UManning Marable
Eziningana
Ezinyangeni ezedlule, abantu abangama-650 bahambele Ingqungquthela "Yobulungiswa Bomjaho" ngo
New York, exhaswe yi-Institute for Research in African-American Studies at
Columbia University. Emaphaneli angaphezu kweshumi nambili nama-workshops, abantu abamnyama
yahlola umthelela omubi wamaphoyisa, izinkantolo kanye nohlelo lwamajele
phezu komphakathi wase-Afrika-America. Isimo sethu samanje namuhla, nokho, kufanele
kuqondwe ngokumelene nomlando wobushiqela wokubusa kobuhlanga eMelika.
Ukuze
emakhulwini amabili eminyaka, umphakathi omnyama wabhekana nobushiqela be
ubugqila. Bonke abantu base-Afrika, izigqila noma abakhululekile, babecindezelwe futhi
ngaphansi kwalesi sakhiwo samandla obuhlanga angalingani. Cishe iminyaka eyikhulu
ngemva kweMpi Yombango kanye Nokwakhiwa Kabusha, abantu abamnyama babhekana nesistimu
ngaphansi kokuhlukaniswa kukaJim Crow. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu uhola malini, imfundo noma
isimo senhlalo, ukuba mnyama ngaphansi kwemikhawulo yobushiqela kaJim Crow kwakusho
ukuvalelwa esimweni sesigaba sesibili. Ngekhulu lamashumi amabili, ukwakhiwa
we-ghetto yasemadolobheni wabeka olunye uhlobo lokulawulwa komphakathi ekuthuthukisweni kwabamnyama,
ngokuqinisekile kwakungasakazeki kangako kunobugqila, kodwa kwezinye izici babungaphezulu
okulimazayo emoyeni womuntu. Namuhla, indlela entsha yobushiqela yobuhlanga
ukubusa sekuphenduke imboni yezimboni, ekhula njalo
iqoqo leziqhingi zamajele ezweni lonke laseMelika.
In
e-United States namuhla, abantu baseMelika abangaba yizigidi ezine kuya kwezinhlanu bathola ubugebengu
amarekhodi minyaka yonke. Cishe isakhamuzi esisodwa kwezihlanu zase-US sinerekhodi lobugebengu. Ku
umphakathi ohlukaniswe kakhulu ngokobuhlanga nangezigaba, iningi lalabo abadudulwayo
ohlelweni lokujeziswa akuzona ezimnyama ngokungalindelekile, ezinsundu nezimpofu. Ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu
zonke iziboshwa zazingasebenzi ngesikhathi ziboshwa, nezinye
imali engenayo yonyaka engaphansi kuka-$15,000 ngonyaka ngaphambi kokuboshwa kwabo.
Cishe ingxenye eyodwa yabantu abayizigidi eziyi-1.8 abasemajele nasemajele kahulumeni nawombuso
bangabase-Afrika baseMelika.
As
Umcwaningi u-JW Mason waphawula, “Inani lamadoda amnyama ejele-cishe i-6
iphesenti—lilingana nenani eliphindwe izikhathi ezingu-20 labesilisa abamhlophe . . . Ku
Baltimore, amaphesenti angama-56 amadoda amnyama asejele noma ejele, angaphandle ngebheyili
ukuhlolwa noma ukukhululwa ngeshwele, noma ukufunwa ngencwadi egunyaza ukuboshwa. Okungenani amaphesenti angama-90
yamadoda amnyama angalindela ukuboshwa agqunywe ejele ngecala elingelona elokuhamba ngezimoto at
isikhathi esithile sezimpilo zabo." Nakuba iningi leziboshwa ezimnyama linjalo
izinsizwa ezineminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu, umkhakha okhula ngokushesha we
isibalo sokujeziswa siqukethe amadoda aneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu nanhlanu ubudala nangaphezulu.
Ngisho
ngaphandle kwezindonga zejele, imingcele yomphakathi omnyama iningi
kuchazwa ama-ejenti kahulumeni kanye namandla azimele. Manje kukhona abangaba ngu-600,000
amaphoyisa kanye nonogada abazimele abayizigidi eziyi-1.5 e-US
Kuya ngokwandayo, nokho, ukuthi imiphakathi yabantu abamnyama nabampofu "iqhutshwa ngamaphoyisa"
ngamayunithi akhethekile amasosha, avame ukubizwa nge-SWAT ("Special Weapons and
Amaqembu "Tactics"). Umcwaningi uChristian Parenti ucaphuna izifundo ezibonisa lokho
"Isizwe sinabantu abangaphezu kuka-30,000 abahlome kakhulu, abaqeqeshelwe impi
amaphoyisa ayahlangana." Ukugqugquzelwa kwethimba le-SWAT noma "ukuphuma kwezingcingo" kwenyukile
ngamaphesenti angu-400 phakathi kuka-1980 no-1995, nokwanda kwezigameko ngamaphesenti angu-34
yamandla abulalayo aqoshwa amaqembu e-SWAT kusukela ngo-1995 kuya ku-1998.
Ini
imiphumela yezepolitiki yokulawula abantu abamnyama nabampofu ngokusebenzisa
ubulungiswa bobugebengu kanye nezinhlelo zokujezisa? Mhlawumbe umthelela omkhulu ku-
inqubo yokuvota kwabamnyama. Ngokusho kocwaningo luka-Okthoba, 1998, "Ukulahlekelwa
Votela," ekhiqizwe yi-Sentencing Project kanye ne-Human Rights Watch, ezimbili
amaqembu ocwaningo angenzi nzuzo, cishe abantu baseMelika abayizigidi ezingu-3.9, noma oyedwa kwabadala abangamashumi amahlanu,
okwamanje noma balahlekelwe ikhono lokuvota unomphela ngenxa yecala elibi
ukuqiniseka. Ezifundeni ezingu-32, izephula-mthetho ezitholwe zinecala azivunyelwe ukuvota ngenkathi ziqhubeka
ushwele. Ezifundeni eziyishumi nane, iziboshwa zangaphambili esezisebenze ngokugcwele izigwebo zazo
bahlala bengavunyelwe, futhi kweziyishumi zalezi zifundazwe, izigebengu zangaphambili azivunyelwe
kusukela ekuvoteleni impilo. Kwabase-Afrika baseMelika, lezi zibalo zingahunyushwa
kwaba ngamadoda ayizigidi ezingu-1.4 ancishwa ilungelo lokuvota, uma kuqhathaniswa nezigidi ezingu-4.6
owavota okhethweni lwango-1996. Umthelela wobuhlanga we-ex-felon
ukuncishwa amalungelo okubalulwe ucwaningo kuyamangaza ngempela
- In
E-Alabama naseFlorida, amaphesenti angama-31 awo wonke amadoda amnyama ahlala unomphela
abangavunyelwe.
- In
ezinye izifundazwe ezinhlanu-Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Virginia, kanye Wyoming-one
emadodeni amane amnyama (amaphesenti angama-24 kuye kwangama-28) aphucwa amalungelo unomphela. Ku
Washington state, oyedwa kwabane kwabesilisa abamnyama (24 amaphesenti) okwamanje noma
ikhishwe unomphela.
- In
I-Delaware, indoda eyodwa kwabahlanu abamnyama (amaphesenti angu-20) ikhishwe unomphela.
- In
I-Texas, indoda eyodwa kwabahlanu abamnyama (amaphesenti angu-20.8) okwamanje akavunyelwe.
- In
izifunda ezine-Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, kanye ne-Wisconsin-16 kuya ku-18
amaphesenti amadoda amnyama okwamanje awavunyelwe.
- In
izifunda eziyisishiyagalolunye-Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska,
INevada, Oklahoma kanye neTennessee-10 kuya ku-15% wamadoda amnyama okwamanje
abangavunyelwe.
In
Umthetho Wamalungelo Okuvota ka-1965, owaqinisekisa izigidi zama-Afrika
Abantu baseMelika ilungelo le-franchise yokhetho, kancane kancane lichithwa ngu
imikhawulo yezwe kulabo ababengamajele ekuvoteni. Abantu ababoshiwe
izinombolo eziphakeme ngokungenakulinganiswa, bese benqatshelwa ngokuhlelekile ilungelo lokuthi
bavote, angeke nakancane bathi baphila ngaphansi kwentando yeningi
UDkt
UManning Marable unguSolwazi Wezomlando kanye Nesayensi Yezepolitiki kanye noMqondisi we
I-Institute for Research in African-American Studies e-Columbia University.
"Along the Color Line" isakazwa mahhala futhi ivela ku
ngaphezu kwezincwadi ezingama-325 kulo lonke elase-U.S. nakwamanye amazwe.