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Greetings Family:
We hope all is well, as we announce Akoben Institute’s Annual Kebuka! program scheduled for Saturday, November 19th [5-9 PM at Sweet Spot, 675 Metropolitan Parkway, Ste. 6018, (Metropolitan Arts & Business District Lofts), Atlanta, GA 30310]. This is an annual remembrance of our honored Ancestors who were kidnapped, raped, murdered, maimed and enslaved during the Maafa, the Great Destruction. It began after Baba Baruti published his book Kebuka: Remembering the Middle Passage Through the Eyes of Our Ancestors and gave a community lecture on it. (“Kebuka” is a KiKongo word meaning ” Remember.”) Over the years, youth in the community and beyond have participated by demonstrating three of the positions our Ancestors were held in, on the ships that brought us to to be brutally enslaved in this part of the world. As in previous years, we again reach out to the Village, requesting youth involvement, as we sincerely apologize for this tardy invitation. If you are interested in your children or students participating, please read the information below:
REQUIRED REHEARSALS
PARTICIPATING YOUTH WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE REHEARSAL, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND MORE.
I. REHEARSALS BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EVENT AT OMENALA GRIOT MUSEUM (337 Dargan Place SW, Atlanta, GA 30310)
(Held for Metro Atlanta Youth, but also open to Out-of-towners)
Tuesday, November 15th (10 AM – 12 NOON or 12 NOON – 2 PM)
Thursday, November 17th (
10 AM – 12 NOON or 12 NOON – 2 PM)
II. REHEARSALS THE DAY OF THE EVENT (SAT., NOV. 19TH) AT SWEET SPOT (675 Metropolitan Parkway, Ste. 6018,Atlanta, GA 30310)
(Held for Out-of-towners and Local Youth Who Were Unable to Attend Previous Rehearsals)
11 AM – Noon and/or
Noon – 1 PM and/or
1 PM – 2 PM
GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION AT THE KEBUKA PROGRAM
I. CALLING FOR DISCIPLINED YOUTH
We don’t have a minimum age requirement, but youth who participate must be disciplined enough to follow instructions and remain still over the duration of the student demonstrations. [You can get a good idea of what this means by watching the Kebuka! video on Mwalimu Baruti’s YouTube page
(https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=ZNR1ETbVCvw).]
Kebuka! Remembering The Middle Passage Through The Eyes of Our Ancestors
Kebuka! Remembering The Middle Passage Through The Eyes of Our Ancestors
Because this is a very serious event in honor of our Ancestors, it calls for those involved to be mature enough to be silent, still and reverential/respectful for fairly extended periods of time. The students’ presentation, which involves them demonstrating and remaing in the three most common positions our Ancestors were packed in the slave ships, is usually around 15-20 minutes. In addition, there will be extended periods of time in the waiting area (both from the beginning of the program to when the youth are called to enact their part, and from the time after they have enacted their part until the program is over) when the Warriors-in-Training involved will be required to sit together with only very quiet conversation allowed to prevent noise distractions to the program. (Of course, it would be very helpful if parents/chaperones in attendance are available to supervise their youth after they have demonstrated the positions for the audience.)
II. DRESS CODE (DO’S & DONT’S)
For the actual program, our Warriors-in-Training will be representing millions of our Ancestors, so we ask them to dress in a way that does not draw attention to themselves. To this end, we require the children to wear all black (pants, shirts, socks, belts, hair accessories and shoes). They should avoid clothing with additional colors. No jewelry should be worn during their participation. (If they bring jewelry, they should ask responsible adults to hold these items during their performance.) Females should avoid ostentatious nails and hairstyles that may be distracting. If children do not have solid black shoes, they can wear two or more pairs of socks to keep their feet warm, with the outer pair being black. Because the youth will be on a concrete floor, which may be cold, warm clothing (long sleeves, hoodies, sweats, etc.) is recommended. Students should dress respectfully (no tight or low-cut tops or pants or sagging pants). Tops should be long enough to keep the children’s backs and underwear fully covered when they are lying or sitting in positions that will raise their tops. Black T-shirts that have pictures or letters may be worn inside out, if the inside is a solid black.
III. ARRIVAL & FOOD
Please note that while the program will begin at 5 PM, YOUTH PARTICIPANTS WILL NEED TO BE THERE at 4:00 PM for the dress rehearsal. Parents are asked to bring light, non-messy snacks for their children because they may get hungry before their actual participation. Limited liquid intake is advised to limit bathroom visits. (FYI: There will be food for sale for those who may be interested.)
Finally, we would like to thank all of the adults and youth who will be making this event a success, as we affirm that this year’s program will be the best Kebuka program to date.
Please share this email. If you have questions, we can be contacted at 404.753.7237 OR mwalimubaruti@yahoo.com OR yaabaruti@yahoo.com.
Abibifahodie (Afrikan Liberation),
Mwalimu & Yaa Baruti
