As we prepare for the Twenty-eighth Annual National Black United
Front Convention in Houston, Texas from July 12-15, 2006, we
should remember to lift the spirit of some of our great ancestors
who made significant contributions to the African Liberation
Movement. One of these great heroes is Patrice Lumumba, whose
82nd birthday was July 2nd.
The meaning of the life and work of our beloved brother, Patrice
Lumumba was rooted in his determination to fight against the
forces of the European world in the most turbulent period of
the history of the Congo. We should commemorate the birthday
of this late, great African leader, who stood against all the
forces in the European world and the African world who were steadfast
in their efforts to stop the real Independence Movement of the
people of the Congo. It is important for us to understand, today,
that those who stand and fight against the evil of the European
world take on a serious task and challenge. Herein lies the legacy
of Patrice Lumumba.
Patrice Lumumba was born July 2, 1925 in Katako Kombe,
a small village in a remote area of the African continent, then
referred to as the Congo. Born to a family of five and educated
by missionaries, he was able to caste off the domination of European
influences on his life and relate to the interests of the masses
of Congolese people. At an early age, he recognized the need
to develop the kind of skills necessary to become an active participant
in the African Liberation struggle. In his efforts to develop
his skills, Patrice had a variety of work experiences that included
his being employed in a hospital and a post office, which gave
him greater insights into the overall oppression of the Congolese
people. The more contact Patrice had with the European world,
the more he developed the kind of political consciousness that
made him one of the most important leaders in the African Independence
Movement.
As a result of his participation as the secretary in the Liberal
Party of the Congo and his efforts to talk with the Belgian officials,
Lumumba was able to see that independence and freedom for his
people would not come through the efforts of the Liberal Party
or negotiations with the Europeans. His outspokenness and determination
to find a vehicle to free the Congolese people led to his being
sentenced to two years in prison. Although his prison sentence
was cut short, upon his release, the Belgian colonialists, along
with their African servants, attempted to isolate Patrice from
the growing independence movement of the masses of the people.
In October 1958, Patrice helped form the National Congolese
Movement, which was to become the forerunner in the liberation
struggle. In December of 1958, Patrice was invited to a conference
of African nations hosted by Kwame Nkrumah in Accra, Ghana. It
was through this conference that Patrice began to establish contact
with the leaders of the Liberation Movements in other African
countries. From this point forward, the Liberation Movement in
the Congo escalated to the point that the Belgian government
decided to grant the Congolese people their so-called freedom
on June 30, 1960.
At the Independence Day Ceremony on June 30th, while his African
movement friends were thanking the Belgians for granting them
their independence, it is said the Lumumba became enraged. He
grabbed the microphone and told his people that the colonization
of the Congo was nothing other than the domination of the European
world over the African world. He went on to point out that the
humiliating system of slavery, which was imposed upon the African
people of the Congo by European forces was done because they
were African. This statement by Patrice Lumumba caused the white
world and their African servants to conspire in the next year
to find a way to get rid of this most courageous spokesman for
the interest of the Congolese people.
Patrice Lumumba was assassinated on
January 17, 1961 at the hands of African mercenaries working
in the interests
of the Europeans through the United States and the CIA. This
fact was recently revealed in Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney’s
International Relations Hearings. Before his death, Lumumba
wrote a letter to his wife that signified the essence of
his involvement in the struggle to free his people. Patrice
wrote, in part:
“I want my children, who I leave behind and perhaps will
never see again, to be told that the future of the Congo is
beautiful and that their country expects them, as it expects
every Congolese, to fulfill the sacred task of rebuilding on
our independence, our sovereignty, for without justice there
is no dignity and without independence there are no free men…Do
not weep for me, my companion, I know that my country, now
suffering so much, will be able to defend its independence
and freedom.”
In conclusion, we can say that the
external enemies,(or the enemies from without), and internal
enemies (or the enemies from within), led to the demise and
death of Patrice Lumumba. But, fortunately, his legacy lives
on. As we build towards the Twenty-eighth Annual National
Black United Front Convention in Houston, Texas from July
12-15, 2006, let us remember our African Heroes and Heroines.
BC columnist Conrad W. Worrill, PhD,
is the National Chairman of the National Black United Front
(NBUF). Click
here to contact Dr. Worrill.