How we define ourselves cannot be determined by our oppressor or those who have no knowledge of our history, origin and 'Creation'. These Iranian girls are part of the original 'Black' Family. They have never lived in 'Africa'. Shall we call them Africans?

For some time now, a number of prominent individuals and newspapers within the black community have championed a move from identifying us as 'black' to changing it to 'African'.

Even the Metropolitan Police force is going down the same road, and now describing us as 'Visible Minority Ethnics' to replace black.

We started it and now everyone else is on the bandwagon. Their motive however, is the fear of black people in the UK identifying with the rest of black family globally (not just in Africa).

Why champion a move from that which we are by nature? Black is the root of all colour. It is the essence from which all living 'matter' originates. Every human being on the earth is created in the triple darkness of the womb of a woman regardless to her colour. Without the light of the sun there would be the darkness similar to that of the womb of the woman from which we as black people originate.

We originate from the soil of the earth which does not have the name African attached to it. The Original (first) man in creation was created from 'Black Mud' and fashioned into shape. A geographical land mass does not determine our identity and neither can the name Africa.

Africa derived its name from the conquering Roman General, Publius Cornelius Scipio 'Africanus,' the Roman General who defeated the great African General, Hannibal in the battle of Zama during the second 'Punic War'. 'Africanus' was a title conferred on him on his return to Rome after he defeated Hannibal.

The record, 'Black is the colour of my skin' or 'Black Pride' by Kofi, should serve as reminders of our identity.

It was The Most Honourable Elijah Muhammad who in the 1930's began to refer to us as Black, when he told the world that we are the 'The Asiatic Black Man and Woman'. Asiatic (Asia) referring to the original name of the Planet before it was called 'Earth'. Prior to Elijah Muhammad we were referred to as 'negroes' which means 'dead'.

We've gone from coloured, to black, to ethnic minority - what next? African-urban-British perhaps!

After 56 years of subjugation under Rome, Carthage (modern day Tunisia), Hannibal's home was attacked by Rome and totally destroyed.

"When the citadel capitulated only about 50,000 of the Carthaginian [black] population remained alive out of a quarter of a million. They were sold into slavery, and the city was burned and elaborately destroyed".

The ancestors of Scipio Africanus - Europeans - gave Africa its name and today we want to wear that name with pride!

During the International People's Assembly (IPAZ) for Zimbabwe held 5/5/03, a brother got up and asked the Zimbabwe Ambassador "when will you start changing the names of places like 'Victoria Falls' back to their original name? That's an example we should follow.

Well said.