People of the Sun Status

CURRENT STATUS

Child Today the Tribute has grown to include thousands of people who live in the New York City area and people who have traveled from other states and countries to participate. The Tribute program always begins with prayers, the pouring of libations, and drumming in memorial to the dead, and it always ends with a water ceremony that includes drumming, singing, and the release of flowers into the water. (This is done in the same manner that one would place flowers on the grave of a loved one.) Children are always a significant part of the program, for they are the ones who must carry the future torch, and the elders are always asked to offer words of wisdom of the community. The ceremony always includes speakers who make the connection between what happened during the Middle Passage and What is Happening to the Black community Today.

We know that we must not forget. We know that not everything that needs fixing right now can get fixed right away. But we are committed to trying to fix what we can! There is a debt to be paid. We know that the human suffering that took place during the enslavement of millions of African people must never happen again. The late honorable scholar, Dr. John Henrik Clark, has stated, “Nowhere in the annals of history has a people experienced such a long and traumatic ordeal as Africans during the Atlantic slave trade.”

We know that there is a connection between slave pens yesterday and prison cells today. We gather to pay tribute to those human beings that are buried in the Ocean. Because we must!

We ask all righteous Black people of the world and all righteous Brown, Red, Yellow, and White people of the world to join us.