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Why
A Slave's Story?
2007 is the bicentenary of the abolition of trans
Atlantic slavery.
In 2005, as part of the festival "it
was a black night 3" I wrote this
play called A Slave's Story.
I felt driven to write this play. It had been
living in my heart and soul for a while. I
wasn’t aware of the anniversary or any such
thing. The emotional reaction of all the players
and participators made us aware of what we had.
This has been further confirmed by those who
came to see the play. It became almost
compulsory we perform it again, which we did.
Response was overwhelming.
Then
a very interesting thing happened. An American
professor, from the University of California who
was on a visit to Europe for a series of lectures
about the effects of slavery called me. His words
were “young man, I have heard about your play
and I am excited. I want to meet you. I am only in
England for 6 days. I will be available for 4
hours at the British library in London. I hope you
will be able to see me.”
Well,
he is only the Professor
Edward Reynolds, one of the greatest
researchers on the effects of the slave trade on
Africa and the West. Author of books such as
“Stand the Storm” oh and was also the
historical accuracy consultant on Steven
Spielberg’s movie Amistad.
Of course I went to London. He saw my script and
offered to research the historical accuracy
content of my play. Me and Spielberg….same
expert
On
an even more personal note he has been researching
on the books my great grandfather, The Rev John
Henry Aferi Keteku, wrote. He has a few of the
originals in his private collection in his library
in California.
He had actually met my great grand father
and he cited him as one of his greatest
influences. I just sat at the library and cried.
If
you want to understand, see this play!
So
back to the question...
A slave story.
Why? |
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The
impact of slavery has always intrigued me since I
was 8. I have often wondered what the world would
look like today if the slave trade had never been.
What would have been the shapes of families and
communities in Africa? Would the effect on the
west have been the same? The shape of the currency
of respect for other races. The burden of the
guilt, as an African, on whether or not my family
were implicated in this nastiness of history. .
The burden carried by the descendants of slaves.
The fact that blacks of a lighter skin tone were
given more respect and more readily accepted.
I
looked out of the windows of Africa to appreciate
the achievements, despite adversity, faced by the
descendants of slaves in the west, and realised
the great brain drain that slavery had been. I
observed the mistrust at times between the
descendants of both sides of this coin. I wondered
how much of this was a political tool as opposed
to the natural reaction to buried memory. Tribes
in West Africa who still have issues with each
other which contradict their individual histories.
Who helped or turned a blind eye when the raiders
came along. Who gained financially from those
deal? As the ships left, the cursed that may have
been rained on families on and tribes from the
morbid cargo. Are these the scars that Africa
carries now? Are these the burdens that the
descendants carry? As I travelled more, I was
fascinated by similarities in culture. Choice of
colours and rhythm. Taste in foods and spices.
Styles of dance and laughter. The fact that I
could recognise the origins of some West Indian
folk. The fact that at times, I could recognise
the tribal origin of a face in Montero Bay. New
Jersey or Kent, only to be told these folk were
not African. At times, while in Africa, I would
hear of the return of an American who had traced
their roots back to a small family in Ghana. The
natural rhythms of the embrace as they met. Bodies
that recognised each other in movements and
mannerisms. Family resemblances that time and pain
had not shifted. Those reunions had their own
eloquence. Both sides gained. Every one was
forgiven and freed. And everyone left. Walking
taller, feeling freer. Breaking curses and losing
shackles.
As a writer, I chose to work on my play from the
point of view of understanding the whys, as
opposed to finding the to blame. In this history
of humanity, different people have fallen pray
to others due to the different ethics and
situations of those times. That is history.
It was wrong but it has happened. I cannot hold
a man responsible for the wrongs of his
ancestors, however with contemporary knowledge
and wisdom, the continuity of such a wickedness
to humanity is unforgivable. I cannot change the
past, (and I will not dare ask you to forget
about it). I can however decide the degree the
impact of those wicked times has on me. I can
either be a victim of history or a triumph
despite history.
I believe we ALL have these choices. Since all
people have the responsibility of the upkeep of
this one planet we share. I believe it is our
duty and responsibility to care about and
respect the humanity of our fellow custodians.
Don't just move on, MOVE OUT of this mind set
and do not allow it to dictate or limit the
potential you harness. Just be a great human!!
None
but ourselves can free our mind…(Marley)
Yaw
Asiyama
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