Afrikan Culture

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Many have made great play of the superficial and surface differences between Afrikan people. I believe that their inferences have been made for mischievous reasons. By highlighting these differences they seek and often succeed in keeping us divided and docile. Thankfully there have always beeen some amongst us, such as Cheikh Anta Diop and Theopile Obenga, that diligently seek for truth, . In this endeavour they have found a "... Common denominator of the Afrikan Culture." J.A. Sofolo

WHAT MAKES AN AFRIKAN PERSON AFRIKAN
"I am because we are and since we are therefore I am."

Culture - "The acquired pattern of behaviour, ideas, beliefs and artifacts shared by a people."
These patterns of life are socially transmitted from one generation to another. It is the foundation upon which nations are built. It is the glue which binds families together. Without a culture which is distinct from that of others, servitude is the only end result.
"He who defines you, controls the circumference of your thinking." - anon
This being the case you will never do more than you have been trained to do.
In his book looking at the architypal Afrikan personality, Sofolo writes, "The Afrikan culture that is inside the personality of every Afrikan person, makes the Afrikan the type of person they are known to be - they are altruists that are rich in humanity, morality and sociality."

Cultural Suicide

Cultural suicide is being committed by many Afrikans. This is expressed in the need to have all things foreign even if we make similar or even better products at home. This attitude is not just held amongst continental Afrikans, but also amongst the Afrikans in the diaspora (England, USA and the Caribbean).
Inferiority complexes cut deep into the pyche of (wo)man.
There are therefore several questions which we now urgently need to answer. Among these are

• How has the connection between the colonial powers and the colonised continued to affect the perception of present generations and how is it likely to impact on fututre generations?
• Are we black or Afrikan?
• Are we defined by the place we are born or is identity something deeper that that?
• Are our life choices based on flawed information?

External model orientated people shun their own cultural/familial values for the values of others. They believe that they are modern, progressive, enlightened and sophisticated. They are in my opinion dull, lifeless carbon copies of something which is a carbon copy of something much more ancient. They are chasers of fools gold and haters of their own ancestors.

Events of the day

“Events of the day become the history of tomorrow, hence a people without the knowledge of their history are like a tree without roots.” MRR/The Right Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey

These words have rung in my ears like a bell, for more than 3 decades. It was in many ways these words that really helped to focus my mind and begin the long journey towards Afrikan Spiritual identification. Before this I and most of the WestIndian/Coloured/Black children growing in Great Britain viewed ourselves as a people without history. Our school experience placed us outside recognised human activity. We were told or in other ways led to believe, that Afrikans had not participated in the growth of human civilisation, that our ancestors were savages, living without the attributes of culture and human society. It was suggested that our enslavement had actually benefitted us overall. After all were we not now civilised and able to access the western world and all its glories. Oh, how grateful we should be.
As Queen Victoria’s Government exhorted, “...that they should make every exertion in their power to obtain instruction for themselves and their children; and that they should evince their gratitude for the blessings of freedom, by such present sacrifices for this object as shall make freedom most conducive in the end to their happiness and moral and spiritual well-being.” (Gordon 1971)
Should we not be ever grateful to these our most beneficent saviours, when we realise how much they have sacrificed so that we could be free and recognised as humans.
However, once we become clear on the truer history of our people, we find that what was termed mumbo jumbo was in fact fully formed languages, equal to and in many ways superior to anything that was in Europe, then or now. The symbolism that is found in for example the Akan Adinkra is ingenious. Each symbol reiterates a moral principle for us to adhere to. Gye Nyame, asks us to keep the faith in the Afrikan creator and to be steadfast. Sankofa represents my opening statement, look to your past in order to understand where you are at present and where you are going to. These are just two of many symbols found all over the Afrikan continent which allow us to see that the societies in Afrika, before the advent of, either, the Arab or the European, were fully formed in terms of moral, spiritual and social norms.

RastaMouse, what's the problem?

Greetings Family
It has come to my attention that there is some controversy around a children's TV program entitled RastaMouse.
Now I have been aware of the RastaMouse character for several years, as it originally came out in book form about 2003 (I will find the exact time in the future). The author Michael De Souza is a Ras and produced the book at a time when, frankly speaking, there was still very little written literature, for children or otherwise, in Britain, that had a definite black perspective. The actual choice of character seems to have upset some in the Rastafari community, although, when the book was published, I do not recall any real debates or cause for concern bells ringing. In the wider black community, the problem seems to relate to the language which the characters use. People are,seemingly, worried that their children might end up speaking like RastaMouse. The other concern appears to come from some white people who think the program is racist, possibly because there are no obviously white characters in the show, I must admit to being, more than slightly baffled by all these views.
Unless, I am very much mistaken this is a children's program. It is light entertainment with an underlying moral message. Most of us from the Afrikan and Afrikan Caribbean communities will have some knowledge of Anansi stories in which animals are used to present human dilemma's and offer workable solutions. We have Aesop's fables and in contemporary times a host of cartoons with various animal characters. From Disney to Manga we have our children ingesting all kinds of violence and other unbecoming behavior. Yet, we have decided to become most vocal in our condemnation when a member of our community produces a very innocuous piece of entertainment. I am not suggesting that we should not debate the ramifications of the show, but I believe that we must be balanced in our conversations.
My sons read RastaMouse when they were younger and my Grandson reads it now and enjoys the TV program. And yes, he does identify RastaMouse with his family, because he lives in a Rastafari community.

Heartically Yours
SOST   

Smiley Culture RIP

I attended a press briefing yesterday, called by the family of David Emanuel, known to many of us as Smiley Culture (aka Cockney Translator). This brother died in very bizarre circumstances on Tuesday 15th March 2011. He, thus became the most recent in a long list of suspicious deaths of  black males, whilst in police custody. Immediately, after his death our so-called free and impartial press began printing stories which many of us can only view as character assassination. Whilst we may not know how Smiley lived his life and the circumstances around the police intrusion into his home, it should be clear to us all that, he had a right to be heard in court or otherwise to put his side of the story.
We are told that, in this society, the burden of proving guilt lies with the prosecution and that we are innocent until proven guilty. Smiley is dead and we may never know the full story of how his death occurred. However, we can, as a community, give support to his family and in particular his children, in getting to the bottom of this tragedy.
The press briefing can be viewed online at www.ustream.tv/user/LCPTV click on LCPTV News.
I promise that I will return to this subject in the near future.

Heartically Yours
SOST

Keep it in the family

How is it that we can not reach concensus in our communities? Could it be that we have forgotten a fundamental rule which other people still adhere to? What is the rule I am alluding to you may ask?
It is one that I was reminded of recently.
A couple of days ago I was in my place of work. One of the operational staff called, to ask what time his shift started. I checked his shift pattern and informed him that he should sign on in nine minutes. He told me he was on his way and in fact arrived on time. On entering the control room,

The Power Within

I attended an event recently and a young woman got up and spoke. Her comments where apt and to the point, as she related something that, I believe, is felt by many people in the Afrikan (Black) communities. Namely we still feel that no matter what we do or achieve, we are wrong, simply, by virtue of our racial/cultural background.

The Joy of Existence

As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the Black  People's Day of Action, I continue to reflect on the impact of that day in 1981 when, what I at the time felt where, my people marched though London, to protest the terrible treatment of us and in particular the families of the children that had perished in the New Cross Fire. My thoughts are on my personal journey from that time until this. I made some decisions at that time which have had a significant impact on the life that I eventually lived. As a young man growing in England, with a government under the Iron Lady, it became clear that if I didn't take responsibility for my own growth, I would remain amongst the ranks of the unemployable and uneducated.

Divisive and Unnecessary

Introduction

I am writing in response to a document circulated to coincide with the seventieth anniversary of the passing of Honourable Marcus Garvey on 10/06/2010. The document which was brought to my attention is entitled, “Connections between Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie”

I will attempt to make sense of these writing, though I am slightly perplexed as to the motive for this piece. At a time when many of the brothers and sisters within the various Pan-Afrikan organisations are making exceptional inroads into the creation of a real and meaningful dialogue, this seems to me a very divisive and unnecessary publication. It has long been a tenet of the Rastafari movement that at some time in nineteen twenty seven (1927), on his return to Jamaica, the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey uttered the words, “Look to Afrika, for the crowning of a black king.” Whether Papa Garvey had foreknowledge of the prince regent who had already been earmarked for the throne of Ethiopia or not remains in the realms of speculation, but what was clear to many of the followers of Papa Garvey is that, he believed in the restoration of the Afrikan people to greatness, those at home and those abroad. So in nineteen thirty (1930), when Ras Tafari was crowned with great fanfare and worldwide acclamation, a die was well and truly cast. Afrikans the world over learned that there was a black king sitting on a throne, ruling a black nation and one that had been independent for as long as anyone could remember. I can only imagine how momentous that must have felt to a people, who everywhere else on the planet were subjected to foreign rule and outright oppression. It must also be noted that the brothers, Leonard Howell, Archibald Dunkley et al, who first brought the message of the risen black god, were people who had travelled outside of the Caribbean basin and therefore had an appreciation of the world beyond the islands. Most, if not all, had been members of the UNIA. They understood the plight of the ordinary Afrikan people, because they were ordinary people. They spoke from a sense of belonging to this group, which so desperately needed some hope. They connected the words of Papa Garvey, with the activities in Ethiopia, Afrika and came to the conclusion that we were in a time of redemption. That the creator had given us champions, in whom we could and should put our trust. As a result, through Papa Garvey and in Emperor Haile Selassie the First, hope for a better future was realised. Our vision became a reality.

One Brother Remembers

One Brother Remembers

On the 18^th January 1981, thirteen children died in a house fire at a sweet sixteen party in New Cross, South London. This tragedy became known as The New Cross Massacre, due to the fact that the overwhelming view of the Afrikan Caribbean community was that this was another racial attack on us.

The Afrikan Caribbean community marked the thirtieth (30th) anniversary of this terrible day, on Friday (14/01/2011), with an evening of reflection and celebration of life. Professor Gus John, Elder Alex Pascall (Black Londoners) and film producer Bro Menelik Shabazz (Burning an Illusion, Step Forward Youth) gave us an insight into their memories of the day and its aftermath.

Tenaystlyn

Rastafari
I am writing my first public blog and I am unusually wordless.
However, I am just getting to grips with this means of communication.
I am truly a face to face person, but the fact of life is that while we continue to live such busy, crazy existences we nevewr have time to connect with others. I remember reading comics as a child and being introduced to the idea of virtual lives. I am not someone who is entirely enthused by this, even though I can see some of the benefits.
That's enough for now
Ancestral Guidance
Hotep