The stones were allegedly "blood diamonds," and the court is attempting to determine if these diamonds were given to her by Charles Taylor. Blood diamonds are those that are mined in the middle of war zones, often used to finance insurgencies, leading to loss of life and enslavement. In other words, we shouldn't be buying them.
Campbell said that the diamonds looked like "dirty little pebbles," and that she is used to seeing them "shining in a box." She said she opened the pouch with the diamonds the following morning. Her friend Mia Farrow and agent Carol White both told her that the diamonds must have come from Taylor. Given that she was at a charity event, Campbell said she gave them to the charity. But the group says that the diamonds were never received.
Charles Taylor is being accused of using blood diamonds to finance soldiers who committed a long list of atrocities against the people of Sierra Leone, including rape, murder and the use of child soldiers. Proving that Taylor possessed the diamonds is part of proving his guilt in the war crimes trial. Campbell doesn't want to be part of the trial. She said that she fears for her safety and that of her family. Statements made by Mia Farrow and Carol White were read aloud in the trial and seemed to contradict the testimony given by Campbell.
If you want my opinion on Charles Taylor, I am not going to give it to you. Based on what I know, Taylor is not the kind of person who should be leading any nation, at any time. In terms of blood diamonds themselves, I would argue that diamonds are overpriced items that we've been conditioned to desire. Their resale value is almost non-existent, and even when you think you're not buying a blood diamond, there is almost no way of knowing that for sure. When I was engaged to be married (she came to her senses and changed her mind), we both insisted that we would not purchase a diamond. I don't need the blood of black babies on my hands.
Americans consume more diamonds than any other country in the world, so we are likely the ones most directly responsible for financing the murder of tens of thousands of African men, women and children. What's incredibly sad about all this is that African Americans are usually the first to line up to buy diamonds, and our community remains hypnotized by rappers who love to brag about how many diamonds they put around their necks, on their ears, in their teeth and everywhere else. It's actually kind of sad if you ask me, but I'll go ahead and get off my soapbox.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.