Complete Emancipation

Yesterday, we celebrated Emancipation Day, in observance of the abolition of slavery that took place a little over one hundred and fifty years ago. To most of us, the significance of the event may by now have paled in the face of the reality of contemporary everyday living, with the stories of oppression and bondage of our African forefathers beginning to take on more the appearance of myth and legend than of family history.
It is understandable: we are so far removed from the realities of that era, the forerunner in the race for the Presidency of the United States has African roots in his makeup.
That kind of evolution may be an indication that it is time we put the pain and scars of slavery behind us and move forward.
But the slavery of blacks by the white race is not the only condition from which we should look for emancipation. We could also use the occasion to consider emancipating ourselves from all kinds of injustice.
We could do, for example, with some emancipation of weaker, dependent women from the domination and abuse of the men who provide them with employment; or from those who have fathered their children and use their dependency to abuse them physically, sexually, mentally and otherwise; and with some emancipation for children who are exploited by those who hold dominant positions in their lives, whether they be fathers, stepfathers, any kind of adult parental figure; or from those who extort sexual favours in return for much-needed financial help … the examples of oppression are unfortunately too many.

Slavery takes many forms, most of which have no relation to race or the colour of one’s skin … and intellectual and mental slavery are sometimes far worse than the physical kind.
Discrimination against people of different religious faiths, or against those of a different political affiliation; the oppressive prejudices against those who are stricken with HIV/AIDS, or who follow non-traditional sexual lifestyles; discrimination in employment practices because one is too old – or too young: these are all injustices which cry out for emancipation.
So even as the primary reason for yesterday’s holiday – the unshackling of chains from the necks of our black ancestors – fades away into the dim past, let us look forward to the day when we can consider ourselves emancipated from all kinds of oppression and can look upon each other, regardless of race, gender, financial resources, sexual orientation, religion or any other human condition, as brothers and sisters with respect for the equality of the rights that inherently should be the heritage of us all.
And no one else can do it for us; as Bob Marley sang, “… none but ourselves can free our minds.”