Common Unity |
Culture, Language and Education =The Foundation
Step Moja (1.) Culture-culture is the synthesis of metaphysics, spirituality and religion. It is your value system or what you deem to be important. When the youth wear their pants below their waist. It is an expression of their culture. It expresses what they feel is important and their spiritual enlightenment, or lack therof. When something that is self-denigrading is the choice of style, then something is out of alignment. Thus, Culture must be re-established, one that adds not subtracts from what it means to be African.
Step Mbili (2.) Language-a function of culture is language. In this instance we are talking about the 'new' African languages that have been created over the last 500 years in the Western Hemisphere; Ebonics or African American Vernacular English, Patwa/Patoise, Creole, etc. African people, especially those who live in the Americas actually speak English as a second language and not a first language. Most African-Americans speak Ebonics first. This is so, because parents speak it. The language used for business, education and commerce is American Standard English. However, speaking Ebonics should not be de-valued. Children should be taught to speak American Standard English when conducting business or in education. But they also have a language with rules, grammar, syntax, etc.
Step Tatu (3.) Education-The purpose of education is for the survival and empowerment of a people. The measure of intelligence is how well you can adapt, survive and overcome your given situation. Think about Africans in the Western Hemisphere over the last 500 years. They have adapted, survived and overcame the Maafa (Holocaust of Enslavement) and other atrocities. They have demonstrated geniusness in the face of such atrocities. The list of great men and women is too long to name here but in each century and in each category you can find African excellence in that field. From Medicine, Science, Education, Engineering, Politics, Economics, The Military you name it. Thus, African people need to re-calibrate their relationship to education for it is very African to demonstrate geniusness despite the conditions.
Step Mbili (2.) Language-a function of culture is language. In this instance we are talking about the 'new' African languages that have been created over the last 500 years in the Western Hemisphere; Ebonics or African American Vernacular English, Patwa/Patoise, Creole, etc. African people, especially those who live in the Americas actually speak English as a second language and not a first language. Most African-Americans speak Ebonics first. This is so, because parents speak it. The language used for business, education and commerce is American Standard English. However, speaking Ebonics should not be de-valued. Children should be taught to speak American Standard English when conducting business or in education. But they also have a language with rules, grammar, syntax, etc.
Step Tatu (3.) Education-The purpose of education is for the survival and empowerment of a people. The measure of intelligence is how well you can adapt, survive and overcome your given situation. Think about Africans in the Western Hemisphere over the last 500 years. They have adapted, survived and overcame the Maafa (Holocaust of Enslavement) and other atrocities. They have demonstrated geniusness in the face of such atrocities. The list of great men and women is too long to name here but in each century and in each category you can find African excellence in that field. From Medicine, Science, Education, Engineering, Politics, Economics, The Military you name it. Thus, African people need to re-calibrate their relationship to education for it is very African to demonstrate geniusness despite the conditions.