Written Statement to the UN in 1997
The following statement was sent to the UN as the first communication of CURE/AFRE.
Written Statement to the 49th Session on the Prevention of Discrimination
and the Protection of Minorities
CURE/AFRE
1. Making reference to the report of Special Rapporteur, Mr. Maurice Glele-Ahanhanzo, on his mission to the United States of America in 1994 (document E/CN.4/1995/78/Add.l.): In this report the Special Rapporteur accurately informs the Economic and Social Council that the human rights of African Americans have been violated from the establishment of the United States until the present day. However, the Special Rapporteur states that racism may not now be a deliberate policy on the part of the U .S. Government. We seek to inform the United Nations that the report did not express the bitterness of the African American people and their sincere belief that racial discrimination is a deliberate policy. Because of the exhaustion of domestic remedy, there now exists a belief that racial discrimination will never cease. This belief is confirmed by the failure of African American leaders in the U.S. Congress to gain permission from the Caucasian majority for a mere study of slavery to determine whether reparations are due.
2. In 1993 a highly respected African American leader delivered a 1503 communication to the Working Group on Communications on behalf of African Americans. This communication, delivered by the Honorable Silis Muhammad, leader of the Lost Found Nation of Islam, was not forwarded to the Sub-Commission because it did not prove a consistent pattern of human rights violations. We believe the United Nations knows that a consistent pattern of human rights violations is already a matter of African, European and American history, brought up to the present and verified by the aforementioned Special Rapporteur. The African American population is becoming aware that their 1503 communication was rejected by the Working Group and therefore ignored by the United Nations. This awareness adds to the already existing belief that racial discrimination will never cease.
3. Making reference to the recent remarks of U.S. President Bill Clinton wherein he mentions the possibility of an apology for slavery, we seek to inform the United Nations that the masses of African Americans feel that an apology is not enough, while the masses of Caucasian Americans feel there is no reason to apologize. In monitoring the African American press and internet communications, we have observed that African Americans do not believe President Clinton has the interest of justice at heart. African Americans have seen the U .S. government strike down Affirmative Action and special preferences in universities and law schools, some of which now have 100% Caucasian enrollment. They have also seen that the U.S. Judicial System continues to imprison African American men at 10 times the rate of Caucasian men and execute the death penalty at the same rate. Now, after President Clinton's remarks, they see that Caucasian Americans can conceive of no reason to even apologize for slavery.
4. The prayers of African Americans for justice and reparations have been rejected by the U.S. Government and, seemingly, the United Nations. Because the struggle seems hopeless, the African American population has reached a state of extreme anxiety .We observe that some leaders are considering changing their tactics because of the failure of peaceful and legal means of solving the problem. We believe that African Americans may decide to use extreme measures and thereby gain the attention of the world community .We fear that the U.S. Government may respond with imprisonment of African American leaders. We ask the U.N. to respond to our communication by establishing a meeting wherein African American Leaders (those who are not under the authority of the U.S. Government) can speak to the UN Human Rights authorities candidly and privately about the desperate plight of African Americans.
