Editorial
Rasta poet rejects "antiquated" honours award
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Benjamin
Zephaniah
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Benjamin Zephaniah, the militant Rastafarian poet, made a telling point in rejecting the Queen's Order of the British Empire, one of the greatest gifts a modern monarch can bestow. This legacy of colonialism conjures up haunting images of "how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised" he told the Guardian newspaper last month.
True, the days are long gone when British viceroys ruled the "natives" of Africa and the sub-continent. But their racialised legacy lingers. The OBE award's motto remains "For God and Empire". "Most recipients are white males [and] disproportionately drawn from the ranks of diplomats, civil servants and the armed forces," says the Guardian.
Many Black Britons now believe this out of date colonial legacy should be rectified. Invoking the "empire" should no longer play a central part in Britain's sense of national identity. (They know that politicians and neo-fascist parties today use the anthem "Rule Britannia" and the flag of England, the St George's Cross, to foster racial hatred.)
New times; new
award principles
Given Mr Zephaniah's refusal of the Queen's award, and the troubled
views of Black Britons, the time has surely come when the honour should
be stripped of its colonial taint and renamed. But what should it be
called?
Why not have an Order of British Excellence? This would be a "people's honour" ö awarded to persons in a range of activities and occupations:
- for their achievement and enterprise in community development;
- for their determination to succeed in the face of racism and inequalities; and
- for their contribution to a just and fair society.
If this were the case, then Black British achievers would be at the head of the nominations queue. Never before have so many self-identifying Blacks been so prominent in cultural and public life. They are present in the traditional caring professions and the new world of the Internet. They lead community groups and counsel wayward youth as well as nurture aspiring scholars, power brokers and money-makers. Their extraordinary traits are identified by Jacqui MacDonald in her book Portraits of Black Achievement.
Exemplary individuals
When Sonia
Bassey of Liverpool reported on the Toxteth riots for her school exams
she knew she wanted to help empower local communities. Now, the "Discover
your history" project she directs gives Black and disadvantaged groups
a new sense of dignity.
Dr Morgan Dalphinis, an educational administrator, combines his academic interests with youth work at his Birmingham college. Kwasi Boateng has turned his architectural practice into an informal school for aspiring Black architects
Claire Holder led the successful Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's largest open-air party, and the world's biggest celebration of Caribbean culture. Every year the streets of north Kensington, London, are transformed for two days by soca music, steel bands, sound systems and fantastic costumes ö not to mention two million guests.
This commitment is growing among business leaders, as well. When Luna Frank-Riley's headed her information technology company she aimed to regenerate run-down inner city neighbourhoods. "My mother, a nurse, would always encourage me to read about Black heroes like Dr Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Angela Davis and Malcolm X," she recalls.
The roots of community activism run deep. Over the past three decades publishers Jessica and Eric Huntley have turned their bookshop into a well-attended Afro-Caribbean study centre. "We organise poetry readings, book launches and workshops at which the public and schools attend" she says. "Our role is making a pathway for others to follow, assisting people to be more conscious and aware."
Alternative form
of recognition
No wonder then that Mr Zephaniah's words ring true. "If they want to
give me one of these empire things, why can't they give me one for my
work in animal rights? Why can't they give me one for my struggle against
racism? What about giving me one for all the letters I write to innocent
people in prisons who have been framed?" he asks.
Mr Zephaniah and hundreds of unheralded Black men and women exhibit the sole requirements for a national award - valuable service and a strong sense of duty to their communities. What better qualities and criterion can there be for a new Order of British Excellence?
Notes
1. The Order of the British Empire was created during World War I in 1917 by George V. It is used to reward services to the State, including the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds. Ranks in the order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE -- the honour offered to Zephaniah and conferred on footballer David Beckham) and Member (MBE).
2. Benjamin Zephaniah, born in Birmingham of Jamaican parents, is a respected and widely known poet who won't stay silent, who doesn't pull any punches, and writes out of a sense of urgency and a commitment to social justice. The first two verses of his poem Bought and Sold published in 2001 gives insights into why he is against orders such as the OBE. It reads:
"Smart big awards and prize money
Is killing off black poetry
It's not censors or dictators that are cutting up our art.
The lure of meeting royalty
And touching high society
Is damping creativity and eating at our heart.
The ancestors would turn in graves
Those poor black folk that once were slaves would wonder
How our souls were sold
And check our strategies,
The empire strikes back and waves
Tamed warriors bow on parades
When they have done what they've been told
They get their OBEs."
3. Jacqui MacDonald is Lecturer in Careers Education and Guidance at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her book Portraits of Black Achievement shows the positive contribution Black people make to society in Britain. More than 70 successful professionals discuss their life experiences including family, education, work, and the Black community. It is published by Lifetime Careers Publishing, priced £15.95, and available from the Institute's bookshop.
