NUBIANMESSAGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | THURSDAY, december 5, 2019
the 2019 kwanzaa edition: our gift to you
THURSDAY, december 5, 2019 | 2
Letter from the editor Hi Everyone, I hope you all are finishing the semester strong and preparing for 2020. In order to set a positive tone for the New Year and the end of the semester, we have decided to make this issue Kwanzaa themed. This issue features articles centered on the seven themes of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economic), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). All of these principles promote greatness within Black communities. Our Umoja article features tips for communal care that can help the community stay united into the new semester. Our Kujichagulia article provides tips and tricks for standing up for yourself and being confident in your identity. For Ujima, one of our correspondents stressed the importance of being the change you want to see in your community. The Ujamaa article features Black-owned businesses that you can support in the Raleigh-Durham area. The Nia article provides tips on finding your purpose. The Kuuma article provides affirmations for Black creatives. Finally, the Imani article provides perspectives on faith.
THISISSUE 4
UMOJA
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UJIMA
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NIA
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IMANI
Standing for the marginalized Building community through mentorship Finding purpose through work Defining faith for yourself
cover photo BY elikem dodor/Nubian Message On Wednesday, Dec. 4, the African Americam Cultural Center hosted their annual Kwanzaa ceremony. The ceremony highlighted the seven principles of Kwanzaa and a table filled with symbolic items.
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Along with our Kwanzaa themed articles, there is a photo gallery of all of the recent Probates. We are proud to document these moments and hope that generations after us will enjoy these photos as well.
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Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of Nubian Message: Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.
opinion
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how does communal care look ? Being a Black student at NC State has been immensely uncomfortable and for the past few weeks, watching the university’s decision to foster a platform for white supremacy under the Brandon guise of free speech has Loyd made me feel outright Correspondent unsafe. It’s clear that creating a safe space for Black students is not a concern to NC State despite its constant push for diversity. At this point I feel plain shaded. It’s no secret that NC State has done a poor job at retaining its Black students and faculty. They just get us here for as long as they can so they can check it off on a list. Even that’s seemingly less and less important as NC State finds other ways to reach a diversity quota. It’s hard to truly embrace this university as my own when my existence here seems to be a fading trend. State can’t be bothered to protect its Black populace when we actually get here. It’s too pesky a task to come out and condemn hate speech on our campus so instead they release lukewarm statements that resign to a point of neutrality. As if marginalized students opposition to a gathering of bigots
at the university they pay money to go to is an arguable position to have? As if racist, xenophobic, mysogynistic, anti-LGBT rhetoric has a middle ground to stand on? Black life on campus can’t be protected by a simple diversity presentation. We can’t wait for them to acknowledge what it really is to protect the queer Black lives on its campus. Only we can protect and honor each other’s existence in the ways we need the most. As we enter into Kwanzaa season, I think of the importance of Kwanzaa’s first principle: Umoja, or Unity. Coming together is a way we can help protect one another, but it’s important that we know what that looks like. Unity isn’t something we just fall into. Unifying requires hard conversations to be had, it requires compassion, patience, open mindedness and people to treat each other like people instead of images to be managed. If we want to provide safe spaces where we can uplift, nourish, celebrate and protect each other, then we need to be willing to make Black Unity about all Black people. Sometimes we get so set on protecting the Black image that we forget to acknowledge the real Black people being further marginalized within our own community. Instead of learning how to honor and love the most scrutinized and endangered people within our own community the way they
deserve to be, we often engage in the same respectability politics that decide what Blackness should be for us. I too often witness queer, poor Black people being silenced, ignored and exiled in organizing spaces and spaces centered around unifying. I know it’s because some of us are too scared of the white gaze to comfortably watch queer, poor Black people exist, but forcing us to live in boxes because you’re scared of white people seeing us be something they can’t comprehend or identify with is reinforcing white supremacy. Restriction has no place in the unifying space. Unifying isn’t about creating a standard for Black identity, but rather about learning to hold space for Black queer, trans, gender non-conforming, sex working, immigrant folk within our own community. We can’t operate under the fear white people want us to have for life. Our power and beauty will be stifled every time. If we can’t see each other’s intersections and how those things affect the way we live in our Blackness, then we can’t take care of each other and we won’t know how to. All of the identities that Blackness can operate alongside deserve to get the same energy -- we shouldn’t save all of our outrage for cishet Black folk. And is it so much to ask to be stood up for? Fought for
even? Sometimes we are only intersectional when it’s convenient and safe for us, but that is probably because we aren’t exercising the responsibility and empathy we should be for the non-cishet Black folk in our life. We don’t realize how urgent it is to come together and protect our most endangered. At NC State it is the norm to disregard and ignore the needs of Black students -- we need to make sure we aren’t doing the same to members of our own community. Caring for each other requires us to communicate, listen, and respond. In doing this we need to be warmer and more open than the bigots that openly disregard our lives. We protect each other in unity because we love Black life. We want to see the spirit of Black people at NC State continue on and thrive, because why would we want anything else? We can’t come together to protect and care for each other if we forget the importance of our love for one another. When it comes to unifying, we should start asking ourselves more often how we’re exercising our love, patience and passion for the multitude of complex Black people here at NC State. If you really love Black people, you should be willing to do more than respect us, but actively defend and encourage the marginalized of the marginalized within our community.
Self Determination: Loving, Choosing and Owning Who You Are Self-determination. A word that is commonly used and displayed in the lives of many students on campuses. The typical ones pertain to academics; being determined to get straight A’s or applying for and being oluwajoba accepted into internship ogun programs as well as fitStaff Writer ness goals. Many students try to stay determined and set goals for exercising at least two to three days a week, myself included. But what about self determination in one’s identity? Defining who one is as an individual and creating spaces for others to do the same. Kujichagulia, (koo-je-cha-goo-LEE-yah), the second day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to self-determination. This principle encourages self-expression; creating and speaking for oneself. The ever so popular Disney Channel show, the Proud Family, was one of the few
cartoon shows that discussed many topics that deal with the Black community, like the importance of knowing one’s history, the difference in families and most importantly celebrating people’s cultures. The show is centered around a young African American girl and the social challenges she goes through being a teenager at school and and with her family and friends. One episode focused on Kwanzaa, breaking down the different days and explaining the soul purpose of this celebration, instilling strong values and becoming in tune with the past, present and future. With Kujichagulia, they showed Penny, the main character (with the help of her friend, Stephanie), becoming one with her history as she began learning intrinsic parts to herself. She displayed this by wearing a native scarf as a sign of knowledge of her background. This prime example depicts the emphasis on the meaning of Kujichagulia, not to just find your value, but by aiding others as well. Building a strong community. With a student population like NC State, it
can be difficult to decipher diverse communities. That’s why it’s a crucial aspect for a person to have a sense of who they are, without anyone’s input so that they can navigate through a world like NC State to find a sense of their belonging. Some may feel or think that in a university like NC State, where the majority is Caucasian, that it is hard for the ethnic groups to be given a platform and to be taken seriously. And yes, I agree, it is hard for students of color to be represented correctly at a predominantly white institution, (PWI). But instead of making that an excuse, it should motivate us even more to educate the uncultured and the ignorant about the beauty of diversity; creating an atmosphere of freedom to express one’s self and giving others the opportunity to understand. We see this with the GLBT Center as they continuously put on events and provide information for people of that community to be informed as well feel safe -- safe enough to share their experiences without judgement. With over 700 student organizations and
clubs, many of them deal with culture and identity, spreading awareness to their group and/or inviting others to express themselves and to promote personal development; allowing people to grow within the community. Organizations like the African Student Union, (ASU), Asian Students Association, (ASA), Carribbean Student Association, (CSA), as well as Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), one of the four community centers on campus, and many others all share a common goal: to share the beauty of their culture, allowing the opportunity others to create and speak for themselves, in hopes that they will find their purpose as well as other nationalities will have an understanding of its values. As the semester begins to wind down and we start the tedious journey to finals, take a look back on the events that you attended and ask yourself, “What did this event teach me?”, “How can this be displayed in my everyday life?” and most importantly, “How can I help others reach their fullest self?”
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features
Probate Szn black ex-
Jay Encarnacion-Rivera/Staff Photographer The line makes their entrance during the Mu Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated probate on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019.
photo contributed by Robyn bess
The new members of Eta Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated probate.
In the past few weeks, members of the NC State community crossed over into their new organizations within the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Nubian Message covered these probates to showcase the Black excellence and unity achieved by these organizations and their members.
Jay Encarnacion-Rivera/Photo Correspondent The newest members of the Kappa Xi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated stand posed during the Kraxi 8 probate on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019.
Jay Encarnacion-Rivera/Photo Correspondent The line stands at attention during the Kappa Omicron chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated probate on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019.
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features
For Us, By Us: Supporting Black Businesses LIYA TEWELDE Correspondent
The word Ujamaa may be unfamiliar to most, but the sentiment behind it is nothing new. Ujamaa, the fourth day of Kwanzaa, highlights the importance of cooperative economics and supporting businesses in our community. Movements urging consumers to buy Black and to show support for Black-owned and operated businesses have become increasingly popular, especially on social media. To celebrate the principle of ujamaa, here is a list of some Black-owned businesses in our community.
Taji Salon
Taji salon, named after its owner, was created in hopes of bringing a natural hair movement to the Triangle area. They specialize in natural hair care and provide a variety of services. 2200 E Millbrook Rd #122, Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 332-3021 http://www.tajisalon.com
The Bar Ber Shop
The Bar Ber Shop is a collective of barbers whose aim is to elevate the barbering experience and cultivate a sense of community among their clientele.
WALKING
DISTANCE TO CAMPUS
4551 New Bern Ave #180, Raleigh, NC 27610 (919) 307-3814 https://www.thebarbershopnc.com
Triangle Cultural Art Gallery
The Triangle Cultural Art Gallery is the first Black-owned cultural art gallery in Raleigh. It features art that is aimed at reflecting the diverse cultural heritage and expression of the Triangle area. 8320 Litchford Rd Suite #138, Raleigh, NC 27615 (919) 900-8055 https://www.triangleculturalart.com
The Palace International
5 MINUTES TO THE
Originally founded in 1989 by Kenyan immigrants, Maurice and Caren Ochola, The Palace International is a family-owned restaurant that specializes in traditional East African cuisine. 1104 Broad St, Durham, NC 27705 (919) 416-4922 http://www.thepalaceinternational.com
Dame’s Chicken and Waffles
Dame’s Chicken and Waffles is a restaurant specializing in southern dishes, including their popular chicken and waffles that come in a variety of flavors and combinations. Cary Location 823 Bass Pro Ln, Cary, NC 27513 (919) 234-0824 Durham Location 530 Foster St Suite 130, Durham, NC 27701 (919) 682-9235
Saltbox Seafood Joint
Known for their locally sourced, seasonal seafood, Saltbox Seafood Joint has become a staple in the Durham area with two locations. Little Five Points Location 608 N Mangum Street Durham, NC 27701 (919) 908-8970 Rockwood Location 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC 27707 (919) 237-3499 https://www.saltboxseafoodjoint.com
The Zen Succulent
A neighborhood plant and gift stop, The Zen Succulent was founded in 2016 by Margaret and Megan George, a mother/daughter team. They offer a DIY terrarium bar, private classes and host workshops. Raleigh Location 208 S Wilmington, St. Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 916-5115 Durham Location 123 Market Street, B Durham, NC 27701 (919) 480-1762 https://thezensucculent.com The principle of ujamaa doesn’t focus on the profits gained from businesses, but instead the benefits to the community that can come from supporting them. Knowing that your money is going towards helping an underrepresented minority in the business world is something to be proud of. That is why this holiday season and moving forward we should all make a conscious effort to support Black businesses.
THURSDAY, december 5, 2019 | 6
opinion
Ujima: Building Up Our Youth Kwanzaa is a celebration honoring African heritage. One of the seven principles of Kwanzaa is Ujima. Ujima is the third principle of the holiday which stands for collective work and responsibility. The definition for Ujima is “to
Naz Santiago
Correspondent
build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.”
As a community, it is important to help one another, taking responsibility and allowing ourselves to serve our fellow minorities and peers. As college students, one of the many ways in which we can implement collective work in our communities is by mentoring or tutoring within the educational system. Making our fellow people’s problems our problems is an approach that could be effective in improving our current state. Many minorities are living in conditions that affect their education, their social environment and their racial status which has made them more vulnerable to an imbalance in the educational system. This is a bias in the educational system that we must attempt to fix. Many children in minority homes, usually Black and Latinx, end up attending schools that are poor and underfunded, with a lack of resources and educational tools that could further improve their learning as well as teachers who are not quite qualified. This can really be a problem because this affects the child’s learning, leaving them behind. We must take action now in order to alleviate the lack of opportunity these children are getting compared to white children. It is essential to guide the youth in the community through the right path and encourage them through their educational journey. Seeing someone of a similar or the same race can also help to further motivate these children. When a mentor and a mentee share the same culture or race, it is often a good opportunity for the mentee to connect with their race or roots. Starting with the youth is always a good idea when trying to work towards social change. This could help develop a generation of kids who are not completely
lost in the system but could be thriving in a system that doesn’t work with them but often against them. We could be providing them with some of the tools that they are lacking in the system and aide them while allowing them to confide in someone who understands. Some of us have been there, going to a school where there was a lack of educational resources. As students of color, it can easily hit home. There are many programs in college that allow students to mentor kids in elementary school. Read to L.E.A.D is one of those programs, a literacy organization promoting diversity and social change through mentoring the youth in the community. Mentoring kids can also benefit us as college students, giving us skills to work with. It is also an eye-opening experience that metaphorically takes off one’s blindfold on the conditions in the educational system. Often, we believe that this might not affect us, or that we won’t make much change through taking responsibility for such things. So how is it our responsibility? It is our responsibility because we are supposed to be the ones ensuring a better future for us and those who come after us, ensuring a better educational future for our Black communities or Latinx communities. Starting small can often do so much when trying to change a current condition in social institutions, even if it takes a while, it is a good way to maintain literacy within our communities and for our kind to embrace their diversity. It is indeed our responsibility, what we fail to try to change could further affect us, anything affecting our community should be our problem. Mentoring children can be a way of problem solving and trying to undo what the system has been doing. This type of volunteering could make serious social change within the educational system if only we made it a common project throughout our communities.
finding your purpose throughout college Kwanzaa has seven core principles, or Nguzo Saba. I decided to look at the fifth principle, Nia, which means purpose. According to Kwanzaa History.com, Nia is described as “to make as our collective Elikem vocation the building Dodor and developing of our Correspondent community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.” In other terms, Kwanzaa defines our purpose as building and developing the community and restoring our people to a traditional greatness. Initially, this definition was very confusing. Building and developing our community could mean anything, but what exactly is traditional greatness? Is traditional greatness another hotep way of referring to Black people being “descendants of kings and queens?” The multifacetedness and diversity of Black people in America means that there is no singular “tradition.” As a first-generation GhanaianAmerican, traditional greatness means a lot of things to me. Due to the advantage of me knowing exactly where I’m from, tribe and all, I see traditional greatness through a different lens. To me, traditional greatness is more than just Kente cloth (please know that Kente cloth is not representative of the entire continent of Africa. Rebranding it as such is just… sigh. Please do your research and stop buying the fake Kente “African print”). While I love my Kente, traditional greatness means community. Traditional greatness is getting back to the root — getting back to the community. Throughout my experiences, I’ve discovered that in Ghana, specifically in Whuti Village, there is a large emphasis placed on community. Community is the backbone of everything, everything moves as one cohesive unit. Whether people are aware of it or not, their actions have a great impact on their community. Similar to Blackness, purpose is a very fluid, free-flowing thing. People should be allowed to create their own definitions of purpose. Each member within the community can use their own talents and unique nature to help.
Seeing that purpose holds a different meaning for everyone, finding your purpose in college can be a very complicated thing. Some people’s purpose may be directly tied to academic success, personal success, potential job fields, hobbies — your purpose can be found in anything. I believe that it is extremely difficult to find your purpose while in college. Throughout your college experience, you are introduced to many different things and sometimes distinguishing your purpose from your general academic career may be difficult. While you may have come into college thinking that your purpose in life was to become a doctor and give back to the general community, things may change. Your underlying purpose may just be giving back to the general community — just because your path changes, does not mean your purpose does. Nonetheless, I further encourage you to walk in your own truth. You are more than just your grades and sometimes (most of the time) C’s get degrees. That one bad grade will not kill you, keep on pushing. Your worth is more than just what you can accomplish in these mere 4/5/6 years here on campus. Continue to explore and find out what you truly enjoy. Make sure that you are doing things solely because you enjoy them and truly want to — do not do things just to build your resume. You are more than what you do, you are a whole person. You deserve happiness and to be surrounded by the likeness. Continue to be free. Continue to be you.
“You are more than just your grades and sometimes (most of the time) C’s get degrees. That one bad grade will not kill you, keep on pushing. Your worth is more than just what you can accomplish in these mere 4/5/6 years here on campus.”
THURSDAY, december 5, 2019 | 7
opinion
Positive Affirmations For Black Creatives 1. Work Centering Blackness is Expansive
We don’t have to apologize for centering the Black experiences and Black folks that have shaped our perception Brandon of the reality around us. Loyd We shouldn’t have to fear Correspondent being ‘too Black’ because of the box white people put on us for doing exactly what they do. White people never have to be tasked with proving that their art is art when they create art centering only white people. It’s a norm and doesn’t prevent their work from being recognized as highly technical, well thought out art. But when Black people do the same, our work gets called “raw”. White people never see us past our pain because I guess that makes us easier to digest. The complexities of the Black existence in drawings, paintings and movies alike are more than “raw”. They are masterpieces and white people being
too lazy to see that Black art is more than “woe is me” pain porn shouldn’t prevent us from continuing to expand the Black art universe. Because we are cool as hell and have so many more awesome stories to tell. Blackness is deep and diverse, and we deserve to center the expansive world that is us.
2. I Am Entitled to Rest
The world around us makes us feel like we are bad for doing nothing. Like every moment we should be producing and as creatives that typically have the freedom to create whenever, we feel like we are doing ourselves a disservice when we do nothing. But why? Why can’t I eat a row of Oreos and watch anime for a few hours too give my mind some cool down time? Why can’t I take a midday nap? Because Black labor has always been a commodity of value and sometimes we equate our value with the amount of work we are producing. But humans aren’t made to work non-stop. Rest isn’t an option. Rest is not only fundamental for our health and success, but it’s a right Black and brown people are often deprived
of. We aren’t having enough conversations centering the way capitalism has been an avenue for economic racism to systematically deprive Black people of the rest we deserve. We shouldn’t be working until we die. We deserve the mind expanding, purifying, inspiring and peaceful embrace of rest and relaxation because creating is work that requires energy. So nap as an act of rebellion, yo.
3. My Work is More than a Commodity or Product
Creating beauty in the world around us through design and storytelling is a purpose for many of us. Creating is more than just a way to make money and sustain ourselves, but a way to heal and work out personal and ancestral trauma. Creating is a way to start mass dialogues that shift cultural thought. Creating is a way to pass down information. Creating is a way to document history and the work around us. Creating is a way to imagine what the future of Blackness can be. Our work is more than something to be
bought and consumed, but an important and necessary piece of the persistence and liberation of Black people everywhere.
4. If Not Me, then Who?
We are the only people that can make Black art. And that’s just that on that. No one else can tell our stories but us. Only we know what we need to see and only we can inspire and educate our youth from a truly informed place. Black people have and continue to be on the forefront and main inspirations for art movements. We are making imaginatively free Black art that reflects on past and current Black realities and possibilities for Black people. We all remember and cherish the moments Black media made us feel seen and we can be the ones to keep creating those moments for Black people.
ImANI
Taking control using faith Imani is the seventh princiEzuma-Igwe ple of KwanCorrespondent zaa. According to the Official Kwanzaa website, Imani is “to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.” I did not think this was a definition that could be universally understood; I eventually realized that that was my problem. I was trying to find one definition for a principle that was not meant to be interpreted in one manner. I did not have a solid understanding of what Kwanzaa was or that it had principles so when I was told to write about Imani, I struggled to define what Imani was. Through my research I was able to define Imani for myself. To me, Imani is about finding faith in what you need. There is not a right or wrong person, Ugonna
place or thing that one must have faith in. Some people have faith in their family while some have faith in themselves or both. Society is continuously telling us what we have to do for ourselves and who we have to be. Imani gives us the opportunity to take back control of ourselves and what we believe. At a predominantly white institution where African Americans are continuously overlooked, it’s hard to find spaces and communities where you feel welcomed. Imani allows for a community to have faith in you and in the greatness that you are capable of. I realize that I struggled to define Imani because as a Nigerian-American, I brought a different perspective to Kwanzaa that African Americans did not have. Being that I am first-generation American I am still very in touch with my roots in Africa
and I felt that Kwanzaa was just another way to diminish Africa’s individuality and once again define Africa with one culture, one story and one identity. I found out there was more than I was seeing. John Miller IV, the program coordinator at the African American Cultural Center, described Imani as “ whatever you need to give you the hope that things will get better whether that is looking to the future … or looking to the past.” John’s response allowed me to define Imani for myself. I believe Imani means to have faith in each other but what each individual chooses to have faith in is supposed to be defined by that individual for themselves. Having Imani is a personal experience because no one will have the same story as you. We have each had our own walks of life that have taught us differ-
ent lessons and faced us with different struggles. The struggles and experiences that we face as individuals is what allows us to have our own Imani’s. As final’s are coming up and you are filled with stress or you are overwhelmed, take a breath and remember to have Imani. People have faith in you and are rooting for your success!
playlist by Ugonna Ezuma-Igwe, Elikem Dodor, AND AALIYAH BAILEY
Lift Every Voice and Sing Beyoncé We Are The World U.S.A For Africa Firm and Strong Popcaan Keep Your Head Up 2pac Firm and Strong Popcaan Uyo Meyo Teni Destiny Burna Boy SOLID AS A ROCK SIZZLA