Marcus Garvey : Faith (Imani)

The symbol at the top of the page is the Kwanzaa symbol Imani or faith: “To believe with all our hearts in our parents, our teachers, our leaders, our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.”

But what is our struggle? Seventy seven years ago, Marcus Garvey defined the struggle: “We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind.”

The story of Africans in the Americas began in slavery. But Marcus knew Africans had a history that began in Ethiopia, the “cradle of humanity,” and their knowledge of the arts and sciences spread through Kemet (modern Egypt), which subsequently influenced every other civilization including the Greek and Roman empires. 

Marcus had also studied the history of the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay, and read about the kingdoms of Kongo and Ndongo in Central and Southcentral Africa, so was able to say, “Be as proud of your race today as our fathers were in the days of yore. We have a beautiful history, and we shall create another in the future that will astonish the world.”

The “victory of our struggle” is the redemption of Black people from the “mental slavery” that causes many think that they are irredeemable and to give up on their dreams. But Marcus had faith in the redemption of our race. 

Redemption means "to lift up" something that you cherish or value. It also involves faith in yourself and your community. Redemption doesn’t have to be on the large scale; it can be in the small things that we do to lift up ourselves and the people whom we love. 

We just have to have faith that it can be done. As Marcus said in The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, “Rise up, you mighty race! Accomplish what you will."

Writing Exercise

How do you show faith in yourself, your family, or community?

Write a paragraph about how you plan to uplift yourself, family, community or nation.

Write a paragraph about how you show faith in yourself, your family or community.

Write an essay about how faith and redemption play a part in your life.

From THE STORY OF MARCUS GARVEY

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey: 
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Kwanzaa: Imani

"To believe, with all our heart, in our Creator, our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle."


"Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don't see."
Hebrews 11:1 CEB, Common English Bible
Faith has brought us this far. I do believe that we will see the healing that we need in our culture, but now as Brother Bob sang, "The preaching and talking is done/ We've got to live up."
Let's live up, sisters and brothers.
One Love.


***


Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.

***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.