When Poor People Say "No More"
(by Tanya Stephens)

A Sistar's Story

Mut Kentake

The memory is still very fresh in my mind....it was a Saturday....on a very bright sunny June afternoon...my father propped me up on the kitchen counter and began to recite to me the bizarre circumstances and horrific, heart-wrenching details of the MAAFA (Kiswahili for "great disaster", a term used by Pan-Afreekanists to adequately describe the effects of the TransAtlantic European "slave" trade).This was the 1st time i had ever heard any member of my family acknowledge their Afreekan origin with such spiritual conviction, undying passion and revolutionary fervor! At the time, i was 6 years old and very much in love and in awe of this ebony skinned, six foot tall, dark and handsome Black man that i called my Father.  was fascinated by the honour and reverence he had for Mama Afreeka and was also deeply impressed by the fine Afrocentric adornment throughout his home, amidst the scent of burning incense,  and his mastery of the fine arts, through his work as a wood sculptor and festive drummer. These week-end getaways with my father allowed me to take a short trip back to my ancestral past and gave me the ability to re-connect and understand the truths of Afreeka's existence. My short-lived relationship with my father laid the foundation for my journey along the life-long path of re-Afreekanization. However, I was never fore-warned about the realities of being an Afreekan female born in the Diaspora, trapped in a patriarchally ruled oppressive society based on white world domination.

 For many years, I had no contact with my father. The majority of students i went to elementary school with were caucasians and a few asians and indians, in between. Any people of Afreekan origin were usually the "minority" in those days, especially in the suburbs, which is where i grew up. And i definitely had to learn to fend for myself at a young age!, as it was made clear, even if discreetly, that i did not belong...at least not in the same way. During recess, the black females in my age group would parade around the school yard like princesses, with their finely permed hair braided neatly into long plaits w/ two ribbons! or falling down their back. As i was always the sistah classified as the "nappy" head gyal, even when my hair was permed there was nothing much to "throw around". So the black "sistah crew" at my elementary school would regularly exclude me from their parading at recess time. Until one morning, my mother decided to do a different style. She brought me to the kitchen, turned the stove on high and placed a black comb on the burner. I watched and waited. When the blazing hot comb started to fizzle!, she removed it from the fire and started to blow at it aggressively. Then she went for my hair! She held me with one arm and took my hair in hand with the other!  Owwwwww! Ouchhhh! Eeeeeeiiiii! She demanded me to keep still after all, today I was going to take school pictures! I had to look my camera best! I could see she was determined to attack those "niggah naps" and put them to rest once and for all!! After my painful ordeal, my mother braided my hair firmly into two plaits on each side of my head and put two bubbles to tie them. I was then free to go! I ran to the bathroom mirror to see how i looked. When i saw my new and improved hair style, i was not disappointed! Let me tell you that when i got to school that day at recess I was asked to parade in the school yard with the "sistah crew" ....and what a joyful day it was!

 This was the beginning of my Indoctrination towards embracing the concept of "white superiority" and subtle reverence for everything that represented Europe and its' children. It was a simple message but one that altered my ability to develop respect, honour and love for myself and my race at an early stage in life. After all, if every black woman needed bone straight hair, a "barbie doll" figure, high yellah skin or a weave to be considered beautiful then that definitely represented the DE-filement of our culture and the Total rejection of the divinity of our foremothers. We were sending the message to ourselves and our race that the Original Mothers of Civilization were not worthy enough to be emulated or honoured. This foreign concept must be considered a Crime against Hue-Man-Ity because Afrikan people are the First Hue-Mans.

It was a long and hard pilgrimage through elementary and then high school. But I made it! and graduated in June 1991.Throughout my adolescent years, I Silently questioned myself as to why I was missing from the pages of His-Story!? Did I not Exist--at all? And why was it that the finest brothers in my school were always cruising the white women? As much as i wanted to be recognized by my brothers,not one of them Ever gave me a second look....Not One! Over the years, I questioned? & questioned? & questioned? soooo many experiences that i had in high school, Most of which were negative. In my first year of CEGEP, I spent much time in the library reading. I listened to audio & video tapes of the history of Malcolm X and the N.O.I. This sparked my interest. I read Elridge Cleaver's book Soul on Ice. I studied the Black Panther and Civil Rights movement. I also read a book written by a collective of Pan-Afreekanist Sistahs called "To Be A Black Woman", which had a Profound impact on me. Then I bought the book that would really change me even more: "Mis-Education of the Negro", by Carter G.Woodson, creator of Black History "Month". At the time, I was just 18 years old. When i finished this book I realized I had so much more to learn about myself and my people. Heartbroken and defeated, I had to accept the fact that Our-Story was kept from me on purpose! It was no accident! I now came to the over-standing that it was my obligation & responsibility to un-learn the His-Story I had been taught in school (Christopher Columbus and his "discovery" as well as the socialization that Europeans were at the forefront of world His-Story) & re-learn my story from an Afreekan centered worldview.

 So, i went back to school! The Institute of RE-Afreekan-ization! Unfortunately, we as a community had no educational institutions to suit this need (and we still don't!...) so where could i begin my studies?? I searched far and wide & found my learning center called ETHNIC ORIGINS BOOKSTORE, which was based here in Montreal, Canada. the Bookstore was operated by Veronica Benjamin, at the time. This center became my primary source of seeking knowledge. All my RE-Afreekan-ization studies were centered around the Bookstore. I did not pay tuition fees, I did not get a loan and bursary, neither did I hand in homework assignments. But the truth remains that this learning center was largely responsible for my growth as a Pan-Afreekan-nationalist Sistah. I bought endless books, videotapes, made many new friends and attended endless events sponsored by Ethnic Origins Bookstore, which is now Closed.

 This gave me the opportunity to experience the Power, Determination and Resilience of the Afreekan spirit in the Diaspora. I don't know that I would be who I am today if Ethnic Origins did not exist. A few years later, I joined an organization supposedly dedicated to the reformation of Afreekan spirituality and our ancient culture( which i later withdrew from due to their insincerety). This gave me the chance to travel to the U.S. and spend a year there.I interacted with many Afreekans both from the Diaspora and the Continent, who were on the same path of ancestral healing. This proved to be a very gratifying experience for me.Upon my return to Montreal in 2001, I decided I was ready to pay a much anticipated visit to the Motherland. This would prove to be the Most Intense Life-Changing experience for me. I left for Lagos, Nigeria on the 29th of April, 2002 and arrived at Muhammad Murtala airport alone...& bewildered by it's extremely large structure!...looking for my friend who was waiting for me outside. I thoroughly enjoyed my one month stay in Benin City, Nigeria. One of the major high points was the Iyan (pounded yam) with fish and egusi!!

Then off I went to Accra, Ghana in late-May. I stayed there for three months and interacted with the Ghanaian community & also the Afreekan Diasporan repatriates from the U.S. and Jamaica. My experience led me to over-stand that RE-Afreekanization is a very difficult Path to walk due to the conditions of neo-colonialism, white world domination and mental slavery. But I knew that it really is possible if WE are determined and committed enough to make it happen. It has been a long and sometimes painful road, and I have now realized that ALL people of Afreekan origin, those of us born in the Continent and those born in the Diaspora, TRULY need to make a more concise effort to HEAL ancestral wounds. Those of us who define ourselves as Pan-Afreekan nationalists, who say we are committed to the realization of global Afreekan Liberation, need to be more sincere and vigilant in our approach to the RE-instatement of ancient Afreekan culture into our lives. WE must 1st be Sincere and Real with each other. No matter how revolutionary you say you are, no matter how many books you have read, "Charity begins at Home". If you cannot show love to your Brothers and Sisters, then you are contributing to the continued subjugation of Afrikan people. Self-hate, jealousy, acts of violence and back-biting are in No ways a part of Our Soul-Lution.

 We must study the wisdom of our ancient Afreekan spirituality like Ifa/Afa, Vodoun, Candomble, Abosomfie (Akan spirituality) and Santeria etc.We must study the ADMONITIONS OF MA'AT, which was our 1st system of moral order that gave us the blueprint on how to live with one another in Harmony and how to live in Harmony with Nature. We must listen to the words of our ancestors, which has been preserved in proverbs, warning us to Beware of trusting strangers and continually allowing them Entry into our Home. Whether we like it or not...our Kmtic (ancient Egypt) ancestors warned us to Beware of caucasians but we did not listen and Still don't. We may have grown more conscious as a community in the last 50 years but We still make the same stupid mistakes. We have more Afreekan-centered scholars, more events, more activists, more organizations, more books being written on Our-Story than we have EVER had!!--so, WHY can't WE "get it together"?! We still Refuse to work together to RE-build our communities and to RE-create a society that suits Our needs, which is for the benefit of our children and grandchildren (this ignorance is partly due to our over-inflated egos) even though that is the ONLY way we will be able to be in complete control of Our Own destiny. White world domination, Capitalism & Neo-Colonialism will always have us in Chains if we do not Wake Up! and come in Functional Unity with Love & Sincerety as Our Guide.

I have come to the conclusion that the answer is RE-Afreekan-ization, looking to Afreeka as Our Spiritual Compass.... Nubia, Kmt, Ta-Nehisi, Punt!, Ghana!, Benin!, Zambia! and Togo! kwk. The Afreeka that lies in our cosmic memory! We must SANKOFA (Ghanaian Adinkra symbol/proverb meaning: Go Back and Fetch It) and RE-STRUCTURE Our Moral system, RE-STRUCTURE Our Principles, RE-STRUCTURE Our Value system, RE-STRUCTURE Our Judicial system, RE-STRUCTURE Our Matrilineal system and Re-Develop the Reverence We Once had for the Mothers of Civilization(Black Women). Being "conscious" is just not enough for us right now, We need a lil' more than "plain ol' consciousness" .....We Need Afreekans who are ready to take on the responsibility of Healing Self and who are READY to work in harmony with other Afreekans to RE-construct the concept of Family and Community, in Our own terms. the Question is HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? AND WILL IT BE TOO LATE? 

 The Ultimate Responsibility of every Nation is to follow their traditional codes of Law and Order that will aid it in establishing Righteousness as an Art Form and forming Great Civilizations like Our Ancestors did, so successfully, in the Past. If We Follow the Regulations they left us, which has been preserved in proverbs, songs, stories, folklore, ancient scriptures (like THE "PRT EM HRU" kwk) We can and Will Re-Build Great Families, Communities & Civilizations again. I hope that one day my children or grand-children will see this Dream become a reality! ASE!

 Written by: Sistah Kentake.

Sistah Kentake is an Abibifahodie (Afrikan Liberation) writer, poet and mother, born and raised in Montreal, Canada. She has been writing and performing the Story of Afreekan people for many years. She writes Exclusively for Afreekan publications and performs Exclusively for an Afreekan audience. She also does lectures, essays and videos on Afreekan vegan nutrition and child rearing.

 Feel free to send her your comments at sisterkentake@sur-bet.org.