AYTPAC
I want to welcome you to AYTPAC. In some social media circles, it could mean ” Are You There”, Are you there Pac? No, not quite! AYTPAC here stands for Africans of Yesterday and Today Public Affairs Commission.
By Africans of Yesterday, we mean descendants of those who came forcefully on slave merchants ships to The Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean. On the other hand, Africans of Today are those who migrated to America, Europe, and the Caribbean on their own accord.
As an African of Today in America, I acknowledge the sacrifice, which is really an understatement, of those who came before me, Africans of Yesterday, to the Americas. Because of those sacrifices, I am what I am in America and with the help of God of course.
Having been living in the United States for some time now, there seems to be a disconnect, a big rift, between these sets of people with common heritage. I would like to see Africans of Yesterday with means and influence be more involved on pertinent issues concerning their mother land or Black Africa.
Often times you hear members of other races speak with boldness of their heritage such been an Irish, Italian, Cuban, Jewish Americans, etc. Not only do they take pride in their heritage, they work within the system for economic, political, cultural well-being or development of their respective maternal or ancestral societies. I get that African of Yesterday’s history is different as slavery obscured ancestral point of origin
First, slavery divided families, then colonization by sort of gerrymandering or by divide and rule scheme fragmented and join entities or groups who had no business together, whose cultures, customs, language, and religion are different. There is therefore even now more instability, more strife, and more wars.
I submit to you that the way Black Africans in Africa are looked upon by the West carries over to their brethren in America, Europe and elsewhere. Until Black Africa emerges from the stereotypical or erroneous perception of being needy, ungovernable, unorganized, and comes into political and economic prominence, Blacks everywhere irrespective of social status would be suspects.
On the other hand Black Africa and Africans of Today in America can assist in educational development of at risk children in America by taping into already and existing activities and programs. By all estimate, majority Africans of Today in America have done very well. I know and I do believe there are things we can do or teach to change the destiny for good of any at risk child.
The question becomes, what can these two groups of people do to link up with each other? Could there be resentments by Africans of Yesterday on the whole issue of slavery, slave trading, betrayal and the roles of Africans of Today’s forefathers played? Perhaps, and could we ever overcome the resentment if there is one? What are the solutions?
AYTPAC is created to form a bridge of understanding and corporation on mutual issues: business, politics, cultural, and what have you. It is said that the more things change, the more they remain the same. This is negatively true for Black Africa in a quagmire brought about by leaders with shortsightedness who do not understand how things work.
I believe Black Africa in particular would and could do better if there are more involvements of Africans of Yesterday in the affairs of their motherland. There are economic and business vacuums they ought to be filling but it appears they are not, hence those vacuums are being filled by emerging China.
There are more things that unite than divide us.
So join me in this endeavor, I want to hear from you and to know your thoughts.
ben-el