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WHY REMEMBRANCE IS IMPORTANT AND HOW WE PRESERVE THE LEGACY By Selena Carty
Why Remembrance is important and how we preserve the legacy
Our histories are a time that has past. Whatwasdoneyesterdayistobeused as a method to help us to make the necessary changes in the present to impact the future.Since the 1600’s Europeans have continued to carve up the world amongst themselves,this is a fact.1884/5 atThe Berlin Conference,Africa found itself under siege. Great Britain & France had claimed most of the continent (Remember the 100-year war 1337 – 1453).This war saw the development of weaponry and so much more which supported their claims at the meeting and allowed them to acquire much more of the continent than therest).Not even50yearsafter thisconference aworldwarstarted.Warsdonot start overnight! We are taught the war was sparked by the assassination of the heir to the former AustriaHungarian throne,but when you look deeper the reason for the entire world being involved becomesclear.(Minusthecountrieswhoremained neutral)WorldWar I came to an end 11th hour, on11thDayofthe11thMonth1918,after4years 3 months and 1 week.The war is remembered, however,the contributions made by all are not wellknown.LivingwithinEngland;Great Britain, weshouldknowalotmoreaboutthecontributions made by all within the Empires time of need. Todayhistorycontinues toinspireandinfluence many actions made,without the full picture how can real change ever be made?
African/Black Families ranging from men, women&children,students,universitygraduates, doctors,nurses,healers and herbalists,factory workers,field workers,miners,labourers, musicians,porters,volunteers,workers on land and the seas all gave their lives on all sides of thiswar.Evenin thefaceofadversityanddespite mankind’smostabhorrenttreatmentandatrocities we still fought,contributed and sacrificed all over the world.The ignorance of how African/ Black communities live and how we should be treated caused millions of unnecessary losses of lives,ancestral homes,generations,cultural continuity and land. Growingupit feelsyouaresupposed tojust knowwhatitmeanstobeAfrican/Black,whether is from your parents,family or wider society. Educationissubject totheindividualinterpreting it.Within the African/Black/West Indian communitiesourhistoriesareextremelyextensive, so how can we be expected to learn about it all to understand who you are? AsanAfroCentricGenealogist,Ifelt it was important to tie personal history with the extensive history that can be found within the African/Black communities!When you can see andunderstandhowyouandyourdescendants have contributed to the world,it starts to develop a new level of thought.This has given birth the remembrance on a broader platform. History is a subject that is deemed unimportant to many as they feel:
‘What can I do to change what has happened?’ ‘If I were there, I would have done something different!’ ‘They shouldn’t have done that!’. ‘Ashamed to be connected’
We are taught that the children are our future. The future is supposed to grow on top of the foundations laid by their communities.When you are not taught your own history & culture youfindyourfuturebuildingon topofsomeone else’s foundation.What are we preserving?We are preserving the memory of our strengths and weaknesses. By remembering all aspects of our history, we can steer away from actions untoward and develop newer methods to accomplish results we can now see.Showing respect to those who made choices they felt were best,taking risks to try something new has given rise to many changes made in the world today.History continues to provide the foundation for it all. Preservation requires visibility and healing. The BlackPoppyRose is a symbol of preserving legacies.A tool to start an overdue conversation about how we start to value our history and new cultures using the past as a reminder of how we have got here.
BY SELENA CARTY
Founder of the BlackPoppyRose Cultural & Ancestral Consultant: Afro Centric Genealogist Email: info@yiwae.org Website: www.yiwae.org
Order your pins and wreaths today at:www.blackpoppyrose.org To learn more about the African involvement and contributions toWWI and more emails us: info@blackpoppyrose.org Start that conversation towards healing and erasing ignorance.
Together we can beat this
1 in4blackmenwillget prostatecancerat some point in theirlives.Blackmenaremorelikely toget prostatecancer thanothermen,whohavea1in8 chanceofgettingprostatecancer. ActorRudolph WalkertellsusabouthisCaribbean rootsandpassionfor thecause.
What do you know about prostate cancer? My awareness of prostate cancer is really somethingveryclosetohome,myuncledied of prostate cancer,I was very fond of him. It was a very painful experience for me,so when I was approached quite a few years aftertobeinvolvedwithProstateCancerUK, I just didn’t hesitate. I also encouraged Eastenders to do a storylineaboutprostatecancer,whichthey did in 2014 with the character Stan Carter played byTimothyWest - that raised quite a lot of awareness.
Where do you draw your strength from? I draw my strength from knowing I have a contribution tomake,andcontinuemaking, insociety.Ialsodrawmystrengthfromolder membersofmyfamily,includingmyaunties andmymother.TheyguidedmewhenIwas younger and I could always go and speak to one of them.My mother,although she was very,very strict,was an awfully strong woman–andImeanvery,verystrong–she broughtupthreekids,meandmytwosisters, on her own.So there isn’t just one thing that has given me strength,there’s quite a number of things that put together give me a lot of strength.
Why do you think black men tend to ignore prostate cancer? One in four black men will get prostate cancer-thosestatisticsarenotencouraging. Mybackground,comingfromtheCaribbean, we have a mentality where we don’t talk aboutanythingtodowithourprivateparts. It’s to do with our pride and being macho. Prevention is better than cure and if you capture something like prostate cancerearly,thenyoustandabetterchance of beating it. Why are you supporting the stronger knowing more campaign? I’m supporting the campaign because prostate cancer has affected my family and friends around me,including friends I grew up with inTrinidad.So it is extremely important that we spread the word.
What is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer can develop when cells in yourprostatestarttogrowinanuncontrolled way.Prostatecanceroftengrowsslowlyand may never cause any problems.But some prostate cancer grows quickly and has a high risk of spreading.This is more likely to cause problems and needs treatment to stop it spreading.
What is the prostate? The prostate is a gland.Only men have a prostate.Theprostateisusuallythesizeand shape of a walnut.It sits underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra,which isthetubemenurinate(pee)andejaculate through.The prostate’s main job is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm.
Does prostate cancer have any symptoms? Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any symptoms.So,even if you don’t have symptoms,if you’re a black man over 45,speak to your GP about your risk of prostate cancer. Some men with prostate cancer may havedifficultyurinating.Menwithprostate cancerthat’sspreadtootherpartsofthebody might have pain in the back,hips or pelvis, problems getting or keeping an erection, blood in the urine,or unexplained weight loss.Thesesymptomsareusuallycausedby otherthingsthataren’tprostatecancer.For example,if you notice any changes when youurinateorhavetroublecontrollingyour bladder,this could be a sign of an enlarged prostate or prostatitis.But it’s still a good idea to talk to your GP so they can find out what’s causing them.
Why are black men at higher risk? We don’t know why black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.But it might be linked to genes. Genes are sets of instructions inside every cell in your body and are inherited from your parents.
What is the risk for men with mixed black ethnicity? If you have mixed black ethnicity, you are likely to be at higher risk of prostate cancer thanmenwhoaren’tblack.Butwedon’tknow yourexactriskbecausewedon’thaveenough information on prostate cancer in men with mixed black ethnicity.And we don’t know whether it makes a difference if it’s your mother or father who is black.
You may also be more likely to get prostate cancer if: You are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older your father or brother has had it. Ifyou’reoverweightorobese,youmight have a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostatecancerthat’saggressive(morelikely to spread) or advanced (spread outside the prostate).
