“Your life has dignity and value.” That was the message from Biram Dah Abeid, the Mauritanian human rights leader who made a stop in Columbus on on May 17 as part of a multi-city speaking tour. He was hosted by the Ohio chapter of the Initiative for the Resurgent Abolition Movement. Hundreds of people turned out to hear Dah Abeid’s message of struggle, victory, and hope, in a multilingual meeting filled with song. Old friends came together and caught up in this standing-room-only crowd.
Dah Abeid is an internationally-recognized abolitionist who has been imprisoned multiple times for daring to declare that Black Mauritanians deserve the same human rights as the White Moors who control the levers of government and society.
Ohio is home to thousands of Black Mauritanians who came here in two waves following the genocide of the late 1980s/early 1990s and apartheid of today. Still, many face an uncertain future, given an immigration court that is often biased against their cases. The Ohio Immigrant Alliance developed a series of measures that Congress and the Administration should implement to ensure they can receive the immigration status they qualify for in the United States.
As Executive Director Lynn Tramonte said, “There is a lot of courage in this room tonight. There’s courage on stage, and there’s courage in the audience too. You shouldn’t have to risk your life to take care of yourself and your family, or make them proud.” Tramonte also welcomed the crowd to Ohio, saying “This is your home and we are glad you are here.”
Read more about the reasons Black Mauritanians’ are leaving their country to come to the United States; what the dangerous journey is like, because the United States does not offer a safe pathway; how the established community has stepped up to help recent arrivals; why actual refugees can be denied asylum in U.S. immigration courts; and what life has been like for those who are unfairly deported.
Watch Lynn Tramonte and Houleye Thiam’s remarks. Listen to music from Black Mauritanian performers. View a gallery of photos from the event with Biram Dah Abeid below.
Check out the promotional video for the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s upcoming celebration of Fulani culture at the Columbus Arts Festival, “Pulaagam: A Celebration of Fulani Heritage,” and mark your calendars.
