured passage of legislation at the state level for online voter registration and voter pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-old persons.  Climate change has also been a key focus for the group.

     "New Era Colorado was an effort to encourage young people to get involved in the political process," Neguse said.  "We know that when more people participate, we have a better outcome."

     He enrolled in CU's law school and while there was elected in 2008 to represent the 2nd Congressional District o the CU Board of Regents.  He was the second African-American to be elected a Regent.  He served a six-year term on the Board, which oversees the CU System and is the fourth largest employer in the state with an operating budget of $3.4 billion.  For two years he was Chair of the Audit Committee.

     As a Regent, Neguse fought to make higher education more affordable and accessible.  He sponsored several resolutions that received bi-partisan support, including efforts to lower student health insurance costs and make voter registration more accessible to students, as well as working to increase wages for the University's lowest paid workers.

     In 2014 he was a candidate for Colorado Secretary of State.  He lost to Wayne Williams, 47.5% to 44.9%.  

     Following his term as Regent, Neguse was appointed at age 31 by Governor John Hickenlooper to lead the state's Consumer Protection Agency, making him one of the youngest people to serve in a state Cabinet across the country.  He led the department--an agency with roughly 600 employees and a $90 million budget--for two years, leading the fight to expand economic opportunities by protecting the civil rights of every Coloradan and strengthening consumer protections and safeguards.

     During his tenure the agency achieved key victories, including the recovery of millions of dollars for consumers, investigations culminating in significant financial-fraud cases, the championing of legislation to combat financial fraud against seniors, and the launching of the state's first online filing system for civil rights discrimination complaints.  

     In recognition of his work to expand the agency's consumer protection mission, Neguse was awarded the 2017 'Consumer Protection Award' by the International Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation.

     Neguse's campaign platform included supporting a single-payer Medicare-for-all type plan that Jarred Polis also championed in Congress.  During last year's campaign he elaborated on his health-care vision during an interview with Westword publication.

     "When I visit with folks across the district, . . . . .one thing is clear:  Folks are incredibly concerned about their ability to afford quality health care.  A family shouldn't have to choose between paying their mortgage and taking their children to the doctor.  Families shouldn't have to go bankrupt if a loved one gets sick.  From my perspective, the solution is universal health care," he said.

     "And we should fight for that not just on moral grounds, but on economic grounds.  In the current system, we spend more per capita related to our GDP on health care than any other country in the Western world, countries like Canada Australia and various countries in Europe.  We also have poor health outcomes on a number of different statistical fronts.  You look at infant mortality rates as one example, or maternal mortality rates compared to those countries that have some form of universal health care," he continued.

                                         Endorsements

     Given Neguse's passion for universal health care and lowering the cost of public education, it is not surprising that before the November election, Senator Bernie Sanders turned up in Boulder to stump for Neguse as well as Jared Polis.

     Neguse received an impressive range of endorsements.  Most notable was support from labor organizations, including Colorado AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America, United Food and Commercial Workers, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Association of Letter Carriers, Airline Pilots Association, American Postal Workers Union, Local 105 of SEIU (Service Employees International Union), Pipefitters Union Local 208, Plumbers Union Local 301, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), and the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. 

     He also received broad support from elected and former elected officials from the 2nd Congressional District and other parts of Colorado.  Former Mayor Wellington Webb and former State Representative Wilma Webb as well as current African-American elected officials endorsed Neguse.  State Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman, former State Senator Polly Baca, State Senators Leroy Garcia and Dominick Moreno, and State Board of Education member Val Flores were among the plethora of support received.

     Neguse is settling into his new role in Washington, D.C. with his wife Andrea (who is from Broomfield) and infant daughter, Natalie.

     "I will continue my work to raise the minimum wage and to ensure Medicare-for-all," he said.  He has some optimism regarding bi-partisanship in Congress.  "I believe Democrats and Republicans can work together on legislation regarding infrastructure, the drug crisis and immigration," he said.

     Joseph (Joe) Neguse joins Rev. Jesse Jackson (‘Keep Hope Alive’) and former President Barack Obama (‘The Audacity of Hope’) in using the political platform to inspire hope.

     He has confidence in his role to positively influence the daily lives of Colorado residents.  He is working fearlessly to represent the voice of the people with his favorite saying in mind, "Fear may be contagious, but so is hope".

     (This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of the Denver Urban Spectrum.)