NUBIAN KNIGHTS NETWORK: Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics Has Always Resonated With Me...

QUOTATIONS OF "BLACK"

"Whenever I use BLACK it relates to some history of Africans in that particular place. It’s the idea of the color BLACK as a metaphor, or as a representation of African-Americans. It’s the notion of BLACK- BLACKNESS - and all its other meanings in relation to the history of race..."

- Fred Wilson

"Most of my fortitude to continue doing the work comes from the moral outrage I feel about the injustices that Black people endure disproportionately daily."

- N. Abdul-Wakil

"In the end, what matters is not skin shade but pan-African consciousness. Loving your complexion, your nose, lips, hair length and texture, no matter what the politics or trends decide, and simply be. That's the problem with us (African folks). We're still learning how to love ourselves. So used to glorifying others and putting others first..."

- Dredlocks Tree

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics Has Always Resonated With Me...

Today, the 4th day of KWANZAA which is celebrated with the principle of Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics has always resonated with me.

I hardly ever post STATUS updates on Facebook, but today I will. It's disappointing how our money from the African FAMILY gets enormously spent outside our community, but doesn't funnel back in to us to support our ROOTS, like a tree.

I believe we need to challenge ourselves around this principle. Let's support (and/or continue to support) Black music/spoken word artists such as Yolo Akili, Baron, William Scott (all on Facebook, by the way) and the other great artists out there - let's support Black owned businesses such as Nubian Heritage (aka know Nicholas Variety) in downtown Brooklyn, NY on Fulton Street; Hue-Man Bookstore on 125th in Harlem and the great Sister's Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center on 156th St. & Amsterdam Ave. and all the others around the country - support organizations such as BMX (Black Men's Xchange), Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM), etc. and support Black painters, photographers, filmmakers, and other PROGRESSIVE people and entities out there.

The Jews do this for themselves quite successfully ... less cynicism on our part and let's just support and nurture the ones who are willing to do the work with each other in the African FAMILY. PEACE!