For New Afrikans, what's the process of becoming a New Afrikan, the process of unconsciousness (internalized oppression, criminal mentality) to becoming a conscious citizen of the Republic of New Afrika "a light set on a hill, a true representative of what We are building."
Over three decades what I've witnessed as the process of becoming a New Afrikan has been primarily limited by just ceremonial events, talking saying 'Free the Land' and reading (studying books, revolutionary intellectualism); indeed a lot of 'rhetoric' and 'theory', what about a New Afrikan revolutionary counter cultural practice?
I want to say this about revolutionary intellectualism 'theory', its a top-heavy 'cerebral' approach that's heavily influenced by Eurocentric revolutionary theoretical tradition; revolutionary intellectualism is necessary, but not sufficient.
As New Afrikans what we must understand is that we are a specific oppressed people whose whole bodies have been damaged; white supremacy enslavement and domestic colonialism has damaged and traumatized us from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet; a people still suffering from the undermining 'insidious' affects of 'Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder'.
Yes New Afrikans our bodies are not just vehicles for carrying our heads around; our bodies are an essential part of an intricate, indivisible, interconnected, and interrelation component of our whole ‘body-mind’ or Self, In effect, the Eurocentric Descartism "I think, therefore I am" is inadequate for us!
From my perspective becoming a New Afrikan consists of both healing 'practice' and raising national consciousness 'theory'. Self-healing work is not just purely about the mind 'thoughts', but it also includes our feelings, behaviors; it's about something that is deeply rooted and felt within us, in our bodies and also in our spirits.
Self-healing is a whole body process, a daily practice! You see, how does a young Black male become a much better basketball player; he can't just talk about how good he's going to become or reading basketball theory. No, he has to engage in daily basketball self-improvement through practice: dribbling, shooting, rebounding, defense, footwork, etc.
Yes New Afrikans, our failure to develop a national cultural ritual daily self-healing and self-development practice has resulted in internalized racial oppression still being a major ‘inner sabatouging’ factor stifling us; preventing us, as Black people - New Afrikans from realizing and putting into action the tremendous potential intelligence and power to create Self-determination, Land, and Independence.
On a personal level it has been a major ingredient in the distressful and unworkable relationships which we so often have with each other. It has proved to be the fatal stumbling block of every promising and potentially powerful Black Liberation effort that has failed in the past. Patterns of internalized oppression severely limit the effectiveness of every existing progressive Black groups.
One of the dilemmas New Afrikans face daily is the inherent weaknesses of the deep-seated socialized Black ritualized survival behavior; being surrounded mostly by unconscious New Afrikans; simply trying to maintain 'survive' under racial oppression, economic exploitation/deprivation; being bombarded by capitalist corrupting individualism, racist propaganda, and stereotypes.
Amilcar Cabral the revolutionary independence leader from Guinnea Bissau once remarked that "the greatest enemy of a people are their own internal weaknesses." Based on my experience in the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM) I am convinced of the truth of Cabral’s remark.
To reiterate again, becoming a conscious New Afrikan does not come as a result of just rhetoric, reading, and reciting the New Afrikan Creed. The healing and developing New Afrikan citizen personality comes as a result of social practice based on a 'holistic' cultural transforming behavior modifying ritual; as Malcolm X stated: "Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle."
New Afrikan Ritual of Remembrance
"Ritual drama in African society is a multi-demensional mechanism of cultural expression. It can be understood on metaphysical, religious, communal, and psychological levels simultaneously. Ritual drama involves the repitition of a sacred act preformed in a prescribed manner. Sacred time is achieved through ritual and We use it as a mechanism for renewal, replenishment, redefinition, and rebirth. Ritual drama keeps us sane and gives us the courage to live." - Marimba Ani
New Afrikan Summons
Free the Land! – Free the Land! - Free the Land!
Calling all New Afrikans – Ancestors and Descendants
Both Old and Young, those Far and Near, in every direction
Let Us come together for Our Ritual of Remembrance.
The New Afrikan Ritual Remembrance:
*i begin by standing steadfast, facing the South toward the National Territory
*i raise my arms toward the sky palms up to praise the CREATOR
*i lower my arms down to my chest palms outward thanking the CREATOR for life and vowing to struggle to live righteously
*i bring my arms inward with prayer palms symbolizing faith and devotion to the New Afrikan Creed
*i lower my arms to my sides reciting salutations, prayers, atonements, and the New Afrikan Creed
*i bow my head to remember our Freedom Fighting Ancestors and Fallen Comrads
*i lift my head holding my arms in front of me because self-reliance is our National Salvation
*i extend my arms in front of me hands clasp together representing struggle and unity
*i bend over hands on knees reflecting Spiritual Humility and National Loyalty
*i kneel down touching the ground because Land is the basis of Independence
*i rise with the right clenched fist salute representing the struggle for Black Power
*i bring the right fist down over my heart and left fist up to the side reciting the New Afrikan Oath:
For the fruition of Black Power, for the triumph of Black Nationhood! i pledge to the Republik of New Afrika and to the building of a better people and a better world, my total devotion, my total resources, and the total power of my mortal life.
*Ritual of Remembrance is done 3 time a day (morning, noon, and night)
Some Benefits of New Afrikan Ritual of Remembrance:
*Teaches one Remembrance, Thankfulness, Transcendence, Mindfulness, and Discipline
*It is inspirational; elevates one’s spiritual state and New Afrikan consciousness
*One is reminded of the level of dedication, character, and competency required to become a better 'competent' New Afrikan
*It's an essential daily reinforcement and encouragement in struggling to overcome adversities - "permanent victory over difficulties" (Cabral)
*It couters through ritualize behavior modification the internal oppression Black ritualized survival mentality
*Brings a sense of "New Afrikan Community Connection"; connecting us to the past, present, and future.
Over three decades what I've witnessed as the process of becoming a New Afrikan has been primarily limited by just ceremonial events, talking saying 'Free the Land' and reading (studying books, revolutionary intellectualism); indeed a lot of 'rhetoric' and 'theory', what about a New Afrikan revolutionary counter cultural practice?
I want to say this about revolutionary intellectualism 'theory', its a top-heavy 'cerebral' approach that's heavily influenced by Eurocentric revolutionary theoretical tradition; revolutionary intellectualism is necessary, but not sufficient.
As New Afrikans what we must understand is that we are a specific oppressed people whose whole bodies have been damaged; white supremacy enslavement and domestic colonialism has damaged and traumatized us from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet; a people still suffering from the undermining 'insidious' affects of 'Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder'.
Yes New Afrikans our bodies are not just vehicles for carrying our heads around; our bodies are an essential part of an intricate, indivisible, interconnected, and interrelation component of our whole ‘body-mind’ or Self, In effect, the Eurocentric Descartism "I think, therefore I am" is inadequate for us!
From my perspective becoming a New Afrikan consists of both healing 'practice' and raising national consciousness 'theory'. Self-healing work is not just purely about the mind 'thoughts', but it also includes our feelings, behaviors; it's about something that is deeply rooted and felt within us, in our bodies and also in our spirits.
Self-healing is a whole body process, a daily practice! You see, how does a young Black male become a much better basketball player; he can't just talk about how good he's going to become or reading basketball theory. No, he has to engage in daily basketball self-improvement through practice: dribbling, shooting, rebounding, defense, footwork, etc.
Yes New Afrikans, our failure to develop a national cultural ritual daily self-healing and self-development practice has resulted in internalized racial oppression still being a major ‘inner sabatouging’ factor stifling us; preventing us, as Black people - New Afrikans from realizing and putting into action the tremendous potential intelligence and power to create Self-determination, Land, and Independence.
On a personal level it has been a major ingredient in the distressful and unworkable relationships which we so often have with each other. It has proved to be the fatal stumbling block of every promising and potentially powerful Black Liberation effort that has failed in the past. Patterns of internalized oppression severely limit the effectiveness of every existing progressive Black groups.
One of the dilemmas New Afrikans face daily is the inherent weaknesses of the deep-seated socialized Black ritualized survival behavior; being surrounded mostly by unconscious New Afrikans; simply trying to maintain 'survive' under racial oppression, economic exploitation/deprivation; being bombarded by capitalist corrupting individualism, racist propaganda, and stereotypes.
Amilcar Cabral the revolutionary independence leader from Guinnea Bissau once remarked that "the greatest enemy of a people are their own internal weaknesses." Based on my experience in the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM) I am convinced of the truth of Cabral’s remark.
To reiterate again, becoming a conscious New Afrikan does not come as a result of just rhetoric, reading, and reciting the New Afrikan Creed. The healing and developing New Afrikan citizen personality comes as a result of social practice based on a 'holistic' cultural transforming behavior modifying ritual; as Malcolm X stated: "Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle."
New Afrikan Ritual of Remembrance
"Ritual drama in African society is a multi-demensional mechanism of cultural expression. It can be understood on metaphysical, religious, communal, and psychological levels simultaneously. Ritual drama involves the repitition of a sacred act preformed in a prescribed manner. Sacred time is achieved through ritual and We use it as a mechanism for renewal, replenishment, redefinition, and rebirth. Ritual drama keeps us sane and gives us the courage to live." - Marimba Ani
New Afrikan Summons
Free the Land! – Free the Land! - Free the Land!
Calling all New Afrikans – Ancestors and Descendants
Both Old and Young, those Far and Near, in every direction
Let Us come together for Our Ritual of Remembrance.
The New Afrikan Ritual Remembrance:
*i begin by standing steadfast, facing the South toward the National Territory
*i raise my arms toward the sky palms up to praise the CREATOR
*i lower my arms down to my chest palms outward thanking the CREATOR for life and vowing to struggle to live righteously
*i bring my arms inward with prayer palms symbolizing faith and devotion to the New Afrikan Creed
*i lower my arms to my sides reciting salutations, prayers, atonements, and the New Afrikan Creed
*i bow my head to remember our Freedom Fighting Ancestors and Fallen Comrads
*i lift my head holding my arms in front of me because self-reliance is our National Salvation
*i extend my arms in front of me hands clasp together representing struggle and unity
*i bend over hands on knees reflecting Spiritual Humility and National Loyalty
*i kneel down touching the ground because Land is the basis of Independence
*i rise with the right clenched fist salute representing the struggle for Black Power
*i bring the right fist down over my heart and left fist up to the side reciting the New Afrikan Oath:
For the fruition of Black Power, for the triumph of Black Nationhood! i pledge to the Republik of New Afrika and to the building of a better people and a better world, my total devotion, my total resources, and the total power of my mortal life.
*Ritual of Remembrance is done 3 time a day (morning, noon, and night)
Some Benefits of New Afrikan Ritual of Remembrance:
*Teaches one Remembrance, Thankfulness, Transcendence, Mindfulness, and Discipline
*It is inspirational; elevates one’s spiritual state and New Afrikan consciousness
*One is reminded of the level of dedication, character, and competency required to become a better 'competent' New Afrikan
*It's an essential daily reinforcement and encouragement in struggling to overcome adversities - "permanent victory over difficulties" (Cabral)
*It couters through ritualize behavior modification the internal oppression Black ritualized survival mentality
*Brings a sense of "New Afrikan Community Connection"; connecting us to the past, present, and future.