.jpg)
| |||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
By:
HARRISON MAINA | |||||||||||||||||
| Posted:
Jan,04-2017 18:19:34
| |||||||||||||||||
|
LAWRENCE__Over a dozen members of the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus led by State Representative Russell Holmes, were overjoyed by the participation of the African Diaspora Community who were represented by four of the group's members at a Communities of Color Agenda Listening Tour last Thursday at the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence--a city largely dominated by immigrants of Latin descent. it neighbors the city of Lowell--another gateway immigrant city where thousands of African immigrants call home. "We are completely impressed and grateful for your presence here tonight and with the amazing submissions you have made regarding issues in your community. It was very important for us, as lawmakers to hear this, to understand the usually unnoticed differences between African Americans and the African Immigrants. We have further learned, that the experiences they have gone through in life seem to be different from those of African Americans like me, who grew up in the south," said Rep. Holmes after hearing testimonies from the four members of the African community present. Present to testify on behalf of the African Diaspora were; Rogers Muyanja, a former Ugandan journalist, and also formerly a mediator with the MCC law Center (works under the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General), and also working at the International Institute of New England, an organization that resettles refugees and immigrants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Muyanja is the representative for the Ugandans in New England (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) at the Ugandan community's national Diaspora organization known as the Uganda North American Association (UNAA). Other African immigrants testifying included Andrew Mwase from Northborough, MA and also from the Uganda community. Mwase is currently a Senior Bio-Tech Engineer at the Cambridge based Genzyme Corporation (a Sanofi company), a research scientist with many other different bio tech companies, a business entrepreneur and one of the founders of Twegaite International, a Busoga (Ugandan tribe) cultural group in the United States.
Zippy Elikanah, a Kenyan evangelist based in Lowell and founder of "Stories to Tell"an online gospel radio show, and Harrison Maina, the CEO of Ajabu Africa News, an online platform connecting different African communities in the USA, a former Life Insurance agent/ Investments Registered Representative and one of the founders of the New England Kenyan Welfare Association. Members of the caucus were astounded to learn that there are over 100,000 potential voters in Massachusetts from census estimates used in the 2012 re-election campaign of Governor Deval Patrick, the first African American Governor of the State and the second ever in the nation. The representatives voiced their surprise to learn that beyond the big number of known registered voters, there are more Africans immigrants in the region who are already naturalized and hence qualified to vote but did not bother to register as voters in the just concluded US General election and many more already Legal Permanent Residents have not bothered to take the next steps to naturalize into American citizens. Causing a thunderous applause after her testimony, Zippy Elikanah, the Kenyan clergywoman explained to the Caucus members present how the problem of drugs and opioids use currently ravaging the Latino youths in the Lawrence as submitted by Latino community members present was also a big problem within the Kenyan and other African communities in Lowell and yet many who seem to live on the sideline are grappling with ways to save their children within their circles while many others seem to have failed.
The legislators were equally shocked to hear that many African immigrants in the area were highly educated with college degrees and skilled trade certificates, but many had to put away college degrees earned in their motherland upon arriving in USA as they did not have readily available access to information. "Many have to go back to start all over again at the Community College level and work their way up to earn bachelors, masters or PhDs. In the process, a lot of valuable time and resources are wasted that could have been used to educate other more needy children. Most of us have not received reliable information necessary for our career progression when we move to this country especially because the available friends and community members to advise us have limited awareness of the opportunities and help available. At most times you end up being misled before you find your way out of the dilemma," said Rogers Muyanja. Stressing that African immigrants get lost in the system when categorized in the African American demographic category, Andrew Mwase stressed that it is important for lawmakers in the State to directly hear the needs of the African immigrants themselves. In addition, Harrison Maina told lawmakers that the number of African immigrants in Massachusetts had grown exponentially to form a powerful voting bloc that can no longer be ignored by serious lawmakers seeking to make real changes in different communities.
"The problem is more as a result of lack of civic education since lawmakers and activists in the region have tended not to engage with the immigrants from Africa. We urge the Black & Latino Legislative Caucus to lead the way to invest funds and efforts to engage this huge Diaspora community that has some critical community issues that can only be solved through the legislative process," Maina explained. Excited by what the lawmakers heard from the four African immigrant community representatives, the Communities of Color Outreach Director in Massachusetts, Dana Rebeiro of the Democratic Party has offered to, through her party, engage the community and has invited African immigrants in the region to be more pro-active in advancing their community issues as well as run for office in various capacities in order to help make changes that affect them directly. Evandro Carvalho, a State representative from the 5thSuffolk district and the only African immigrant members of the 30 year old Black & Latino legislative caucus said he was amazed to hear of how many African immigrants are in the region but have not been noticed.(Website:http://www.mablacklatinocaucus.com) "We have to start coming out of the shadows and get involved.That's the only way we can make things better for our communities," said the young lawyer, born in the Cape Verde islands, which is usually considered African since it lies about 10 miles off the West African coast. An official from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office attending the event said that the state has experienced a surge of cases of harassments,threats or intimidation towards members of the communities of color in the state since the election of President-elect Donald Trump. The official urged members of these communities to report any incidences of such harassment to a hot line number (that has been specially created to handle the unfortunate issue.(Recap here:Mass. AG announces new Hotline against threats, harassment and violence) She added that since the creation of the hotline, over 150 credible cases have been reported and that the AG's office is already investigating for possible prosecution in order to protect the victims and send a clear message to other would be abusers that such acts are illegal and will not be tolerated within the Commonwealth. Any Massachusetts resident who has witnessed or experienced bias-motivated threats, harassment or violence may call the Attorney General's Hotline at1-800-994-3228or fill out a civil rights complaint format this link.Residents may also contact the AG's Office through its social media platforms, includingFacebookandTwitter.
The listening tour was conducted by officials of the Black & Latino Legislative Caucus including: Representative Russel E. Holmes of the Suffolk 6th District (Chair), Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, 2nd Suffolk District (Vice Chair), Representative Frank Moran, 17th Essex District (Treasurer), and Representative Aaron Vega, 5th Hampden District( Clerk). Other legislators attending will be Rep. Byron Rushing of the 9th Suffolk District, Rep. Gloria L. Fox of the 7th Suffolk District, Rep. Benjamin Swan of the 11th Hampden District, Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez of the 15th Suffolk District, Rep.Marcos Devers of the 16h Essex District , Rep. Evando C. Cavalho of the 5th Suffolk District, Rep Jose F. Tosado of the 9th Hampden District and Rep. Carlos Gonzalez. Other top officials attending the caucus included Rahsaan Hall, Director of the racial Justice Program at the ACLU ( American Civil Liberties Union) Massachusetts Chapter. For over 100 years, the immensely influential ACLU has acted as the Nation's largest "guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country," according to information of its website. The Excecutive Director of the Caucus, Sibusisiwe Malaba, played a leading role to get the Africans involved as well as set up the tour for the legislators. To join the group or offer supportive ideas, call/text: Andrew Mwase: (781) 799-5949 Rogers Muyanja: (978) 728-8121 Harrison Maina: (781) 953-2490 Zippy Elikanah: (717) 380-0321 On the Net:http://www.mablacklatinocaucus.com/
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Source:
AJABU AFRICA NEWS
| |||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.JPG)
RSS