Post by ifayomi on Nov 14, 2006 10:13:25 GMT -5
Marimba Ani
Let The Circle Be Unbroken
Problems, Issue, Terms:
We as Plack People, have been told that we are not African for so long and with such
social scientific "expertise," that we have great difficulty believing otherwise. Various
theorist maintain that the trauma of slavery severed all ties between us and our Anscestors;
culturally as well as physically. If that were the case indeed it would have meant "death" for
us as a people, given the African understanding to the meaning of life. We have believed the
propaganda of our oppressors. And that belief has been so deeply ingrained over the few
centuries of our existance in "New Europe" that it is difficult to ignore or refute. Ironically, it is
often those in our communities that are the "most African" who are the most scandalized by
their affirmation of their Africaness. Yet another irony is that while we persist in denying our
heritage, it is that very Africanity that allows us to survive in the spiritual wasteland of America
Our saga in this wilderness is a tale filled with ironies. What is it that makes us the "best Christians,"
for instance? The deep spirituality that we have inherited from the motherland encourages us to pratice
a religion that demeans our heritage.
Our oppressors have emphasized the loss of language, dress, living patterns and other tangible and
surface aspects of culture, just as they do in discussions of African culture on the continent. They
emphasize differences in language, and customs-even physique- from one society to another. They
do this with good reason. It is an emphasis that serves their objectives. Until we learn that it serves our
objectives to emphasize the similarities, the ties, the unifiying principles, the common threads and themes
that bind and identify us all as "African," we will continue to be politically and ideologically confused.
In the pages that follow, evidence will be presented supporting the view that Africa survives in our spiritual
make up; that it is the strength and depth of African spirituality and humanism that has allowed for the
survival of African-Americans as a distinctive culturalentity in New Europe; that it is our spirituality and vitality that
defines our response to European culture; and that that response is universally African
The argument of the Europeans is all to easy for us to accept. We look around us and while in the Caribbean and in the Black communities of South America, African retentions are often quite visible, Black existance in Norht America is problematical. "How are we African?" we ask. We do not know where to look for continuity. We know that it is not enough to point to Gullah and the Sea Islands for evidence. These examples do not convince us, for they are atypical. Where do we, Black people in North America especially, look for likeness? Not knowing ourselves, we have not known how to recognize manifestations of our heritage.
We must learn to look primarily on a much deeper level than that which is emphasized by the Europeans, just as African culture itself can only be understood on it's deepest level. (This is seldom understood by European observers) Ifayoi note I think it also is seldom understood by us as well as we have been trained with the mindset of the European*
If we look deep enough, we will find that our deepest beliefs are shared beliefs, and that deep within we are one people
Because it is much more difficult to discuss, and the evidence is less obvious, I will concentrate on the African-American experience in North America. Retentions in other areas are fascinating, and help to point to the strength and resilience of African culture, so they should be mentioned. But many of these retentions have been well examined, and discussed at greater lengths elsewhere, and they do not help to explain how all of us are African. The attempt to understand our experience in North America, however, has something critical to teach us about ourselves throughout the diaspora
An understanding of our experience in North America necessitates the use of two concepts. They are "Ethos" and "Worldview"; useful cultural concepts that refer to essential aspects of human group experience. Ethos is intimately related to culture; both influencing it and being influenced by it. Ethos refers in part to the emotional substance of a cultural group; to their collective "emotional tone". By using the term "ethos" we are accepting the idea that when a group of people share a common heritage, a common set of experience and a common culture, an emotional bond is created between them. The fact that a people's experiences and historical circumstance are shared over long periods of time in the setting of culture makes them one, and their oneness creates a commoness of Sprit
"Let The Circle Be Unbroken Marimba Ani"
Let The Circle Be Unbroken
Problems, Issue, Terms:
We as Plack People, have been told that we are not African for so long and with such
social scientific "expertise," that we have great difficulty believing otherwise. Various
theorist maintain that the trauma of slavery severed all ties between us and our Anscestors;
culturally as well as physically. If that were the case indeed it would have meant "death" for
us as a people, given the African understanding to the meaning of life. We have believed the
propaganda of our oppressors. And that belief has been so deeply ingrained over the few
centuries of our existance in "New Europe" that it is difficult to ignore or refute. Ironically, it is
often those in our communities that are the "most African" who are the most scandalized by
their affirmation of their Africaness. Yet another irony is that while we persist in denying our
heritage, it is that very Africanity that allows us to survive in the spiritual wasteland of America
Our saga in this wilderness is a tale filled with ironies. What is it that makes us the "best Christians,"
for instance? The deep spirituality that we have inherited from the motherland encourages us to pratice
a religion that demeans our heritage.
Our oppressors have emphasized the loss of language, dress, living patterns and other tangible and
surface aspects of culture, just as they do in discussions of African culture on the continent. They
emphasize differences in language, and customs-even physique- from one society to another. They
do this with good reason. It is an emphasis that serves their objectives. Until we learn that it serves our
objectives to emphasize the similarities, the ties, the unifiying principles, the common threads and themes
that bind and identify us all as "African," we will continue to be politically and ideologically confused.
In the pages that follow, evidence will be presented supporting the view that Africa survives in our spiritual
make up; that it is the strength and depth of African spirituality and humanism that has allowed for the
survival of African-Americans as a distinctive culturalentity in New Europe; that it is our spirituality and vitality that
defines our response to European culture; and that that response is universally African
The argument of the Europeans is all to easy for us to accept. We look around us and while in the Caribbean and in the Black communities of South America, African retentions are often quite visible, Black existance in Norht America is problematical. "How are we African?" we ask. We do not know where to look for continuity. We know that it is not enough to point to Gullah and the Sea Islands for evidence. These examples do not convince us, for they are atypical. Where do we, Black people in North America especially, look for likeness? Not knowing ourselves, we have not known how to recognize manifestations of our heritage.
We must learn to look primarily on a much deeper level than that which is emphasized by the Europeans, just as African culture itself can only be understood on it's deepest level. (This is seldom understood by European observers) Ifayoi note I think it also is seldom understood by us as well as we have been trained with the mindset of the European*
If we look deep enough, we will find that our deepest beliefs are shared beliefs, and that deep within we are one people
Because it is much more difficult to discuss, and the evidence is less obvious, I will concentrate on the African-American experience in North America. Retentions in other areas are fascinating, and help to point to the strength and resilience of African culture, so they should be mentioned. But many of these retentions have been well examined, and discussed at greater lengths elsewhere, and they do not help to explain how all of us are African. The attempt to understand our experience in North America, however, has something critical to teach us about ourselves throughout the diaspora
An understanding of our experience in North America necessitates the use of two concepts. They are "Ethos" and "Worldview"; useful cultural concepts that refer to essential aspects of human group experience. Ethos is intimately related to culture; both influencing it and being influenced by it. Ethos refers in part to the emotional substance of a cultural group; to their collective "emotional tone". By using the term "ethos" we are accepting the idea that when a group of people share a common heritage, a common set of experience and a common culture, an emotional bond is created between them. The fact that a people's experiences and historical circumstance are shared over long periods of time in the setting of culture makes them one, and their oneness creates a commoness of Sprit
"Let The Circle Be Unbroken Marimba Ani"