By Makeda Mikael
God bless and comfort our poor Africans whose breath ceased, as fear took over their lives in the waters of Antigua & St. Kitts.
Our African friends, who would be so afraid of the big water and the little pieces of rock called islands as they went to their watery graves.
Mindful that Africa is the greatest landmass as continents go, there is expectation always of more land, with rivers and lakes, but many Africans have never been exposed the oceans and sees, so dying in the rough sea is an unexpected, disorienting and dreadfully fearful way to die.
Many thousands of our ancestors died on that fatal Mid-Atlantic journey from Africa to the ‘West Indies,’ and many threw themselves to their death at Devil’s Bridge and other burial sites throughout the islands of our region.
Who would have thought that black bodies would once more float in death in our waters.
How do we commemorate their lives, when we do not know them nor the rituals which their tribes and countries used to send their souls on their journey home.
How shall we explain their desperation to get away from what had become a hellhole for them, a people who had known family and caring, just wanting to live, and so had moved on to find peace, but found death in the water.
So how do we comfort those who are here living, still in fear, not knowing what the future will bring.
Out of respect for the dead, we humans try to give hope to the family that mourns, by gifts of food, money, shelter and comfort in the days of mourning.
How can we in Antigua show our caring to these unfortunate sisters and brothers of our ancient relatives, who like our ancestors have been used and abused for money and wellbeing of others.
Our Government is broken, ashamed of the role they have played in this whole African migrant fiasco, of making money out of other people’s misery and desperation.
The people of Antigua must force themselves to be honourable and give generously to those who mourn in this period of grief, for the souls that have perished.
This is a call for all true heart Antiguan Africans to rise to this occasion of empathy and reach out with our purse and conscience and give to our brothers and sisters from West Africa in their loss.
Those who have left us we cannot help, but those who are here need our comfort! Let us give generously!