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We should remember
to lift the spirit of some of our great ancestors who made significant contributions
to the African Liberation Movement. July 2nd is the 88th birthday of one
of these great heroes, Patrice Lumumba.
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.
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