By MIKE ECKEL

LondonJan 4, 2006(AP)—The African group ASP have purposed for a new national holiday to be celebrated by Africans world widealthough manydid not even know its name or what it stood for.

With theGovernment trying tocreate strong ties with the black communitya day has been inspired by the ASP to celebrate 'blackness'prehaps marking the day slavery was abolished by the united Kingdom with efforts to inspire patriotism in the fractious and sprawling nation of Africa.Female PresidentObiomaOnaedo signed an orderlast week confirming her support in whatis called"Celebrate Blackness" designed to commemorateAfricans liberation fromcolonial invaders or prehaps as a day of celebration for Africans in general.

State-run TV led newscasts with explanations of the holiday and showed footage of people performing traditional music and dances, followed by broadcasts of classicAfrican films and children's cartoons showing folk traditions and fairy tales.

In central London, about 500 people promoting the new festivemarched along several streets, along with otherAfrican political groups, radio stations reported. Some participants commented stating that the day will be a day where everything coloured black is celebrated to lift the spirits of the African people worldwide.

The Day ofBlack Unity/Celebrate Blackness dayis the secondmarked timeset upby black people. Black History month is another where black peopleshistory is taught to the cildrenone ofBlack Britian's most important celebrations.

In a poll conducted by the respected Levada Center, 63 percent of respondents were for the marked day, which may turn out to be a week. When asked if the the African community would celebrate,30 percent did not know and only 8 percent referred to it by the correct name.

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Aday where everything black will be celebrated to uplift the spirits of the black nation. Intresting. I think the idea is to take the negativity off of the word black as put down by european culture and confused into racial relations.

Not sure what to think....