“Huh
400 years and counting (counting)
400 years and counting (counting)
400 years and counting (counting)
And it still don’t add up (it don’t add up)
Get up and do something
Don’t be counterproductive
All the people really want is peace and equality (hey hey)
Talking ’bout reparation, for the Black Nation
Africa awaits and creates us (hey hey hey hey)
Black sweat and tears (hoo hoo),
For all these years
Ripening the fruits of evolution oh (hey hey hey)
500 years and counting (counting)
500 years and counting (counting)
500 years and counting (counting)
And it still don’t add up (it don’t add up)
Get up and do something
Don’t be counterproductive
All the people really want is hands and our hearts together….”, is an extraction from the reggae song titled, “400 Years” done by Jesse Royal.
You should listen to this song
And not stop there….educate yourself about what 400 years mean to us, Africans.
Ask yourself what Africa would be like….what I and I would be in those 400 years of existence that were forcefully taken away from them by the white man that came in form of a religious missionary and then, as a colonialist!
I say man because women were not even allowed to vote until very recently….shit!!!
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean how many of us remain enslaved to you
In our minds, thoughts, actions and ways of life
We are not free until we are all free!
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean our history that we lost in those times and the one we are losing, as we speak!
You aren’t whole if you don’t even know who you are, right?
I can’t even draw out my entire family tree from 1000 years back and yet, you can!
Why should this even be discussable?
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean giving us back what is rightfully ours
And take back what you forced unto us!
Before you flinch your face and mouth, think about it in your mind….nothing is really impossible.
Empty those museums of yours, those pockets and accounts of yours and any other stuff that you know isn’t rightfully yours
The COVID-19 should have taught you that anything is possible, really.
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean you doing the biggest job of your entire career of living
Which is; betraying the patriarchy and all the privileges that come with it.
Can you do that? Yes, you can.
We are not asking you to jump up and down on your tongue, come on mhen!
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean that our colour is black and that is a fact
No amount of beating, rape, jail, murder, torture, prayer, rob will change that
Your opinion of us is something you have constructed over the years and many of us have dismissed it!
Black is beautiful….black is so beautiful!
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean that Queen Muhumuza is somebody we ought to have studied about all our very young lives and not the Winston Churchill and Andrew Cohen’s of this world…till now, I wonder what was and is honourable about them!
For she did dismantle, thrash and defeat at least 3 fucking imperialists in her time….
What a queen! I and I stan!
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean that we want your knee off our necks and throats
We know you are still salty because we never gave up singing, organizing and trekking away from your slave camps, you slave drivers
As we speak right now, we are still saving as many of our people from you and your lies, tricks and deception
We will save them and get away from you.
When we say 400 years and counting,
We mean that our money shall only be used to support black businesses
Till we die
This world has no reason for having billionaires in it, eeh!
~ 400 Years and counting! ~
I had never heard of 400 years and counting. But very eye-opening and we can all do better I think about treating everyone with respect. And making a path or everyone to succeed according to their desires, especially with their businesses.
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When music manages to tell the story it is truly one of the best and most beautiful weapons that exist.
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This is such an amazing song! I love the message there. Too many people don’t stop and think about the real, long-term impact of slavery. It’s more than something you learn about in history class.
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Haven’t heard about 400 years and counting but it has really intrigued me to listen to it Thanks for sharing
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I hadn’t heard this song before, but I appreciate you taking the time to share it and the history behind it all! I’m still learning!
😳😏 thank you!
Thank you, my brother. Keep expressing yourself, I support you! Much love
You are welcome, sis! I love you, too.
This year has truly been the year of the great un-learn. I have never heard that song before but will definitely be giving it a listen and continuing to educate myself. Thank you for utilising your time and energy to help educate others!
✊ You are welcome.
Great post and yes so important to get the message out there
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This is such a powerful song. I am glad to have read this piece as you painted a clearer picture of the meaning behind it.
✊👏 do something more!!!
From a powerful song you have made a great article. Thank you for spreading the inspiration!
👏👏 you are welcome.
I can only hope and pray for a world where we all consider ourselves as equals. Skin color is just that – skin color and we must not judge others based on that. Thank you for this post. It really opened my mind about the situation.
😳😏 you are welcome.
Black Lives Matter. It’s about time history changes itself!
Indeed!
ive never heard of this, thank you so much for sharing all of the information.
😳😏 no, you have!!!
I have never heard this song before. It is truly eye-opening and something we should act from. Education of the issues is so important.
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