The African Diaspora and the Right of Return
Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dòwòti Désir
A Queen Mother for Our Times
AFRICAN ROYAL COURTS, GOVERNMENTS & THE AFRICAN DIASPORA: OUR TRIANGULATED RESPONSIBILITIES?
After 30 years of traveling back and forth to the African continent, and having a life-long relationship with Dahomey, now Benin Republic, I have since 2019 been making a gradual transition to move to the African continent. In my capacity as Benin Republic’s? Queen Mother of the African Diaspora Sêmévo the First, a member of the Haut Conseil des Rois du Benin (the High Counsel of Kings of Benin), and a Manbo Asowgwe/High Priest of Haitian Vodou, issues of sovereignty, governance, and the movement of people geographically, historically, legally and spiritually are critical concerns facing myself and my constituents.
The African Diaspora consists of over 200,000,000 melanated rich individuals whom are the descendants of tens of millions of kidnapped and deported persons from the African continent during the course of over 500 years of enslavement, colonization and mass incarceration in the global North. This figure (forever pale) also includes at least 12 centuries of enslavement and brutalization in the trans-Saharan and Oceanic trades in captive Africans. Outside of the continent, African cultural retentions are found in our languages; philosophies; spiritual practices; culinary practices; music; dance and other aesthetic, as well as, economic sensibilities. For the purposes of this discussion, I focus on those of us based in the continent just northwest of, and in the hemisphere west of the African continent.
During the past decade the African Union (www.au-int) issued a declaration which took cognizance and affirmed the importance, and necessity of working closely with the African Diaspora at the, Global African Diaspora Summit in Sandton, South Africa May 2012. The Declaration proposed a number of formalities which included establishing sustainable dialogue and effective collaborations with the governments and peoples of the Diaspora. Much of the actions proposed enabled solidarity building and intensified participation of the African diaspora within the arena of the African Union (AU). Stated objectives like getting the permanent memorial to the legacy of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade, and formalizing ties with CARICOM (www.caricom.org) were realized but others were not. Key among them are the 20 seats promised to civil society to ensure engagement in AU policy making processes have yet to be filled. The recent Global Pan-African Roots Synergy Roundtable marked the anniversary of the 2012 Summit by revisiting its history and identifying concrete measures to remedy the critical matter of official representation of the Diaspora at the AU. See www.addisroundtable2022.org.
Slightly modified, this text is related to the enclosed videotaped remarks I made during the Global Pan-African Roots Synergy Roundtable. It incorporates my numerous conversations held with members of the African Diaspora from Benin to Tanzania, New York City to Fort-de-France who seek repatriation. Most importantly, it addresses practical concerns among the triumvirate of African royal courts, African governments and civil society.??Although the Roundtable was an open and transparent one, it was in someways a culturally private conversation among peoples, families, nations that have been divided and otherwise fractured, who are attempting to come together and make a space for themselves and each other. Its tone is consequently personal:
This is a meeting of the thinking and feeling centers, of bodies segregated and separated by geographic and juridical boundaries... an ocean... and laws, things not of our making or desire.??The morass of the junked political imaginations of our historic oppressors have become tangible obstacles to our well-being and economic dignity... our psyches. Effacing African notions of what it means to be human, and subverting what we in Haitian Vodou, the Kongo-Atlantic (Francophone-related) world call,?"moun". Moun means not only people (as in children:?ti moun?and adults:?gran moun), but the accumulation and summation of our being; our sense of self; experiences; innate knowlegdes (carried in our veins) from time immemorial which are the seeds of our fore-bearers. The principle of moun enforces our individual and collective identities. With that enforcement each of us is instantiated in the time-space continuum.??In this infinite space of connectedness, we as Africans have a duty to fulfill to our families and communities.
As we confront the desecration and dissolution of our morphic reservoirs where the sacred repository of our collective memory (of moun) exists we will create the solutions we seek for ourselves. The dial of time ticks forward. We continue to assemble and paste Derek Walcott’s?shards of the “vase” that was smashed across the ocean and seas that divide African kinfolk from one another.???Traumatized still,??not just by hands, but bullets that hunt us into sound evoking Kamau Brathwaite’s lwa, “I am blood, I am pebble, roots hairs, and the dust of the thunder’s boom.” Incessantly interrogating ourselves and others for our original names -- echoing some tormented version of Nicolás Guillén, painful unanswered questions in?El Apellido, "No tengo pues un abuelo mandinga, congo, dahomeyano? Cómo se llama?...”?We are still trying to find out who we are in the historical vacuum we find ourselves (not quite abandoned in).
For Africans who were reduced to enslavement and expelled to foreign lands, the Right of Return becomes more and more determined with each growing number of us taking the steps to return to our Motherland. As we grow older in community, the concerns with mortality and legacy, compel completion of a task.??We seek security. Specifically, that which comes with the legal recognition, and acknowledgement of being African, and being able to go to the grave as an African person. Not as a French citizen, or British citizen, not even American one, but one that is African. It is manner of spiritually reaffirming our ties to our moun, and ensuring our contribution to the morphic reservoir of our Ancestors will be received. The desire for self-reparation is driving us.??
We of the Diaspora, at no point in our collective captivity, struggles for liberation and eventual emancipation?did we ever rescind our identity as Africans. No matter where the slave ships?deposited us or what languages we speak. Our identities as Africans in the Diaspora and let me be clear, I am not referring to African immigrants, but those Africans historically expelled to Europe, the Americas (and elsewhere) has not changed legally. Those whose cultures and sensibilities were subject to death,?social and physical; those whose memories, names, families and places were subject to erasure. Our histories were buried or gone. I refer to the Diaspora of historic refugees, prisoners of war, exiles, victims of kidnap, enslavement, sustained colonization outside the African continent whose social spaces have been contracted and marginalized for generations. While our status as Africans has been manipulated in some instances,?our African identities remains imprescriptible.?Meaning our identities cannot be taken away by?force of judgement, or the lapse of time.
The foundation of nation building is based in a vision of what constitutes a just society.??A society that makes sense for us as African persons to live in is grounded in the principles of collective living,?of?Ubuntu, of?Eniyan (Eni Ayan),??traditional central and west African concepts that define what it means to be human and articulates the dynamics of human interaction. These Afro-humanist ideals stem from a firmly held sense of community. They do not operate from the perspective of individualism and the inherit competitiveness that accompanies that mind set.?
Afro-humanism is the purposeful, unbreakable connection between the lives of our peoples of the past to us (in the present); and ours to those peoples of the future. This bind transcends time and is inscribed in space are points of reference shaping the Right to Return Movement, and the triangulated responsibilities African royal courts, government and civil societies on both sides of the Atlantic have to one another. It is this way of thinking and being that has to inform the sensibilities of those who shall formally serve as our Ambassadors. Our Ambassadors to the Diaspora will aide in connecting the dots and sustaining these ethical obligations. Our Embassies to the Diaspora should provide us with a form of security, knowing that a government and/or a kingdom will in fact protect us, will shelter us, provide us refuge precisely because we (Diasporans) are African descendants.?
In the past 10-15 years we have spoken extensively of not only a?devoir?de mémorie, i.e.,?a duty to memory; a?droit? à la memorie?--??a right to memory – but the?droit?de retour/the right to return. The droit de retour is also a?devoir?– a duty and responsibility governments and royal courts have to Africans in the Diaspora. And I would offer African (civil society) on the continent should work towards understanding as well.??As I am based in West Africa, my remarks are directed to those stakeholders primarily in that region but is not limited there. Briefly, there are five fundamental items I recommend each sector consider:
?Government/Secular governance: In most instances African governments are the official political apparatus by which mechanisms for proposing and implementing public policy occurs.?Sierra Leone's government has greatly enhanced the process of citizenship for those whose DNA connect them to the peoples of the country. A few governments have already provided various means of support for their monarchs and the Diaspora's communities most notably Ghana. Ghana is also the only African country with an Ambassador to the Diaspora. The process of social integration has begun in earnest but much more work has yet be done.
?1. Key elements of the AU's Free Movement Protocol, and the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (aka FMO and MPFA or CEDEAO, UEMOA) which advance monetary gain, by enabling liberal visitor mobility throughout the region must be revisited. Free movement has profited African nationals and should be expanded specifically to include the African Diaspora. Namely, visa restrictions on the African Diaspora must be removed. Barriers to our abilities to invest in businesses, or create and generate income must also be removed as it has for continental Africans to further the region’s economic growth and stability. To do otherwise compromises our collective identity in the Diaspora as Africans. (Also refer to https://youtu.be/CfPhgUul4v0.)
2. Given the extraordinary circumstances that lead to the forced displacement of Africans, parallel measures, however extraordinary, must also be approved by governments to expediate the naturalization processes for denizens of the Diaspora who have submitted the appropriate documents to authorities.
3. Governments need to support, mobilize resources, and cooperate with of the royal courts of their countries as they are the historic authorities?influencing local politics and social behaviors.??
4. Government acknowledgement, support, and cooperation with the Diaspora in such areas as social services, land grants, investment opportunities, education and other areas of infrastructure will make entry into host countries less complicated, and facilitate social cohesion.
5. Last but not least, all African countries should appoint an Ambassador to the African Diaspora for reasons already stated
The Royal Courts: Royal courts are defined by lineage, geographies and associated allies. Our kingdoms/queendoms have greatly varied scale, from small to very large populations. Some are historical, spanning centuries, yet others (fractured as a result of the scramble made for African nation-states) newly reassembled are now only decades old. Rulers often possess unevenly matched resources, but in all traditional societies the kings, queen mothers, or queens are the law, and perceived as the true authorities of the land. Benin Republic is the only nation in the continent with a Queen Mother of the Diaspora recognized by the royal courts. Yet the mechanics of understanding what that means within the context of customary and secular constitutional laws, and establishing space: diplomatic, political, social and physical for the Diaspora, continues to be unpacked. ?
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1. As the guardians of cultural traditions, the monarchy must not only know, uphold and transmit customs, but we must also have the wisdom to recognize the need and inevitability of change, so that new or current constructs from adjacent communities may emerge.??For example, in deeply patriarchal societies, acknowledgement of the civil and human rights of women and children is imperative.??Because we in the diaspora have our own histories and traditions, the royal court's ministers or ambassadors to the Diaspora, must also learn our cultural sensibilities to assist with social integration.???
2. It is said that crowned heads were chosen by the Most High.??We were awarded with the Divine right to rule. Why are we chosen? Because our?ori, our enlightened character or the nature of the spirit that resides within us, has the dexterity to manage resources with discernment, and discretion.??We are capable of amassing sufficient intelligence, and have the means to carry out the due diligence necessary, to take-action in the long-term interests of our royal domains. Managing all resources material and immaterial, human and non-human with erudition is called for by traditional cheftaincy.?
3. Autonomous governance isn’t a static phenomena. Innovation is a time consuming, but necessary practice if our presence as monarch is to remain relevant in the 21st?century.??Modernizing or rehabilitating African monarchies means more than having smart phones and tablets, but being engaged to the matters that impact productivity, growth,??capacity building, cultivating new and green technologies, as well as, providing directives to the transformations of contemporary societies, in alliance with the goals of state government.?
4. Because we are in a period of change, it’s the responsibility of the royal courts to facilitate the integration of repatriated Africans of the Diaspora into their kingdoms. As rulers, we open and close doors. We provide direction and benedictions for those who place their trust in our leadership.?Exchanging cultural norms, understanding the nature of social change and cooperation, are essential tools for making peaceful transitions as communities reunite.
5.??It is imperative that we work closely with palace ministers of foreign affairs, or appointed ministers to the Diaspora who shall work with the suggested government appointed Ambassadors, and/or with an authority such as myself to coordinate actions in the mutual interests of the Diaspora and the kingdoms.?
Civil Society: Citizens, denizens, residents formally documented or not, are those persons who make up civil society. Not everyone in the Diaspora wishes, or can return to the land of the their origins, but everyone from the African Diaspora has the right to do so. Everyone of the continent needs to make the effort to accommodate those historic refugees returning home. The remarks that follow applies to continental, immigrant and diasporic communities:
?1. Know your history.??This applies to both sides of the Atlantic.??Learn the history of your own country, as well as, the Diaspora's. Zero into their current places to better understand their cultural or social relationship to homeland. Members of the Diaspora must better understand our distinct and collective histories, in addition to the places of concern on the African continent. Because our histories have been impacted by colonizing powers and their relationship with each other, this too had effected our relationships to one another as African peoples. However complicated, it is in this manner that we understand our relationship to one another and obtain clarity about our moun-ness. ??
2. Ground yourselves spiritually and philosophically so that your minds, and hearts are open to receive knowledge and connaissance that awaits you in a manner other than what you think you already know and are comfortable with.?
3. Organize y/ourselves in such a manner as to be able to purchase machinery,??equipment, businesses that will facilitate economic development. We must be prepared to partner with existing enterprises including non-profits or non-government?organizations in order to build capacity, and affirm our commitments to one another.??
4. Where possible learn another language, a local (African) language not merely another colonizer or colonizing tongues. Similarly, continental Africans might consider creating spaces were they too can learn the languages of returning family.
5. For those in the diaspora who cannot travel or move, consider becoming an honorary consulate for various African countries, and working or volunteering with government or civil representatives of African countries in the diaspora to create?a sense of community.??
In Conclusion
We are still at the beginning of a long process of undoing the harms of enslavement and colonization that led to the degeneration and creation of a phenomena which segrated and in some instances alienated peoples from their natal lands. Recuperating whatever is desired, whatever is possible, whatever is willed will take an ion but it is the charge of this generation to create the critical mass of persons, knowledges, technologies and skills to realize what our forebears dreamed for us. I stand in solidarity with the mission of the Global Pan African Roots Synergy Roundtable, and avail myself to further these efforts towards establishing place, and fulfilling obligations made that provide meaningful presence at the African Union. The measures I have recommended require trust, preparedness and commitment. The task is generations long but certainly we can begin filling the 20 seats allotted to the Diaspora before the end of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024, whose theme is recognition, justice and development.?
We must all have clarity within ourselves and with each other as individuals, government and palace representatives,?of the nature of the possible sacrifices that may have to be made to better understand their ramifications.??Be honest. Determine if you are prepared to change your life, our lives, and shift where we stand in the world.?
What is sought in each sector is a fluidity manifest in self-reliance and autonomy within the context of consciousness community. Our triangulated responsibilities, and exchange of energies it allows provide us with stability.??As we create strategic partnerships with each other, and own the means of production, we come closer to obtaining economic sovereignty and actual political independence.??Liberating the African diaspora with the recognition we seek, is justice.??And it is this recognition and justice that will enable our personal and greater collective growth.??Simply put this is how our nations and kingdoms shall develop as we see fit. This Roundtable is more than a geopolitical gathering, it is a geo-spiritual journey that we share and continue to take together. We of the African Diaspora have returned. In the tradition of our Ancestors, do welcome us.
Written by: HRM Queen Mother Sêmévo 1st?Dr. Dòwòti Désir. This article is based on remarks delivered to the, Global Pan-African Roots Synergy Roundtable, endorsed by the African Union ECOSOCC and CIDO?in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 25 May 2022. The Queen Mother gives special thanks Dr. Barryl Biekman and Dr. Abena James for their support. For more information on the author see: www.queenmotherdowoti.org, To understand the broader issues at hand see: