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BEING RACE-CENTRED/RACE-CONSCIOUSNESS IN AND OF ITSELF DOES NOT TRANSLATE INTO BEING GROUNDED IN AFRIKAN-CENTREDNESS
By ThT. (Tehuti) Itumeleng Itu Neter Makale (22 October 2022)
As we are work in progress, cleansing our minds and spirits of the influences of misorienting and decentering European and Asiatic epistemologies (intellectual traditions and religious persuasions), there is, along the way, a tendency to resort, out of either epistemic limitations or intellectual laziness and cowardice or sheer lack of desire to reconnect with your pure Afrikan essence as cosmo-ancestrally or stumblings kindled by one’s struggles with one’s own dislocation, trivializing with gravity of the damage eurasian epistemic terror caused to the Afrikan cogno-spiritual chemistry and reasoning mechanics, and/or as such, engaging in the “blackanizing” or fictitious “Africanizing” of un-Afrikan epistemes and gazes.
Throughout the history of anti-Afrikan eurasian invasion, oppression, exploitation and degradation, there has been a zeal in display, of the cursory pursuit of Afrikan liberation and unity in the way of endeavoring, in futility, to gain the kernel that is emptied of its husk – pursuit of Afrikan liberation that is devoid of elements of the Afrikan life force (the very power of our being, spirito-culturally). African Communism/Marxism/Socialism, Ethiopianism, the oxymoron of “African traditional Christian Churches” and Black Theology were the resultant effects of this non-starter discourse. Negro/Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism, although the former was on the strong posture of race-centredness and separatism, were inceptionally plagued with this kind of spirito-cultural misorientation and surrogate intellectualism. Simply lack of foregrounding in Afrikan-Centredness.
Afrikan-Centredness is not Pan-Africanism, Black Nationalism, Afrikan Nationalism & Black Consciousness! These are mere intellectual reactions to white terror domination that without the foregrounding in Afrikan-Centredness have nothing to offer in both the Afrikan liberation phenomenology and Afrikan Restoration.
What is Afrikan-Centredness then?
Afrikan-Centeredness is to be grounded in the working knowledge of our uncompromised, indigenous Afrikan traditions. It is to be crystal clear about the fact that our indigenous Afrikan Traditions are purely Afrikan and, for this reason, we should interpret the world through the paradigmatic understanding of our Afrikan Ancestors. It is to think about and act on all planes of reality as they would, knowing they are we and we are them.
Mwalimu Baruti, defines Afrikan-Centredness for us, in no uncertain terms, with the precision that leaves no room for open-endedness that often arouses eros of libidinal debaters.
“Being Centered is to be in sync with the indigenous Afrikan Way, which refers to the manner in which Afrikans have traditionally interpreted and acted in this world (i.e. before European, Arabs, and other foreign contamination). It is reflected in our evolved Cultural imperatives and the spiritual, psychological, and physical manifestations in which we naturally immerse ourselves. It is reflected in that common core of values, beliefs, and practices that run through all Afrikan ethnic groups…. The knowledge that we are our Afrikan Ancestors is enough to know that their traditions are ours. We respect ourselves when, and only when, we think and act in the spirit and Way of our Afrikan Ancestors.
The Afrikan-Centered warrior scholar thinks, speaks, and acts in the tradition of Ancestors. But does so aware of where we are and why we are here.”—from the book entitled, “Centered” pp20-21, by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti (As qouted by Baba Olatunji Mwamba, Sba Sa Ra Mwamba, in ‘Raising Consciousness’)
Only people who see the world only in terms of what is observable and tangible and not what it stands on also won’t understand our critique of these anti-colonial resistance struggle traditions.
“And we must premise that we’re dealing with an African pure and simple – the so-called pagan African, untouched by both European and Asiatic influences”.
– Edward Wilmot Blyden, African Customs and Life’ (1908), p.10
The lame apologetics of “there was none Afrikan-Centred in those days” through which people make excuses for their “struggle deities” must be thrown out of the window.
This is a 1908 published book. Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 and transitioned in 1940. Frantz Fanon was born in 1925 and transitioned in 1961.
Check out this Great Warrior Ancestor Edward Wilmot Blyden, the real father of “Black Power ideology”, who preceded Garvey.
GARVEY’S ABRAHAMISM-INFLUENCED BLACK NATIONALISM
Rabbi Josiah Ford – A Black Jew/Hebrew Israelite who was UNIA’s musical director, song composer and a Military Strategist for Marcus Garvey’s UNIA’s paramilitary order he patterned after the Zionist Military…
Under the Red, Black & Green (RBG) Black Nationalist Flag, A National Anthem called ‘Ethiopia’ was composed by Rabbi Josiah Ford, based on the following verse from the Bible….
“…Ethiopia (Cush) shall soon stretch out her hands unto God”.
– Psalms 68:31
DID YOU KNOW? AMONG MARCUS GARVEY’S UNIA’S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES WAS TO CIVILIZE BACKWARD TRIBES OF AFRICA AND CONVERTING THEM TO CHRISTIANITY?
“To establish a universal confraternity among the race.
To promote the spirit of race pride and love.
To assist in civilizing the backward tribes of Africa.
To promote a conscientious Christian worship among the tribes of Africa (WHICH WAS LATER ON MODIFIED TO “SPIRITUAL WORSHIP DUE TO THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY THE UNIA MUSLIM MEMBERS) “
These were among the aims and objectives of UNIA…stipulated in the organisation’s Constitutions…
“JESUS CHRIST IS OUR STANDARD BEARER”, GARVEY DECLARED!
“Muhammad was a negro”, “Allah is the God of Africa” – Marcus Garvey
UNIA was clearly a “broad church”
In this age we should not take seriously any current of Black Nationalism that evades African-centredness/Afrikan indigenous outlooks-worldviews…
In this age we should repudiate any form of ideological/paradigmatic decentredness from Afrikan Worldviews e.g. Marxism, Feminism, Patriarchy, Abrahamic Spiritualism (Christianity, Judaism & Islam) and other religions foreign to Afrikan spiritual cosmologies.
13 Comments-
Greetings brotha, Papa Garvey was Afrikan first not Christian first. The UNIA’s mission was of being Race first not Christian. The majority of Papa Garvey’s works and words don’t have to do with Christianity but with the upliftment and Nationbuilding of Afrikans, globally. Indigenous Afrikan-centered worldview must be coupled with Afrikan nationalism and political awareness we learned of in the Maafa. Otherwise we end up with very Afrikan-centered ppl who’ve restored precolonial cultures and then become trusting of Yurugu all over again, and mistakes repeated. An issue I keep seeing with those fully embedded in Afrikan-centered precolonial spiritual systems who believe in some humanistic paradigm that allows room for them to enter sacred Afrikan spaces.
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John Mbiti, Kenyan theologian married to a buckra, complained that the philosophy of Afrikan religion was too nationalistic. He saw the nationalist politics that are embedded and implied.
The issue you’re describing has to do with growing pains in our return to our spiritual systems as we recover from Abrahamism.
These individuals who have political alienation, I.e. humanism foolishness a gwaan, are interested in the personal and/or group rituals that fill their sense of identity — and it ends there.
I call this Afro-Hippism.
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I like that you said “in this age” I think it is important to locate Papa Garvey in proper historical context.
There’s an article, im tryna recall, that mentions his Afrophobia towards Obeah, a series of Afrikan pratices in a Jamaican context. When I remember ill share
This is why race consciousness is incomplete without an Afrikan worldview being applied to it
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“To assist in civilizing the backward tribes of Africa.
To promote a conscientious Christian worship among the tribes of Africa” – UNIA
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I remember reading this somewhere as well
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Yes this was a mistake we acknowledge. I’m not certain on your position though, are you throwing all of Nana Garvey away on this premise? Have you read The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey?
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Papa Garvey articulation of Pan Afrikanism as organizing of Black Survival Thrust via Black Power is what makes him valuable to those of us who are Afrikan-centered.
Religion, of course, is point of departure to be expected from our ancestors of that era
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Ase!
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Totally agreed
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Garvey was a Christian, and in his book, “School of African Philosophy,” he has a chapter on Christianity and how to promote it as a UNIA Leader. It is what it is, that was Garvey’s faith. However, he was about Black Liberation and religious freedom (as seen in the UNIA creed).
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*THE HONOURABLE MARCUS GARVEY*
– Behold the whirlwind that heralds his reincarnation :-)
By Itumeleng Makale (30 January 2021)First heard the mentioning of the name was through a song by Burning Spear, a group led by Winston Rodney, called ‘Garvey’s Ghost’. With my condition of anti-anything Black created/invented/ innovated, I dismissed in my mind fleeting thought to zoom into the personage, Marcus Garvey, with my judgement that was so clouded with my reservations about the Rastafari Movement, that has for many years been flag bearers to the name, although with growth and maturity that came with it, on my part, I came to learn about this Warrior Ancestor Sage in the historical context of his journey and rise to be the charismatic image and voice that made Black Nationalism to gain traction in the epistemology of the Afrikan liberation struggle history.
The man put his race first with both what he got right and what he got wrong. He is among those I honour that made mistakes but gave. He race thesis on race pride, self-determination and self-rule remains valid and relevant to our times.
His baffling Greatness is ever a showdown to white epistemic arrogance that most have naively and unsuspectingly embraced for education and enlightment. He “dropped out” of school at the elementary level (primary school) and became among the stones the builders of the hell we’re in have rejected and, to their appalling, turned into the life-giving bread that initiated massive organisation rallying Black people around values underpinned by the do-for-self philosophy of Afrikan liberation – Black Nationalism.
His musings remain an indictment to our slumber and complacency in it. He may not have lived to delve deeper into understanding the endogenous spirito-cultural make up of the people he loved and laid down his life for but he was accurate and unapologetic in identifying who his people were and who their enemies were.
He passed on the baton that many are still stumbling in its sight and other choosing the escapist path of willful ignorance to their detriment and our liability as a race. On the baton he passed lies the right keys for us to move forward, in obedience to the law of progression, to unlock the doors of the chambers he wished to be in.
I honour Garvey :-) -
‘IT IS REALLY MYOPIC TO THINK MY DISCOURSE IS CARDINATED ON THE EXPRESSION OF ANTI-GARVEY/MALCOLM X/SOBUKWE/BIKO (AND OTHERS WHO CAME BEFORE US) SENTIMENTS’
BY ITUMELENG MAKALE (INDEPENDENT AFROCENTRIC AFRIKAN SOVEREIGNIST RACE VINDICATIONIST SCHOLAR), 23/08/2019
Although I call people out on the cowdung they said or did, my critique is not reductionist and wholesale/cast in stone dismissal of those persons.
I must also be clear to say that differing with a person on certain points is not attacking that person and/or being anti-that person. It would constitute an inerudite and irresponsible scholarship to make such an impulsive and mechanical conclusion. An eclectic and dissective thinker would know how to identify issues and separate them where necessary, establish an understanding and take a position. I, personally, have never read anyone whom I found to agree with on everything. I fully agree with Garvey’s Race 1st thesis and posturing and it has immensely contributed in setting me on my evolutionary path as a thinker myself. I’m not anti-personalities , my criticisms are purely conceptual. A discourse of an erudite and ecclectic scholar (that I’m humbly striving to be) does not degenerate to such a low down demeaning and reductionist ad hominem! It is personality-cultists who often sensationalize and propagandize my issue-specific criticisms on persons’ works as being against persons themselves. Here is really where the distance between upholding theological authoritarianism and foregrounding one’s criticisms on scientific ethos should be appreciated.
How I feel about these thinkers is really of no consequence. I simply criticise in their bodies of knowledge, ideas, outlooks, perspectives etc, those segments of them that can arguably be said to be of dislocated thoughts. And this is further a combat to ensure these limitations are not given an acquiescence to be passed on as part of their legacies that we, in this age, invoke into the development of the epistemology of our freedom/sovereignty as a race in keeping with the evolutionary epistemic requirements of our time.-
I overstand, and yes we must stand on the shoulders of ancestors and keep building, identify and correct mistakes they made or gaps they had.
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