Report: Gullah at the U.N.


IHRAAM Associate/Gullah/Geechee Ambassador
Marquetta L. Goodwine



With thanks and homage to the Creator and my ancestors, my journey to Geneva,
Switzerland in March 1999 was a success.   I am honored and thankful that the
International Human Rights Association for American Minorities made the
presentation possible.

Based on my experience with going before the Commission on Human Rights, I
would suggest that all associates be briefed on the protocol and procedure
that is required for such presentations to be made.   This would allow the
associates to be better prepared and more efficient.
 

When I arrived on Monday, it was a holiday.  Thus, sessions were not
occurring.  I was picked up by IHRAAM affiliates and escorted to my
accommodations in Geneva.   I had expected to be briefed on the protocols and
the procedures for the rest of my week, but I was left to rest.   I did not
have a contact number to anyone in the city in case of an emergency or for me
to ask questions.  Thus, I was left to myself to figure out how to obtain
things that I required.

I was awakened with a telephone call the next morning regarding the time that
I should be ready to go to the session.   I was rapidly taken down to a taxi
and driven to the location to received identification for the session.   Once
this procedure was completed, I was again rushed into the car and taken to
the United Nations building.

Once inside the building I was shown where to pick up agendas each day.   I
was taken into the room in which the session was under way and I was told to
sign IHRAAM in the book under the proper session number.   When later looking
at the agenda for another item, I saw that IHRAAM was listed there and I
thought that another representative must be present and would speak during
that time.  However, I found out later that there was no other representative
there and IHRAAM did not have a statement done under that segment.   Again, I
would suggest that preparation be done for associates so that these types of
occurrences are considered.  If more than one person is prepared for the
different items that are to be covered, one can serve in the place of the
other if there is an emergency or one party is not present.

Tuesday through Thursday, numerous countries and ethnic groups from various
countries presented information on what was occurring in their lands and
amongst their people.   The most interesting observation was that the things
that the NGO representatives would present would appear totally opposite from
what the member countries would say is being done in their countries to
combat “all forms of racism, oppression, and xenophobia.”  It seemed that
EVERY member country used that sentence in their statements.   Yet, the
people that lived in those countries that had opportunities to speak could
bring out information that showed that these things were still occurring on a
large scale.

Given that I am a citizen of the United States by birth, I had a keen awarenes
s to the statements that the United States representatives made.   They spoke
of a number of programs that were happening in the United States in order to
combat racism.  I wondered where were these things taking place because I had
never heard of any of these things of which they were speaking until that
day.  I have not heard of them since that day either.

As the week progressed and people’s patience wore thing due to long hours,
member country representatives began to point out each others records and
history on the floor of the session.   The Chair had to bang the gavel on
some occasions as people began to accuse each other of even “living in
Wonderland” and such.   This proved to me that I was not the only person in
the session that realized that a lot of lip service was being provided in
order for the member countries to appear as if they were adhering to the
things that the United Nations stands for based on its various declarations.
 However, the reality of global change wherein ALL people would have equal
rights was still a far target to be reached.

The news channels did not carry information regarding the 55th Session of the
Commission on Human Rights because they had their cameras and sound equipment
focused on the situation in Kosovo.   While the media was tuned to that
situation numerous cases of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and abuse were being
spoken of by representatives from numerous countries.   The crisis in Sierra
Leone which has gone on for more than eight years  was another of keen
interest to me given the relationship between the Sea Islands and the
countries of Africa’s west coast.

As the stories of mass graves and refugees were followed by those concerning
the enslavement of women and children in many countries and the abuses they
had to endure, I could only mentally and spiritually revisit the story of my
own people, the Gullah.   The fact that various people of African descent
were now scattered and continuing to scatter throughout the world as a result
of turmoil in their country was no different than why my ancestors were sold
as prisoners of war and later taken as captives to the New World now called
America.

As I listened to numerous indigenous people from the Americas speak of being
denied access to certain parts of their homeland and being denied
opportunities to continue to practice their customs and traditions, I again
saw all the parallels to the destruction of my homeland-the Sea Islands-and
my people, the Gullah.   As I heard each representative speak of having their
own language and customs, but could hear them speaking in Spanish or English
and sometimes, French, I wondered if anyone hear was realizing that this was
the greatest testimonial to the mass cultural destruction that has occurred
in the world.  If a person is in a place that is supposed to represent the
world-the United Nations-why would one not hear all the tongues of the world?
 Why would we be limited to primarily hearing the tongues of the Anglo
peoples of the world?  Why are these tongues appropriate hear and not those
that the indigenous people are saying they have?  Can the indigenous people
actually still speak their own tongues?

As I sat through the latter part of Item 7, through Item 8, and the
Commission was about to begin Item 9 which I was to present under, I was able
to observe the interaction of the people that were present.  It was akin to
what I had seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC in the United States.  Many
people were rushing to have their points made, but they were not necessarily
giving the same focus and respect to the others that were presenting.   There
was a great deal of traffic and private conversations in the room.   The
Chair had to address this on more than one occasion when the noise level got
to be clearly beyond reason.

Just  as Item 9 was to begin, the Chair called for them to take time to allow
those that wanted to make a statement regarding Kosovo to sign up to do  so.
They would then allow each member country to speak and then each NGO.   When
they announced how many countries and NGOs had signed up to present, I
calculated that this was now going to take up approximately two hours and ten
minutes.

Once I checked the listing of those to present under Item 9, I found that
this would mean the session would close for the day without me being able to
present.   There would not be a session on Friday due to another holiday.
Therefore, I began to try and figure out how I could get my number changed to
one of the early spaces.  I could not locate the men that had been my only
contacts since I arrived in Geneva.  Thus, I had to think of how to find out
who held these early numbers myself.

>From the time that I had arrived in Geneva, I had a recurring vision that I
was not going to be able to speak.  I kept seeing that something was going to
happen and my number was not going to be called for some reason.  Once I
calculated this unexpected delay and realized what could potentially happen,
my heart raced as it had each night during that week when this vision had come
.

I went to the recorder’s desk and asked how and if I could change my
presentation number given that I would not be present next week.   I was told
that if I could locate someone and they were willing to change places with
me, I should come back with them and he would rearrange our presentation
order.

I remembered seeing faces of some activists that I knew from New York City.
However, I had not seen them the entire day.   I started asking women that
were sitting near me if they knew any of the representatives of the other
NGOs that were listed ahead of me.  They knew some of them, but did not feel
that they would exchange places with me.  I still went and spoke to them.
One person was not cordial and simply dismissed the possibility and another
told me that he would, but he had already swapped.

I was eventually lead by someone to a lounge area that I did not know
existed.   Here is where I found one of the people that I thought I knew from
New York City.   I introduced myself as Marquetta L. Goodwine from the
Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and asked if he was a part of the
December 12th Movement.  To that end, he said, “Yes.”  I asked if he would be
present at the session the following week and again he said, “Yes.”  I
stated, “Well, I won’t.  Is it possible for you to switch places with me
because given my number, I will not be able to present before they close the
session for the week since Kosovo was now added to the agenda.”   He asked,
“Are you going to present on Gullah?”   I replied, “Yes.”  He said, “Let’s do
this.”   We then walked into the session and had our numbers changed.   I
gave him a copy of my audio tape, “Hunnuh Hafa Shout Sumtime!!!” as a token
of appreciation for what he had done.   He said, “Thanks.  Good luck.”

I sat through the next few hours in meditation.   I stayed focused on no more
delays or possibly disruptions occurring to prevent this presentation.  Just
before me, a Mexican brother presented about his homeland and so much of it
sounded like what has occurred in my home that I new that this had to be
spiritually ordered.   Even as I listened to him, I watched the clock and
knew that I may be the last one called if I was called.

The Chair finally said, “International Human Rights Association for American
Minorities.”   I quickly sat in the NGO seat near the back of the room and
raised my hand.   The microphone light was on and the clock began to tick
down as I opened with “Giving thanks to the Creator and in homage to my
ancestors....”

As soon as I said my opening words, the buzz in the room settled down.   Most
of the member country representatives turned around or moved their seats to
look at me.  I had not noticed them doing this throughout the other
presentations.  Yet, I knew that the clock was ticking and I had already
noted the key sections of my speech to speed through in the five minutes
allotted.

I had been directed by my ancestors and elders to speak in my own language,
Gullah.  Thus,  I stated that as directed, I would speak in my own tongue.
When I did this, the room began to buzz again with confusion and amazement.
The interpreters had to stop speaking and people could only hear me speaking.
 

An Anglo woman that I had noticed all day due to how she stood out given that
she was wearing a traditional African outfit was sitting to my left as I
spoke and she threw her hands up in frustration.  I took it that she could
not understand my language.  However, I was also annoyed that she would be in
THIS PLACE-a session to discuss protection of HUMAN RIGHTS and she could not
take seconds of trying to understand that which she did not know.  She was
the epitome of a living example of why there is a continued need for the work
that is being done by numerous groups in the world in regard to cultural
preservation and education on and protection of human rights.

Although the annoyance was present, I stayed focused on my goal of touching
on major issues that were in my fifteen minute written statement that I had
to present in five minutes.   I switched back to English and said, “This is
Gullah.”  The room again got quiet and there seemed to be more intent focus
on me.  I was not sure if this was going to take a positive or negative
context when I was through.  However, as the clock hit 00:00, I was saying,
“Thank you.”

When I stood to move from the seat, I was surrounded by aids to
representatives and members of NGOs and such who all wanted copies of the
statement.  I had been left with only 15 copies instead of the 50 that was
requested.  Thus, I quickly ran out.   A gentleman took me to copying
machines and several people made it a point to help me get the copies I
needed because they thought that what I had to say was compelling and they
wanted to know more about these people of which I spoke.   So, I was able to
go back out to the room and give copies to those that asked for them and I
had some to leave on the table where other statements and press release were.

As I left the session, I was floating and could easily have walked the
distance back when a group of us realized we had all missed the last bus from
in front of the United Nations.  Instead, I had to walk several blocks and
then ran and got on a different bus at another stop.   I was content to make
my call to IHRAAM headquarters and state, “Mission accomplished.”

As I walked near the water on Friday, I encountered others that had been at
the session.  A representative from Iraq wanted to know about the language
that I spoke in and where it came from.  He told me that I should keep doing
what I am doing because it is outstanding.  He had never heard of these
people and people need to know.   After that brief conversation in one of the
tourist stores, I knew that an impact had been made and that now the world
could say they had at least heard of the Gullah.

Since the April 1, 1999 presentation before the 55th Session of the
Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations, I have been interviewed by
several newspapers and radio programs.   I have also been the featured guest
on some television shows.   It has been made a point in the midst of these
interviews to mention that I was the first Gullah to speak before the United
Nations on behalf of Gullah and Geechee people.   This has lead to many other
people including Gullah people beginning to ask questions about why this
would be of interest to the United Nations.  They also realize that if it is
of interest to the UN, it should be a major focus for them as individuals and
that the work to preserve this heritage, culture, and language must continue.
  It also must be joined with the work to give global recognition to and
enforcement of the human rights of all people.

“Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fuh heal de tree.”