African American History

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Katara-Rhythm presents a 12 part series on Slavery of a African Americans.  We should never forget how we came to be in this land that we, as well as other races from all points of the globe built into what it is today. Our United States of America.

 by K-R Staff Writers

To understand how slavery came about, one must understand the principles of power and economics. Since the beginning of time, a variety of individuals in all shapes and colors have sought power, and all the trappings that come with the status, authority, and ability to command another human being. More often than not, power equates to wealth and the immediate necessity of the wealthy to stay wealthy.

Money (currency of the time which can take on many forms) often drives the wealthy to take actions, which they hope will increase their wealth and that of their immediate families. The not so wealthy see how the rich live, act and are somewhat envious of their lifestyle and try to draft a plan to acquire their own fortune. It has been a practice since the dawn of time. “Get Rich” principles were practiced in hamlets, villages, towns, countries, and empires throughout the history of the world. It is just as prevalent today as it was then. Most people would rather be rich than middle class. Historically, some people didn’t care how they got rich or lived comfortably they just wanted to be wealthy.

The word Slave is derived from the Latin noun servus, which is interpreted as servant. In ancient times, servants were usually slaves.

As people began establishing permanent communities with agriculture as the staple of its economy, slavery became a necessity. The laborer could be bought, sold, or traded as any other piece of property owned by another human being. Florentenus, A Roman Lawyer from the 2^nd century AD is quoted to have stated, “Slavery is an institution of the law of nations, whereby a man is-contrary to nature-subjected to the ownership of another”. Thus, people of that era found legal rationalization for slavery. 

The practice was written into the laws of nearly every early civilization. The so-called Roman Empire was supported by the labors and sweat of slaves from all nationalities. Revolts, serfdom people bound to the land on which they lived), and the slaves ability to buy their freedom contributed to the decline of slavery towards the end of the 10^th century.

 A revival of slavery occurred in the 15^th century, as Europeans begin exploring Africa. The Portuguese was the first to introduce African slaves to Europe. Normally trading for gold and Ivory, they begin to buy slaves along the African coast. They traded guns, cloth, molasses, rum, and money for Blacks. Most were designated for Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Caribbean and Brazil.

The slaves were made up of enemies captured by African Kings. Wars between tribes increased, as one tribe would capture members of another to sell to traders. African children walking along roads or playing in the woods found themselves seized and sold by their neighbors.

 My father, besides numerous slaves, had a large family, of which seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, the greatest favorite of my mother, and was always with her, and she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up from my earliest years in the arts of agriculture and war: and my mother adorned me with emblems, after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in the following manner: - Generally, when the grown people in the neighborhood were gone far in the fields to labor, the children assembled together in some of the neighborhood’s premises to play; and commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes took those opportunities of our parents’ absence to attack and carry off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching on the   top of a tree in our yard. I saw one of those people come into the yard of our next neighbor but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young people in it. Immediately, on this, I gave the alarm of the rogue, and he was surrounded by the stoutest of them. Who entangled him with cords, so that he could not escape until some of the grown people came and secured him. But alas! ere long, it was my fate to be thus attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both; and without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and run off with us into the nearest wood. Here they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, till night come on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound; but were unable to take any food, and, being quite overpowered by fatigue and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed out misfortune for a short time.

Source: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African (London, 1789)

Adults were torn form their families, and forced to leave a semblance of a past behind. It did not matter what status an African held in the village, they were all in danger of being kidnapped or captured by any individual with some type of gain in mind.  Lerone Bennett (Before the Mayflower) wrote “The slave trade was people living, lying, stealing, murdering, and dying-a black man who stepped our of his hut for a breath of fresh air and ended up, ten months later, in Georgia with bruises on his back and a brand on his chest-deserted villages, bleached bones on slave trails and people with no last names”.

The profiteers of slave trade came in all colors. But I wonder…how many blacks would have sold or traded their countrymen if they could have peered into the future and saw the consequences of their actions.

Next issue (July 15, 2009), we will continue the series by offering The Voyage to the New Land.   

                                                                                                   Jazz-R&B Greats 

 Curtis Mayfield, the Philosopher

Back in the day, in this case the sixties and seventies, a black philosopher of songs sang about the life and times of people of color. He was a dark black man when being dark was not popular among other blacks. He was not a handsome flamboyant star such as Marvin Gaye. He was a down home looking dude who look like your running buddy (homie) that stepped on stage and starting singing.

  His voice was sort of a raspy tenor and his stage presence was non-existent. This little dark black man would get on the stage and start singing and begin to mesmerize the audience with the words of his songs that more often than not he wrote. It often didn’t matter what the subject of the song was about; a listener would hear a soft contemporary melody and words. As Dick Clark used to say about all songs with rhythm “It has a nice beat and it’s easy to dance to”.  Dick could have been talking about all of Curtis Mayfield’s  (The Rhythm Philosophers) tunes.

The real power and message in Curtis Mayfields' songs are the words. Curtis, as his fans called him back then was a storyteller. No…make that a factual-teller. Suffering from failing health as a result of his paralysis occurring from a 1990 stage accident, he died December 26, 1999 at age fifthy-seven. This article is not his epitaph. It is meant to point out his celebration of life and his ability to see the realities of life, putting those observations on paper and later transform those words to a musical rendition that reflected a mirror of life as a person of color. The hippie’s had Bob Dylan and African Americans had the equally talented Rhythm Philosopher, Curtis Mayfield. “You don’t have to break anything over anybody’s head, no matter what you’re trying to say. What’s important for me is that it’s said in a manner that gives food for thought” he once stated.

  During the sixties, blacks were asked to “Say It Loud…I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown. Yet some older people were wondering out loud, “when will if ever, white people accept us as we are?  “Why must we as a people endure such vehement hostilities for simply trying to vote?”  “Why can’t I work, live, eat, and shop wherever I decide?” Sensing the mood and aware that black people were struggling to gain a legitimate voice in this country, he penned a very potent song that asked the simply question.

  If you had a choice of colors

Which one would you choose…my brother?

If there was no day or night

Which would you prefer to be right?

How long have you hated your white teacher?

Who taught you to love your black preacher.

Could you respect your brothers’ woman friend?

And share with Black Folk, not of kin

People must prove to the people a better day is coming.

A better day is coming for you and for me.

With a little bit more of education, with love for our nation.

We will make a better society.

Now some of us…would rather cuss and make a fuss

Than bring about a little trust.

But we shall overcome…I believe some day.

If you will only listen to what I have to say.

The song entitled Choice of Colors was in the words of that days vernacular, “Deep.” It was a perfect example of a man who was aware of his fellow man torment within themselves. A listener understood how he could say such things. And the reason was because he lived it as we did. The one constant about Curtis was the respect that “common folk” (as he would say) gave him. He was one of ours and he sang the words that were foremost in our mind weather the song was about finding love, living love or losing a love. Commenting on his fame he stated, “I respect the art of being humble. I believe very strongly in being down to earth where you can relate-from kings and queens to the little people and even the fools. You can learn from all of them. And it’s best to keep a proper attitude with all people, because you never know who’s going to save you.”

Lyrically, it didn’t matter if he was singing about Billy Jack, Superfly; Freddie's Dead, or the Pusherman. His point was noted and co-signed by his listeners.  He would advise us to Keep on Pushing and to remember that We’re A Winner, when we get tired of traveling the “trying to survive in the white mans world” road. As the marches started, and the Civil Rights debate started to heat up he warned he sang People Get Ready. When the white man advised us to “get on a boat and go back where we came from”, Curtis reminded us that This is My Country. As the tide began to change in race relations and blacks began to advance in their goals, we turned to our love one to celebrate peace and a feeling of accomplishment. Curtis penned and recorded a love song that fit the moment entitled The Makings of You.

  Needless to say, The Rhythm Philosopher has earned and received numerous awards, accolades from his peers, and nothing but love from his fans worldwide. He has written hit songs for such major artist as Aretha Franklin who sang Giving Him Something He Can Feel like she was looking deep into a brothers soul and knew just what was needed.   Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of his first singing group, The Impressions and once again as a solo artist. The great part about this was he was a deeply religious man and saw the fruits of his labor before he died. And just as importantly, we would like to think that he died knowing that during his lifetime he gave his all to the race he loved. Yet he would be the first to say and to say it loud…We are all brothers of this earth. I would be willing to bet…Curtis is at peace.