The statement can be read from FSS statement in celebration of Black History Month
Historical trend of events have proved that, the very survival of global development is dependent on the contributions of black/African and minority groups. We cannot look further in the past but to recognise how minorities especially Africans and black people have generally been ab”used” to fuel the productive engines of global progress. Immediate mention can be made of the slave trade and colonialism which saw the engineered manipulation and use of black people for the economic growth of Europe and other parts of the developed world.
This goes to justify that, black lives do not only matter, but is indispensable to the very foundations of global progress.
The year 2020 is significant for black people. There has been a reincarnation and re-emergence of the negative insurgence of how black people have been abused by our own or by other negative and ignorant human specimens of society. The death of George Floyd which is symbolic of official bigotry in the United States and the unfortunate and sad disturbances in Nigeria are just but two issues that calls for a new awakening of black people. The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic should even mark the reckoning of black people to wake up to the call of contributing to the rescuing of the global society as we have always been known to do.
Unfortunately, Africa and black people continue to be identified with the world's gravest challenges of poverty, under previleged and underdevelopment. The cliché still stands that Africa remains endowed with nature's most productive resources of minerals, fertile land and indeed the African mind. As we celebrate black history month, we wish to recognise and indeed celebrate the achievements of all black heroes and heroines, and even more importantly, energise the clarion call for black people and indeed, for all positive species of human society to fight prejudice, racial ignorance, underprivilege and underdevelopment.
The response and the cure to these negative tags and racial prejudice can only be through a positive imagination, thinking and actions that salvages society (beginning with Africa) from any backward and creeping pandemic, whether coronavirus, underdevelopment or prejudice.
Foundation for Settlement Support (FSS) in celebration also wishes to replicate the words of the indefatigable black personality, Nelson Mandela that black people “must strive to be moved by a generosity of spirit that will enable us to outgrow the hatred and conflicts of the past”. Further, black people and indeed Africans must escalate and project the true values of leadership in continuous service to humanity, while preventing abuse of any kind. We must recognise that it is in our minds and hands to make the world a better place for all.
