POSITIVELY BLACK
Junious Ricardo Stanton
Personhood/Huemanity In African Thought
“The idea of the person in African thought is not that of Western philosophy where he or she is seen, more or less as a single entity; or just as a mind and body. He or she is instead seen as being a collection of spiritual and physical entities. ...The number of entities each person is thought to be made of varies among the various language groups. The ancient Egyptians had seven whilst in traditional Africa a person is variously thought of as made up of three to five entities from place to place. The Kuba of Zaire, according to Budge, believe a person to be made up of four entities, the body (Modgo), the soul (Mophuphu), the double (Ido) and the shadow (Edgidingi).”- Person, Divinity and Nature by Chukwunyere Kamalu p.51
As we continue the arduous process of deprogramming ourselves from alien (Semitic and European) ideologies, philosophies and worldviews it is all the more crucial we turn to mother Africa for reorientation, guidance and restoration. As our scholar/warrier/champions like Drs Clark, Diop, Obenga, Carruthers, Hilliard, Kamalu and others help us rediscover the genius of our African past and its profound implications for our liberation and evolution into fully functioning human beings, it is incumbent upon us to both be open to an African reinterpretation of African history, philosophy, metaphysics and science and embracing, internalizing and applying these findings to our daily lives. On a rudimentary level, our dehumanization entailed the suppression of our indigenous cultures and our understanding of what it meant/means to be a hueman (richly melanin endowed) being. The Eurasian invaders, kidnappers and colonizers made it their business to destroy, denigrate and disconnect us from our humanity and the wellspring of our African cultural heritage in which it thrived. The desecration, de-spiritualization and destruction of the environment by Caucasians was at its zenith as they transversed the globe raiding, raping, exploiting, fomenting internecine warfare, social disruption and imposing their predatory, racist, materialistic, anti-nature, values and lifestyle on huemanity. Their rationalization of their rapine, pillage and plunder was built on the dehumanization of people of color especially Africans. For us to regain our huemanity we must exorcize ourselves of Caucasoid definitions of what it means to be human and begin to think anew.
Our African ancestors observed nature and constructed social milieus in which living in harmony with nature was the ideal. An outgrowth and extension of that philosophy was living in harmony with one’s self, one’s family and larger community. Thus, foreigners like Herodotus were awestruck when they visited Africa. What they saw prompted them to pronounce Ethiopians (indigenous Africans) a blameless (righteous, moral) people. Righteousness does not occur by itself. Righteousness is the outgrowth of well thought out philosophy, ethics and metaphysical values which integrates a universal spiritual orientation with functional social relationships. Key to this spiritual centrality was viewing the universe from a spiritual perspective and everything in it, both animate and inanimate. Obviously this included humans. Thus humans, from an African point of view, are seen as being made up of multiple dimensions both non-material and physical. In his extremely informative book Person, Divinity and Nature Chukwunyere Kamalu elaborates on this theme in African culture, the multiple aspects of human personhood. Study will reveal African cultures throughout the continent from antiquity to the present, sedentary and pastoral, postulate human beings are animated and influenced by multi-faceted spiritual elements which affect our personalities. This is universal amongst indigenous cultures. According to Kamalu these elements include: Destiny (Spiritual Double), Transcendent Self (soul/breath/life force), Ancestral/Reincarnated Self (Ancestral Guardian) and the Dream Self (Shadow). It is important for us to embrace this knowledge because it can/will enable, empower and ennoble us to become fully functioning human beings.
Inherent in African thought is the idea of personal destiny, each of us has a mission/purpose in life, chosen prior to birth. Much of our inner dysfunction and frustration occurs because we are not aware of or attentive to these aspects of ourselves nor have we discerned our personal destiny. We are cut of from the means and support systems that would assist us in discovering and accomplishing our life’s mission. Fortunately our scholar/warriors are bringing information from the ancestors that can/will make us whole. We must view ourselves with African eyes and turn within ourselves to release our latent potential. We have a divine, cosmic and ancestral obligation, a personal and collective responsibility to discover who we are and fulfill our personal destiny. Doing so will enable us to live fuller lives and actively restore African blamelessness in everything we do.
Junious
Ricardo Stanton produce and host a Internet
radio program titled
The Digital
Underground which airs live on Sundays from 12 pm- 2 pm eastern standard time on
www.NewBlackCity.com
www.harambe.com and BlackMic Radio come lets support our warrior!
©
1998-2004 The Talking Drum Collective.
All
Rights Reserved.