Habari gani?
(Swahili for "What's the news?" and a daily Kwanzaa greeting)
Friends, I have found my new favorite holiday; read on, and I believe you will quickly understand why.
I'm not sure how I have passed by Kwanzaa for the last two decades without discovering the incredible values it celebrates. But this year (tonight, in fact) - for some reason - I decided to enlighten myself and read a little bit about it. What I read rocked my socks. I could write a bunch about it (and I may in the future), but for right now, I think I'll let some info from a well-organized website enlighten you instead (click on the title of this blog entry to go to the website yourself). This truly is amazing. I am in awe. It gives me hope for the future; if only Kwanzaa values would begin to be celebrated on a large scale not only this week but every week . . . Imagine what a different world we might have. For those of you who have no idea what Kwanzaa is and for those of you who thought Kwanzaa was just for African-Americans, please read on . . . I think you will be challenged and blessed. And for those of you who have known the truth all along, please share the beauty of this holiday with the world around you. Now, without further ado, here's a bit of info for you:
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
(i.e. where it comes from)
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits."
The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times in other classical African civilizations such as Ashantiland and Yorubaland. These celebrations are also found in ancient and modern times among societies as large as empires (the Zulu or kingdoms [Swaziland] or smaller societies and groups like the Matabele, Thonga and Lovedu, all of southeastern Africa). Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa, then, is:
-a time of ingathering of the people to reaffirm the bonds between them;
-a time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation;
-a time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence, our ancestors;
-a time of recommitment to our highest cultural ideals in our ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice; and
-a time for celebration of the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social.
THE PRESENT SOCIOLOGICAL CONTEXT:
(i.e. who celebrates Kwanzaa today)
Kwanzaa is clearly an African holiday created for African peoples. But other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American pow wows besides Native Americans. The question is, under what circumstances? There are both communal and public celebrations. One can properly hold a communal celebration dedicated essentially to community persons. But in a public context, say public school or college, we can properly have public celebrations which include others. How this is done depends on particular circumstances. But in any case, particular people should always be in control of and conduct their own celebrations. Audience attendance is one thing; conducting a ritual is another.
Any particular message that is good for a particular people, if it is human in its content and ethical in its grounding, speaks not just to that people, it speaks to the world. The principles of Kwanzaa and the message of Kwanzaa has a universal message for all people of good will. It is rooted in African culture, and we speak as Africans must speak, not just to ourselves, but to the world. This continues our tradition of speaking our own special cultural truth and making our own unique contribution to the forward flow of human history.
KWANZAA PHILOSOPHY:
(i.e. what Kwanzaa is all about)
Dr. Maulana Karenga, the holiday's founder, designated seven principles, one to be celebrated on each of the seven days of Kwanzaa:
Dec. 26 - Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
Dec. 27 - Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
Dec. 28 - Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.
Dec. 29 - Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Dec. 30 - Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Dec. 31 - Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Jan. 01 - Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
The last day of Kwanzaa (sometimes called the Day of Assessment or the Day of Meditation) is the first day of the new year, January 1. Historically this has been for African people a time of sober assessment of things done and things to do, of self-reflection and reflection on the life and future of the people and of recommitment to their highest cultural values in a special way. Following in this tradition, it is for us then a time to ask and answer soberly and humbly the three Kawaida questions:
Who am I?
Am I really who I say I am?
Am I all I ought to be?
And finally, here is the meditation - first in Swahili and then in English - that is often used on the Day of Assessment:
The Odu Ifa
by Eji Ogbe
K'a má fi kánjú j'aiyé.
K'a má fi wàrà-wàrà n'okùn orò.
Ohun à bâ if s'àgbà,
K'a má if se'binu.
Bi a bá de'bi t'o tútù,
K'a simi-simi,
K'a wò'wajú ojo lo titi;
K'a tun bò wá r'èhìn oràn wo;
Nitori àti sùn ara eni ni.
Let us not engage the world hurriedly.
Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently.
That which should be treated with mature judgment,
Let us not deal with in a state of anger.
When we arrive at a cool place,
Let us rest fully;
Let us give continuous attention to the future;
And let us give deep consideration to the consequences of things.
And this because of our (eventual) passing.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
How different gifts of Sight can shed Light
One is always wrong;
but with two, truth begins. -
One cannot prove his case,
but two are already irrefutable.~Nietzsche
Tonight I wrote the following poem in response to a thoughtful conversation a dear friend and I shared late Monday night before I returned home. This friend by nature is a very contemplative, careful person, and his different gift of Sight often sheds Light on dark, shadowy places where my own unique gift of Sight has not yet ventured. I count him an irreplaceable blessing and thank Whoever directs the Hand of Fate for directing our steps along nearby paths, if only for a short time.
But, as usual, I digress. :-) This conversation disturbed many shadows, and one of those was the significance of humankind - in this case, individually rather than collectively. So then, just how important is a Man? Does He even matter? If so, then how so and how much? We never truly reached a conclusion, but I feel we seldom do. Instead, we simply let thoughts flow and see where they go. Or we just "vibe" and enjoy the ride, as my friend says. In this case, our gifts of Sight enabled us to each see this question from two very different perspectives. I could (and even started to) explain our conversation and perspective locations further, but I want to literarily practice the "less is more" attitude at least once in a while. So I'll just leave you with this and trust that you'll do your best to discern the rest:
Humility and Dignity:
Can they ever
Be found together,
Or must they always
Be found apart?
I understand
Both the scientific
And philosophic
Meanings behind
The fact that
You and I both
Began as an
Insignificant sperm
Amidst a stream of
Nondescript semen.
And I realize
You and I both
Entered this world
Amidst a flood
Of disgusting, unholy
Urine and blood.
I understand:
We are Nothing.
Yet in the depths
Of my Being,
I believe:
We are Something.
Why else would
You and I both
Wake up every morning
With a strange sense
Of purpose
Deep in our gut?
Do you ever feel
That what happens
Is more than mere
Science, logic, or luck?
Do you ever wonder
What it is that
Fuels the drive
That not only
Keeps you alive
But that also
Demands you strive
For Something better?
Even if we ignore
The sense of purpose
Deep in our gut,
And with each day
Work to discover
Everything but -
Our forced "ignorance"
Will not annihilate
Our innate knowledge
That we are
Something more
Than an ordinary
Prude, pimp, or slut.
Yes, we
May be
Only one speck
Amidst six billion
Present particles of dust
(not to mention the many
who passed before
and the many more
who will likely enter
through another door),
And our entire existence
May be
Just
The result of
One chemical reaction
Made possible through
The crude, ancient, and animalistic
Act of Lust
(or more rarely
through
the more selfless
expression of Love).
But despite -
Or perhaps because of -
This cold, scientific fact,
We also must
Acknowledge the logic
Of Herman Hesse*,
Who declares,
"Every man is more than
Just himself;
He also represents
The unique,
The very special
And always significant
And remarkable point
At which the world's
Phenomena intersect,
Only once in this way,
And never again."
So then,
We are naturally
And scientifically
Evidence of a sperm
Meeting an egg,
But logically,
And philosophically,
None of the
Other six billion
Present pieces of evidence
Have ever quite been expressed
In our unique, specific way.
And when
Speaking mathematically,
We are each
A tiny, yet distinct point
On a very large plane.
And this, I believe,
Is what prompts
Brahmans in India
To say,
"Namaste."
As they greet each other
Each day,
They acknowledge
The particles of
Divinity
Present
Amidst their
Humanity.
And this, I believe -
This simple greeting -
Is one place
Amidst our vast and fast
Human race
Where
Humility
Can be found together
With
Dignity.
So then,
When the
Dignity of Divinity
Meets the
Humility of Humanity,
An immortal soul
(which is certainly Something)
Enters a mortal body
(which is certainly Nothing).
So then,
When considering the purpose
You and I both
Sometimes feel
Deep in our gut,
We might join C. G. Jung*
And say,
"As far as we can discern,
The sole purpose
Of human existence
Is to kindle
A light of meaning
In the darkness
Of mere being”
(and I venture to guess
that part of the Meaning
lies in the Process
Of “mere Being”).
So then,
This explains how -
When you look at
The humanity of your body
And say,
"I see Nothing
Here right now,"
And when I look at
The divinity of your Soul
And say,
"I see Something,
Maybe even Everything" -
This
Namaste philosophy
Amidst
Scientific reality
Explains how
You and I both
May be
Right.
Because we speak
And we write
According to the
Types of Light
Which enable
Each of our
Very different
Gifts of Sight.
*To give credit where credit is due: I lifted these two quotes from my friend's (the one who originally shared this conversation) facebook profile. :-)
but with two, truth begins. -
One cannot prove his case,
but two are already irrefutable.~Nietzsche
Tonight I wrote the following poem in response to a thoughtful conversation a dear friend and I shared late Monday night before I returned home. This friend by nature is a very contemplative, careful person, and his different gift of Sight often sheds Light on dark, shadowy places where my own unique gift of Sight has not yet ventured. I count him an irreplaceable blessing and thank Whoever directs the Hand of Fate for directing our steps along nearby paths, if only for a short time.
But, as usual, I digress. :-) This conversation disturbed many shadows, and one of those was the significance of humankind - in this case, individually rather than collectively. So then, just how important is a Man? Does He even matter? If so, then how so and how much? We never truly reached a conclusion, but I feel we seldom do. Instead, we simply let thoughts flow and see where they go. Or we just "vibe" and enjoy the ride, as my friend says. In this case, our gifts of Sight enabled us to each see this question from two very different perspectives. I could (and even started to) explain our conversation and perspective locations further, but I want to literarily practice the "less is more" attitude at least once in a while. So I'll just leave you with this and trust that you'll do your best to discern the rest:
Humility and Dignity:
Can they ever
Be found together,
Or must they always
Be found apart?
I understand
Both the scientific
And philosophic
Meanings behind
The fact that
You and I both
Began as an
Insignificant sperm
Amidst a stream of
Nondescript semen.
And I realize
You and I both
Entered this world
Amidst a flood
Of disgusting, unholy
Urine and blood.
I understand:
We are Nothing.
Yet in the depths
Of my Being,
I believe:
We are Something.
Why else would
You and I both
Wake up every morning
With a strange sense
Of purpose
Deep in our gut?
Do you ever feel
That what happens
Is more than mere
Science, logic, or luck?
Do you ever wonder
What it is that
Fuels the drive
That not only
Keeps you alive
But that also
Demands you strive
For Something better?
Even if we ignore
The sense of purpose
Deep in our gut,
And with each day
Work to discover
Everything but -
Our forced "ignorance"
Will not annihilate
Our innate knowledge
That we are
Something more
Than an ordinary
Prude, pimp, or slut.
Yes, we
May be
Only one speck
Amidst six billion
Present particles of dust
(not to mention the many
who passed before
and the many more
who will likely enter
through another door),
And our entire existence
May be
Just
The result of
One chemical reaction
Made possible through
The crude, ancient, and animalistic
Act of Lust
(or more rarely
through
the more selfless
expression of Love).
But despite -
Or perhaps because of -
This cold, scientific fact,
We also must
Acknowledge the logic
Of Herman Hesse*,
Who declares,
"Every man is more than
Just himself;
He also represents
The unique,
The very special
And always significant
And remarkable point
At which the world's
Phenomena intersect,
Only once in this way,
And never again."
So then,
We are naturally
And scientifically
Evidence of a sperm
Meeting an egg,
But logically,
And philosophically,
None of the
Other six billion
Present pieces of evidence
Have ever quite been expressed
In our unique, specific way.
And when
Speaking mathematically,
We are each
A tiny, yet distinct point
On a very large plane.
And this, I believe,
Is what prompts
Brahmans in India
To say,
"Namaste."
As they greet each other
Each day,
They acknowledge
The particles of
Divinity
Present
Amidst their
Humanity.
And this, I believe -
This simple greeting -
Is one place
Amidst our vast and fast
Human race
Where
Humility
Can be found together
With
Dignity.
So then,
When the
Dignity of Divinity
Meets the
Humility of Humanity,
An immortal soul
(which is certainly Something)
Enters a mortal body
(which is certainly Nothing).
So then,
When considering the purpose
You and I both
Sometimes feel
Deep in our gut,
We might join C. G. Jung*
And say,
"As far as we can discern,
The sole purpose
Of human existence
Is to kindle
A light of meaning
In the darkness
Of mere being”
(and I venture to guess
that part of the Meaning
lies in the Process
Of “mere Being”).
So then,
This explains how -
When you look at
The humanity of your body
And say,
"I see Nothing
Here right now,"
And when I look at
The divinity of your Soul
And say,
"I see Something,
Maybe even Everything" -
This
Namaste philosophy
Amidst
Scientific reality
Explains how
You and I both
May be
Right.
Because we speak
And we write
According to the
Types of Light
Which enable
Each of our
Very different
Gifts of Sight.
*To give credit where credit is due: I lifted these two quotes from my friend's (the one who originally shared this conversation) facebook profile. :-)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
My Inspiration
I guess this is poetry season.
Tonight I finally finished the thesis I've been working on all semester. It feels wonderful - in many ways - to finally be done. When I returned home from campus tonight, I turned my computer on for the first time in what must have been a long time, because when I opened Microsoft Word, a "recovered" file popped up (apparently my computer crashed while I was away). When I opened it, I was surprised to find a poem I'd written a couple weeks ago; I'd completely forgotten about it. I considered posting the poem on here, but decided that you - my readers - aren't quite ready for it yet (in reality, I am probably the one not yet ready to share). Then, however, I remembered this poem and decided to share it with you instead. It's really quite appropriate, for I wrote it a few weeks back when I was sitting in the library struggling with my thesis.
Do you ever remember the faces or actions of very random people, or am I just a bit strange? I have memories dating all the way back to my girlhood of total strangers who captured my attention and admiration for various reasons. Many of them showed me unexpected acts of kindness; others simply had a different and refreshing "sense" about them. I call them "everyday heroes," and maybe one day I'll write an entry just about them. In a way, this entry already is about them. But yet it's not, because it is instead about only one of them. This individual is a woman I met recently. Only, I didn't literally meet her, because I've only seen her picture. But something about the expression on her face makes me feel like I've known her for years; I can almost remember sharing laughter with her, and during certain moments I can even almost feel her arm around my shoulder. Am I totally crazy? It's possible, especially considering that I have only slept 6 out of the last 72 hours. But you be the judge. If you click on the title of this entry ("My Inspiration"), a youtube video will load; then scroll over to minute 1:32, and you will see the picture of the woman I am talking about. For some reason, ever since I saw her face, she has become My Inspiration for joy in the midst of every circumstance. Thus, when I was struggling with my thesis in the library, her memory inspired me to take a study break and create the poem below:
How is it that I do not even know your name,
And yet you are my inspiration?
As I sit here in this chair
Frustrated by my lack of concentration,
Your face, your story, your voice
Enter my mind.
And as I think of your situation -
Which has so often denied you
The power of choice,
Which has always so freely
Been given to me -
As I think of all this
For a moment,
I suddenly feel very lame.
For how can I complain?
The "hardships" of paper deadlines
To you I could never explain.
Yes, you also have deadlines,
But rather than for a letter grade
You work for bread and water
And to provide a future for your daughter -
And can only hope that eventually, one day
You will be paid.
One look at your determined face
Convinces me that if somehow,
Right now,
Our lives we could trade
So that you were in my place -
You would be thankful for the opportunity
- whether in sunshine or rain -
To choose, to write, to fight.
Because even now,
With each new day you rise
And work with what you've been given
Even if it's not what you'd like to envision,
Because you know it's the only way
To make your own livin'.
Like Delphine,
You would realize the privilege
Of my undeserved and rare position.
As a college-educated woman
I am a tiny minority
In a world history
Dominated by male superiority.
So - whether in sunshine or rain -
You would never view my task as boring,
Because you realize
Half way across the world,
And even right down the street,
There lives a woman
Who despite a life full of storming
Determines to never be beat,
Because she hopes and believes
That on the horizon
A new world history
A new reality
Of gender equality
For her and her daughters
May at last be forming.
Beautiful lady,
Your hardships
I may never conceive.
But I wish somehow, some way,
You could receive
These gifts of opportunity
Which bless my life each day.
No, I still don't know your name,
And maybe I never will.
But I wish I could,
And I feel I should.
For somewhere deep in my heart,
I feel you and I share a part
In the same long
Story and struggle of womanhood.
You have already blessed my life.
Your face, your smile, your voice;
Your unyielding and hopeful determination;
They - YOU - have become my inspiration.
So thank you for your life.
I hope one day
I can give back to you
What you have given me.
But for now,
Somehow,
In word, in thought, in deed,
Even through this "annoying" paper,
I will strive
To join my own voice
with yours.
I feel this will never meet your day-to-day need
For you have children to feed
Before you can even think about helping them read.
But I hope that somehow
Today,
Right now,
You can feel
That you are not alone.
That half way across the world
Or right down your street,
There sits a woman
Who will continue to strive
To keep the hope alive.
I am a woman.
So today,
with you,
I raise my voice
And wish for you the power of choice.
But with God's help,
I will do more than wish.
With your inspiration,
With the power of your determination,
Today, I wake up and work
For your right
To choose, to write, to fight.
Now I will finish this paper
With a smile and new motivation.
For I have come to the realization
That my efforts are not my own -
They are also yours.
To me you have shown
That what I do
Represents and affects
Not only me,
But also you.
So as I write,
I will fight
To make our situation known.
So that maybe
One day
Both our daughters
Will be able
To raise their voice,
To have their say,
And to demand their choice
Between more than one way.
For that access to opportunity
Is my hope for us today.
Tonight I finally finished the thesis I've been working on all semester. It feels wonderful - in many ways - to finally be done. When I returned home from campus tonight, I turned my computer on for the first time in what must have been a long time, because when I opened Microsoft Word, a "recovered" file popped up (apparently my computer crashed while I was away). When I opened it, I was surprised to find a poem I'd written a couple weeks ago; I'd completely forgotten about it. I considered posting the poem on here, but decided that you - my readers - aren't quite ready for it yet (in reality, I am probably the one not yet ready to share). Then, however, I remembered this poem and decided to share it with you instead. It's really quite appropriate, for I wrote it a few weeks back when I was sitting in the library struggling with my thesis.
Do you ever remember the faces or actions of very random people, or am I just a bit strange? I have memories dating all the way back to my girlhood of total strangers who captured my attention and admiration for various reasons. Many of them showed me unexpected acts of kindness; others simply had a different and refreshing "sense" about them. I call them "everyday heroes," and maybe one day I'll write an entry just about them. In a way, this entry already is about them. But yet it's not, because it is instead about only one of them. This individual is a woman I met recently. Only, I didn't literally meet her, because I've only seen her picture. But something about the expression on her face makes me feel like I've known her for years; I can almost remember sharing laughter with her, and during certain moments I can even almost feel her arm around my shoulder. Am I totally crazy? It's possible, especially considering that I have only slept 6 out of the last 72 hours. But you be the judge. If you click on the title of this entry ("My Inspiration"), a youtube video will load; then scroll over to minute 1:32, and you will see the picture of the woman I am talking about. For some reason, ever since I saw her face, she has become My Inspiration for joy in the midst of every circumstance. Thus, when I was struggling with my thesis in the library, her memory inspired me to take a study break and create the poem below:
How is it that I do not even know your name,
And yet you are my inspiration?
As I sit here in this chair
Frustrated by my lack of concentration,
Your face, your story, your voice
Enter my mind.
And as I think of your situation -
Which has so often denied you
The power of choice,
Which has always so freely
Been given to me -
As I think of all this
For a moment,
I suddenly feel very lame.
For how can I complain?
The "hardships" of paper deadlines
To you I could never explain.
Yes, you also have deadlines,
But rather than for a letter grade
You work for bread and water
And to provide a future for your daughter -
And can only hope that eventually, one day
You will be paid.
One look at your determined face
Convinces me that if somehow,
Right now,
Our lives we could trade
So that you were in my place -
You would be thankful for the opportunity
- whether in sunshine or rain -
To choose, to write, to fight.
Because even now,
With each new day you rise
And work with what you've been given
Even if it's not what you'd like to envision,
Because you know it's the only way
To make your own livin'.
Like Delphine,
You would realize the privilege
Of my undeserved and rare position.
As a college-educated woman
I am a tiny minority
In a world history
Dominated by male superiority.
So - whether in sunshine or rain -
You would never view my task as boring,
Because you realize
Half way across the world,
And even right down the street,
There lives a woman
Who despite a life full of storming
Determines to never be beat,
Because she hopes and believes
That on the horizon
A new world history
A new reality
Of gender equality
For her and her daughters
May at last be forming.
Beautiful lady,
Your hardships
I may never conceive.
But I wish somehow, some way,
You could receive
These gifts of opportunity
Which bless my life each day.
No, I still don't know your name,
And maybe I never will.
But I wish I could,
And I feel I should.
For somewhere deep in my heart,
I feel you and I share a part
In the same long
Story and struggle of womanhood.
You have already blessed my life.
Your face, your smile, your voice;
Your unyielding and hopeful determination;
They - YOU - have become my inspiration.
So thank you for your life.
I hope one day
I can give back to you
What you have given me.
But for now,
Somehow,
In word, in thought, in deed,
Even through this "annoying" paper,
I will strive
To join my own voice
with yours.
I feel this will never meet your day-to-day need
For you have children to feed
Before you can even think about helping them read.
But I hope that somehow
Today,
Right now,
You can feel
That you are not alone.
That half way across the world
Or right down your street,
There sits a woman
Who will continue to strive
To keep the hope alive.
I am a woman.
So today,
with you,
I raise my voice
And wish for you the power of choice.
But with God's help,
I will do more than wish.
With your inspiration,
With the power of your determination,
Today, I wake up and work
For your right
To choose, to write, to fight.
Now I will finish this paper
With a smile and new motivation.
For I have come to the realization
That my efforts are not my own -
They are also yours.
To me you have shown
That what I do
Represents and affects
Not only me,
But also you.
So as I write,
I will fight
To make our situation known.
So that maybe
One day
Both our daughters
Will be able
To raise their voice,
To have their say,
And to demand their choice
Between more than one way.
For that access to opportunity
Is my hope for us today.
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