The Bird of Sankofa Essay Example

'The Maafa' by Dr. Marimba Ani (1994) and is described as a traumatic calamity that has greatly distorted the psycho-spiritual mytho-poetic foundations of over 8,000 years of African Thought.

The minds of African people have been greatly affected by the destruction of African civilization. Being confined to a cultural lock box for over 500 years in America has trapped them in a world that does not value their own indigenous culture.

The majority of African Americans continue to carry the surname of those who likely enslaved and mistreated their family, which persists due to various reasons. Additionally, a high percentage of Black women start a peculiar practice of ritual suicide at a young age, damaging the spiritual nature of their hair by using harmful substances on their scalp. These substances infiltrate the glands of the endocrine system, disrupting the body's natural mechanisms governing growth.

The repression of the African memory has had a monumental impact on 75 to 85% of African Americans, leading them to practice a re-formulated brand of African spirituality that often leaves them spiritually mum.

The first step in developing a mind control slave involves recognizing that Africans, who were once free citizens, were forcefully brought to America and turned into slaves through the process of 'slave making'. Understanding this concept is crucial for comprehending the Map of Black Consciousness.

However, it is the responsibility of every person to independently determine the meaning of complete healing for themselves personally and in our society.

Whether one chooses to follow the Bird of Sankofa, which represents self-discovery and a journey towards African consciousness by looking back, or decides

to reject the idea of a meaningful African past because they believe there is no work to be done, both approaches are valid.

Despite not wanting to, Blackfolk continue to be seen as African people. However, the map is accessible to all individuals regardless.

The concept of the African Personality is discussed.

Despite everything, there is still an argument for the existence of an 'African personality' - a distinct set of indigenous qualities that can be observed worldwide. Across history and various locations, African people have consistently carried with them a fundamental belief in a uniting 'life force' that is believed to encompass all aspects of the Universe.The 'soul' in America is seen as an aesthetic concept that represents the expression of profound ideas and concepts which are difficult to convey. In Taoist cosmology, this life force is referred to as 'chi' or 'ki' and is considered to be the animating life-force of the Universe.

The ancient Egyptians referred to their land as Kemit, which is the origin of its antiquity. They are recognized as the creators of the first High Civilization in history and the African personality has its roots in Kemit (the old Blackland).

According to Massey (1907), Africa is the birthplace of human civilization, with Kemit being its central point. Africans who were forcibly brought to the West had a significant change in their environment, which may have caused considerable psychological distress. In contrast to Europe's mainly patriarchal and materialistic societies, traditional African cultures were primarily matriarchal, spiritually abundant, and emphasized communal living.

The famous saying "I think therefore I am!" coined by Descartes is contrasted with the

African belief of "I am because we are ----we are because I am!" Dr. Oba T’ Shaka challenges the European academic concept of matriarchy versus patriarchy, arguing that African societies are actually 'twin-lineal' in nature. In these societies, both men and women bear equal responsibilities within the culture (T'Shaka, 1995).

Ever since the collapse of Ancient Kemetic society was caused by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE, European actors on the stage of history have been perplexed by this. One perspective to consider is that Africans regarded the 'womb' as the focal point of the Universe, making it sacred to them.

The communal principle of self-defense was instilled in women, urging them to display virtuous behavior. Any man attempting to harm a woman would face severe consequences from society.

In this culture, the act of violating the womb is strictly forbidden, resulting in the absence of pornography. It is widely known that several African languages lack a term for 'rape' due to its inconceivable nature. This represents the world from which Africans were forcibly removed and transported to the West.

Despite not being a land of peace and paradise, African and European cultures have coexisted on the world stage for centuries, originating from different perspectives.

The Two Cradle Theory suggests that civilization began in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. These cradles were the birthplaces of recorded history, writing systems, complex societies, as well as advancements in technology and agriculture.

At the Cairo Symposium on the Peopling of Ancient Egypt in 1974, Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop (1923-1986), a respected physicist and scholar from Senegal, provided scientific proof from various disciplines supporting

that the Ancient Egyptians were indeed Black Africans (Diop, 1977). This significant research discredited previous claims that this civilization consisted of 'dark skinned Europeans', Arabs, Asians, or an unidentified group of 'high yellow' North Africans.

Diop proved that the individuals referred to as "Black Africans" migrated from Africa's interior to establish the present-day 'Middle East'. This discovery prompts inquiries regarding the origin of the term Middle East and its geographical positioning.

Africa is the answer, rendering the legacy of racist interpretations in Western academia moot. Diop's work followed George G.M. James' work, published in 1954, the same year as the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. James' treatise, Stolen Legacy, was groundbreaking.

While America's public schools were being de-segregated by federal mandate, James also dismantled the racist facade of Euro-centric scholarship, revealing that classical European philosophy had its roots in Ancient Egypt.

In 1954, it was stated that there is no distinct Greek Philosophy, but rather Greek interpretations of African thought. James presented detailed biographies of prominent ancient Greek thinkers like Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato to show that they had received their education from the Mystery School System of Ancient Kemit.

The concept proposed by German philosopher Hegel in The Philosophy of History (1837), which dishonestly claimed that Africans lacked any significant historical background, has been revealed as a racist distortion of history. This fabrication aimed to provide a justification for the subsequent colonization of a large portion of the African continent.

According to Dr. John Henirick Clarke, it is important to recognize that Europe not only colonized a significant part of the world but also controlled

much of its knowledge (1991). Dr. Clarke believes that in order for his students, including Malcolm X, to understand the challenges faced by African individuals in today's society, they must first understand why Europe had such an unrestrained colonialist mindset towards other regions.

The oppressor's most powerful tool is the mind of the oppressed, as evidenced by our exploration on the Map of Black Consciousness.

In the context of religious beliefs, it holds particular importance, especially when considering African people's perception of themselves in the spirit realm. However, before exploring this perspective further, we will briefly deviate to understand the factors that have shaped the modern world.