Opposition Member of Parliament, Amanza Walton- Desir has called for a collective approach to deal with the issues faced by people of African descent in different parts of the world, especially in countries like Guyana.
Speaking at the 2023 National Action Network Convention in New York which had the US Vice President Kamala Harris and civil rights activists as part of its audience, MP Walton-Desir said Afro-Guyanese are not spared from exclusion from the country’s wealth.
She called for more to be done for Afro Guyanese, explaining that for a small country such as Guyana, it was expected that every Guyanese would cash in from the country’s oil wealth, but that is not the case.
“This is not happening, contrary to what you read, contrary to what you may hear, this was not happening—Guyanese are not experiencing a good life and predominantly the afro-Guyanese population has been made to suffer the brunt of what is currently emerging to be a totalitarian regime, “Walton-Desir told the forum.
Walton-Desir told the international audience that issues relating to Afro-Guyanese are usually swept under the table.
She told the story of businessman Orin Boston who was shot dead by the Police while he slept in his house.
The Opposition MP also told the story of the female Police Officer who was allegedly spat on and called derogatory names by an Attorney.
“As the diaspora, as we continue to work together, we will be able to make a difference, we have a shared tragedy called slavery, we have gone through 400 years of shared trauma and I firmly believe that together as a people working together, we can share triumph,” the Opposition MP said.
The National Action Network Convention brings together black leaders from around the world to share their views on a range of issues.
The convention was addressed by US Vice President Kamala Harris, several members of the US congress as well as prominent religious and other US leaders from various industries.
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