Even in the midst of the chaos of Brexit (1) and an ignominious start to the election campaign (2), the nation has adopted a solemn front for the annual Remembrance Day observances, paying tribute to those that died in their wars, including, for the first time, a wreath placed to honour the contribution Nepalese Gurkha regiments. (3) The Gurkhas’ recognition comes after two centuries of contribution to British military campaigns (and over 50,000 casualties from 450,000 troops in Europe’s World Wars alone), showing, if nothing else that the Brits far from swift when it comes to conferring gratitude. (4)
However, this should come as no surprise. In a November 3rd article previewing his Channel 4 documentary, The Unremembered: Britain’s Forgotten War Heroes, Member of Parliament for Tottenham David Lammy states:
“Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of war dead who served Britain in the first world war have been written out of the story. Both the first and last shots in that war were fired not on the western front but in Africa, where British and German empires fought for colonial territories.” (5)
Lammy further exposes the deceit of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) who claimed of fallen soldiers “every one regardless of their rank or position in civil life shall be treated with equality” with an individual grave. In reality this did not apply to Afrikans, regarded in CWGC documentation as “semi-savage” and bundled into unmarked mass graves. Other CWGC documents posit: “they are hardly in such a state of civilisation as to appreciate such a memorial” and “the erection of individual memorials would represent a waste of public money”. At one site in Tanzania, there are as many as 10,000 Afrikan corpses nestling underneath an unmarked wasteland. (6)
The MP concludes:
“We can’t say that we remember all our war dead with honour and dignity and yet exclude a third of a million people who died in their own continent serving Britain. Next week, as I lay my wreath in Tottenham, I will be remembering them all.” (7)
One of the reasons such a scandal has persisted for so long is that the colonial governments have been so resolute not acknowledging the contributions of their colonised, even as they waged “World Wars” over the land they had stolen from the oppressed. (8)
But awareness is beginning to seep into the public consciousness. One significant step was, following a community campaign led by Jak Beula and Nubian Jak Community Trust, the 2017 unveiling of the memorial to Afrikans who died Britain’s wars. (9)
But even then, there was still a debate within the community that these were ‘white men’s wars’ and anyone looking to fight for the coloniser should get their just deserts. An alternative view, present around the time of WW I and carried through to WW II, was that participation was seen as a bargaining chip to advance claims for representative government. (10)
Regardless how sincerely the aspiration for change was felt, it was clearly not reciprocated. Afrikan combatants were often given inadequate equipment and clothing, suffered economic hardship, most received no pension and were even kept away from victory parades at the end of the wars. (11) So, it was no surprise that the colonial regimes were in no mood to cede to self-governance until it seemed unavoidable several decades after WW II. (12)
Nevertheless, the notion of Afrikan participation in Europe’s wars continues to be highlighted in popular culture. Recent films such as Marcia Weekes’ Barrow: Freedom Fighter (2016) and Frances Anne-Solomon’s Hero – Inspired by the Extraordinary Life & Times of Mr. Ulric Cross (2018) highlight the military backgrounds of the protagonists who would go on to lead significant political lives in service of Afrikan people. This certainly undermines the idea that Afrikan participants “World Wars” were merely colonised dupes.
Given the gap in information, knowledge and overstanding, a coherent community conversation is arguably well overdue. This was something recognised by activist Sis. Selena Carty, driving her to launch Black Poppy Rose in 2010:
“The BlackPoppyRose was launched in September 2010 to be a symbol that represents the contributions made by the African/Black/Caribbean/Pacific Islands communities to various wars since the 16th century. A symbol that signifies pride, honour and glory, with the hope that future generations will be inspired by these largely untold historical legacies”
Explaining the need for this symbol:
“Growing up in the UK, most people are aware of the Red Poppy, which signifies British remembrance, as celebrated by The Royal British Legion.
BlackPoppyRose fully supports the legacy of the red poppy, however, felt that as a member of the African/Black/West Indian/Pacific Island communities it was important to highlight our contribution to world history.
The project began in 2010, following the realisation that in a country that many African/Black/West Indian/Pacific Island people call home, the history that represents us has been displaced over the course of time.
England has an excellent archive of the country’s historic achievements.
These are documented and celebrated via monuments, statues and plaques, documentaries, books, articles and magazines, etc. However, there is a severe lack of representation displaying the full picture of history, including all of its contributors.
African/Black/West Indian/Pacific Island communities have consistently contributed to civilisation, even in the face of adversity and in spite of mankind’s most abhorrent treatment and atrocities against us. Throughout history, many of our generations have been displaced; our memories, our pain and our loss are universal. Whilst we do not wish to focus on negative aspects of history, we feel that it is important that our ancestors are recognised for their dues, of which many lost their lives in the process.
The BlackPoppyRose is a symbol for us to remember not only the soldiers, but also the peoples, of Africans/Black/West Indian/Pacific Island communities who contributed in any way for the War effort.
A Symbol to Remember the African/Black/West Indian/Pacific Islanders Communities
To highlight a global narrative to history.
Not only remembering those who have been enlisted, but the men, women and children who fought, contributed and sacrificed.
The diversity found within the African/Black/West India/Pacific Islanders communities are not common knowledge.
We aim to remedy this!” (13)
Sis. Selena would like to see the BlackPoppyRose be a symbol of Remembrance world-wide and used to educate and empower through understanding historical timelines as well as enhancing self-identity within African/Black/West India/Pacific Islanders. She hopes to achieve this through the organisation’s aims:
“• To Empower, Educate and Elevate those who are missing key historical narratives that have assisted in the way the world has been shaped today.
• To assist with the preservation of African/Black history so it is not left deep inside the archives.
• To share the history and information with the world so we continue to assist with the healing through our shared history and experiences.
• To document as many stories as possible.” (14)
BlackPoppyRose offer a range of services including Cultural & Diversity Consultancy Work, Talks / Presentations / Workshops, Courses / Training, Exhibitions, Tours and Family (Tree) Legacy explorations.
Such resources represent a welcome contribution to our striving to get to grips with the issue of how (and some may even say if) we commemorate those of us who died in their wars.
(1) David Jessop (18/11/18) Britain in Brexit chaos. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20181118/david-jessop-britain-brexit-chaos
(2) Michael Savage (10/11/19) Seven days of disaster on the general election campaign trail. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/10/seven-days-disaster-general-election-campaign-trail
(3) BBC News. (10/11/19) Remembrance Sunday: Royal Family lead tributes to nation’s war dead. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50362948
(4) Paul Vallely (30/04/09) The Big Question: Who are the Gurkhas and what is their contribution to military history? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-big-question-who-are-the-gurkhas-and-what-is-their-contribution-to-military-history-1676354.html
(5) David Lammy (03/11/19) How Britain dishonoured its African first world war dead. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/03/how-britain-dishonoured-first-world-war-african-dead
(6) Ibid
(7) Ibid.
(8) Omowale Pert-em-Hru (2017) Pan-Afrikanism – The Battlefront: Afrikan Freedom Means Defeating Neo-colonialism. Omowale Pert-em-Hru. p. 34-49
(9) Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement (19/06/17) Afrika Speaks: What does the African Caribbean War Memorial tell us about our place in the UK? https://www.alkebulan.org/2017/06/19/aswamemorial/
(10) Lisa Peatfield (08/06/18) How The West Indies Helped The War Effort In The First World War. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-the-west-indies-helped-the-war-effort-in-the-first-world-war
(11) (8) African Caribbean Memorial (25/04/17) Food, Clothing & the practicalities of War. http://acmemorial.com/2017/04/food-clothing-the-practicalities-of-war/
(12) African Caribbean Memorial (25/04/17) Racial Discrimination Experienced by the BWIR. thtp://acmemorial.com/2017/04/racial-discrimination-experienced-by-the-bwir/
(13) BlackPoppyRose (2018) Why Do We Need A Black Poppy Rose? https://www.blackpoppyrose.org/why-do-we-need/
(14) BlackPoppyRose (2018) Why Do We Need A Black Poppy Rose? https://www.blackpoppyrose.org/about-us/
(15) Ibid
(16) African Union Commission (2015) Agenda 2063 – The Africa We want (Popular Version) https://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/au/agenda2063.pdf. p. 4
(17) Brown. Op. cit.
(18) Thomas C. Mountain (10/05/12) AFRICAN UNION: Instrument of Imperialist Rule. https://www.globalresearch.ca/african-union-instrument-of-imperialist-rule/30783
(19) Obinwannem News. (15/10/19) Colonialism in Africa: The speech that got Dr. Arikana Chihombori -Quao fired from her position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDLtlxvcQHE
We ask the question:
How do we assess Black Soldiers in white wars?
1) Do you have your BlackPoppyRose?
2) Should we press Europe to commemorate our war dead, do it ourselves or not at all?
3) Are the Afrikan World War casualties part of Afrikan or European history?
4) In light of the contributions of people like Ulric Cross and Errol Barrow, do we need to re-evaluate the legacies of Afrikan veterans in European wars?
Our Special Guest:
Sis. Selena Carty: is an Afro Centric Genealogist and activist. She founded BlackPoppyRose in 2010 with the aim of enlightening people of ALL nations, of the African /Black /West Indian /Pacific Islanders contribution to history. (https://www.blackpoppyrose.org/)