Africa-Press – Kenya. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga is known to many as one of Kenya’s founding fathers, for his significant role in the struggle for independence, leading him to be the first Kenyan Vice President. However not many know that he was very instrumental in the Civil Rights struggle in the United States of America.
While Kenya was celebrating achieving her independence from the British in 1963, America was in one of its darkest periods, with the greatest struggle for racial equality ever witnessed in history.
The U.S State Department had organized a visit of several world leaders to tour the country, to downplay the rising tension emanating from the Civil Rights movement headed by Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.
It was during this period that Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, while on a state visit to America, took a tour of the country and made a stop at Atlanta where he was housed in a non-segregated hotel.
Upon knowing that he was in Atlanta, several activists from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who had heard of Oginga’s efforts in the fight for independence in Kenya, organized a demonstration at the hotel where Oginga and other leaders were staying to demand they come out and hear the true story of black people in America.
The dignitaries were stopped because of security but Jaramogi Oginga on hearing about the demonstration forced himself through the tight security and went to meet with the thousands of black Americans that had gathered outside their hotel.
He listened to their stories of segregation, to acquaint him with the struggles that they had been facing, stating that they had been oppressed and had never known freedom because of their skin color.
Oginga joined the activists in their demonstration, and they sat in protest where seventeen people were arrested.
A song was then composed by Knoxville’s Matthew Jones about the fearless Oginga Odinga telling a story of how he stood in solidarity with SNCC activists in protest of racial segregation in America.
“The policeman looked mighty hard at Oginga Odinga, he got scared because he was an EX-Mau Mau,” the lyrics of the song revealed.
“Oginga Odinga of Kenya said look here, if you white folk do not straighten up, I’m going to call Jomo Kenyatta,” the lyrics continue.
Malcolm X heard of Oginga’s efforts in Atlanta through the song and lauded him for being one of the greatest freedom fighters that Africa has ever known.
“The fact that you are singing about Oginga Odinga to me is quite significant, two years ago this could not have been done, it is only possible because he is not humble and forgiving, he is free,” he stated to activists in a Civil Rights rally.
The song went on to be Malcolm X’S favorite song for its call for freedom for African Americans which had a great impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
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