Allow me to introduce myself and personally welcome you to a new project. My name is Brandon Astor Jones. While reading an article in The New York Times by Nina Bernstein entitled "Polygamy, Practised in Secrecy, Follows Africans to New York City"1, I was moved to create this space for 'Open Letters'. Let me quote some of that article:
She worked at Red Lobster in Times Square, and lived with her husband near Yankee Stadium. Yet, one night, returning home from her job, Odine D. discovered that African custom, not American law, held sway over her marriage.
A strange woman was sitting in the living room. Ms D's husband, a security guard born in Ghana, introduced her as his other wife.
Devastated, Ms D., a Guinean immigrant who insisted that her last name be withheld, said she protested: 'I can't live with the woman in my house- we only have two bedrooms'. Her husband cited Islamic precepts allowing a man to have up to four wives, and told her to get used to it. And she tried to obey.
I could not help myself. I felt obliged to add emphasis to that last word. Ms D's husband is lucky that he is not married to any of the women in my family. The concept of a woman's martial obedience is foreign to them. I am proud of them for that...and more.
Nina Berstein reports that Doussou Traore (age 52), who is the president of an association of Malwian women living in New York, spoke for the group and said of polygamous marriages, "[i]t's difficult, but one accepts it because it's our religion... Our mothers accepted it. Our grandmothers accepted it. Why not us?"
After reading President Traore's words we are again reminded of how hard on women religions can be. While reading the New King James Version, The Scofield Study Bible, I found Exodus 21.7 and 8 of interest, to wit:
... if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
Okay, twice now, I could not help myself. I had to add emphasis to the word master. I do not mean to attack Islam, Christianity, or Judaism here. Is it just me or does someone else also notice how prominently words such as obey, slave and master appear in the text of the Holy Books?
If I could speak face to face with President Traore, I would note that at least two of our female ancestors- Sojourner Truth2 and Harriet Tubman3- were practising Christians. The Bible supported slavery and yet those two magnificent women rose up against slavery.
The excuse that 'it's our religion' is not a good one. I need to add that at some point a xenophobic government official who hates immigrants is going to urge other officials to start a sustained surveillance and investigation of certain immigrants. When they find evidence of bigamy- and we all know that there will be plenty of it- many African men will be forced to leave the United States. The polygamy you think that you are practising surreptitiously is about as secret as your homeland's accent in a room full of Americans.
Polygamy is illegal in America. In fact, under American immigration law polygamy is sufficient grounds for expulsion, but usually not before going to prison for up to as many as four years for each proven count of felonious bigamy. An angry wife could wreak havoc in a practising polygamist's life.
You ought to not forget that fact of American life, as you set about the privilege of concreting your relatively new American citizenship.
If you are wondering why a man in prison is telling you all of this, it is because I do not want to see you in any of these cells- where some of your children might have to visit you.
You are loved Odine. Stay safe and strong!
1. The New York Times, March 23, 2007.
2. 1797-1883; American abolitionist.
3. 1820-1913; American abolitionist.
Prisoner Brandon Astor Jones, G3-73
UNO#400574; EF-122216
Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison
P.O. Box 3877
Jackson, Georgia 30233 USA
Word Count: 731
Composition Date: 25 March 2007
The 'One on One' Series: #16, #4
©Brandon Astor Jones 2007
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