MAAFA SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE
COURSE WORKBOOK by Nia Ward Blackness Publications 2016 In Loving memory of my beautiful great niece TAJA RAE NAOMI WARD SIMMONDS Maafa Spiritual Resilience
THIS IS THE PREVIEW VERSION 20 pages are omitted
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Raahubaat Yasar (Greetings Family) & a warm Welcome to Maafa Spiritual Resilience. A Big HaileUp goes out to the adoptedDNA family who proofread, analysed, made improvement suggestions & supported the birth of this project.
Salute. Resistance in its many guises & manifestations, expressed upfront or undercovers, by the Elders was real. The Maroon Army military philosophy, shared beliefs, values, norms, universally backboned the victories toward universal suffrage. Maroon cultural ideals, of unity within family, community, nation & race, enabled, sustained & informed everyday living with the essence for liberation. Reconnection to the homeland meant selfdetermination, governance, creation, informed by ancient ancestral knowledge & ways of doing. The images presented here, as and of, resistance articulate the Elders’ time & legacy for those who want to see. www.blacknesslookbook.com offers other courses, on the themes covered here. Please use the contact form to express your interest & further info will be sent to you. Email: blacknesslookbook@ gmail.com/07399829479 ENJOY
Nia Ward Blackness Publications August 2016
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Sunrise SHU, (he who rises
Kemet theorists claim that deep within the Kemet family ‘sub-consciousness lies vast knowledge of the Elders’ philosophical shared beliefs & values’. Oceans of ancient cultural resources useful to contemporary life are stored in Blackness waiting to be mined for contemporary utility. Blackness scholars claim that these resources were often tapped into by the Elders during the fight against annihilation & genocide. Here this idea of a cultural ocean of knowledge, used by the Elders is explored to see if any manifestations of the Kemet philosophy particularly, the feather, & sceptre were used during the Maafa for spiritual guidance & protection.
up) was an Ennead, or one of Kemet 9 original gods & goddesses. Shu known as god of the wind & air is depicted here as a hue-man with an elaborate headdress of tall, golden plume of four ostrich feathers. Ostrich feathers symbolises his association with light & air. Shu in his function as a fighter & defender wears a lion’s head over his forehead, This is the course workbook for ‘Maafa symbolising power & leadership. He car- Spiritual Resilience’, which provides ries an ankh, the symbol of eternal life & only limited access to the curriculum. It a ‘was’ sceptre or leadership staff, believed to embody magical forces, symbolising divine power & an emblem of authority. Ostrich feathers identifies the re-enactment of creation making the ostrich a symbol of creation & light. Passing his godliness on to his daughter, Maat, the feather is her ‘truth’ symbol. Maafa Spiritual Resilience 4
own views & opinions, whilst always respecting the heart of others. Many scholars, particularly those of Blackness persuasion, tell our-stories of a time long ago & far away when Blackness built civilisations in many locations in Planet Earth, called Africa. A Blackness world & not only in the continent we now call ‘Africa’, for the original Qi/Planet Earth family was mightily industrious. The ancient Black presence in the Americas & Caribcovers the themes & collective forms of bean articulated by Indigenous Original resilience, such as the Maroon Wars, Man provides conscious overstandings which for many years were spearheaded & reasonings on this matter. by Jamaican military intelligentsia, & powerful leaders, Obeng Queens of the The image overleaf & the one above, Horn & her Maroons, in more detail. The depict the central location of this Haitian Wars which won the fought for study—the western Atlantic Ocean universal suffrage are also honoured. coastline. The ancient map overleaf The lesser known Caribbean Wars of shows some of homelands along this resistance & survival, Tortola Tobago, & coastline which were once occupied by the Elders before the Maafa. The second Bahamas, are also explored. more recent map to the left shows how This Workbook presents the course curthe route & location of the Earth’s naturiculum in terms of the reading, watchrally spinning rotational trade winds & ing, listening & speaking resources. sea currents provide a natural sea railThese learning resources are important road or conveyor belt around the Atlanto overstanding & satisfying the learning tic Ocean. Basking islands & continents outcomes. So please try to complete the providing safe-port shorelines on contiactivities alongside the resources as donents, sharing human & physical reing so enhances your knowledge gained. sources for nation-building through local Remember, when completing the activi& regionally commerce—a doddle to the ties that there are no right or wrong Elders. No one person or corporation answers/responses, simply give your possessed the land. Land-rights were Maafa Spiritual Resilience 5
communal & shared. The key point to remember & note from these maps, is that all the communal lands surrounding the Atlantic Ocean Black People civilised for many moons, long, long, long before others who believed that the world was flat & travelled nowhere for fear of falling over its edge. The Dogon People of West Africa, ourstories say, fore-parented the Olmec advanced civilisations of Mexico, South America. The Olmec, renowned for humongous basalt stone heads carved in the likeness of Black adult males, dressed in Kemet style military helmet worn on top of long lox of woolly hair, decorated with feathers. Some helmets show a jaguar paw hanging over the forehead as a symbol of political & religious power. These ancient areas of Blackness are huge ceremonial step pyramids, shrines, sunken plaza, smaller pyramids, worship centres, etc. In fact a wholistic way of Blackness life remains, after thousands of Qi years, for all to see who were the original 9-ether universal family, builders of numerous advanced civilisations in their homelands along the Atlantic Ocean coastline..
Poverty Point, Louisiana, & other southern states, further evidences Blackness presence in ancient Americas for many moons before wickedness. Massive step pyramids, architecture & planning of communities shaped in the likeness of winged & feathered Isis & artefacts carbon dated to 2,000 years before Kemet, evidence Blackness civilisationbuilding prowess in America, over thousands of years.
Journeys circulating the Atlantic Ocean were frequently made in canoes, small & large sea-fearing vessels, for commercial, social & cultural reasons, as this region was a thriving industrial zone. Slipping into & out of the naturally occurring sea currents & trade winds for horsepower, the Elders established their homelands with all the cultural systems befitting a highly industrialised region. Once peaceful, cooperative, self -determined, productive, with the coming of the Maafa this Atlantic coastline became a war zone, battlefield, fighting for universal suffrage & against the genocidal systems of TeamEurope13, their people, money & military might, for hundreds of years. Blackness versus Team Europe13. War in the East, war in the North, war in the South, war in the In North America, for instance, ancient West. War, war, war & rumours of war Black civilisations unearthed in the filled the consciousness of every Elder southern states, such as the so called across the generations, time & space.
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Self-determination by any means necessary was the Elders’ philosophy. Seeking guidance & protection from their most high gods & goddesses, Shu, Maat, Isis & family, those before, & those yet unborn, the Elders were confident of eventual victory. As the course progresses you will be introduced to some Elders or Maroons because everyone fought the genocide, to examine the how & the why spiritual resilience, endurance, survival & liberation was a must.
The course starts by exploring three themes, Maafa, Spirituality & Resili-
ence. Looking for definitions, explanations, & discussions in order to build new positive knowledge of self & community to be used in everyday life experiences, are the reasons for looking. Positive self-expression, from positive thoughts, words, deeds, actions & power, does wonders for positive
mental, physical, emotional, & spiritual health & wellbeing. KNOW THY SELF through your own thoughts brought together by like-minded people for cooperative action is the rationale of this course. In VIDEO 1 Baba Mwalimu Baruti reviews the course handbook ‘Let the Circle be Unbroken’ (1980) & interprets Ani’s reasonings & explanations about how Blackness was able to resist the Maafa. Ani’s reasonings says it is because of ‘resilient spirituality’, that is a spiritual something which is common & inherent in Blackness. This spiritual essence Ani calls ‘the alisi’, it cannot be changed or lost, but it can
be ignored, or hidden, & it is the essence of life. She claimed that Blackness is innately spiritually resilient & spiritual resilience was a central strategy in the Elders’ survival plan. The learning here aims to reveal some of the other survival strategies the
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Elders used to defeat the Maafa. This aim is satisfied by exploring the concept of ’resilient spirituality’, through the Elders’ lens at a time when Black men, women, youths & the unborn, were forcibly removed from their natural habitat by foreign invaders & displaced. Looking for hidden messages & clues of spiritual resilience which can be included positively in today’s living, is our mission. This exploration of the three key-
Maafa Marimba Ani (1980) saw the term ‘Maafa’ as the ‘slow & systematic murder of Blackness in the name of economic prosperity for Europe’. She claimed that the subsequent subjugation of living under white supremacy or racism in societies’ relentless devaluation of Blackness history & culture can be fatal. Therefore, this subjugation must be counterbalanced with Black-
Maroons of the Spiritual Resilience Army (SRA)
words, Maafa, Spiritual/Spirituality & Resilience, looking for definitions, concepts, explanations, out of which to create analysis & conclusions from findings, is what will come-about here.
ness to reach equilibrium. Ani claimed that the Maafa concept is a more fitting approach from which to examine the how & the why of resistance, as it calls for critical examinations of European As you progress through this workbook, thought, from the vantage point of the please complete the activities as they Elders & their descendants. arise. Maafa Spiritual Resilience 8
For that reason, the forceful removal of Blackness from their natural homelands is referred to as a Holocaust or Maafa, because of the genocide, oppressive & exploitative systems which accounted for the death of millions of Blackness in the most ethnic cleansing manner. Maafa, as a Blackness worldview, is unique in its belief in the long-lasting cultural & social oppression that still ostracises & isolates today, living under a dominion that rejects the cultural identities of Blackness. Maafa, as perspective, acknowledges that Blackness was forcefully transported from their numerous homelands along the Atlantic shoreline, & with nuff innate ‘spiritual resistance’ under genocidal conditions continued the construction of their Americas & Caribbean homelands.
ing, the Elders continued development of Blackness cultural ‘Know Thyself’ knowledge & ways of doing resistance. Blackness military knowledge & action meant not only going back to their African, North American & Caribbean roots, but further in using that new knowledge to guide future movements. Martial arts for combat & unity was taught across the generations, in local learning communities enabling the continuation of cultural & historical ways of winning military resistance. Maafa, also represents the Elders’ nation & civilisationbuilding prowess in that the Elders were the architects, builders, quantity surveyors, & other professional, skilled & new artisans, who built what is now known as the Americas & Caribbean. Melaninrich Blackness, in many different parts of that world at that time, worked under Under the Blackness of night, lit by stargenocidal conditions, without pay, conlight, moon movements, to sounds of structing European civilisations. It is for the talking drum, conch, firelight, under these reasonings & overstandings that it covers, discussing, planning, philosophis-
Maroons of the SRA Maafa Spiritual Resilience 9
is our belief that the Maafa concept provides an appropriate lens from which to research & analyse the Elders’ experiences. Maafa within a whiteness paradigm is not viewed as genocide, oppressive inhumane injustice. Instead Whiteness cloaks its politricks under the shields of economics, Atlantic trade, capital, maritime shipping, industrial revolution, abolition, emancipation, etc, as myths in which to view & analyse the Elders’ holocaustic experiences. Whiteness also fails to acknowledge the Elders’ civilisation or
resilience’ empowered the Elders to war for peace, & a return to selfdetermination, is possible. Sankofa is honoured in that the curriculum goes back in time to fetch imagines depicting the Elders’ life & legacy, for close interrogation. Viewing deeply the images by searching, dissecting, blending, looking for clues of resistance & survival strategies, useful to contemporary life, is this course’s salient rationale. Sankofa knowledge when working with the Maafa concept, this research found, enabled a oneness
TeamEurope13 Concentration Camp nation-building contributions. Many ask the question ’so, why look back, why bring up these things now? This is how we respond. The ancient philosophical belief, ‘Sankofa’ (looking back to fetch wisdom from the past to guide future knowledge & actions) backbones this course. Sankofa enables critical reflection, to return to validate our heroic Elders’ experiences challenging genocide. Through reflective reconnections to the time when ’spiritual
approach to developing Blackness networked bonds, at a time when everyone, normal, still-water flowing smoothly Black men, women & youths fought for human rights, justice & against genocide, long before Others. Maafa tells us that our Elders solely fought & won universal suffrage for themselves. Others who say stuck their necks out, Blackness scholars say, did so in their own interests, ‘abolitionism’ was “humanitarian interventionism’’, primarily only interested in civilising Maafa Spiritual Resilience 10
genocidal European thought, & spinning a smell-sweet humanistic methodology to mask European genocidal addictions. At no time did they pick up arms to war for Blackness. Abolitionists with missionary thoughts also enabled genocidal acts at a societal level, such as profiting from the Maafa. According to Elder Culture “see de hypocrites a guu ’long dey”, as they continued ’hating’ Blackness using the Elders’ unpaid labour to expand their ailing economies with genocidal finance. Maafa, because of its ability to present the Elders’ resistance & survival strategies in a wholistic global context, is viewed as a unifying catalyst for collective activism on issues such as reparation. Melanin-rich Elders, the indigenous, original people of the Americas & Caribbean, Blackness scholars claim, grew in self-determination with survival & resistance knowledge. A Maafa curriculum includes thought on ’landgrabbing, robbing indigenous Blackness birth-right, inheritance & claiming the Elders’ homelands for whiteness’. This Maafa approach widens overstandings of the why & the how the Elders resisted the violence of repression. They claimed that during the Maafa in North America, the indigenous Black people, such as the Cherokee nation, were captured, & held in death camps called
’reservations’. Thereby freeing up the land for whiteness expansion. The original Black people of North America were removed from the reservations or tribal lands along the Atlantic coastline, transported, & held in concentration camps along the African Atlantic coastline. The indigenous Americans obvious resemblance to their African family made easy the politricks of labelling all the Elders as African & transporting both African and North American family together back through the murderous passage to their Americas & Caribbean original homelands, in bondage. The homelands, confiscated, illegally claimed & bulldozed as a means of erasing the Elders’ erstwhile presence many moons prior to the holocaust or Maafa & TeamEurope13, human rights enemy.
Spirituality The Elders, Ani (1980) resisted the ‘great disaster’ on many levels by utilising generational military plans developed by their Elders. Many forms of resistance were implemented in the daily struggle to achieve selfemancipation. In fact & in truth, resistance was an international Black community affair with deadly serious consequences for any Black or White person, either singularly, in twos, or in groups of three or more, to even con-
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template or act in opposition to the Maafa backers. But neither harsh sanctions, punishments, breeding farms (see Old Manor Estate, Nevis), brutalities, brain (pineal gland), blood, melanin, DNA experiments, social engineering, military might, informers, intelligence or Willie Flynch, did not nor could not stop the land & sea underground railroad nor challenge the daily movements for selfdetermination exhibited, by the Elders, over the centuries. For example, one European politrick, played on the Elders, & on us even today, is the ‘divide & rule’ policy. This policy involved ‘social engineering’ a new, ‘middle tier‘ of gobetweenies, a new social & economic class, comprising predominantly the two heritage family, skilled artisans,
craftsmen & ‘free men & women’. Most of the children from these unions, were disowned by their whiteness family & held under the same genocidal circumstances, as their melanin-rich family. Classified, sub-grouped & labelled as ’animal stock’ most of this two heritage middle group were required to work under the same holocaustic terms as the other workers. Now tell me, how was mental, physical, emotional wellbeing & good health possible under oppression by your own bloodline, where father, uncle, sister, brother, aunt are your haters, & abusers? That denial by family must have been an awful experience for this middle-tier of Elders. A few were afforded, through their European heritage, a way out of the Maafa, often removed from their birthplace to Eu-
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be bought as it has no financial value. Amelioration did not want freedom for Blackness so it grew to be cumbersome & many Elders passed without their ‘freedom papers’ (see Betto Douglas, Wingfield Estate, St Kitts). Thousands just simply left for Maroonship.
rope to a life of relative freedom compared to the plantation. A small number also entered the amelioration programme designed to buy freedom. Another trick because freedom can never
Sankofa (Looking back in the past to fetch wisdom & knowledge to inform the future) has the affect of remembering, recalling, reaffirming the proverb ‘Know Thyself’. The wisdom & knowledge gained as a consequence of exploring the Elders’ lives build selfconfidence, esteem & value, especially knowing details of their victorious fight
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for universal suffrage & liberty.
brated to the Rhythms of the outlawed talking drum, mend shoes, show-off de Earliest images were compiled, commisyouth because its him naming ceremosioned & published by Europeans, who ny, have fun, smokeup de pipe, roast never left Europe, never visited Africa, & some food, & play ‘de ass’ we were also never seen a Black person. Out of ignopart of the Spiritual Resilience Army rance, dodgy eye-witness accounts & (SRA). The Elders wore their army unicolourless imaginations, Black people forms with pride, especially the Queens were depicted as myth, fantasy, & imof the Horn Regiments. Look at the two aged of Whiteness. The belief here is women wearing the purple patterned that subsequent images were complied skirt, white top & yellow scarf, & also by Black Elders, artisans & crafts men the woman in white with the yellow women & youths, who included coded resilience messages for all who see, to see & learn from their victorious military movements. Blacksmiths as Smoke-Signallers
Resilience
REMEMBER LOOKING at the image above, that whilst we gyrated & viMaafa Spiritual Resilience 14
scarf—are these members & the uniform of the SRA? Maafa conditions meant the Elders learnt that their objectives were best served by emphasising Black cultural similarities, ties, unifying principles, common threads & themes to bind & identify the Blackness family. The Elders provided the efflorescence, solar energy, to continue becoming & being spiritually resilient. Overstanding, recognising, & implementing in their daily lives, in their communities, away from oppression, manifestations of Blackness cultural heritage achieved military strength. Following the belief that the deepest cultural beliefs are those shared & that deep within them the Elders knew & acted instinctively in oneness strength & unity. Across the Atlantic coastline, on every island, rock, in towns, country, in dem face, upfront & clear, the Elders’ spiritual resilience victoriously warded-off TeamEurope13 genocide. Looking at the Elders above what is shown here is resistance in the community—pounding Queen Nyabingi drum, dancing capoeira - an ancient African martial art, blowing the outlawed couch & fire-lighting. This defiance spirit was generational & sprung from the swell of resistance across the Blackness world.
trusion capturing goods & Blackness. ‘Spiritual resilience’ time meant developing military strategies & forming crucial bonds necessary to resist & survive
Working aged 3 in the resistance, Initiation aged 13, military training to 18 years then Manhood
the Maafa. The then KING OF BENIN (1660s) was said to be able to muster a regiment of 20,000 souljahs in one day & an army of 80,000 to 100,000 in no time. The image overleaf shows the winding infantry & cavalry formation, a continental marching style successful reinstatement in the Caribbean homelands by the Maroons of Grenada (1783) & the Haiti revolutionists (1791—1820).
Military training in secret societies & small communities of learning prepared everyone in the art & philosophy of quelling the Maafa. Armed with different types of weapons, feathered spears & pikes of various lengths & purposes; Exploring the resistance ideal lets start swords, & other types of armoury, these with the African family & the ancient Elders under the King’s leadership Kingdom of Benin (below) which is case- fought & defeated genocide. Many othstudied to example the Elders’ military er military powers were available to the prowess battling for social justice across King, & supportedMaafa him Spiritual in manyResilience wars 15 time & space. BENIN was a thriving inagainst TeamEurope13. The King’s milidustrial zone interrupted by foreign in- tary stratagem was included in the best
practice annuals of war. He was known for his mastery of the bow & arrow in battle, & military training across the Blackness world included his archery techniques for long-arm combat. His Blacksmiths designed & manufactured the metal weaponry for armies across Blackness world. The King is also renowned for his architectural & city-planning skills which he used in the further expansion of his wealthy capital, Benin City. The image of BENIN CITY (1668) above depicts a scene where the King of Benin is returning triumphantly from battle to his capital. In the background (right) is the Queen’s Palace; on the (left) the royal courtyard, containing several other palaces, showing their spires (D). The King is depicted centre (E) riding a horse, with his mounted nobles in procession on his right (F). Bantu people (H), Animals, tigers, musicians (drummers), all under the King’s command are also depicted in the scene. In the background to the right is the mighty river showing its viaduct & bridge with a variety of sailing vessels with sailors. The Elders took the war against genocide very seriously indeed & developed many military, social & economic strategies to ensure self-determination. Any doubts surrounding the Elders’ commitment to human rights were dashed when faced by the 1780s Senegal, Moor warrior (overleaf), with his quiver of feathered arrows, bow, chain, lance, spear, leadership staff & military horse. Spiritual resilience for oneness was the Elders’ victory secret. Overleaf, an army of Xshoi women warriors, returning from victory, flanked by male horn-blowers, log-drum bearers, with their King leading the winding long procession of souljahs. There are three other banners in the skyline similarly shaped to the one carried by this regiment, does this indicate that there are three other regiments fighting in that area? This exclusive women only regiment’s role in peace time was guarding the royal blood family. Turning now to the image below showing three souljahs, ranked in order of importance & length of service. A new recruit without a headdress, a captain with a tall feathered headdress & the Military General with the tallest plume of feathers. All the souljahs are addressed in full armoury guarding two elaborately clothed citizens from possible foreign invasion from across the river. The Military General’s elite rank is shown in his headdress, decorated with the most splendid feathers top by a Sankofa bird, a peacock, looking back to fetch wisdom from the Select onethe offuture. theseThe 3 maps & philosophy follow theguided resistance notingresilithe Elpast to inform Sankofa their ‘spiritual ders’ military strategy . ence’, ways of knowing & behaving were integral to survival & liberation.
CARIBBEAN REFLECTIONS – Maroons were every member of the Blackness
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Explore this map & describe what you see.
1660-1790 The Maroon Wars for selfliberation across the Atlantic coastline lasted many hundreds of years, with countless fallen heroes, such as my favourite, LEONARD PARKINSON, who with his Maroons fought TeamEurope13 gaining liberation. He is portrayed as any Blackman, almost faceless emphasising his military body & weapons— ready for resistance. 1790 & beyond Let us very quickly return to the ‘socially engineered’ middle group to send a big haileup to Elders, Military-General, Vincent Oge, Chavannes & the other souljahs, who build a strong army, well-financed & supported by their peers. Oge, born so called ‘free’, was subjected to the same genocidal measures as the Blackness family. Oge & his army at loggerheads with
TeamEurope13, about broken treatises & forked tongueness, refusing the Maroons’ support, they declared war on France. Unfortunately, after only 6 months Oge’s army was quickly & easily defeated. But they showed the possibilities which can be achieved with a united army, encouraging the universal call to arms to which 1000s responded. Maafa Spiritual Resilience 17
For centuries the Elders negotiated for their own homelands out of the Maafa. So refusal meant the continuation of armed & unarmed struggle..
Victories made it possible for the Elders to continue reconstructing the homelands from which they were once removed. But wickedness followed the family even in their settlements. Around narrow curved bends high in the mountains, well defended by ravines & cliffs the Elders designed their homelands to resist such attacks. Defence was an outernational family concern. Above, 2 Elders are releasing boulders, others armed with spears, rifles & military prowess gained victories for humanity. In this Maroon town h the houses are mudbricks with redpitched roofs, family-oriented with animals in the yard. The almost circular path leading to the mountains is surrounded by houses, giving an air of peaceful tranquillity. Right, the houses in sharper relief with thatched roof & piece of land for cultivation. Profits were shared collectively. Maafa Spiritual Resilience 18
NOTES
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ACTIVITIES (9) 1)
Explore a map of the Western Atlantic Ocean, how many nations can you name? 2)
Define, describe & discuss the Maafa concept. 3) 4)
5)
What does ‘Spirituality’ means to you? Which forms of resistance do you prefer?
During the Maafa, who is your favourite/most disliked Elder?
6)
Explore a resistance of your choice, then present a profile of your findings.
7)
Reflect on your journey through this course, how would you use the knowledge you gained?
8)
In respect of learning & teaching Blackness, what would you like to learn or teach next?
9)
Look at the picture (right) describe what you see.
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Congratulations & ASANTE SANA (Thank You) for completing this Course Workbook for ‘Maafa Spiritual Resilience’. Should you want the Activities to be formally assessed & certified then please contact us below. Lastly, please give us your feedback by completing the online survey. Peace Love Happiness & Nuff Respect,
Nia Ward blacknesslookbook@gmail.com www.blacknesslookbook.com
07399829479
…”showing appreciation of one’s own truth-stories & culture is vital to developing a healthy self-concept & positive view of the racial/ethnic group to which you belong”—Dr Maulana Karenga— Kawaida, Doctrine of Tradition &
Reason.
Blackness Publications 2016
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