The Second Battle ...

?From the moment a slave party raided an African village, there was conflict. In most instances, no one in the village had ever seen a person who looked like the slaver so their appearance in and of itself was a shock. But once the shock wore off and they began to understand the gravity of the situation, their instincts kicked in—and they began to fight.

The two greatest weapons in the arsenal of the slaver were the element of surprise and gunpowder. African lore is filled with stories of them being fierce warriors and that they were—but even the strongest warrior is weakened when he’s caught off guard. And no matter how skilled he, she, they may have been, their spears were no match for gunpowder. 

When the smoke cleared, and the battle, the first battle that is, ended the next phase of horror began—the dreaded march to the slave castles. In some cases, this trip could take months and cover hundreds of miles. Upon arrival, the seasoning process continued. Yes, seasoning because no person is born to be a slave; they must be forced into that role and in these castles, that process began in earnest. Here, the person was slowly transformed into a thing.

After what must have felt like an eternity, filled with degradation, humiliation, and outright anger, the boarding of ships began—and this is where the second and final battle took place. The second was even more fierce than the first because the plight of both parties depended on the outcome. The slaver knew that if he could get far enough out into the ocean, his mission was all but accomplished. Their fight was rooted in dollars and cents because each slave delivered meant more of a profit was made.

 The Africans, on the other hand, fought for an entirely different reason of course. Historians say the African “fought for the shore”. They fought for the shore because they knew that if they allowed that ship to get too far away, to the point where they could no longer see their beautiful homeland…their end was near.

They fought for the shore because it represented the promises of life…

They fought for the shore because the shore held all their dreams…

They fought for the shore, with one eye on their enemy and the other on their beloved Africa…

They fought for the shore because they understood that if they lost sight of it…

All hope would be lost…

***

Some of us are being marched into castles and onto ships filled with despair, soon to be sent out into an ocean where every fire that ever burned inside of us will soon be dashed. 

It doesn’t have to be this way so this week instead of sitting by, watching the promises of life pass you by…fight for the shore. When the walls begin to close in and you find yourself becoming the thing someone else imagined instead of the person you always dreamed you’d be…fight for the shore…With one eye on your enemy and the other on your beloved dreams…fight for the shore and refuse to lose sight of all you imagined life to be.

Hope isn’t lost, your dreams haven’t passed you by, your time is still now but for all these things to come to pass you must be willing…

To fight for the shore…