"For some students, the song about the Congo is like the macarena"
"I don't know and it's unacceptable but it's pure provocation (...)"
"They would have to respect us first and behave in this country and only then, we whites shall respect them"
"Why do we have to bear the consequences for what Leopold has done about 150 years ago ?"
Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. This is a special video that we're making today.
Kind of an emergency video cause ...
... things happened, here in Belgium.
I have a special guest here. This is my friend Sandrine Moponami.
She has a bachelor in International Entrepreneurship
She also did a focus on Subsahara Africa
That's the reason why I brought here. She is going to explain a lot of things that a lot of people don't know.
Don't forget to check out the subtitles. I wrote subtitles in French and English.
For all my French speakers. The subtitles are right here, just click on the "CC" button.
Click on "French" to be able to follow what we're about to say.
The reason why we're doing this is just to make sure everybody can understand what we're about to say.
So, where to begin ?
Just to clarify
I'm not reading off but I stutter
so I need that support.
At the end it doesn't matter because I wrote everything myself.
Let's start with the disclaimers:
This is not a debate nor a way to create division, that's obviously already there.
But staying silent means acceptance in our eyes.
We did hesitate on making this video because we fear reprisals.
But then we realised we don't live in dictatorship so ...
And if the guilty ones can get away with a trip to the African museum. Why wouldn't we speak out ?
Totally agree with that.
We are going to start with a video of the incident that happened @ Pukkelpop festival.
We chose to show the video explicitly because ...
... we believe that the story around it doesn't really matter much because the facts are there.
We are not going into what both parties could have said.
With that being said.
lyrics: "Cut the hands off. The Congo is ours. The Congo is ours"
lyrics: "Pick up the diamonds. The Congo is ours. The Congo is ours."
Some people really think it's not that bad.
They don't see how deep this is.
After reading some of the reactions I realised that people think
You guys were born here, it doesn't concern you. You didn't go through that.
As if we are not Congolese ...
As if we ...
Our parents ... Our grandparents. As if we don't have family in Congo.
And ...
It only ...
I don't know how to say it, I'm too mad.
We want to address why this isn't just a song.
Because after reading the excuses of the guilty party,
who stated that it wasn't his intention to hurt anyone,
we have our doubts about that because if that wasn't your intention, there are plenty of other songs on earth that you can sing.
You are not going to be singing song that dates back from the colonial era.
How do these young men uberhaupt know that song ?
I am now going to sketch the history real quick.
So that it's clear on why this is unacceptable.
During the Berlin conference in 1884 - 1885, Leopold received the sovereignty (the supreme power) over Congo
So it became his private property.
One of Leopold's reasons for that was financing the urbanization of Brussels among other things.
With the profits, he financed the Basilica of Sacred Heart
and the Zoo of Antwerp.
Through an international campaign against Leopold's reign of terror in Congo,
that was more out of own interest of the Britains than of outrage.
In 1905, a committee of inquiry was sent to Congo to investigate what was really going on.
These accusations were confirmed in a report.
Because of this, Belgium bought Congo over in 1908.
This annexation of Congo read the area of the Belgian Congo.
With help from the catholic church, there where missionaries sent to contribute to the civilization of the people.
Thanks to a program that has six pillars.
In 1920, that mission got subsidised through a budget law because it got the statute or national missions.
Rarely is there mention of the segregation that took place and what the people had to go through.
The Congolese évolués that were sufficiently assimilated with the European society,
realized in 1958 that this couldn't go on any longer.
They activated the decolonisation ... More so obtaining of independence.
But let's not forget about the decolonisation wave that took place ...
... we can't forget about it because
Belgium had no choice but to leave Congo to avoid more chaos.
The fact that the monarch never set a foot in Congo is an argument they often use to minimize everything.
Without taking into account with the fact that the facts haven been documented.
But since negationism deeply ingrained the European society, it's not a surprise.
According to the internet is the definition of "negationism" :
Denying or extremely minimizing generally accepted historical events.
Despite all the evidences people still want to question things.
There's a lack of empathy.
Where's Belgium's responsibility in the murder of Patrice Lumumba after he criticized Leopold's reign of terror ?
While Boudewijn was praising the monarch ...
Or the support of the West to Mobutu's regime ...
... until the end of the cold war in 1990 ?
The only reason why I'm bringing this up is because so many time I read ...
... that this is so long ago. That we worry for nothing
That it's been 150 years ago ?
I don't know what's been calculated with that ? Maybe the start of Congo Free State ?
I'm not so sure ...
Whilst Belgium had a contribution from the start.
Congo Free State was actually founded thanks to two big loans that Leopold received.
How is it expressed in todays society ?
It is so that this whole thing is not a compulsory subject matter in our history classes that we take.
I remember at school ...
We've seen the subject but it was very vague and on the surface.
Then I had to do my own research and chile, I was shook!
Mostly, only the positive aspects are being brought up.
I remember two years ago a classmate told me how we should be grateful because without Belgium, Congo would be nothing.
I mean ...
If this is what the youth believes. Then that's scandalous.
I don't think German students would ever dare saying something like this.
In our history classes, the Romans and the Greeks are being spoken about for an indefinite period of time.
We don't care about that. Okay ?
The Greeks and the Romans are being spoken of to the smallest details meanwhile, we have to discuss our topic.
Because we're dealing with a big diaspora whose added value is being questioned.
Without making the link to it's colonial past.
And why do we uberhaupt have to be of general interest to be here in the first place ?
I think it has to do with being the "good" immigrant. Being the exemplary immigrant.
Who "deserves" to be here.
As soon as you do something that's "unacceptable". They link you to your roots. They label you as the stereotype.
Why does racism get dismissed as something relative ?As a feeling ?
As something that can be provoked ?
Racism is a mindset.
Racism is a structure. Where one feels superior than the other.
The conscience and the "incidents" that are still going on today,
goes to show that there's still work to be done.
Especially when our reactions get dismissed as racist.
Or as ...
Or as we playing victims ?
But is it that surprising knowing that conversations about the past always emerge in nuances and spirit of age
when it's about the colonization and how black people are considered in society.
In a country where they organized a tribute to Leopold in December 2015
And according to ...
... according to the public opinion, the polemics were unfair.
Can you imagine ?
The reply from the council on the commotion was:
"That Leopold might have been a controversial figure but he also achieved a lot of good things."
At what price ?
At what price ?
That's the question.
What he did in Congo hasn't even been labeled as genocide ?
It hasn't been labeled as a genocide.
From what I could've read is the reason: the numbers aren't really trustworthy.
Some say it's 3 million deaths others say it's 12 million deaths.
But what we're sure of is there were millions of deads.
That's sufficient, believe me.
The tribute to Leopold got cancelled after heavy protests.
But
This is not an isolated incident.
When the Minister of Foreign Affaires dressed up as "noirauds" (blackface)
The reply from Brussels City to the "Koninklijk Werk der Wiegjes Prinses Paola" (noirauds party) was
That it's only a sympathetic initiative that has to be clarified otherwise people would take it the wrong way.
Why do you want to hold on to traditions that outflow from a shameful past ?
That everybody would rather forget.
But that for the "sake" of the next generations, "can't" be forgotten.
Situations are always being reversed.
"What if ?" "What if we would say something like this ?"
But ...
... that's what happens daily.
If we want to address racism or discrimination,
it gets dismissed as unimportant.
Just because of simple the fact that racism is structural and institutional, it will continue to happen.
What matters is how it's being dealt with.
When a country ...
When a country doesn't recognize the colonial past, how do you expect the youth to take responsibility ?
Youth that knows a colonial song from 1926 ?
I got so many questions.
Yeah, I got many questions too.
Who taught you that ? How did you get the lyrics ?
Being druk is never a reason.
For that very reason, when you're drunk it means that the truth appears.
Cause what you say when you're drunk, is what you think sober.
*quoting one of my friends*
There are even Ministers trying to explain this whole incident away,
saying that they should have left ...
Why do we have to handle racism by stepping away ?
Why do we have to keep silent ?
Why do we have to watch our words ?
This is not a "we - them" situation but just to show that this is a battle that was going on and currently still is going on.
In Belgium, it's mainly hidden racism.
Hidden racism means that it's not directly being voiced.
Often, they often think because it's not directly being voiced, that it's not malicious.
For exemple, you can't get a certain job.
Because it's often being said on the internet "yeah but what about us Belgians ? What about us real Belgians ?"
So ... What are we ?
It creates a dent in the identity of a lot of young people.
They can't identify with their homeland and neither with the country that "adopted" them.
We are more being tolerated than really accepted.
Honestly, from all the non-black people that we know, only a few condemned this.
I got a lot of questions about that too.
I think it's guilty conscience.
Could be.
But also the discomfort to talk about it.
But ...
... not talking about it doesn't make it disappear.
It ensures that it becomes a taboo and that people must "fear" speaking out.
There are people that are afraid of letting speaking out ...
... out of fear for the consequences .
Being unable to find a job, being rejected ... by friends or similar.
Risk your career ...
... but
Like I said in the beginning, we put a lot of thoughts about making this video.
And honestly, it's worth it to me.
And if it would happen, it shows once again the kind of society we live in.
We realize that if we silently watch things happen ...
... our kids and the next generations will still fight for equality.
Often it is pretend that the babysteps should be celebrated but
we shouldn't even be having to make a video in the first place.
But the fact that much was questioned.
The fact that the situation totally got reversed.
Motivated us to do this.
Because once again, for us keeping quiet is accepting and we definitely don't accept this.
What triggers me is that people are more sensitive to being called racist than
than focusing on what's happening. What's currently really going on. That's really something that triggers me.
Can't you see what's going on ?
Not only that. It's being said that we pull out the racial card and so on.
But you can't be making racist-tinted statements and not be labeled as such.
You have to call a cat, a cat.
What I really like is ....
Despite all the opposition that we get. There are still people who really realize what's going on.
And they don't need to be black.
This is what a girl said: "I think what's happening is really bad. The worst thing is in fact that people are trying to find excuses."
"I mean the song itself, is awful.
"Who taught them that ? The people trying to find excuses for this are probably parents"
"I wonder how they raised their kids"
"I am afraid of it myself. I am mad at this situation."
"I am white, I don't go through this but I can only imagine how it feels and it must be 100 time worse for you."
"How is it still even possible ? Did they look up the definition ?"
"Look at our ministers, state secretaries, all white people!"
"The only thing you guys have is a voice and nobody has the right to blame you for that!"
This explains everything broadly.
Sandrine: "The purpose is really to speak out." Chloé: "That's least we can do!"
We are not searching for replies. We are not open for discussion.
Because some things are simply factual.
If you can't even acknowledge facts, I don't what we can talk about because
I learned to not go in discussions with people who can't give substantiated arguments.
That's it. There's no point.
Did you know there's a correlation between a low IG and racism ?
"Really ?" "Yeah"
People with a low IQ are more inclined to be racist later on.
Thank you for coming.
To educate uneducated people.
We kept it short and bold to point out certain fact, firstly.
And secondly, it's about research, show interest.
Ignorance ...
doesn't count, it really doesn't count.
Also the reason why I mainly spoke is because she would be an emotional speaker.
and
I don't think we need this to be clear.
Like we said this is NOT a debate. This is factual. Everything we stated are facts.
This is also to stand by our people.
Everybody has experienced racism. Everybody can tell a story.
At elementary school, at your workplace.
But it's swept under the rug and dismissed as illusions.
"It's not that bad"
I always say: "you can't tell somebody to get over things you didn't go through."
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