Kujichagulia: Self-Determination in the Colonial World
I think of Kwanzaa and I think of the great things it represents for our community, and then I think of our ancestors and the greatest of the communities of ancient times. These communities have not been rivaled in their splendor or compassion in the modern era.
Monuments such as this obelisk and the pyramids (below) are still a mystery to our modern culture. The meanings behind them and the methods used to construct them are still topics of debate, but the secrets behind them may only be revealed to those who honestly return to their culture.
The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are linked to our past and are stepping stones to reclaiming not just our dignity but also our greatness. For the first time in literally thousands of years, we have a chance to conquer our pride and take back our cultural values that were once shared by everyone in the world that were known to be good or "on the side of Ra."
Dr. Maulana Karenga has earned his place in history as one of the individuals responsible for our survival of the holocaust of slavery. His name is mentioned along with those of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. We thank our heroes for helping us to survive, now it's time for us to take up the struggle to thrive.
The principle of Kujichagulia is at the heart of what I am referring. Self-Determination - to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. This must be done according to values that are our own. We have been disconnected from our past and lied to about its significance. We are not merely descendants of slaves. We are descendants of scholars, astrologers, master builders, kings, and priests that were enslaved. We have a language, our ancestors were forbidden from speaking their language or practicing their customs under the threat of death. Many of them died not realizing the savagery of the slave master and the possibility that they would have killed them all had some of them not submitted for the sake of our survival. Our names were changed, our customs and languages were forgotten, and our spirituality was twisted into what the slave master provided us.
Soon we spoke, dressed, ate, and thought like the same people that murdered our grandparents. Now, we enslave ourselves and others like us by not knowing the true history of the struggle of our ancestors and the values they possessed. However, the time for us to reclaim our self-determination is at hand. Our customs, languages, knowledge and spirituality was not lost. It was only hidden, kept safe from corruption and destruction, and now it is available for us to reclaim.
The journey back to Kemetic (Traditional "African") consciousness will not be easy. We have been bombarded with idea's and images since before our birth that will make it difficult to understand the knowledge presented in the M'TAM School of Kemetic Spirituality and Philosophy. Furthermore, the knowledge presented in the M'TAM School will not guarantee our consciousness. Your transition and self-determination will only occur once you put what you've learned in the M'TAM School into practice in your daily life.
In the M'TAM School of Kemetic Spirituality and Philosophy we teach initiates to speak, read, and write Medu Myeet (the language of the gods); we teach Ka'at Ibi, the original form of meditation pre-dating Shinto, Zen and Yoga; and we teach traditional healing techniques that allow initiates to diagnose and heal using herbs and non-invasive techniques.
After graduating from the M'TAM School and following the values of our ancestors, the Divine Code of Human Behavior or the 77 Commandments and performing our daily spiritual activities, we become known as "Kem," meaning black. In the spiritual field, black is synonymous with divinity andg goodness. Also, upon graduation we are given Kemetic names specifically chosen for us by the Earth. At this point, we possess all the tools necessary to free ourselves from the colonial powers that have choked our development and suppressed our self-determination. As we continue to grow and look at the world through "open eyes", we are able to help our brothers and sisters as we have never been able to before.
In the mid-1960's Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa and founded many other organizations for the purpose of building a bridge back to traditional "African" culture. For two generations, brothers and sisters have embraced his ideals and stood strong on this bridge in unity. Now it's time to complete the journey and come across the bridge where we will find Kujichagulia with the M'TAM School of Kemetic Spirituality and Philosophy.