National Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of Our African Ancestors
“If the Negro is to be free he must move down into the inner resources of his own soul and sign with a pen of ink and
self-assertive manhood his own emancipation proclamation.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We, the undersigned American-born descendants of African ancestors, on this the 31st day of March 2012, do hereby acknowledge that the strength of our African culture and the rich heritage of our African ancestry has, for over 400 years, suffered greatly as a direct result of the atrocities of the very profitable European slave trade and at the hands of those
who supported the slave trade, motivated solely by greed and a desire for financial gain. In recognizing this undeniable truth, we understand that the strength of a Nation is measured neither in the power of its economy, the might of its military, the advances in its technology, nor the intellectual prowess it possesses, but in the content of the character of its citizens, the cultural expressions of its people, and the integrity and compassion of its leaders;
We understand that the perpetual desire for profit at any cost has resulted in the slave trade giving birth to conditions of
poverty, hopelessness, and despair, which is even now reflected in blighted communities throughout this nation and in the lack of concern for the havoc wreaked on our people. As seeds of racial hatred were deliberately planted in the hearts of men and allowed to flourish in the name of building an economically strong nation, the condition of the culture of African descendents worsened as the hearts of our people grew weaker. We now recognize and stand willing to confront the fact that the wealth inherent in our people has been exploited, our future tainted and – as a direct result of the actions of European slave traders, capitalistic nations, and even opportunistic Africans themselves – millions of our African ancestors were hunted like animals, captured and enslaved, stripped of their dignity, and were brutally massacred to further the economic gains of those nations who considered Africans unworthy of respect and viewed our people as being less than human.
Furthermore, we acknowledge that the course of our history has been immeasurably altered as a result of the violent past that
we have experienced, and our existence in this country has been one of extreme oppression, hardship, and grief wrought in violence and disrespect as this spirit was passed on from generation to generation. We understand that, just as
the chains of slavery held our ancestors in bondage, so does the lack of forgiveness eternally bind our hearts and minds to the past. Nevertheless, the strength of our faith manifested in the African blood that yet flows through our veins is evident in the fact that, in spite of 400 years of oppression, we still possess the compassion to stand strong in our faith, remain true to our
God, and true to our native land.
Therefore, to those that are held spiritually responsible for initially enslaving our people and, to those whose spirits are inextricably tied to the guilt and shame of having profited from centuries of slavery imposed on our culture, we offer
this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of our African Ancestors, and in doing so we release a spirit of healing and reconciliation over this land and set free the spirits of our ancestors so that they may finally rest in peace. We the
descendants of African slaves make this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of our African Ancestors for those that have committed crimes against our people, and against our culture, and in the process have profited off the blood of our
ancestors.
Now, as we forgive those that have sinned against us, we ask God to forgive us for our sins so that as we step out
of the chains of unforgiveness and begin to walk in the promise that God will make out of us a great nation; we declare that all nations shall call us blessed, and that God shall make us a delightsome land; we declare that our cupboards shall never be empty, our homes shall always be in peace, our children shall be as precious jewels around our necks, and that the table prepared before us, in the presence of our enemies, shall always be abundant; we declare that the walls around our nation shall be fortified by the angels that have brought us to this place, and that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of
our lives here in this earth and throughout eternity.
May this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of Our African Ancestors be forever commemorated each year on the last Saturday in March as we mark the rebirth of our nation from this day forward.
self-assertive manhood his own emancipation proclamation.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We, the undersigned American-born descendants of African ancestors, on this the 31st day of March 2012, do hereby acknowledge that the strength of our African culture and the rich heritage of our African ancestry has, for over 400 years, suffered greatly as a direct result of the atrocities of the very profitable European slave trade and at the hands of those
who supported the slave trade, motivated solely by greed and a desire for financial gain. In recognizing this undeniable truth, we understand that the strength of a Nation is measured neither in the power of its economy, the might of its military, the advances in its technology, nor the intellectual prowess it possesses, but in the content of the character of its citizens, the cultural expressions of its people, and the integrity and compassion of its leaders;
We understand that the perpetual desire for profit at any cost has resulted in the slave trade giving birth to conditions of
poverty, hopelessness, and despair, which is even now reflected in blighted communities throughout this nation and in the lack of concern for the havoc wreaked on our people. As seeds of racial hatred were deliberately planted in the hearts of men and allowed to flourish in the name of building an economically strong nation, the condition of the culture of African descendents worsened as the hearts of our people grew weaker. We now recognize and stand willing to confront the fact that the wealth inherent in our people has been exploited, our future tainted and – as a direct result of the actions of European slave traders, capitalistic nations, and even opportunistic Africans themselves – millions of our African ancestors were hunted like animals, captured and enslaved, stripped of their dignity, and were brutally massacred to further the economic gains of those nations who considered Africans unworthy of respect and viewed our people as being less than human.
Furthermore, we acknowledge that the course of our history has been immeasurably altered as a result of the violent past that
we have experienced, and our existence in this country has been one of extreme oppression, hardship, and grief wrought in violence and disrespect as this spirit was passed on from generation to generation. We understand that, just as
the chains of slavery held our ancestors in bondage, so does the lack of forgiveness eternally bind our hearts and minds to the past. Nevertheless, the strength of our faith manifested in the African blood that yet flows through our veins is evident in the fact that, in spite of 400 years of oppression, we still possess the compassion to stand strong in our faith, remain true to our
God, and true to our native land.
Therefore, to those that are held spiritually responsible for initially enslaving our people and, to those whose spirits are inextricably tied to the guilt and shame of having profited from centuries of slavery imposed on our culture, we offer
this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of our African Ancestors, and in doing so we release a spirit of healing and reconciliation over this land and set free the spirits of our ancestors so that they may finally rest in peace. We the
descendants of African slaves make this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of our African Ancestors for those that have committed crimes against our people, and against our culture, and in the process have profited off the blood of our
ancestors.
Now, as we forgive those that have sinned against us, we ask God to forgive us for our sins so that as we step out
of the chains of unforgiveness and begin to walk in the promise that God will make out of us a great nation; we declare that all nations shall call us blessed, and that God shall make us a delightsome land; we declare that our cupboards shall never be empty, our homes shall always be in peace, our children shall be as precious jewels around our necks, and that the table prepared before us, in the presence of our enemies, shall always be abundant; we declare that the walls around our nation shall be fortified by the angels that have brought us to this place, and that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of
our lives here in this earth and throughout eternity.
May this Declaration of Forgiveness on Behalf of Our African Ancestors be forever commemorated each year on the last Saturday in March as we mark the rebirth of our nation from this day forward.
Join the movement by signing the Declaration to get on our mailing list and we'll keep you posted.
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Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV) "Like" us on Face Book!! |