"Black slaves"

They were not "slaves". They were Africans, lived on the African continent, were deported by Europeans -mostly- to the Americas, but also to Europe and other places.

There were "slaves" only in the mind of the slavers. It wasn't their nature, it wasn't their culture.


They were not "black". Their skin was dark, they defined and designated themselves and each other in various and different manners, which didn't have much to do with physical appearance, or skin color.


They were "black" only in the mind of those who designated themselves and others (but not all, depending on the benefit they got from it) who looked like them as "whites".

They were not "slaves" or "black" when they left their house, their country, their people, their family.

They were men and women, children and parents.


History books must stop spreading that idea that they were slaves while they are referring to free Africans.

Children must not learn that Africans were supposedly "black slaves" by "nature" or by "culture".

In the same way as today Africans who migrate to Europe are deemed "clandestine" even before they have left the shores of Africa or their village or city. They are not "clandestine" and don't want to be.

Racist ignominy must be denounced and must cease. It has been going on for too long.

The Imposture of the Caucasian

How many people from the USA and the UK have ever traveled to the Caucasus ?

Oh, so few ? How come ? They're supposed to be Caucasians, right ? Why not go visit their ancestors' place ?

Oh, well, then maybe they know. They know that their ancestors actually have nothing to do with the Caucasus.

They know that the "Caucasian" is just another racist imposture, a lie and a voluntary confusion of facts.

The Caucasians were a people of warriors and horsemen, they have a recent history of fighting the northern invader, Russia. That's another "white" people, isn't it ? With plenty of racists there who despise the people of the Caucasus (the real Caucasians) and treat them like n...s... Yes !

The Caucasian women used to be the slaves that are pictured in the wonderful Harem paintings of the 18th century of the Ottoman Empire and the prostitutes that pleased the European man in the brothels of the Mediterranean in the same century.

In one the ideological twists that is the secret of racism, they were "admired" (as whores are) for the "brightness" of their skin and the "blush" on their cheeks. That's maybe why the racists thought "Caucasian" would be a good reference for "whiteness" (I still have to dig into that). Out of pure fantasy.

Most Caucasians are also Muslims (like the Chechens) or worship other deities, like the Sun. But that, Americans don't know. They allow the law to call them Caucasians. Without even knowing what it refers to.

That is a very strange way to build one's identity.

Dean Atta's Nobody's Nigger traduction en français

Traduit par moi, traduction personnelle, non officielle. 

Postée après autorisation de Dean Atta. 

I Am Nobody's Nigger. (Je ne suis pas ton Négro)

Ne m'appelle pas Négro.

Rappers when you use the word "nigger" remember that's one of the last words Stephen Lawrence* heard, so don't tell me it's a reclaimed word.

Rappeurs, quand vous utilisez le mot “négro”, souvenez-vous que c'est le dernier mot que Stephen Lawrence a entendu, alors ne me dites pas que c'est un mot qui vous appartient.

I am nobody's nigger

Ne m'appelez pas négro

So please, let my ancestors rest in peace

S'il vous plaît, laissez mes ancêtres reposer en paix

Not turn in their graves in Jamaica plantations

Ils vont se retourner dans leurs tombes des plantations de Jamaïque

Or the watery graves of the slave trade

Ou dans les fosses remplies d'eau du Commerce triangulaire

Thrown overboard into middle passage

Jetés par dessus bord pendant la traversée

Just for insurance claims

Pour réduire les frais d'assurance

They were chained up on a boat

Enchaînés sur un navire

As many as they could manage and stay afloat

Autant qu'on pouvait y charger sans couler

Stripped of dignity and all hope

On leur avait arraché leur dignité et enlevé tout espoir

Awaiting their masters and European names

On allait leur donner des noms européens

But the sick and the injured were dead weight to toss

Mais les malades et les blessés, c'était du poids mort

And Lloyds of London would cover that cost.

Et la compagnie Lloyds** de Londres ne couvrirait pas ce coût-là.

I am nobody's nigger

Ne m'appelez pas négro

So you can tell Weezy and Drake

Vous pouvez dire à Weezy et Drake

That they made a mistake

Qu'ils se sont trompés

I am nobody's nigger now

Tu as compris ? Ne m'appelle pas négro

So you can tell Kanye and Jigga

Tu peux dire à Kanye et Jigga

I am not a nigger... in Paris

M'appelle pas négro... à Paris

I'm not a nigger in London

M'appelle pas négro à Londres

I'm not a nigger in New York

M'appelle pas négro à New York

I'm not a nigger in Kingston

M'appelle pas négro à Kinsgton

I'm not a nigger in Accra

M'appelle pas négro à Accra

Or a nigger with attitude in Compton

M'appelle pas négro stylé à Compton

Cos "I don't wanna be called yo nigga"

Parce que “je ne veux pas qu'on m'appelle “hé négro””***

How were you raised on Public Enemy

Comment as-tu pu grandir en écoutant Public Enemy

And still became your own worst enemy?

Et quand même devenir ton pire ennemi ?

You killed Hip Hop and resurrected headless zombies

T'as tué le Hip Hop et fait ressurgir des zombies sans tête

That can't think for themselves or see where they're going

Et sans cerveau et qui vont droit dans le mur

Or quench the blood lust because there's no blood flowing

Qui ne peuvent assouvir leur soif de sang parce que la vie est partie

In their hearts, just in the streets

De leurs coeurs, juste dans la rue

They don't give a damn as long as they eating

Ils s'en foutent tant qu'ils ont quelque chose à manger

Their hearts ain't beating, they're cold as ice (bling)

Leurs coeurs ne battent pas, ils sont froids comme la glace (bling)

Because they would put money over everything

Parce qu'il placent l'argent avant tout autre chose

Money over self respect or self esteem

L'argent avant le respect de soi et leur amour-propre

Or empowering the youth to follow their dreams

Oublient de s'occuper des jeunes qui ont encore des rêves

Stacking paper cos it's greater than love it seems

Ils entassent les billets, on dirait que c'est plus fort que l'amour

Call me "nigger" cos you're scared of what "brother" means

Appelle-moi “négro” parce que tu as peur de ce que “frère” veut dire

To know that we share something unspeakable

De savoir qu'on partage quelque chose d'indicible

To know that as high as we rise we are not seen as equal

De savoir qu'aussi haut qu'on parvienne, on n'est toujours pas perçu comme égal

To know that racism is institutional thinking

De savoir que le racisme, c'est de la pensée institutionnelle

And that "nigger" is the last word you heard before a lynching.

Et que “négro”, c'est le dernier mot que tu as entendu avant d'être lynché.

Released by: Dean Atta

Release/catalogue number: TCABD1247656

Release date: Jan 20, 2012

ISRC: 85-970-75-42630

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Stephen_Lawrence

** Lloyds est une compagnie d'assurance anglaise créée en 1688 comme beaucoup d'autres grande compagnie européennes, banques incluses, qui ont prospérées grâce à la traite transatlantique et l'esclavage aux Amériques.

*** “I don't wanna be called no nigga” est une chanson du groupe de hip hop Public Enemy.