The government of the United States of America has a track record of deporting or refusing the entry of nations with Black people. When it comes to Cuba, Haiti or Brazil the Black citizens are always sent packing or turned around on a tube or what ever they sailed here on.

The problem is clearly racial when you look at Cuba. Just go to Miami, you will not find many Black Cubans. Was it a coincidence that the Dominican Republic, a European colonized island, has enjoyed financial support from America and great trade agreements while Haiti, its neighbor, has not?

The hatred of Black people didn’t start in the U.S. and it is not contained to just these borders. The racism Blacks face in America is something Blacks all over the world experience and America has openly supported these countries that oppress Blacks. If you look at South Africa, the U.S. government supported Apartheid and F.W. de Klerk to the end. My proudest moment of Nelson Mandela being free was when President Clinton told him he couldn’t associate with Moammar Kadafi. President Mandela said “When you were supporting my enemies in apartheid, he supported me, so don’t try to tell me who I can associate with.” I stood proud with him on that day but then he dissed Winnie and that’s another story. Back to the Haitians, where are they going to go?

According to an Interview on Democracy Now when asked, ’What can be done?’  IRA KURZBAN: A number of things. First of all, we think they should bring many more people from Haiti, including all those people who had approved petitions by family members. We can do that. It’s about 70,000 people. Previously, we brought over 250,000 Cubans into the United States. We can certainly do that for Haitians here now.

I listened to the President’s State of the Union Address Wednesday, January 27, 2010 and for a moment I thought he wasn’t even going to mention the earthquake at all. I sat with my mouth wide open for at least an hour like, ’When is he going to take a moment of silence for the people of Haiti?’ He then finally mentioned Haiti, but from a stand point like America has done great things by this country in the last couple of weeks. He was giving kudos to everybody and talking about the work the troops are doing. What?

I thought about if a tragedy hit this country and everybody had to leave, where would African Americans go? What is the homeland of African Americans? I think this is why we have to be careful when we distance our selves from Africa and embrace America so strongly. I don’t feel like we need to go back to Africa because I don’t think it is the home of all of us now but it is the throne of all African people. Until we can have import and export with Africa, we will not be recognized as a nation and until Africa builds with its children abroad, we will all stay stuck under the foot of the European rulers that we serve today.

There is an organization called I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that regulates what is going to happen to people who are detained for deportation purposes. This organization is not regulated by anyone and is handing out pink slips to all those employees that come to this country to work and try to make a better life for themselves and their family. If you committed any felony of any kind or have two or more misdemeanors, you can be deported without question.

The war on drugs not only affected Africans in America but also those who come from other countries with African descent. I cringe when I talk about this war because the main culprits became heroes and the rest of them ended up in jail. Ronald Reagan and Oliver North are heroes to the right wing and President Obama seems to be carrying the torch with the policies he is setting and the cabinet he is building. I would like to take a moment of silence for all my Brothers locked up behind that foolishness and I would like to take a moment to salute at least one person that was able to change his life around and make a difference in this country only to be threatened with deportation after he paid his debt to society.

According to ”Democracy Now”  A prominent Haitian New York community activist has been released after being jailed for three weeks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Jean Montrevil was arrested last month for a twenty-year-old drug conviction for which he had already served eleven years. He hasn’t broken any law since.

Montrevil married an American citizen. He’s the father of four children who are US citizens. He’s a longtime community leader in New York City and active in a number of immigrant rights groups, including Families for Freedom and the New York City New Sanctuary Movement, as well as Detention Watch Network.

I love President Obama but I recognize we are not the same. I know most Black Americans will disagree with me but my bloodline is not connected to George Bush and Dick Cheney. The President’s Father is African and his mother is European. He is not like many Africans in America whose ancestral tree has roots of at least four generations of slaves and dehumanized ancestors. Some may say, “What does that have to do with anything because Blacks sell each other out?” I say if you are spiritual and understand we are spiritual beings, having a physical experience, you then start to live differently.

I know from my title, people expect me to have the answer but the question is more profound to me. The question really is, “What can we do for our own people after all the progress we have made and the election of a Black skinned man? What can we now do for self?” Until truth prevails, my eyes will be watching.

Democracy Now.org       

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Nelson Mandela Site

Nelson Mandela on FW de Klerk

LA Times Article - U.S. suspends deportation of Haitians 1-14-10

The Seattle Times – US Halts Deportation of Haitians for Now 1-13-10

Photo 1 - Obama State of the Union - from www.guardian.co.uk

Photo 2 Photo: MGN Online - From The Final Call Online