Marking the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Great Miners' Strike of 1984 - 1985 .

 

The first few weeks of March  will be a time of deep reflection for hundreds of thousands of people across the UK  and here in Wales who will recall what they were doing when the 1984/85 coal miners’ strike began and ended. On March 3rd 1985 the UK Miners’ Strike ended in  defeat for Arthur Scargill and the National Union of Mineworkers when miners reluctantly and bitterly voted to return to work, after just two days short of a year on strike in what was Britain’s longest and largest industrial dispute. and a turning point for the working class in Britain. 

Here's a  short updated  history of this iconic but bitter strike that came to define the decade,  It was the most prolonged and significant in post-war history and destined to change the face of industrial relations in Britain beyond recognition. A story of hardship and hope, division and defiance, perseverance and pride. 

The  appointment of Ian MacGrego  as  head  of the National Coal Board  on 28 March 1983,  is seen as the moment at which the strike became inevitable? Given his record at British Leyland (appointed by a Labour government) and later at the British Steel Corporation, it was quite clear that he was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the National Coal Board with a mandate to butcher the mining industry. 

His appointment was  greeted with particular disdain by the National Union of Mineworkers, especially by its president Arthur Scargill. Scargill was concerned at MacGregor's uncompromising business methods,branding MacGregor "the American butcher of British industry." 

On March 6, 1984, the National Coal Board announced its plan to cut the nation’s coal output by 4 million tons, in an effort to stem a $340 million annual loss, and of the imminent closure of Cortonwood colliery, Yorkshire, and Polmaise colliery, Scotland, together with 20 other planned pit closures and the loss of 20,000 jobs .

At the time, Britain had 170 working collieries, commonly known as pits, which employed more than 190,000 people. Scargill and the NUM estimated the board’s plan would mean the closure of 20 pits and the loss of some 20,000 jobs.

This led to a swift response from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).national president, Arthur Scargill who said the plan would lead to 80,000 job losses. Scargill's prediction proved to be  correct

The same day the plan was announced, Scargill used this as an opportunity to call a nationwide strike against the planned pit closures.

Yorkshire and Scottish miners came out on strike, swiftly followed by Durham and Kent. On March 8, , Arthur Scargill, announced that the strikes were official under Rule 41 of the union’s constitution and called on the other NUM Area coalfields to support the action.

Controversially, he never held a national vote within the NUM, and not all miners were on board with the walkout. In some parts of the country, miners kept working, causing tensions with picketing workers who branded them as “scabs.” 

Support in Wales was initially confused with the Executive Committee (EC) of the South Wales National Union of Mineworkers (SWNUM) recommending strike action during their conference of March 9, and local NUM lodges in South Wales voting 18 to 13 to stay in while respecting any picket lines, by 12th March, half of Britain’s 187,000 miners had downed tools becoming one of the most inspiring but bitter class struggles in British history.

Using Scargill’s militant  picketing tactics, the striking miners managed to shut down many pits across Britain. But unlike in the 1970s, Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – riding high from her victory in the Falklands – had secretly and cynically prepared for battle by stockpiling two years’ worth of coal before announcing the closures. And she was hellbent on defeating “the enemy within” by any means necessary, even if it meant turning the full force of the state against its own people. 

For the first time in a postwar national strike, British police were openly used as a political weapon.Paramilitary riot police placed mining communities under total siege. A scab workforce was organised to break the strike, and billions were spent to keep the power stations running without coal. The full weight of the courts was used to sequestrate the funds of the miners' union and break its resolve. Civil liberties were forgotten as miners were beaten and arrested even when standing still. Agent provocateurs and spies were deployed. State benefits were withheld in order to starve the miners back to work. What had begun as an industrial dispute degenerated into a clash of ideologies and civil class war.
For twelve months, the miners and their families held out against  unprecedented onslaughts and unimaginable hardships in order to save jobs and preserve communities.The South Wales miners alone would prove to be obdurate, solid and immovable throughout the long year of hardship and deprivation. Their heroism, determination and courage alongside striking miners across the UK  astonished the world, and would charge and inspire the political consciousness of hundreds of thousands of people, as it did for me, aged 16 and a half at the start of the strike as  they demonstrated their unconquerable will to fight.

The striking miners faced off against police forces backed by Thatcher’s government, in clashes that often turned violent. The stakes were high on both sides: Scargill compared the strike to Britain’s fight against Nazi Germany, while Thatcher viewed it as an opportunity to crush militant labor unions for good. Documents declassified in 2014 revealed that Thatcher considered calling out the military to transport food and coal, and even declaring a state of emergency in order to strengthen her government’s position. 

Miners on picket lines were brutalised and attacked by baton-wielding police in full riot gear. For me at the time this was to be a year of great awakenings, seeing their fight, I started to see connections with other peoples struggles. The plight of the poor and unemployed, Nicuragua and Apartheid South Africa, people being daily attacked by Margaret Thatchers rabid Government. I decided  to take sides with with those who decided to take on the right wing policies of Thatchers government.
The rights and wrongs of whether the miners should have had a national ballot has been widely discussed, but like many others at the time I believed that once the miners were out, it was our duty to support and work for them. Within weeks of the strike starting 80%  of miners supported the strike, standing against what they saw as the unjustifiable attacks on their right to existence and resistance.

Some of the worst violence occurred in South Yorkshire, including a standoff at the British Steel coking plant in Orgreave on June 18, 1984 involving 10,000 miners and 5,000 police officers

At Orgreave it became apparent, of the true intentions of Thatchers government, with the full collusion of the police ,it was noticed that they had no intention of finding reconciliation or settlement to this industrial dispute. The sole intention was an ideological one, to mortally wound the National Union of Mineworkers, to defeat it with military force and with naked violence ,by any means necessary.
As the miners  attempted to blockade the Orgreave coking plant. The police showed the lengths they would go to break the strike with violent attacks, mass arrests and deliberate but fortunately unsuccessful attempts to fabricate evidence and frame miners. The insult was added to by the BBC reversing footage of miners defending themselves from police attacks to try and make out that the police were attacked first. 
It was one of the most brutal attacks by the state on its own citizens of the last 20th Century.It saw the police  going berserk under state orders, repeatedly  attacking  individuals  wherever they sought refuge,  as they fled into a nearby Wheatfield and into the community of Orgreave, where the police  carried on their pursuit through the streets. A scene of ugliness, fear and menace, as  all concepts of Law and order that  the constabulary  were supposed to withhold abandoned all its basic principles.
 At the end  the day in what became known as the “Battle of Orgreave.”  over 100 people were arrested, for no crime whatever, with many  more being injured along with  the Miners leader Arthur Scargill.

Following Orgreave, the police  conducted a deliberate  and co-ordinated  attempt to frame arrested miners  for one of the most serious events  on the statute book - the offence of Riot. No police officer has ever been prosecuted or even disciplined for their role in the terrible events that occurred.Campaigners have long been calling for a public inquiry into the horrendous events that occurred on 18 June 1984, simply asking for an apology to the victims who suffered in this bloody confrontation.  A report in 2015 by the police watchdog, the IOPC, said there was “evidence of excessive violence by police officers, a false narrative from police exaggerating violence by miners, perjury by officers giving evidence to prosecute the arrested men, and an apparent cover-up of that perjury by senior officers”.

Despite increasing hardships the miners fought on with determination and bravery. During the course of the strike over 6,000 were arrested, with over 20,000 miners being injured in acts of state violence.
Throughout the strike I would witness, how the right wing media  was used  to vilify and undermine. The media being used to lie, and used as a political weapon to crush the miners resiliance, the media  also enabling to misrepresent, and divide the movement,being  used to  churn out a Niagara of lies against the miners..The propoganda part of Thatchers assault, was being pushed out  everyday, at her so called ' enemy within.'

Psychological  pressure was utilised with the police encouraged to wave wads of cash at pickets, designed to undermine and demoralise, the use of scabs increased, bussing them through picket lines in a determined effort to break the will of the striking miners. NUM headquarters harboured a spy. Phone tapping of leaders of the dispute was routine.Anti-union laws were also used against the NUM, which was effectively hounded out of legal existence and its funds sequestered by the capitalist courts.

Throughout the country, groups emerged, either as individuals or part of miners support groups, raising money and awareness, standing in solidarity. Disparate groups found common ground,  from the Unemployed, the Peace Movement, students, other Trade Unions, all standing firmly behind the miners in their great struggle. 

One of the most commented upon aspects of the strike was the involvement of women, who grouped together to set up ‘Women Against Pit Closures.’ The women from the mining communities in particular acted as bulmarks of strength, organising welfare and support which was vital in sustaining the strike, setting up food kitchens to feed hungry miners and their families, to going on national rallies in London or fundraising as far away as Canada. At the heart of their actions was a sense of solidarity with their menfolk, and a real sense of the mining community.

Women’s activism drew on traditions of protest in the coal fields going back to 1926. Strengthening one another’s morale, supporting isolated women, fundraising and campaigning, women fed and clothed entire communities. Women’s action groups acquired expertise on all strike-related matters from DHSS claims to mortgage repayments and international solidarity. They also provided the strike with many of its most respected and sought-after public speakers.  

Had there been no support from women the strike would have collapsed very quickly. As Elaine Robe from Hatfield Main Women’s Support Group wrote: “We attended and organised pickets, rallies and raised money. We didn’t want to be an appendage to the NUM.” 

For many women the strike was liberating, uplifting, and enriching, meeting and talking to people or travelling without their husbands. Others reported how their mental health improved. Many vowed to carry on being politically active after the strike was over. 

Welsh Women’s Support Group

The  strike saw a radically new development; a network of some 300 miners’ support groups. These extended the length and breadth of the country, from Aberdeen to Belfast and from Ipswich to the Isle of Wight, in response to the NUM’s call for fundraising on behalf of the beleaguered mining communities. 

The miners’ supporters included the young, the poor, student and inner city radicals, peace activists, and the unemployed, for whom trade unionism had hitherto had little meaning, as well as  ethnic minorities in inner city areas such as London, Birmingham and Bradford. Liverpool raised a million pounds with Catholic and Protestant churches fundraising side by side. 

Many of these groups were run by members of the Labour Party, the Communist Party, and non-aligned trade unionists. The strongest were large, efficient, and formidably well-organised; others were small, informal, and extemporary in nature; many were set up by constituency Labour parties or local trades councils. 

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) also  played a vital role  organising links with pits  and gave help as they recognised the state’s oppression. By the end of the strike, 11 LGSM groups had emerged with the London group alone raising £22,500 by 1985 (equivalent to £73,000 in 2021) in support. Their story is told in the 2014 film Pride.and consequently the NUM led the pride demonstration in London  in 1985.

After the end of the miners' strike in March 1985, several  LGSM pride  members joined the newly-formed Lesbians and Gays Support the Printworkers, established on a similar model to LGSM - to raise funds for striking printworkers in dispute with Rupert Murdoch.

Members of CND were also very active. Virtually every TUC-affiliated trade union had members fundraising, with women trade unionists often working directly with women in the coal fields. NUPE’s successful Fill a Bag and Feed a Family campaign was supported by Belfast’s lowest paid workers: school cooks, council employees and cleaners. It was these prodigious fundraising efforts that extended the duration of the strike and stood between the miners, penury and capitulation for so long.

The chant of the miners’ support groups was: “The miners united will never be defeated”. It was an energising time, new friends were made, the camerardie that emerged was simply amazing.Many saw this struggle as a tipping point between social democracy, civil liberties and the welfare state and of the one hand, and on the other, neoliberalism, authoritarianism and austerity.

Culture and music are important in any political struggle, Songs and words are another way to win minds, put over political ideas and boost morale in any struggle and that was certainly true when Maggie Thatcher declared war on the Coal Industry and the Miner’s.Many artists, writers, musicians,  were also heavily involved in the process  of  solidarity,  passionately supporring  the strike .Some, such as Billy Bragg, Chumbawamba,, The Men  they cou;dn't hang wrote songs about the strike, while many many others, including the Redskins and Crass, participated in benefit concerts to raise money. 

Throughout 1984 there were regular musical events, fundraisers and rallies in support of strikers and their families. Soup kitchens and food parcels funded from supporters enabled mining families to feed their children and themselves while they were without pay. 

Billy Bragg - Which Side Are You On?

The  raising of  funds  was so  necessary   as  have to  remember that sStriking miners and their families were not eligible for security benefits and their dependants were prohibited from receiving ‘urgent needs payments’ under the Social Security Act of 1980, although £15 was nonetheless deducted from benefits to cover ‘notional strike pay’. 

The NUM did not make strike payments although they did issue a small allowance to active pickets. Family income had been depleted by the previous year’s overtime ban. Poverty therefore became endemic once household savings had ran out with some strikers and their families finding themselves perilously near to destitution.

Sadly eventually some miners started drifting back there will broken, what with the increasing hardships they faced, but it should be noted  that 63% of the miners stayed out  to the bitter end. despite the strikers being pitted against the full force of the ruling class, while still amassing huge sipport and  solidarity  across the  country,  they were  betrayed  ulrimately by the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Party’s refusal to mobilise support, especially  their spineless leader  Welsh 'windbag' and class traitor Neil Kinnock, who refused to attend picket lines or events supporting the miners, in effect helping Thatchers dirty war of attrition. 

In fairness the Party rank and file were with the miners. Labour Party activists, premises and equipment were involved in the miners' strike to a degree probably not seen in any dispute since the 1920s. The National Executive Committee backed the miners and called for a levy to support them. Conference condemned police violence and defied Kinnock's request to condemn pickets' violence.

But what most people saw, courtesy of TV, was the public weaseling of Kinnock, Roy Hattersley and others. We should not underestimate the role played by these acrions  in dampening the spirits of the labour movement. The notorious strike-breaking Union of Democratic Miners also appeared on the scene. They recruited working miners using the absence of a national miners ballot, particularly in Nottinghamshire as an argument.

Their leaders, including at least one Labour councillor, encouraged miners to scab and thus undermine the strike. The socialist MP Denis Skinner recounted that they even burned down the pickets’ kitchen at the Clipstone pit in his constituency. One of their leaders was later jailed for stealing £150,000 from a charity for elderly miners.

When the strike was over members of  the scab UDM settled in for the long period of prosperity and security promised   to them by a grateful establishment. Their  UDM leader Roy Lynk was awarded an OBE for ‘services to trade unionism’ but after paving the way for mass pit closures and privatisation, he and Nottinghamshire’s former strike-breakers. to their fury, bu  with irony were betrayed too Nottinghamshire’s pits were closed in contrast to the promises lavished upon them during the strike.

After a year on strike and some of the most bitter class war in UK history on  3^rd March 1985, an NUM delegate conference narrowly voted to end the strike  after facing the  harsh reality that workers were going hungry without wages or depleted reserves of union pay. It  ended without any peace deal over pit closures and Thatcher’s government not making  a single concession.The final vote was 98 to 91 to return to work. A turning point for the working class in Britain, this iconic strike came to define the decade. 

The argument is still repeated that the miners lost because their action was reckless, the state was too strong and no national ballot was called. Tactically a strike ballot of miners could have been held, even after the strikes had begun, as it would have undermined scabbing, reduced coal production, and the Tories and right of the Labour movement would not be able to accuse Scargill and the NUM leadership of being undemocratic. The union could have organised meetings with Nottinghamshire miners away from management to persuade them that action was needed to defend their jobs. 

Many though however, understand that the key reason for the defeat was the betrayal and spineless role of the TUC, the trade union bureaucracy, and the leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock and  the  full forces of  the  state against them. 

The miners would  march back to work together, broken hearted but their heads held high in defiance. 

Thatcher though was graceless in victory. “There is no such thing as society,” she infamously declared. Her neo-liberal blueprint would result not only in the selling off and selling out of the coal industry, but also the decimation of Britain’s manufacturing industry, the subjugation of all trade unions, and the doubling of unemployment and inflation.
Though the heroic struggle ended in defeat, the proud and dignified nature of the return to work, like the Maerdy miners  of South Wales who marched back to work behind colliery bands and banners who thus robbed Thatcher of the "total" victory she and her class sought. Nevertheless, the Tory government subsequently closed over 100 pits and more than 100,000 were made redundant. The pit closure programme was carried through remorselessly. It tore the guts out of the industry and out of the mining communities. The mining industry was decimated. Subsequently, most of Britain's collieries closed and by  the time  the industry was privatised in 1994  there were just 15  collieries left and by the time Thatcher died in 2013, only three remained. .

It would lead to lasting unemployment and poverty,  the shattering of organised labour, the hollowing-out of mining and other working-class communities, and a steady increase in social inequality in British society, with lingering scars in former mining areas, just as the workers had warned with their slogan "Close a pit, kill a community".
The strike  may have been defeated but years later I remember the courage and sacrifice made during this bitter struggle and the spirit of revolt they unleashed, and those who remained defiant to  the end, and acknowledge the miners who were arrested and locked up on trumped up charges.The communities that never fully recovered from the financial blow of the strike. Those who fought for the survival of a humane society here in Wales and across Britain, and a vile government  who used the powers of the state in almost all its entirety to defeat the miners and to teach the whole working class a lesson.
Miners and their families will remember those miners and their strike supporters who will have passed away since, and in particular those who were killed either by reckless lorry drivers at picket lines at the time or from the “death by malice” of someone hurling a brick at a striking miner, as was the case with  the two individuals  mentioned  a bit  earlier David Jones outside Thorseby Colliery in the Nottingham coalfield and Joe Green who was killed on the picket line.

The folksinger Dick Gaughan was also a  tireless supporter of the Miners Strike, performing at benefit gigs all over the UK. Immediately after the strike he wrote a song about it entitled The Ballad of 84, first performed at a benefit for sacked miners at Woodburn Miners Welfare Club in Dalkeith, Midlothian in '85.  Gaughan's song recalls the strikers who died, as well mentioning Malcolm Pitt and others who were imprisoned:

Let's pause here to remember the men who gave their lives / Joe Green and David Jones were killed in fighting for their rights / But their courage and their sacrifice we never will forget / And we won't forget the reason, too, they met an early death / For the strikebreakers in uniforms were many thousand strong / And any picket who was in the way was battered to the ground / With police vans driving into them and truncheons on the head/ It's just a bloody miracle that hundreds more aren't dead... And Malcolm Pitt and Davy Hamilton and the rest of them as well / Who were torn from home and family and locked in prison cells'.

Whatever the cold economic arguments about the profitability of coal, or otherwise, the end of the strike paved the way for the destruction of a proud industry and the communities it had sustained for generations.The legacy of its defeat can be seen today in our workplaces and communities following an advancement of free-market capitalism that has resulted in low pay, precarious work and the extensive privatisation of our public services. 

Passions remain unwaned, with a lingering resentment toward the government and police force that endure to  this day, but  in the end I feel the miners strike has left us with a legacy that we should be proud of, of a people and community standing together in solidarity in the face of adversity. 

I will never forget the tremendous hardship and suffering the miners  and their families suffered whilst trying to protect their communities The fighting spirit of the miners lives on , It has left behind a tradition of courageous struggle, which can  still be seen among us today with people fighting for their lives and what they believe in.

Forty years  after this bitter dispute  ended  the courage and determination of the miners and their families, struggling to defend their communities from an unparalleled assault by the ruling class, should serve as an inspiration to a new generation. The miners might have  lost the strike but they had made history. Their struggle to defend their industry and their communities had earned them their place alongside the Chartists, the Levellers, the demonstrators at Peterloo, and the Jarrow marchers of 1936 in the annals of English radicalism.. 

Lest we  forget  either  that out of the strike came a rebirth in many ways. While many former miners faced unemployment, others went back to college and requalified for new professions. Miners’ wives, in even greater numbers, returned to education and became teachers, social workers or probation officers. The children of mining families, brought up during and after the strike, made the fullest use of the expansion of the university sector. 

The strike had politicised mining families and encouraged many of them to become involved in other causes, to become local councillors or even MPs. And while the pits closed, the heritage of the mining industry was preserved through mining museums, the revival of banner-making for the Durham miners’ gala, and the political struggle continues through the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.https://otjc.org.uk/

The strike is rich in lessons, and we would be doing that heroic struggle no favours if we did not also try to understand the mistakes which played an important role in the dispute as well as drawing inspiration from the colossal resolve and sacrifice of the miners’ struggle.and the voices of those who sustained it for a year,  and offers some guidance and hope to public and private sector trade unionists in dispute today. The circumstances are very different, of course, but today’s activists could certainly draw courage and resolve from that momentous time  in  history. .

Test Department and the South Wales Miners Striking Choir - Comrades in Arms

In Praise of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi

 

It's become a bit of a tradition to mark the very special occasion of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, which celebrates my nations patron saint.Today we, as a country. come together to celebrate our culture. history and and our rich heritage which has long endured, despite everyone and everything, that makes us proud to be Welsh.

As with St. Patrick’s Day, the Welsh have parades in their major cities, where you’ll see the traditional dress and the red dragon proudly on display on the Welsh flag, or the flag of St. David himself, a yellow cross on a black background,alongside the wearing of one or both of Wales’s national emblems, the daffodil and leek.

This is because the daffodil begins to bloom early in the year around this time, and the ancient tradition of eating and wearing leeks on St David’s Day supposedly goes back to the 6th century. It is said that St David told Welsh warriors to wear leeks in their helmets in battle against the despised Saxons to differentiate themselves from their enemies,  and that the leeks won them victory. This is pure legend of course, but soon the association between leeks and war was firmly cemented in the Welsh mind. In the 14th century Welsh archers adopted green and white for their uniform in honour of the leek. And to this day the Royal Welch Fusiliers uphold the tradition of eating raw leeks on 1 March.

Welsh women will often dress in their national finery. The Welsh dress was a traditional farming dress with an apron topped with a distinctive tall Welsh hat. It was worn on special occasions such as going to church, and today it is kept for celebrations such as St. David’s Day parades.

Schools across Wales hold celebrations, with a number of children dressing in traditional costume – a black hat with white trim; long skirts and shawls. Many boys, meanwhile, will wear a Welsh rugby or football shirt. Schools across the country will also hold an Eisteddfod (a traditional festival of Welsh poetry and music) on this day.

St David’s status as a modern national icon is a good example of how easily myth can trump historical evidence (or rather the lack of it). He lived and died fifteen hundred years ago, during a period of Welsh history often referred to as ‘the Age of the Saints’. The fifth and sixth centuries saw an intense bout of religious activity in Wales as holy men like David preached the word of God, founded churches and, if the monkish historians of the Middle Ages are to be believed, performed all manner of miracles.

Yet we have very little reliable information about who St David was, what he did, or even when exactly he lived. It seems likely that his fame stemmed from the establishment of a monastery in modern-day Pembrokeshire in the late sixth century – a settlement which we know today as the cathedral-city of St Davids. However the earliest direct references to him are found in manuscripts dating from the eighth century, almost 200 years after his death, so it is difficult to be sure about much else.

Luckily the Welsh have never been inclined to let a lack of evidence get in the way of a good story. While little is known  about his life, much of the traditional tales about St David are based on Buchedd Dewi (Life of David), which was written by the scholar Rhigyfarch at the end of the 11th Century.

Rhygyfarch's life of St David is regarded by many scholars as suspect because it contains many implausible events and because he had a stake in enhancing St David's history so as to support the prestige of the Welsh church and its independence from Canterbury, the center of the English church (still Catholic at the time). According to David Hugh Farmer in The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Rhygyfarch's history of St David "should be treated as propaganda, which may, however, contain some elements of true tradition." So most of what we know about Saint David is really legend; and none the less inspiring for it.

St David's existence at least does not seem to be in doubt; it is attested to in written records from earlier dates. He was born in the 6th century in or around South Cardigan and North Pembrokeshire in what is now southwest Wales, the exact year of his birth is unknown, with estimates ranging from 462 to 515 AD.  Born into local royalty, his mother was Saint Non, daughter of a Celtic chieftain, a  woman of great beauty and virtue.St David's father was a prince called Sant, son of the King of Cardigan But David wasn't the child of a love-filled marriage. He was concieved after his father either seduced or raped Non, who went on to become a nun.

St David's greatness was prophesied, both in the Christian and pagan worlds. Merlin, the great mage at the court of King Arthur, foretold his coming. St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, who at that time lived near St Davids, or Mynyw as it was then known, is said to have wanted to found a monastery nearby, but was told by an angel that the place was reserved for another who would appear in due course. St Patrick’s disappointment was soothed by a vision which showed him that his true vocation lay in Ireland. St Davids father, was also warned by an angel that he would find three treasures by the River Teifi in Cardiganshire, which should be set aside for his son; a stag, a salmon and a swarm of bees. These seemingly strange gifts each had a great significance. The stag, said to eat snakes, represents Christianity's conquering Satan (the serpent); the fish represents Saint David's abstinence from liquor; and the bees represent his wisdom and spirituality.

Even from his birth strange things have been said about St David. It is said he was born in a wild thunderstorm, the birthing process was said to have been so intense and fraught that his mothers fingers left marks as she grasped a rock. As St David was born a bolt of lightning from heaven is said to have struck the rock, splitting it in two and at the moment of birth a spring of pure water gushed out of the ground. A blind old man who held St David at the baptism had his sight restored by applying this remarkable water to his eyes. This is one of the colourful stories about the childhood of Dewi Sant.

Non named her son Dewidd, though local Dyfed pronunciation meant he was commonly called Dewi. David is an Anglicised variation of the name derived from the Latin Davidus.

Brought up by his mother in Henfeynyw near Aberaeron, David is said to have been baptised at nearby Porthclais by St Elvis of Munster. It is said that a blind monk, Movi, was cured after drops of water splashed into his eyes as he held David.

St David was educated at a monastery, usually taken to be Whitland in Carmarthenshire, under St Paulinus of Wales. He is said to have cured his tutor of blindness by making the sign of the cross. Seeing him as blessed, Paulinus sent him off as a missionary to convert the pagan people of Britain. Having chosen life as a missionary monk,he travelled to France, Ireland, and the Middle East to learn and to proselytize and went from place to place helping the poor, and teaching men to live as he did and is known for converting his countrymen to Christianity.

It is said  that once when St David  was preaching at a large outdoor gathering, in Llanddewi Brefi people complained they couldn’t hear or see him  until a white dove landed on St David’s shoulder, and as it did, the ground on which he stood rose up to form a hill, making it possible for everyone to see and hear him , both near and far off, where a church now stands. The dove became his emblem often appearing in his portraits and on stained-glass windows depicting him. Doves are considered pure due to their typical role as a messenger or a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

There are many other stories about the man, no one can actually tell if any of them are actually true or not but create a nice tale to tell nevertheless. It is also said that he once rose a youth from death, and milestones during his life were marked by the appearance of springs of water.

In 550 AD, St David was named the Archbishop of Wales at the Synod of Brefi church council and stayed in the settlement of Mynyw and set up a large monastery. David was a bit of a disciplinarian and hard task masker, but the monks in this monastery  obeyed him and lived a simple life, drinking water and eating only herbs and bread. He became known as Dewi Dyrfwr (David the water drinker) as meat and beer were forbidden. Although the monks farmed the surrounding land, St David insisted that they did not use animals to carry their tools,and they were to carry them. Also none of the monks were allowed any personal possessions and they spent evenings praying, reading and writing.

Eventually became so unpopular with his monks for the life of austerity he made them live, that they tried to poison him. St David was informed about this by St Scuthyn, who as legend says, presumably in the absence of a ferry or a Ryanair flight, travelled from Ireland on the back of a sea-monster for the purpose.

He frequently visited other places in South Wales, and churches were afterwards built in  many of these villages in memory of him.  A legend says that he once went to Jerusalem with two companions, St Teilo https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/st-teilos-day-dydd-sadwrn-teilo.html?m=1 and St Padarn. The three left Wales together "with one mind, one joy, and one sorrow." When after a hard journey they arrived at Jerusalem they were received with joy and hospitality, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem gave St David, before he returned to Wakes, a remarkable bell which " shone with miracles," a staff, and a coat woven with gold. 

His last words to his followers before his death are thought to have been: "Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do." The phrase gwenwch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd - 'Do the little things in life' - is still a well-known phrase in Wales.

Here I offer you this beautiful song from Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion called Pethau Bychain Dewi Sant ( St David's Little Things) from the album Dore.

 

Geriau/ Words

Pethau bychain Dewi Sant
nid swn tan ond swn tant.
Nid derw mawr ond adar mân,
nid haul a lleuad ond gwreichion tân.

Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
 y ll'godan ond nid yr eliffant.
 A darnau'r gwlith nid dwr y moroedd,
 ond yn y briga', stwr y mae.

 Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
swn 'yn traed ni yn y nant.
Yr hada' yn disgyn yma a thraw,
a'r tamad, y tamad ola' o wenith yn dy law.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

Map y byd yn llyfr y plant,
pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Y pellter sydd rhwng dant a dant ar ol nawdeg naw a chant
 pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
 trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

English Translation Lyrics:

St David's little things,
not the sound of fire
but the sound of chords.
Not a large oak but small birds,
not the sun and moon but the sparks of fire.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,

the mouse but not the eliphant.

And the dew drops, not the water of the seas,
but in the branches, uproar is found

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,
the sound of our footsteps in the stream.
The seeds fall here and there,
and the scrap, the last scrap of wheat in your palm.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

The world's atlas in a children's book,
St David's little things.

The distance between a tooth and a tooth between ninety nine and a hundred - St David's little things. But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

 St David is also said to have lived for over 100 years, and some say, hold your breathe, to the age of 142 or 147 (his clean living ways, sure must have helped him) and died on Tuesday 1 March 589, in the week after his final sermon. He was buried in the grounds of his monastery, which was said to have been "filled with angels as Christ received his soul". 

 Mynyw is now known as St David’s, the UK’s smallest city (,near the southwestern tip of Pembrokeshire.) in his honour. The monastery has since become the magnificent St David’s Cathedral and was a prestigious site of pilgrimage in the middle ages and is still a site of immense interest to this day. It is said by some that two pilgrimages to St Davids are equal to one pilgrimage to the Vatican in Rome. His shrine  became so famous that three English monarchs - William 1, Henry 11 and Edward 1 are said to have made pilgramages to it.  

 

 

St David’s Day has been celebrated in Wales on 1st March since the 12th Century when David was made a saint by Pope Callixtus II, at the height of the Welsh resistance to the Normans. You will find churches and chapels dedicated to him in south-west England and Brittany, as well as Wales. His influence also reached Ireland, where the Irish embrace his beliefs about caring for the natural world.

The nickname ‘Taffy’ for a Welshman links back to St David as the original and ultimate Welshman – the term dates to the 17th century and derives from ‘Dafydd’, the Welsh for David.

William Shakespeare name-dropped St David in Henry V. When Fluellen’s English colleague, Pistol, insults the humble leek on St David’s Day, Fluellen insists he eat the national emblem as punishment: “If you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek” (Act V, Scene I).

Although now replaced by the daffodil, the leek was originally the symbol of St David’s day. There are differing stories about how the leek came to take its place in Welsh history. 

One account tells the story of the ancient British king, Cadwaladyr whose soldiers were about to fight the Saxons. The story goes that St David advised the Welsh to wear a leek on their clothes so they could recognise each other in battle. Another legend is set in 1346, when the Prince of Wales (Edward the Black Prince), defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy. The story tells us that the Welsh archers fought heroically in a field of leeks, and as a reminder of their bravery, the Welsh began to wear leeks in their caps every St David's Day. 

However, it seems that the daffodil supplanted the leek in the 20th century after the Welsh politician David Lloyd George (later to become prime minister) allegedly insisted that daffodils be used during the 1911 investiture of the Prince of Wales. Today, although the leek remains associated with Wales, the daffodil is undoubtedly a more attractive and fragrant alternative. And of course, daffodils are usually plentiful and in full bloom by 1st March.

Whatever the true story of Dewi Sant is , there is no doubt that he was indeed a figure of much historical and spiritual significance that still carries with him much importance to the people of Wales today,  a cheerful and celebratory day as my country comes together in honour of their patron saint to celebrate Welsh history, culture, and identity with pride.

Out of all the saints in the UK, David is the only one to have been born in the country where he is a saint. Scotland’s St Andrew was Palestinian, Ireland’s St Patrick was Romano-British and England’s St George was a Roman soldier who was actually born in Cappadocia, Turkey, around 270AD.with Greek family ties.

In 2000 the National Assembly for Wales voted unanimously to make St David’s Day on the 1st March a bank holiday.to celebrate out patron saint just like they do in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, but sadly the idea was rejected by Westminster, surprise, surprisea, because  of  the  cost  to the economy although a one off bank holiday for the s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 cost £1.2 billion.

It's that time of year again when we must ask the same question. St Andrew's/St Patrick's Day are public holidays, why not so in Wales. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi St David's Day Bank Holiday has overwhelming public support in Wales and the support of all Senedd political parties. Why do we allow a foreign country to forbid us to celebrate our national identity on St. David's Day with a bank holiday?  Does Germany overrule French Bank Holidays? 

Creating a St David’s Day bank holiday would be such a powerful affirmation of our Welsh culture, language, and heritage. Wales has a rich history and a thriving cultural identity that deserves greater recognition, If we can have a bank holiday for  a  coronation  we can have a bank holiday for our national day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿People in Wales deserve time to celebrate the national day.  Please sign and share  the  following. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700770! 

Despite this St David’s position as the patron saint of Wales has only grown stronger  with parades and concerts now a staple part of the festivities each year.

Every year in Cardiff there is a National St David’s Day parade. Performers range from local school children, who usually wear traditional Welsh clothing, to theatre groups and dragons. Daffodils and leeks are pinned to clothes. Flags and banners are waved during the parades, including the Welsh flag and the flag of St David.

The parade typically ends at the Hayes in the town centre, where crowds will gather to proudly sing the national anthem, “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”. 

Other villages and towns in Wales may also hold their own parades, and lots of Welsh heritage sites allow free admission for the day. People also attend church services and choir recitals by professional choir groups or school children. 

There’s also a concert held in St David’s Hall in Cardiff, where the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales perform traditional Welsh songs.  In Swansea, there’s the Croeso (meaning “welcome” in Welsh) festival, which is a two-day event that  celebrates  Welsh  culture. With music, food stalls, cookery demonstrations, and an event called the daffodil dash. See  the  full  line  up here. https://www.visitswanseabay.com/events/croeso/

Some visit St David’s in Pembrokeshire, known as the religious centre of Wales. The purple-stoned cathedral is found in the UK’s official smallest city (roughly 1,600 people), where two trips to it are equal to one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Wow!  The residents like to decorate the city with bunting and have a weekend of events in the cathedral and around the town. Events include their very own St David’s Day parade: the Dragon Parade and the Ras Dewi Sant marathon, said to be one of the toughest and prettiest races in the world, with the route going through the changing Pembrokeshire Coast Path.  The annual Dragon Parade journeys from Oriel y Parc across the city to Cross Square. The parade is so popular, the road is closed for the duration of the parade so that everyone can join in safely. Typical visitors include families, schools and children dressed in traditional Welsh costume.  Those part of the parade will  with  pride hold their handmade dragons high so that they can be seen from all around. The theme of the St David’s Day parade changes slightly each year to celebrate a different aspect of the event. For example, in 2020, the theme celebrated the colours of Saint David’s famous black and yellow flag.

The  following moving poem Rhyfel (War) in both English and Welsh by the Welsh language poet/ pacifist Ellis Humphrey Evans, better known by his bardic pen name Hedd Wyn. (Blessed Peace).https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/07/remembering-pacifist-poet-hedd-wynn_42.html It is one of his best known and most frequently quoted works in which he interweaves ideas about faith, music, class and conflict in a lament for the brutality and devastation caused by the First World War which  still  has  much  relevance  in  the  times  we  live.

 War (Rhyfel) by Hedd Wyn

English translation by Gillian Clarke

Bitter to live in times like these.
While God declines beyond the seas;
Instead, man, king or peasantry,
Raises his gross authority.

When he thinks God has gone away
Man takes up his sword to slay
His brother; we can hear death’s roar.
It shadows the hovels of the poor.

Like the old songs they left behind,
We hung our harps in the willows again.
Ballads of boys blow on the wind,
Their blood is mingled with the rain.

Original Welsh poem by Hedd Wyn

Gwae fi fy myw mewn oes mor ddreng,
A Duw ar drai ar orwel pell;
O’i ôl mae dyn, yn deyrn a gwreng,
Yn codi ei awdurdod hell.

Pan deimlodd fyned ymaith Dduw
Cyfododd gledd i ladd ei frawd;
Mae sŵn yr ymladd ar ein clyw,
A’i gysgod ar fythynnod tlawd.

Mae’r hen delynau genid gynt,
Ynghrog ar gangau’r helyg draw,
A gwaedd y bechgyn lond y gwynt,
A’u gwaed yn gymysg efo’r glaw. 

Also on St Davids Day, calls grow for any new first minister to push for further devolution in Wales. This time, the civil service is the subject - and  Cymdeithas yr iaith is leading the charge. Read more in Welsh and English below: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/03/01/st-davids-day-devolution/

Enjoy the first day of Spring!  Remember compassion, kindness and unity matter. Keep this as your mantra as we celebrate  today all  things Welsh. From Wales to the world Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i bawb /Happy Saint David’s Day to you all. Heddwch/ Peace.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🌍

Even the smallest of things can cause the biggest of change and help the most people. "Gwnewch y pethau bychain" – Do the little things✨ Wise words from St David, reminding us that small acts of kindness make a big difference. Click the link below and then the button to help people in palestine!  I 'wneud y petha bychan', cliciwch y linc isod a wedyn y botwm i helpu pobl yn palestine!https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/

Enjoy the  following  wonderful  lecture by Prof Ronald Hutton, where he introduces vivid characters from Welsh mythology, from the proud and wilful Arianrhod to the supreme bard Taliesin...

Links to a few earlier St David's Day/  Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Posts

Gillian Clarke - Miracle on St David's David's Day 

 https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2013/03/gillian-clarke-8637-miracle-on-st.html

The Praise of St David's Day Showing the reason why the Welch -men Honour the Leeke on this Day 

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-praise-of-st-davids-day-showing.html

Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago) An Ivorite song to be sung to the tune of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2014/03/evan-james-ieuan-ap-iago-1809-2091878.html

Harri Webb -  The Red , White and Green

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/03/harri-webb-7920-311294-red-white-and.html

The Welsh Language - Alan Llwyd

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-welsh-language-alan-llwyd-b1948.html

 

Remembering the Ibrahimi mosque massacre

 

The Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarch, south of the occupied West Bank in Hebron, is one of the holiest sites in all the Abrahamic religions,sacred to  bothJews and Muslims. alike believing that the building houses the earthly remains of the religious patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah, 

In the early morning of February 25th, 1994, local Palestinian Muslims had gathered for an important prayer in the holy month of Ramadan..

American-born Israeli settler  physician and extremist of the far-right ultra-Zionist Kach movement.

Baruch Goldstein entered the mosque wearing his IDF reserve uniform with a Galil rifle. He waited until he saw people kneeled and bowed down in prayer before opening fire on the worshippers. Goldstein, who was a retired army doctor, killed 29 innocent people and wounded 125 others, Several victims were as young as 12.  Eventually, a survivor hurled a fire extinguisher at his head, allowing the crowd to disarm and beat him to death.  

 The massacre led To widespread outrage and condemnation both within Israel and around the world. It also significantly escalated tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, contributing to a cycle of violence that has persisted in the region  to  thois day. 

Among the voices of dismay and repulsion were those who supported Goldstein’s actions and honored him after his death. Thousands attended Goldstein’s funeral, as they viewed his acts of terror as honorable. His body was transported under army transport through the occupied territories  Rabbi Yaacov Perrin led the funeral.  In paying homage to Goldstein, he told mourners:  "One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail!"

 Itamar Ben-Gvir:  Israel’s National Security Minister, and Netanyahu’s close friend, Itamar Ben-Gvir used to hang a portrait of Baruch Goldstein on his wall.  He described Goldstein as a “hero” and also stated "Blessed is the memory of Baruch Goldstein.”  

The terrorist attack took place during the Jewish holiday ‘Purim’ and many believe that Goldstein used the story of Amalek to justify the massacre. 

The story of Amalek goes as follows:  “The tribe of Amalek attacked the Israelites as they were journeying through the desert.  In response, God commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy the Amalekites, ordering them to kill every man, woman, child, and animal of the tribe.” 

This is the same story Benjamin Netanyahu used to justify Israel’s actions in Gaza; many soldiers accept Netanyahu’s command and kill every living thing in Gaza indiscriminately.

 And a  plaque near Goldstein’s grave states that he “gave his life for the Jewish people, the Torah and the nation of Israel.” Every year since, thousands of Israelis visit it to kiss his grave.

Later  on the  day  of the massacre, during and after the funeral processions of the victims, there were violent clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and occupation forces, with  Israeli soldiers killing an additional 21 Palestinians who took to the streets in the occupied territories to protest the massacre in al-Khalil. .

And instead of the ‘israeli’ occupation creating policies that would protect Palestinians  like  taking action against the extremist settlers in the city, particularly in the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement where Goldstein lived, by removing them from al-Khalil, the Israeli authorities punished the victims, the Palestinians. 

The Israeli army immediately closed down the area and, in the face of public anger, took the opportunity to enforce temporary closures in the city that later became permanent to facilitate settlement expansion. 

The sacred Mosque was divided down the middle, half of it given to settlers and turned into a synagogue. Hebron's main street, Shuhada Street, was gradually closed until no Palestinian national was allowed to even walk on it, let alone drive or open their shops. 

The front door of people's homes were welded shut while the families were still inside, and Hebron was turned into a ghost town. Israelis could use the streets freely and took over new buildings in the area while subjecting the remaining Palestinians to a reign of ongoing terror and harassment in an effort to drive them out of their homes.

.Following the  massacre there has been very strict security at the Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque. Part of those measures was the division of the site, to avoid confrontation between worshippers. Jews enter through the southwestern side and use the corridors that run between the cenotaphs while Muslims enter by the northeastern side and use the remainder of the building. 

Many Palestinians in Palestine and around the world remain convinced that the massacre was a false flag, planned attack with at least some official backing that was aimed at dividing the mosque and Hebron, and establishing colonies, the presence of jewish settlers in the city.

Sadly Goldsteins beliefs now find greater acceptance within Israeli society, extending to the highest echelons of the government.In March 2023, the Israeli NGO ‘Break the Silence’ conducted a poll on Baruch Goldstein.  

Here were the results: Only 57% of Israeli Jews think Goldstein was a terrorist.  About 33% are unsure whether to regard him as a terrorist or a national hero. 20% of Israeli right-wing voters view Goldstein as a hero, while even  9% of left-wing voters do not see him as a terrorist. 

The irony of Goldstein's  story  is that despite studying medicine in the United States, he, instead of saving lives, ruthlessly killed and injured innocent worshippers. His legacy of bloodshed persists  in Gaza  and the West Bank. 

And over thirty years later, the horror of Baruch Goldstein’s deadly rampage is still fresh for Palestinian survivors,  at the  same time  the tragedy of war and occupation continues. Iin the past year, the situation keeps getting worse,  as  now  the supporters of Goldstein's massacre have gained political power and hold key positions in the Israeli government, the police,  and the army,  while Palestinian s in Hebron  daily face  demolitions, forcible displacement and Jewish settler attacks, .that we rarely hear about; compared with the horrors of Gaza and even the destruction of Jenin and Tulkarm.

Rest in Power Roberta Flack: Soul Icon and Social Activist

Sad news the legendary  singer, songwriter, performer, Roberta Flack  one of the great soul singers of all time. has died aged 88  on Monday,  February 24, 2025, while surrounded by family. Known for songs including The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, originally by Ewan MacColl, and Killing Me Softly With His Song, written by Lori Lieberman and Norman Gimbel this  pioneering soul icons  work paved the way for women musicians and transformed popular music. 

Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack, to musician parents in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on February 10, 1937,and raised in Arlington, Virginia, ahe started classical piano lessons at the age of nine. She was awarded a full scholarship to Howard University in Washington, DC aged 15 and hoped to become an opera singer, a dream that was put on hold when she returned to North Carolina following her father’s death in 1959.  

She went back to the capital a year later to teach and in the early 1960s she began accompanying opera.singers at the Tivoli opera restaurant in Georgetown, later playing in various clubs in the Washington area before taking up a residency at Mr Henry’s.  

After watching her perform, jazz musician Les McCann helped to launch Flack’s recording career and she was signed to Atlantic Records after decades of classical study, teaching music and accompanying opera singers. Working as a high-school teacher in her 20s, while gigging in clubs during the evenings, FShe was married to jazz musician Stephen Novosel between 1966 and 1972. Her debut album, First Take, was released in 1969 and featured a blend of gospel, soul, flamenco and jazz. 

One of the songs from the album, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, catapulted her to stardom after Clint Eastwood used the song as the soundtrack for a love scene in his film Play Misty For Me.  It also won the Grammy for record of the year in 1973.

And a year later her song Killing Me Softly With His Song won the same gong and Flack won best female pop vocal performance. The latter saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s when hip-hop trio Fugees recorded a new version. 

In August 1970, she released Chapter Two and in November 1971 Quiet Fire. Both albums were aligned musically with First Take’s diverse mix. Even with the sweeping range of material, Flack developed a unifying sound. Flack said many times that her song choices were rooted in her desire to portray stories in her music, whether they were about love, lives or politics. 

 “My music is inspired thought-by-thought, and feeling-by-feeling. Not note-by-note,” she told Powers in 2020. “I tell my own story in each song as honestly as I can in the hope that each person can hear it and feel their own story within those feelings.”

Flack's other hits from the 1970s included Feel Like Makin' Love and two duets with her close friend and former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway, Where Is the Love and The Closer I Get to You. Sadly, their partnership ended in tragedy, after he fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan in 1979, after suffering a breakdown while they were recording an album of duets together.

Her soundscape embraced rock, folk, jazz, classical, and Latin influences, challenging racial and musical norms of her time and paving the way for many artists.This fearless musical exploration made her an icon not only in the realm of quiet storm R&B but also in the broader cultural landscape.

Her influence reached beyond her songs, as she contributed to social dialogues and civil rights movements, performing at significant events.

Her musical style, characterized by an intimate yet compelling delivery, redefined what it meant to be a Black artist in mainstream America. She didn’t just sing,she bled emotion, turning heartbreak into a damn art form.

At a time when the music industry was often quick to pigeonhole Black talent, Flack’s success was a testament to the power of authenticity. She refused to conform to expectations, instead choosing to let her voice serve as both a personal declaration and a broader commentary on the Black experience. 

Her music was a form of quiet resistance,a way to assert dignity, empathy, and strength in the face of social adversity.

Like many Black women, Roberta Flack’s revolutionary artistry is overlooked.Songs like “Trying Times”

 and and "Compared to What" tackled issues such as racism, poverty, and inequality. 

while pro LGBTQIA songs like “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” on her 1969 album were made prior to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, often credited as the first of its kind.

A passionate advocate for gay rights from the early days of her career, Flack was as much a musical innovator as she was a progressive activist, introducing Black nationalism to mainstream audiences. A shining light in the social and civil rights movement of the time, Flack was friends with both Reverend Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis whom Flack visited in prison when Davis faced charges - for which she was acquitted - for murder and kidnapping.

Davis once described the soft power of Flack’s voice in regards to protest music: “Yes, we needed the songs that were loud, that convinced us we were doing the right thing, that we needed to keep on pushing. They were incorporated into the soundtrack of the movement. But change happens when people’s emotions are affected. When we begin to be active participants from the heart…. Roberta had brought a kind of reflectiveness, a space to actually think and imagine.”

Flack used her platform to advocate for causes she deeply cared about. She appeared in a documentary film, “Save the Children,” about Jackson’s Operation PUSH exhibition in Chicago in 1972, and appeared at Bob Dylan’s 1975 benefit for boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of murder.in 1972. Flack was also a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, a group that advocates for artists to have the right to control their creative properties. She also founded The Roberta Flack School of Music, an afterschool program in the Bronx that provided music education to underprivileged students. In 2010, she established the Roberta Flack Foundation, an organization dedicated to music education and animal welfare. 

While Flack never matched her first run of success, she had a follow-up hit in the 1980s with the Peabo Bryson duet Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.

and in the 1990s with the Maxi Priest duet Set The Night To Music.

Living on the same floor of the famous Dakota apartment building as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Flack also became friends with the Beatle, and in  2012, Flack released her final album, Let It Be Roberta, an album of Beatles covers. 

The singer, was  awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy in 2020,  and in 2022, a feature-length documentary about the soul singer, by Antonino D’Ambrosio called Roberta, was released and told of her rise to stardom amid the backdrop of America’s civil rights movement.  

In 2022 it was announced the veteran musician had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurological condition that had made it "impossible" for her to sing. Following her ALS diagnosis, she finally retired from the limelight.

On May 13, 2023, Flack was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Berklee College of Music and celebrated by members of the graduating class who performed a concert of her music. 

As news of Flack’s passing spreads around the world, multiple tributes to the late vocalist have been flooding in from all corners of the globe. Those who have worked with her, those who knew her, and those who simply adored her incredible body of work have all been keen to share their thoughts on the death of the iconic singer. 

Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters was one of the first to pay tribute to the star, sharing: “Condolences to family, friends and fans of Roberta Flack. RIP.”  

Fellow R&B singer Darlene Love, who regularly performed Flack’s ‘Where Is The Love’ during her live performances, wrote on social media, “I’m so heartbroken to hear of the passing of Roberta Flack. There will never be another voice like hers – so full of soul, beauty, and emotion. ‘Killing Me Softly’ and so many of her songs will live on forever.” The singer concluded, “Rest in power, Roberta. Your music will always be with us.”  

Bernice A. King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., shared an image of Flack with the caption, “What a powerful, synchronised, beautiful instrument you were…Thank you #RobertaFlack.” 

 Oscar-nominated photographer Misan Harriman, who chronicled the Black Lives Matter movement through his photography, called Flack “One of the greatest of all time.” He also shared the song ‘Do What You Gotta Do’, writing, “This song means so much to me. She was a class apart.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, expressed profound sorrow at her passing. According to his statement, “I’m deeply saddened by the news of the death of Roberta Flack, one of the greatest musicians and songsters of all time. Her voice and music brought American and Afro-American culture and music to another level. She was also a freedom fighter and activist. I first met her when I was 12 years old at a rally for Operation Breadbasket. She was a huge supporter of Operation Breadbasket and Rev. Jesse Jackson. In the last 25 years, she has always supported and was present for events of the National Action Network. May she rest in peace and power, her music will last forever.” 

His words capture the indelible impact Flack made not only on the music industry but also on the civil rights movement  As fans mourn her passing, one thing is clear, her impact on music, culture, and activism will continue to resonate for years to come. 

Roberta Flack's legacy is built on her ability to transform and personalize songs with emotional honesty and clarity. Her storytelling approach ensured that listeners not only heard her music but deeply felt their narratives. Her legacy is as much about her contributions to the struggle for justice as it is about her groundbreaking musical achievements. 

Roberta Flack was more than just a singer,she was an icon, a storyteller, and a trailblazer for Black artists everywhere. Rest in power Roberta Flack. Thank you for your outstanding music. Your legacy lives on! 🙏💔 

World Day of Social Justice!

Today is World Day of Social Justice  which  is dedicated to promoting fairness, equality, and the protection of human rights. It highlights issues like poverty, exclusion,discrimination, inequality, unemployment, human rights violations, and social protection,  Remember though  the fight for fairness, equity, and dignity for all is every day.

Established by the UN in 2007, this day highlights the need for fair work, good living standards, and social security. It's a reminder to address global inequalities and improve the quality of life for all. 

Social justice is for everyone, particularly marginalized and vulnerable communities, such as refugees, indigenous peoples, and those living with disabilities.

The UN defines “social justice” as the equal rights of all peoples, and the opportunity for all human beings, without discrimination, to benefit from economic and social progress in all parts of the world. The organisation stresses an agreement with 100 heads of state that social development and social justice are crucial for peace and security within and between states.

However, this will not happen without governments developing plans to eliminate poverty, unemployment and discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, culture or disability. Serious challenges remain, including inequality, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, war, discrimination, exclusion, and lack of access to facilities that prohibit full participation in the global economy for developing countries.  

Social development aims at justice, solidarity, harmony, and equality within and among countries.Social justice, equality, and equity constitute the fundamental values of all societies. Promoting the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources for all through equity, equality, and opportunity is so important. 

Social development and social justice are indispensable for achieving and maintaining peace and security within and among nations. However, social development and social justice cannot be attained without peace and security, and economic growth may not be sustainable without social justice and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We have to remind ourselves, this World Social Justice Day, that fairness and equality aren’t guaranteed. Worldwide, poverty and inequality are rising, climate breakdown and armed conflict threaten insecurity and violence, and social justice is far  more than a concept, it’s a call to action. 

It’s about equity, access, and opportunity for all, regardless of gender, race, economic background, or nationality.Around the world, people continue to grapple with deep inequalities. We need a human-centered response that advances social justice for everyone, everywhere.

It is easy to lose the original meaning and purpose of such days as World Social Justice Day. It is easy to forget that not all humans experience life from a point of privilege. For some, especially the most vulnerable, social justice is a foreign concept. For some of the most vulnerable, they are totally unaware that it is within their human right to live a life of dignity, in a world where social justice is a reality.

The concept of social justice emerged during the Industrial Revolution and the civil revolutions that swept across Europe in the 19th century. The aim was to remedy the capitalist exploitation of labour that was prevalent at the time. Early proponents of social justice focused primarily on capital, property and the distribution of wealth.

From the mid-20th century onwards, social justice ceased to focus primarily on the economy and expanded to other areas of social life, addressing multiple causes or manifestations of inequalities.  And what exactly is it? Social justice is based on equal rights for all people, and on the possibility for all human beings, without discrimination, to benefit from economic and social progress throughout the world. 

Promoting social justice is not simply about increasing income and creating jobs. It is also a question of rights, dignity and freedom of expression, as well as economic, social and political autonomy for all people.

The theme this year is, 'Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps Of Social Justice', which highlights the need for inclusive policies and social protection to address systemic inequality. encourages us to unite for a just transition, prioritizing people, planet and dignity, to create a sustainable future with equity, compassion and human rights for all. 

Today is a time to reflect on the struggles all around you us such as rising inequality, systemic injustices, and of course raise awareness for Palestine. Like all UN charters and declarations, governments, were quick to welcome the decision to have the World Day of Social Justice, which is certainly noble in its intention, and then use it as a facade for the reality that there is no political will to make real  changes. 

The sad  fact remains  that ruling elites are still unable to change, due to the spread of corruption, and the ability of international capital’s monopoly to block steps to eliminate economic inequality.The moral inversion that has consumed our current political and cultural landscape is inexcusable. More than  ever we should fight against it, fight to reform it, fight to dismantle it. Change starts with us. Raise your voice, take action, stand for justice 

Lets  stand for a world where gender equality is a right, survivors find justice and discrimination has no place.The struggle for social justice is a commitment that belongs to and challenges all of us. The day also serves to  remind us there is no social  justice without cllimate  justice! We must protect vulnerable communities from climate disasters while ensuring fairness in the shift to a greener world. A just transition means no one gets left behind.

On World Social Justice Day 2025 the fight has never been more urgent. We’re seeing attacks on equal rights, growing inequality and crises in housing, climate and the cost of living.Far too many communities continue to suffer from exclusion, poverty and lack of access to justice. Now is the time to stand up, speak up and take action. Together, we can create a more just world.

Also at a time when corrosive far-right narratives are becoming more visible in the mainstream, we must stand strong to protect our hard-won rights and through education, empower children and young people to challenge misinformation and counter damaging and divisive far-right narratives, in the pursuit of an equal, socially just society for all.

Whoever you are- wherever you are, I wish you a hope, kindness and compassion filled World Day of Social Justice. Let’s work together for sustanable life and peace on our planet.Together, let’s break the cycles of violence, abuse, and injustice,because true peace begins with fairness for everyone. 

At the same time, we never need to despair about good in the world because we have it within us. Question everything, but don’t let questioning paralyze you from living.✊

Official Website 

https://www.un.org/en/observances/social-justice-day

Leonard Peltier's Freedom Is A Triumph of Spirit and Justice

Yesterday marked a significant and uplifting moment,  with some really  beautiful news Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) Leonard Peltier is free at  last  after  nearly 50 years of wrongful imprisonment and unjust persecution by the US government and the FBI for his leading role in the movement for Native sovereignty.

Last month President Joseph Biden commuted Peltier's  life sentence to serve the remainder of his time under house arrest. This development is a testament to the power of compassion and justice.

Peltier  who is 80 years old, has long maintained his innocence over the 1975 shootout that occurred on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation between two FBI agents, who had entered the private property to serve arrest warrants, and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a cold war-era liberation group that sought to address police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans.  

The group of Native American men who traded gunfire with the FBI agents included Peltier. The shootout resulted in the deaths of both agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who were shot in the head. Joseph Stuntz, a Native American, was killed, too.  

Two other AIM  leaders were initially charged with the agents' murders and were tried seperately, no evidence at the time was presented to link them to the killings. They were subsequently acquitted after evidence emerged about the atmosphere and intimidation on the reservation, with the conclusion that they might  have been acting in self-defence. Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, they needed a scapegoat  and he was arrested on February 6th 1976.

Peltier had joined American Indian Movement (AIM) members in defending the traditional people at Pine Ridge, who were under attack from the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs). The paramilitary group was established by notoriously corrupt tribal chairman Dick Wilson, who had the backing of the FBI. 

The FBI presence on Pine Ridge rose significantly after the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee,https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2023/02/remembering-occupation-of-wounded-knee.html  during which the federal government constructed roadblocks and cut off access to electricity, food, and water in a brutal 71-day siege. 

In the two years after Wounded Knee, known as the "reign of terror," more than 60 Indigenous people were killed on the reservation, prompting residents to call on AIM for protection.

Tensions came to a head on June 26, 1975, when gunfire broke out killing  the FBI special agents, Peltier has consistently claimed that he did not shoot the agents. His supporters have long argued that prosecutors withheld critical evidence that could have supported his defense while also fabricating affidavits against him.  

Peltier fled to Canada before his 1977 trial. He was eventually extradited back to the United States, found guilty and given two life sentences. Peltier, part of a movement upholding Native American treaty rights with the U.S. government, has long maintained  his innocence since his conviction 

For decades, Peltier's supporters, ranging from tribal leaders to figures like the Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis and James H Reynolds, the US attorney who handled the prosecution and appeal of Peltier’s case, have fought for his release. Arguing he was falsely convicted in an unfair trial. A global symbol of the struggle for indigenous peoples' rights.

Prosecutors argued during trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier admitted to being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he claimed that it was in self-defense. And the litany of offenses committed by the government against Peltier was lengthy. The government lied, cheated, and threw the Constitution out the window to ensure a conviction. 

The U.S. government used three perjured affidavits to force Peltier’s extradition from Canada.To secure these, federal officials shamelessly threatened and intimidated Myrtle Poor Bear, the source of these affidavits.

Poor Bear later recanted their contents entirely. The jury at Peltier’s February 1976 trial in Fargo, North Dakota, was all-white; the government used racism and fear-mongering to deliberately make the jury feel vulnerable to attack,sequestering them unnecessarily, for example. 

The judge, who actually had meetings with the FBI during the trial, constantly and aggressively ruled against the defense’s objections, and refused to allow Peltier’s attorneys to argue “self-defense” as his defense.

During the trial, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, Lynn Crooks, did not produce any witnesses who could identify Peltier as the one who killed the agents. 

The prosecution presented false evidence regarding the murder weapon; they held that there was only one AR-15 and it belonged to Peltier. Yet there were many AR-15 rifles found at the site. 

The government also withheld evidence,critical ballistic reports that showed the gun they said Peltier had been using could not be matched to the bullet casing they found near the agents who had been killed. 

None of this was  disputed by the U.S. government. At the appellate hearing in the 1980s, the government attorney conceded, “We had a murder, we had numerous shooters, we do not know who specifically fired what killing shots.... [W]e do not know, quote unquote, who shot the agents.” 

Though the Eighth Circuit Court at this time found that the jury in Peltier’s trial might have acquitted him had the FBI not withheld certain evidence, they refused to grant him a new trial. 

This is just a barebones overview of the main injustices that colored Leonard’s trial. 

In 1993 Peltier became eligible for parole, but was denied several times over the next 32 years. He served 46 years total in prison. 

In recent years, James H Reynolds has written to various presidents, asking them to grant Peltier clemency and calling his prosecution “unjust”.  

In a letter to Biden in 2021, Reynolds stated that Peltier’s continued incarceration reflected a flawed justice system. Peltier’s “conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and a system of justice that no longer has a place in our society”, he wrote. Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026. 

The commutation, granted by Biden on his last day in office, was long opposed by the FBI. Former agency Director Christopher Wray called Peltier a "remorseless killer."  His supporters say prosecutors withheld critical evidence that would have been favorable to Peltier and fabricated affidavits that painted him as guilty.  

Peltier was freed from a federal detention center in Coleman, North Florida at around 9 a.m. (1400 GMT), according to a Reuters witness. He departed in a car which was part of a motorcade, and did not speak to supporters or media.  

 “Today I am finally free! They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!” Peltier said in a statement provided by the NDN Collective activist group.  “I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family, and my community. It’s a good day today.” 

Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe, is partially blind and in poor health, suffering from diabetes and heart trouble. The 80-year-old will be allowed to live under house arrest. 

A homecoming celebration is planned for Peltier today at the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.   

“Just as his wrongful incarceration represented the oppression of Indigenous Peoples everywhere, his release today is a symbol of our collective power and inherent freedom,” Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective Founder and CEO, said in the release. 

Outgoing U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Halaand said in a statement that she believes Peltier’s commutation was a step toward justice and that it was a long-awaited moment for supporters. 

 “I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier. His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades,” Haaland said. “I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family. I applaud President Biden for this action and understanding what this means to Indian Country.”

Amnesty International USA, one of the largest and oldest human rights organizations in the country, is one of the grassroots movements that advocated for Peltier’s release. The global movement has millions of members and has provided support for Peltier by organizing an online petition and mobilizing others to write letters of solidarity during his sentence.

 In a statement from Amnesty International USA Executive Director Paul O’Brien, the organization continues to stand firm on their position that Peltier should have been granted clemency a long time ago. 

 “President Biden was right to commute the life sentence of Indigenous elder and activist Leonard Peltier given the serious human rights concerns about the fairness of his trial,” O’Brien said. “Amnesty International has advocated for the U.S. government to grant Leonard Peltier clemency for years, following the leadership of Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples.”

The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the commutation, calling it “historic” and adding that the case “has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples”.

 “We never thought he would get out,” Ray St Clair, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, said shortly before Peltier’s release. “It shows you should never give up hope. We can take this repairing the damage that was done. This is a start.”

A hero to many Leonard Peltier was one of American society’s longest serving political prisoners. His prosecution and conviction were driven solely by his participation in the American Indian Movement, and Leonard Peltier has been a victim, time and time again, of the racism that is embedded in the U.S. criminal justice system.  

But Leonard Peltier is not simply a victim. He is a fighter, writer, activist, grandfather, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and was the presidential candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party in 2004.In 1982, from Marion Federal Prison, Leonard Peltier wrote with "uncompromising solidarity" to the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance, fighting back the genocidal invasion of Lebanon by zionists.  

In the years since his conviction, millions upon millions of people around the world have come to learn of his case, agree that he is innocent, and demand his freedom. This is in part due to the famous documentary, Incident at Oglala, directed by Michael Apted and narrated by Robert Redford, and the bestselling book that everyone from the FBI to former South Dakota governor Bill Janklow tried to block from publication—Peter Matthiessen’s In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.

This tremendous victory, though it has to  be said that  he should not be restricted to home confinement but given his total freedom is a result of decades of tireless struggle for Leonard's freedom by people and movements across the country, .and  marks Leonard Peltier's Journey,  which is a triumph of Spirit and Justice. 

Times are looking bleak  and it's hard to feel optimistic about the future,  but Leonard Peltier is free and that’s something to celebrate. He can finally see the sky again  Because Peltier is free, we are all a little  more freer  too. Salute to the legend that is Leonard Peltier.