Giving New Life to The Movement

Toward the aim of bringing clarity to a broad set of often confusing perceptions about what is affecting African people around the world, I have become increasingly critical of myself and my role in overlapping communities referred to as Pro-Black, Cultural Nationalist, Black Nationalist and Pan African. I herein consider these groups separately from that identifying as “African American” or to hyphenated counterparts in Canada, United Kingdom, France or other European-dominated countries. Toward the aim of sharpening this self-critique with the stated purpose of strengthening our progressive agenda, I wish to make some pointed observations and proposals. For clarity sake, I am going to lump these four overlapping entities into one category which I will refer to as The Movement, despite some appreciative distinctions among these groups.

Much of the momentum of The Movement had been bound to expansions of black literacy, African centered scholarship and the rapid growth of independent black book sellers, media, study groups and other entities which fed into, and fed off of a century long rise in literacy. We can look deep into our historical roots to find many significant milestones to which we owe gratitude for this emergence of group-empowering scholarship. For my own part this Hall of Honor is highlighted with names such as Marcus Garvey, Ida Wells-Barnett, Malcolm X, Mary McLeod-Bethune, John Henrik Clarke, Amos Wilson, Walter Rodney, J.A. Rogers, Chancellor Williams and hundreds of others, living and ascended.

From my most definitive analysis, black literacy in the U.S. topped out in the mid-1980’s, and The Movement largely peaked in the mid-1990’s and started to seriously weaken before the turn of the (Roman calendar) century. Today, the influence of African centered activity has retreated quite dramatically. Even though there is still a great valuation for the great literary works of African history, our culture and broad strengths as a people, there is a generalized trend to turn away from serious literacy toward electronic entertainment, religious fanaticism, degenerative carnality, breakdown of intergenerational authority and a myriad of other indulgences which are in contradiction to the will of our Wisest Elders.

As we can look across the spectrum of political, social and economic engagements which impact the viability of our global family, I think it is past time that we who still believe in the critical mission of The Movement recommit ourselves toward specific actions that will assure that the great sacrifices and commitments of our elders and ancestors are not lost within our generation.

Through my talk radio format, for five years I have conducted African centered analyses of the areas of: culture, consciousness, historical perspective, entertainment, education, economics, health, labor, law, politics, religion, family and conflict (to borrow from, and build upon, Neely Fuller and Dr. Francis Cress-Welsing), I have firmly concluded that collectively, the black family’s back is against the wall. Now is the time for us to truly demonstrate the value of our teachings and to restore to The Movement that which is necessary to get us black on The Golden Pathway which leads to our destiny.

Therefore, over the coming weeks and months, I am going to appeal publicly and privately, in thousands of conversations, for us to renew our pledges to purposeful self discipline, increase our investments in our children’s prosperity, back away from media driven desires and political agenda, distinguish our endeavors from those whose actions are not conducive to our group survival. Let’s get really excited and commence to building upon historic strengths that have brought us through countless serious crises in the past. The Right Time has finally come and we must show that we are well prepared to bring about the future our ancestors planned for us.

Keidi Obi Awadu is the founder of Black Star Media. He is the host of a talk radio show on www.LIBRadio.com and shares his video documentaries on www.LIBtv.com. Contact Keidi at keidi@libradio.net.