I did mention that when I chaired the National Black United Front (NBUF) I was invited to participate at the Annual Political Committee of the UN along with other liberation organizations. There was the African National Congress (ANC) that was Nelson
Mandela’s organization. He was in jail at the time. Significantly, he was called a terrorist by heads of states of most Euro-American countries. Johnstone “Jonny” Mfanafuth Makhatini was the UN representative of South Africa, also representing South Africa was the Pan-African Congress (PAC) the representative was David Sibeko. There was
Southern Rhodesia Liberation Organization, Zimbabwe African People’s Unity (ZAPU) headed by Joshua Nkomo and Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) headed by Robert Mugabe. The two organizations coalesced under the tile of the Patriotic Front. In Namibia, the liberation organization was South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO) headed by Sam Nujoma and the UN Representative was Theo-Ben Gurirab
and guess what, the Palestinian were represented by Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) headed by Yassar Arafat. And I chaired the NBUF representing African people in the Diaspora, but in particular in the USA. There were several things they all had in
common:
1. They were all called terrorists by those who had conquered and colonized them.
2. They all believed that their country, their land had been taken from them.
3. They were all committed to do whatever was necessary regain their homeland.
After years of fighting, all of them gained their independence and became heads of government in their respective countries. Mr. Mandela became the Beloved Elder of the world; every corner of the globe people admired him and wanted to see him.
I was a member of the Welcoming Committee along with Harry Belafonte, Bill Lynch and others when he came to the USA, starting in New York. My wife, Dr. Karen along with Julie Belafonte chaired the women’s section of the welcoming committee. In fact, Winnie made her first public statement at our church in Brooklyn. After Mandela was released from prison he served as President of South Africa until his resignation. I and my family enjoyed a wonderful friendship with Nelson, Winnie and their children. I was honored to have participated at Nelson Mandela’s funeral and burial in South Africa, accompanied by my grandson, Minister Lorenzo Daughtry-Chambers. My wife and my daughter and I also attended Winnie’s funeral in South Africa. I could never forget a profoundly moving gathering at Winnie’s home with the family.
As I stated, all of the liberation organizations achieved their independence except one; Yassar Arafat and the PLO. Arafat is gone now and the PLO is a non-entity, but their fight continues. I have often reflected what a difference it would have made if the PLO and Israeli leadership had agreed to a two-state solution. How many lives would be saved and what tremendous progress two people working together would have made! But here we are, another so-called terrorist organization, another war and continued death or destruction of the innocent including children and the elderly.
I made reference to my trip to Grenada where we memorialized Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and the eighteen comrades who were assassinated with him October 19, 1983, 40 years ago. At one of the ceremonies there was a wreath laying at the site where they were assassinated. It was an old fort. We placed the wreaths on the wall where they were lined up and shot. I was asked to make remarks at the ceremony. I recounted the long friendship I had with Bishop. I made mention of his meeting with the youth of our church led by Councilman Charles Barron. He was the youth leader of our church at the time.
I quoted another son of the Caribbean, Marcus Garvey who said, “Look for me in the whirlwind.” We will look for Maurice Bishop in the whirlwind of social change. Wherever men and women fight for their freedom, for a better life, we will look for Bishop. I ended by saying, you can kill the revolutionary, but you can’t kill the revolution. You can kill the dreamer, but not the dream. Maurice Bishop will live forever; his spirit will be with us but not only with us, but wherever people long for freedom.
On my way home, I reflected on the many times I had been to UN, primarily addressing world issues. I already mentioned the UN Hearing and Vietnam war with Dr. King. I was there in 1982 when we organized an international gathering to demand nuclear disarmament. We left there and gathered over one million people in Central Park. I spoke at both the UN and at Central Park. I was at the UN, when I headed an Interfaith Interracial delegation in preparation for our trip to Iraq just before the war started. It was a desperate attempt to negotiate peace. I was there for Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir President of the minority government in Sudan. They had driven the Darfurian people (the original African) from their land, they were refugees. I visited them in the refugee camps in Chad, West Africa. We demanded that President Al-Bashir be charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, which eventually he was. It has been a long history of trying to Save the Planet and Save the People “and I ain’t no ways tired. Come too far from where I started...Anyway nobody told me the road would be easy, and I don’t believe he’s brought me this far to leave me” Will you join us in our ongoing struggle to Save the Planet and Save the People.
Join us for the HDGM Save the Planet and Save the People Organizing Meeting on
December 23rd, 2023.
1. International Renowned musician Randy Weston, myself, Theo-ben Gurrirab UN Rep for SWAPO at the House of the Lord Church where both were frequent visitors.
2. David Sibeko is the UN Representatives for the Pan-African Congress of South Africa. We are coming out of the UN after a press conference we joined with millions of others in the movement to Free South Africa/Free Mandela.
3. Rev. Daughtry greeting Nelson & Winnie Mandela after his release.
4. Rev. Dr. Dawnique Daughtry, Sharon Daughtry, Rev Dr. Herbert & Karen Daughtry, Princess Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini and Rev. Leah Daughtry, we hosted them at our home for a weekend stay.
5. Rev. Dr. Karen Daughtry, myself, Harry Belafonte meeting with Nelson Mandela. My wife was co-chair of the welcoming committee and founding chair of SASAA.
6. In 1977, as a Pan-Africanist the Reverend prioritized in his ministry, unity among people of African Ancestry. He formed the Commision on African Solidarity. One of its major accomplishments was a fundraiser for example Zimbabwe African Peoples Unity (ZAPU). The check was presented to Mr. Joshua Nkomo at the House of the Lord church in 1977. Mr. Nkomo was not only the president of ZAPU but he was considered the Godfather of the Southern Africa Liberation.
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