African holocaust remembered

MAAFA. This Swahili word, which can be translated literally to mean "disaster," is used to represent the African American holocaust. The memorial is in honor of the first slave ships sailing from West Africa, in addition to the on-going pain this has brought to the lives of African American people. This week, the University's African American community is taking action to unify its members. Another goal of the memorial is to inform the general public of the devastation African Americans have been subjected to. College senior Felix Rouse explained that the memorial should be a unifying experience for people of African decent. "This is about remembering our ancestors whether you are an African person from the continent, the Caribbean, Latin or North America," Rouse said. "We all have a common origin." He emphasized that issues such as underdevelopment of countries and racism all stem from this initial voyage. "The memorial should be a sign of respect for those who experienced the atrocities of MAAFA," he said. "It's not a time for celebration. It's a time for mourning." Rouse added that while he hopes the memorialization of MAAFA will educate the African American community first and foremost, he would like to see other members of the University community take time to participate as well. College senior Colette Lamothe, who helped organize some of the week's events, said she feels the week is getting off to a promising start. "We're trying to raise the level of consciousness of this campus," Lamothe said. "But it's important for people not to only focus on their own culture. After all, a lot of us have experienced the same kinds of oppression." College junior Nina Johnson said she views the memorial as a time to channel the painful emotions that arise from the past into dance, poetry and music. "I'm motivated by the rage and oppression I feel towards the past, but at the same time by the love I feel for my people," Johnson said. "We can do so much more than complain," she added. "Through art we can come to terms with what happened and do something about it." And Engineering senior Cardell Orrin, editor-in-chief of The Vision, also understands the need for expression. "This is important for me because I think that the African Holocaust has not been seen as a genocide," Orrin said. "We need to use this as the time to remember and learn from the past." Orrin emphasized the need to remember the leaps and bounds made by African Americans throughout the years, despite societies persistent oppression. "We need to look at the future and the past equally," Orrin said. "Only through looking at the past can we move on and move ahead."

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