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To be Afrikan
(by Dr. Marimba Ani)
Forwarded by Jaku
Konbit
All people, all over the world, throughout history have shared in common
the fact that they belong to a culture of origin. That is a universal
reality. Another equally important universal reality is that there are
many, many different cultures in the world and each of them is unique.
The uniqueness of a culture is what gives specialness to its members.
The members of a culture are bonded together by their shared culture,
which gives them a sense of collective identity. "We are an Afrikan
people," simply reveals that there are values, traditions and a heritage
that we share because we have a common origin. The cultural process
is naturally a ongoing, which allows people to continuously affirm their
connectedness through being linked to their origins. However, the continuity
of our cultural identity has been interrupted cruelly and unnaturally
by the experience of slavery. We as a people are still suffering from
this crime because we have not been allowed to find our way back to
the sense of cultural identity and continuity which would transform
us into a unified and whole people.
We
have not been able to function in the world with a collective consciousness
that naturally imparts a strong sense of cultural roots. The term "Maafa"
(from the book, "Let The Circle Be Unbroken) is a kiswahili word for
"disaster" that we are now using to reclaim our right to tell our own
story. Maafa refers to the enslavement of our people and to the sustained
attempt to dehumanize us. Because the Maafa has disconnected us from
our cultural origins, we have remained vulnerable in a social order
that does not reflect our cultural identity. We are people of African
ancestry living in denial of who we are. We have lost our strength as
a people. We are losing our children to systems which miseducate them.
Our families are disintegrating before our eyes. Our numbers are growing
in the statistics of drug addiction and incarceration. Responsible national
Black organizations are seeking remedies to these problems, but we are
not speaking with one voice. We need to work together as a family who
supports its members and who is responsible for their welfare. We must
use the most valuable asset that we have: That is the spirit of our
people. It is that spirit that connects us to our Afrikan roots. Slowly,
we are awakening to the need to claim our cultural legacy. The term
"Sankofa" from Akan tradition in Ghana, West Africa tells us to return
to the Source so that we can go forward with strength and clarity. Culture
is a powerful tool for inspiring human beings and bringing them together
in a concerted "family" action. Our cultural roots are the most ancient
in the world. The spiritual concepts of our Ancestors gave birth to
religious thought African people believe in the oneness of the African
family through sacred time, which unites the past, the present and the
future. Our Ancestors live with us. They created the first civilizations
thousands of years ago and they suffered the pain of the Maafa. And
yet, they were able to endure the most disastrous and dehumanizing circumstances
ever perpetrated against a group of people, only because of the power
of the African spirit. They did not have the freedom to affirm their
cultural heritage. We now have that choice. In the African view of life
it is our responsibility to honor their name. This is perhaps our moment
of truth. We must come together as a family. We must do all that we
can do to uplift our people. Otherwise, we are still denying who we
are and bringing dishonor to our "family name;" to our Ancestors. The
answer to our social dilemma is the resocialization of our people into
the cultural value-system that affirms our spiritual being. Our Ancestors
are calling us "home", back to our cultural selves. We must begin the
process of Sankofa.
Dr. Marimba Ani, an activist in the African Liberation Movement, worked
as field-organizer for the Student Nonviolent Committee (SNCC) in Mississippi
in the 60s. She has continued her activism through her scholarship. She
has created African-centered theoretical concepts that have assisted in
the developing of an African Cultural Science. At this time, she is actively
involved in retrieving philosophy and in the re-creation of ritual, so
that they can be used for the transformation and healing of people of
African descent Currently, Dr. Ani teaches in the Black and Puerto Rican
Studies Department of Hunter College in New York. She is credited with
writing the scholarly works "Let The Circle Be Unbroken" and "Yurugu:
An African-centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior,"
as well as articles that have appeared in scholarly journals. Copyright
(c) 1999 Dr. Marimba Ani. All Rights Reserved. [Articles on BRC-NEWS may
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Jaku
Konbit Inc. ©2003
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