Western Religions, Racism, Blackness, Kwanzaa, and Black People

Hotep!!! (Peace)!!!

Take notes!!!

Anti-Blackness is everywhere family!!!! Slavery and colonialism exploited Black labor, and resources, with no regard to Black people and our Afrikan cultural traditions. In fact, racist White people’s exploitation of Black people in the world helped Europe, and America, grow wealthy. The consequences of this onslaught of Black people by racist Whites made Afrika severely underdeveloped. But to continue exploiting Black people, our Afrikan cultural traditions had to be destroyed every where on the planet earth. White enslavers and colonialists created the ideology of White supremacy, and the system of racism, to justify the racial exploitation of Black people and Afrika. White supremacy, and the system of racism, worked to discredit Afrikan contributions to the world’s civilizations, Afrikan languages, Afrikan beauty, Afrikan philosophy, Afrikan civilizations, Afrikan nation-building, Afrikan economics, Afrikan communalism, Afrikan spirituality, Afrikan culture and Afrikan history, to force Black people to be subjugated under the weight of Whiteness and sink down into the abyss of Black-self hatred. All of this was primarily orchestrated by many White racist Christians. This is why I am in total agreement with classic Hip Hop artist and community activist Hakim Green when he says, “Arabized Islam, as a political tool, has been just as oppressive as European Christianity.” Moving forward into 2020, we must use the lens of Afrikan centricity and Kwanzaa to make western religions safe for Blackness and Black liberation.

Kwanzaa is a pan-Afrikan centric cultural holiday. It has seven nguzo saba (Kiswahili words for seven principles). The nguzo saba are as follows in Kiswahili word / English word: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). Kwanzaa was established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an actvist, the founder of the US organization, and a Black cultural nationalist; founded Kwanzaa as a foundation for the rebuilding of our Afrikan cultural traditions nearly destroyed by White supremacy and the system of racism. Because of the various religious faiths within the Afrikan world community, kwanzaa would be set up as a non-religious holiday so that all Black people could freely observe the nguzo saba.

A Black Sunni Muslim brother, whom I shall keep nameless, posted an anti-Blackness remark about Black Muslims and Kwanzaa on social media. He said, “You're Muslim but lighting Candles in your Maulana/Leader Karenga Kwanza Religion? I lit candles in church as a crazy Negro.” This brother is very misguided about Kwanzaa and Blackness. Unfortunately, some of our Black Sunni Muslims brothers and sisters share this same sentiment. But where does this thinking originate from family. Let’s be clear, there exists in the world an anti-Blackness agenda. This anti-Blackness agenda is all over in the world, including the Muslim world. The anti-Blackness agenda is rooted in racism. Unfortunately, racism has permeated the world. This includes the Muslim world and Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia. Some of this racism in the Muslim world is severely coming from racist Arabs. Some of these racist Arabs have aligned themselves with the racist power structure in America and in the world. In some Arab Muslim countries an anti-Blackness agenda is promoted by some Arab Muslim leaders and their schools of thought. They look down on Black people. And racist Arabs keep Black people at lowest realms in their societies. We must Remember that before the European Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, there was the Arab slave of Black people.

However, In America, from the 1930s to the 1970s, Al-Islam primarily under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, bursted on the scene to offer Black people a path to free ourselves from racial oppression in America. Masses of Black people embraced Al-Islam as taught by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The Nation of Islam grew to a mass movement for Islam and Afrikan centered Black consciousness. It’s members included famous Black Muslim leaders such as, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Clarence 13x, Imam Suraj Wahhaj, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Unfortunately, the racist power structure became threatened by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. Racist Whites in America, and in the world, worked night and day to destroy the Nation of Islam and it’s Afrikan centered Black consciousness. After the departure of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad In 1975, his son Wallance Muhammad, who would later change his name to Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, took over the reign of leadership. The son of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad moved the Nation of Islam into Sunni Al-Islam. In 1978, disagreeing with the direction of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan left Sunni Al-Islam to rebuild the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. I state of all this history about Islam in America, because Black people were at the leadership in the Ummah (Arabic word for community) in America. However, the racist power structure did not want Black people to be leaders in Al-Islam and the system of oppression did not want Black people to use Al-Islam as a tool for Black liberation. Therefore, many powerful racist Arabs were used to control Black people through Al-Islam. Racist Arab Muslims attempted to buy out Malcolm X, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Fortunately, none of those Black Muslim leaders sold out to racist Arab Muslim leadership.

Unfortunately, some Black Muslims fell to the compromising money being thrown at Black Muslim leaders. Now, in turn, these Black Muslim leaders work to control Black people’s fight for Black liberation through Al-Islam.

These financially backed and trained Arabized Black Muslim leaders teach a very conservative Islamic doctrine in every hood in America and in the world. This conservative doctrine does not make it safe place for Blackness. This is why whenever their is a struggle for Black liberation taking place in America, and in the world, they are first ones trying to destroy it family. Remember they are not alone!

The entire European Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the European system of slavery throughout the world, were justified by White racist Christians. The Maafa ( Kiswahili word for the Black Holocaust or the forced scattering of Black people in Afrika to all parts of the world) was justified by White racists Christians. Slave insurrections were neutralized by White racist Christians. Segregation in America was justified by White racist Christians. The current fight for reparations is being block by White racist Christians.

Like many people who practice western religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Al-Islam) that disrespect Black people and their culture, some Black Muslims do the same thing. Some Arabs are very disrespectful to Black pride, Black unity, Black culture, and Black liberation. They view and teach Blackness as being unIslamic.

While on the other hand, like many balanced people in western religions, there are some Black Muslims embracing Blackness. These Afrikan centered Black Muslims make it safe for Blackness in America and in the world. They do not see any contradiction between Al-Islam and Blackness. Afrikan centered Black Muslims are in a struggle with a racist world to make Al-Islam a major tool for Black liberation.

But at the end of the day, we can not wait for people to develop a moral conscience to respect Black people and Black culture. Every time anti-Blackness rears it’s ugly head, we as Black people must destroy it right away brothers and sisters.

We need to be clear on the history of western religions family. Although western religions are practice by billions of people of every race, their origins are borrowed, some scholars say plagiarized, from Afrikan spirituality. Unfortunately, western religions, on their own, have not secured a safe place for Blackness. We as Black people must push western religions to create a safe place for Blackness. Fortunately, we have Black people in western religions that have done just that family. Some of us Black folks are working for Black pride, Black unity, and Black liberation within the context of western religions. For example, within the Muslim Ummah (Arabic word for community), the Nation of Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has created a safe place for Blackness. An Additional Islamic example of a safe place for Blackness is the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood (the descents of Malcolm X’s Islamic Organization called Muslim Mosque Incorporated) in NYC headed by Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid. The Masaajid (Arabic word for Mosques) associated with Imam Warith Deen Mohammed’s leadership have made a safe place for Blackness. His group of Muslims are the descendants of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Imam Mohammed allows Black people to be Black and practice Al-Islam. The Nation of Gods and earths (also called the 5% Nation of Islam) are creating safe places for Blackness. Establish by Clarence 13x, a former member of the Nation of Islam, in the 1960s for oppressed Black people. His movement brings the knowledge of our Black selves to Black youth in the streets. The Moorish Science Temples of America are creating safe places for Blackness. Establish by Noble Drew Ali in Newark, NJ in 1913, the Moorish Science Temples are organizing Black people for independence for White domination. A Christian example is Dr Martin Luther King, Jr creating a safe place for Blackness. Dr. King used Christianity as a tool for Black liberation to force US civil rights legislation to protect the rights of Black people in America. Richard Allen, facing overt racism and discrimination in the Christian church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania created the African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Church in the 1700s. Brother Allen made it safe for Blackness in the Christian church.

Outside of western religions are Afrikan religions. Many Black people are practicing these spiritual systems in America and all over the world. If these faiths do not make a safe place for Blackness, then we need to create a safe place for Blackness in these faith communities as well family. However, many of them have done this for Black people already. The Yoruba religion, rooted in Nigeria’s Yoruba people in Afrika, is practice as a faith by Black people in America and people all over the world. The Yoruba people have made a safe place for Blackness. In the Yoruba spiritual faith, all of their religious images and theology are Afrikan-centric. Afrikan spiritual systems, like the Kemetic (Egyptian) spiritual systems, have made it safe for Blackness. All of their religious images and theologies are Afrikan-centered.

Therefore, in the spirit of Kwanzaa, and in the spirit of Kwanzaa’s Nguzu Saba (Kiswahili for seven principles), the cultural objective is Black unity, Black pride and Black liberation. Kwanzaa is not a Black religious holiday. Kwanzaa is a Pan-Afrikan centric cultural holiday. The means you can practice any religious faith, and still embrace Kwanzaa Black people. Kwanzaa works to rebuild Blackness, a Blackness that was almost destroyed by White supremacy and the system of racism in America and in the world. Therefore, if anyone of our religions gets in the way of Blackness, then we need to find something else that better empowers us spiritually, empowers our Black liberation, and respects our Afrikan centricity.

Hotep!!! (Peace)!!!

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#afrocentricity

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#blackthelogy

#kwanzaa

#blackstudies

-Bashir Muhammad Akinyele is a History Teacher, Black Studies Teacher, Community Activist, Chairperson of Weequahic High School's Black History Month Committee, commentary writer, and Co-Producer and Co-Host of the All Politics Are Local, the number #1 political Hip Hip radio show in America. I can be reached at bashir.akinyele@gmail.com

Note: Spelling Afrika with a k is not a typo. Using the k in Afrika is the Kiswahili way of writing Africa. Kiswahili is a Pan -Afrikan language. It is spoken in many countries in Afrika.