Remembering those whose blood was drenched around the World
For most of our history,from the age of discovery, conquest of the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, leading to the Berlin Conference, establishment of the League of Nations and subsequently the United Nations - the very category ‘human’ has not embraced people of color.
Through the distorted veil of racism, a white supremacy ideological driven narrative that framed indigenous folks of color as inferior, racial hierarchy entered colonization vernacular and became a voice in the collective heads of colonial masters that says it makes civilized sense that one group of people get to annihilate, enslave, incarcerate, torture, sterilize, breed, and terrorize another. Infact, colonization was the global face of racism, a brutal and nefarious public crime witnessed, even celebrated by millions of people.
Not only was colonization a source of military and economic power and of pride for European nations, but italso provided many individual Europeans with a good income, with outlets fortheir energy and with opportunities for their careers. There developed in Europe a strong emotional attachment to the idea of colonization, which led them to regard the subject of decolonization with suspicion and often with systematic opposition and assassination of pro-independence leaders.
Based on the racist belief that Black people and people of color were inferior and hence not ripe for independence, it was only natural that colonial powers under the cover of the United Nations Trusteeship Council mutually supported each other in acollective effort to resist Africa’s decolonization ambitions. To that effect, prominent African independence leaders were assassinated by their former colonial masters, or their agents. To that effect, prominent African independence leaders were assassinated by their former colonial masters, or their agents including the charismatic leader of Cameroun opposition Ruben Um Nyobé who defended three times the cause of his country at the United Nations. Following the assassination of Ruben Um Nyobé on 13th September 1958, his replacement Felix Moumie, was also assassinated in Switzerland.
In 1961, Patrice Lumumba, Congolese nationalist leader and the first democratically elected Prime Minister was assassinated after he ordered Belgium to pull out of the vast Belgian Congo (Congo Kinshasa), after over ahundred years of colonial enslavement, looting and illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Barely few months after the brutal elimination of Lumumba, the Douglas DC-6 airliner SE-BDY carrying UNSecretary General- Dag Hammarskjöld crashed on 18 September 1961 in a forest near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia - now Zambia shortly before landing. Hammarskjöld who was sympathetic to Lumumba and committed to save Congo and Africa from Cold War involvement perished in the crash. Official UN inquiry which though could not determine the cause of the crash, concluded that foul play could not be ruled out.
Shortly after noon on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. When President Kennedy took office in January 1961, African Americans had high expectationsfor the new administration. Just a few weeks before the election that brought himto power, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested while leading a protest inAtlanta, Georgia. John Kennedy phoned his wife, Coretta Scott King to expresshis concern, while a call from Robert Kennedy to the judge helped secure her husband's safe release. The Kennedys' personal intervention led to a public endorsement by Martin Luther King Sr., the influential father of the civil rights leader.The publicizing of this endorsement, combined with other campaign efforts, contributed to increased support among Black voters for Kennedy. Across the nation, almost 70 percent of African Americans voted for Kennedy, and these votes provided the winning edge in several key states.
In 1963, Sylvanus Olympio who served as Prime Minister, and then President of Togo was assassinated. On February 21, 1965.Malcolm X, an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a popular figure during the civil rights movement, was assassinated in Manhattan, New York City.
Mehdi Ben Barka, leader of the Moroccan opposition movement was kidnapped in France in October 1965 and his body never found. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was ousted in a western-backed coup in 1966 and died of few years later.
On October 9, 1967, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist who play a pivotal role in the Cuban Revolution and struggles against colonization around the world was arrested and summarily assassinated in La Higuera, Bolivia.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. an American Baptist minister and activist who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Eduardo Mondlane, leader of Mozambique's Frelimo, fighting for independence from the Portuguese, died from a parcel bomb in 1969.
In 1973 Amilcar Cabral,leader of the West African liberation movement against Portugal of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, (Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde or PAIGC) in Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde,was assassinated.
On 12 September 1977, Bantu Stephen Biko - an African nationalist, African socialist, and a South African anti-apartheid activist at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign was summarily assassinated during an interrogation in Pretoria, SouthAfrica.
On October 15, 1987, Thomas Sankara a Marxist revolutionary and Pan-Africanist who served as President of Burkina Faso was assassinated for jeopardizing diplomatic relations with former colonial master France.
United Nations Colonization Memorial strongly believe that the assassination of the above leaders and many others was wrong, unjust and casts a dark shadow across the world. Through this tribute of remembrance, honoring those killed during the horrific chapter of colonization, UNCM will call the world to acknowledgement, to repentance and to healing.
UNCM MUSEUM
The World's First Colonization Museum
From the brutal Age of Exploration and its impact across the globe, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and its impact in Africa, Europe, the United States, and the Caribbean, and the various genocidal wars of decolonization (not exclusively), the museum will provide detailed interactive content, compelling narratives and colonization will be examined in depth and brought to life through film, images, and first-person narratives.
Situated on a site where indigenous tribal Indian men, women, and children were slaughtered and enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, UNCM Museum will offer an immersive experience with cutting-edge technology, world-class art, and critically important scholarship about world history.
Along with the world’s first and only international memorial dedicated to victims of colonization around the world, the museum will present a unique opportunity for visitors to reckon with challenging aspects of our past. Colonization in Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe - the five separate but interlinked wings of the Museum will include hundreds of sculptures and original animated short films narrated by award-winning artists from around the world.
An entire wing of the museum will explore the economics of colonization, the role of the League of Nations, and subsequently the United Nations Trusteeship Council in the violent enslavement of indigenous peoples of the Trust Territories, sexual violence against women and children in the colonies, the commodification of people, and the desperate efforts colonized people made to gain independence.
An expansive exhibit on the brutal assassination, of prominent pro-independence leaders around the world will document in detail timeline, short films, and first-person narrative accounts.
The museum's expansive content on the various wars of independence will be housed in a wing that examines the role of media during the era of racial terror by means of colonization. The last words of dying war victims will dramatize the suffering colonization imposed on entire communities. Facts about the starving to death of children will also help visitors understand the scale of terror and violence many families endured.
Visitors will hear first-person accounts from descendants of murdered pro-independence leaders and descendants of victims of some of the worst wars of independence, and learn about the heroic effort to challenge colonization that was led by legendary decolonization activists, including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, Dr William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B. Du Bois), and Kwame Nkrumah the father of modern Pan-Africanism.
The museum will bring to light various courageous decolonization movements that confronted colonization and eventually made new superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, to finally take positions against colonization.
Instrumental campaigns that confronted colonization, including Apartheid and Racial Segregation will be presented with an extensive exploration of the boycott campaigns and the Anti-Apartheid Movements. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the work of legendary civil rights activists will be showcased.
The iconography of colonization as the global face of racism will be dramatically presented in a collection of actual signs and notices collected from around the world. RHI will compile colonial laws and statutes that codified racism worldwide for visitors to read and experience.
A wing on the disenfranchisement of Black Soldiers will feature the Forgotten Colonial Forces of World War II for example that the Allied powers relied on to defeat the Axis but were never recognized. This wing will feature in the museum as a central component of how equal rights were undermined throughout the colonization era.
Colonial forces fought in every theater of World War II - from North Africa to Europe, and as far east as Hong Kong. They died and went missing in the tens of thousands, but despite their sacrifices, they were never treated as equals. These colored forces were largely under the command of White officers, although they were skilled fighters and even helped patrol the streets of London, Paris, Brussels etc. It was difficult for them to move up the ranks and become officers. Their compensation was far less than that of their White peers, and it worsened the darker their skin was.
Visitors will learn about some of the worst civil wars/conflicts around the world and how their origin is embedded in the way colonial powers drew national boundaries, forcefully merging peoples of different religions and ethnic groups together.
The Reflection Space will honor hundreds of people who worked throughout their lives to challenge colonization (racial injustice). In a grand space that will feature world music and powerful images, the history of struggle will inspire all to reflect on what we can do to make a difference.
The Museum will include a world-class art gallery with major works from some of the most celebrated artists from around the world. The gallery will include pieces created specifically for the UNCM Museum, and its entire collection will be curated in dialogue with the museum's historical narrative.
Collaborations with Western and non-Western world music - quasi-traditional, intercultural, and traditional music will explore the role of music and dance in understanding our world's history and the role of the arts.
As a physical site and an outreach program, the Museum will be an engine for education about the legacy of colonization and racial inequality and for the truth and reconciliation that will lead to real solutions to contemporary problems.
Lets Unveil Our Dark History
Something happened around the world under UN TrusteeshipCouncil watch that was wrong and unjust, and too few people have talked aboutit. We recognize that the world can still be a better place even though therewas colonization, but if we don't speak the truth, acknowledge the dark partsof our history, and commit to reconciliation and healing, we're not going to get there.
Knowing the facts #1
Do you or anyone you know speak English, Spanish, French, Dutch, or Portuguese language? Are you aware that these languages which carry culture, and embody the beliefs, values, and identity of European nations were imposed on conquered populations around the world that were disproportionately of color?
Are you conversant with the fact that across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, colonization was not solely economic and linguistic imperialism but the global face of racism - a brutal and nefarious public crime witnessed, even celebrated by millions of White folks?
Do you realize that the United Nations Trusteeship Council which was assigned under the UN Charter to supervise and promote the advancement of Trust Territories towards self-independence was grossly undermined by colonial powers, and under its watchful eyes Trust Territories across the world were drenched in the blood of their revolutionary heroes, who were killed in the worst of circumstances - from targeted assassinations to extrajudicial executions, massacres, and genocide?
Are you aware that under colonization folks of color were reminded that if they try to resist enslavement, if they try to prevent the partition of their kingdoms, deny their master’s language, or insist on gaining independence - in other words, if they do anything that upsets or complicates White supremacy, White dominance, and political power they will be killed?
Are you conscious that colonization was not just an uncomfortable footnote in history but reflected the belief in racial differences that reinforced Apartheid, Jim Crow Segregation, and systemic racism that has done real psychic damage not just to Black people, but to White people too?
Regardless of Direct Impact #2
Do you believe that the killing of men, women, and children under the banner of colonization was wrong, unjust, and though most people would rather forget, this dark period of racial terrorism in our past casts a shadow across the world and compromise our commitment to reconciliation and healing
Regardless of direct impact, if you could, would you do something to commemorate victims of colonization and help the world recover from centuries of racial injustice? If you answer yes to one of the above, you are exactly who we are looking for to join us and to get involved
You can become a volunteer, or an intern by sending us an email: info@uncm.org
You can also connect with us on social media and join the global conversation on colonization (racial injustice) and much more
Partner with us #3
Business:
The international business community is embracing corporate responsibility and can work side by side with us to heal racism and make the world a better place. Partnering with the international community to help tackle racial injustice is good global citizenship, and good business. Please contact us: info@uncm.org
Civil Society:
UNCM recognizes the importance of partnering with civil society/non-profits and will are inviting you to join us in building a better, safer, equitable and more sustainable world. Please contact us: info@uncm.org
Donate:
Do you want to contribute towards the world's first and only colonization memorial? You can support us by donating to Racial Healing International, the 501(c)(3) IRS public charity EIN 86-3844927 that initiated UNCM.
Connect With Us
Social Media: For the social-media inclined, please share on any of our platforms - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, or just say hello!
