Kwanzaa - Celebrating Afrika

The following is an account taken from the important text: From Afruika to Afrika Ukombozi Siku - The Living Observance of Afrika Liberation Day. It includes quotations from a number of insightful sources:

“Afrika is the birthplace of humanity and civilisation. Afrika is most magnificent continent on Earth with unparalleled bountifulness.  The name Afrika holds authentic indigenous origins and carries deep and profound meaning. Contrary to the misleading propaganda spewed by the agencies of anti-Afrikan interest, the name Afrika is derived from the ancient Nile valley word Afruika.

Like other words from the beautiful and rhythmic Afrikan linguistic form, Afruika is a compound word with elements that reflect the grand sophistication of indigenous articulation. The meanings of the component parts of the word are Af which reflects the primary place of emergence. Ru means outlet and Ka means interior land.

‘Ka (Eg.), is an inner land, and Africa, or Kafrica, is the interior land of the human birthplace. 'Aurka' is a monumental name for a country in the south of Egypt; this in the consonantal form is Afrka. Af and au have the same value, meaning the old first place—born of; ru indicates the outlet, and ka the interior land.’

Over time foreign translations and interpretations have impacted on original forms. For example, the use of the C in the contemporary popularised form Africa reflects such imposition. Therefore, if the early foreign interpretation of the word Kafrica (meaning the interior land of the human birthplace) is sanitised toward authenticity and closer to its origin to become Kafrika deeper depths of profound meaning become clear. The double emphasis on the Ka element of the name highlights its great significance.

It is therefore compelling to examine what Ka means. The Afrikan spiritual and cultural way determines that land and people are inseparable in both the physical and ethereal world. This is reflected in the name. Kafrika (and indeed the shortened contemporary version Afrika) is not simply a superficial identifier of land space of the physical plateau but is also a reference to one of the aspects of the Afrikan soul.

‘The Ka is represented by two arms, held at 90-degree angles, symbolising the animating forces within the body. The Ka is also seen as containing all of the powers of creation and is an activator of cosmic forces. A person’s Ka determined their inherited and personal character as well as their destiny. On a higher level, the Ka represented spiritual free will, on a lower level it represented the fetters that bind one’s physical being to Earth. A soul becomes enlightened when it is liberated by both the Ba and the Ka.’

 

The life liberating element of Ka has various language expressions across Afrika, a clear indication of oneness in indigenous spiritual and cultural fabric that pervades this great continent. Clearly, the cultural cloth from which Afrikan life is expressed carries the unifying substance that is expressed through life when Afrikans live their own way.

 

‘Variously known as Ka {ancient Egyptian}, Chi {Igbo of Nigeria}, Ori {Yoruba of Nigeria}, Kra {Asante of Ghana}, Kla {Ga of Ghana}, Ehi {Bini of Nigeria}, Se {Fon of Benin}, Ido {Kuba of Zaire}. Etc.’

Consequently, from the earliest of yesteryears into the now and beyond to eternity the word Afrika holds profound and deep meaning. It inherently chronicles the journey of the magnificent first people of creation and even the advent of the presently popular anglicised form of Africa cannot disguise the depth of this authentic, empowering and rooted identifier of a whole people.

‘Even the word “Africa” can be traced to “Afrui-ka” which in the Egyptian language, means “birthplace”.’

The expression of Afrika with the K is a contemporary retention from the original word Afruika keeping (amongst much else) the ethereal essence of soul power in the word’s Ka element. Such a retention is a powerful one, for the coming of the Maafa (great suffering) of recent centuries has yielded much destructive imposition by way of language pollution and derailment. However, the Afrikan spirit in all of its natural beautifulness is incessant and the articulation of Afrika and Afrikan in this form is a clear assertion of the self-determined effort to be.

Afrika, is a wonderful and progressive deeply meaningful and holistic name. Here detailed are further reasons for the use of the K in its articulation:  

1.      ‘Most vernacular or traditional languages on the continent spell Afrika with a K; therefore the use of K is germain to us.

2.      Europeans, particularly the Portuguese and British, polluted our languages by substituting C whenever they saw K or heard the K sound – as in Kongo and Congo, Akkra and Accra, Konakri and Conakry – and by substituting Q wherever they saw KW. No European language outside of Dutch and German have the hard C sound. Thus we see the Dutch in Azania calling and spelling themselves Afrikaaners…the name spelled with the C came into use when Afrikans were dispersed over the world. Therefore the K symbolises our coming back together again.

3.      The K symbolises to us a kind of Lingua Afrikana, coming into use along with such words and phrases as Habari Gani, Osagyfo, Uhuru, Asante, together constituting one political language, although coming from more than one Afrikan language.

4.      As long as Afrikan languages are translated {written} into English etc., the European alphabet will be used. This is the problem. The letter K as with the letter C, is part of that alphabet, and at some point must be totally discontinued and the original name of Afrika used. The fact that Boers {peasants} in Azania also use the K, as in Afrikaan {to represent the hard C sound} demonstrates one of the confinements of the alphabet.’

Identification of a whole people of pinnacle magnificence is no tertiary matter. Thus, for the Afrikan the identifier ought to contain meaning of this marvellous people’s land of origin, language, history, cultural, spirituality and so on. Afrika is a profound articulation of this and more.  The great ancestors-ship of this ever-ascending spirit people are precise in their detail of a person that:

‘In the absence of a name the individual ceased to exist.’

As it is with the person, so it is with a people. Thankfully, despite the genocidal disruptions that have    been heaped upon Afrikan souls in recent times, the resilience, strength and power of these superlative and primary souls progresses forthrightly with the magnificent assertion of a whole people whether on the continent or in the diaspora – ‘We are Afrikan!’

To be Afrikan is a beautifully authentic accolade of divinity that emerges from divine soil and a divine people. This phenomenal word powerfully extends beyond being a ‘badge of honour’ (though it is indeed an honour of the most magnificent order). It speaks to the primary emergence of a superlative people of superlative land. It articulates the dynamic spiritual and cultural essence of Afrikan life and the oneness that this marvellous people hold one to the next throughout the world. It reflects oneness and origin. It is sacred word of and for a sacred people.

‘We are an Afrikan people. This statement simply means that there are values, traditions and a heritage that we share because we have a common origin. The cultural process is naturally a continuous one that allows people to affirm their connectedness through being linked to their origins. The continuity of our cultural identity has been interrupted cruelly and unnaturally by the experience of [enslavement]. We as a people are still suffering from this crime because we have not been allowed to find our way back to the sense of cultural identity and continuity which would make us a unified and whole people. We have not been able to function in the world with a collective consciousness that a strong sense of cultural roots naturally imparts.’

To reiterate, Both Afrika and Afrikan are deeply rooted terms of pinnacle elevation. Enemy impositions, misnomers and other forms of derailment have now to be cast aside and left to perish. The marvellous soul people of Creation have a natural and divine ascribed duty to assert their righteous selves and identity. The restoration and projection of the naturally empowering words Afrika and Afrikan are in themselves a fundamental part of the imperative thrust for the attainment and maintenance of Afrikan liberty.

‘Afrika for Afrikans, those at home and those abroad’, is not merely a slogan; it is a just demand, a reasonable expectation, a righteous hope, a faith in the Creator’s purpose.’”

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Unfortunately, the genocidal foreign enemy forces of the world have sought to derail Afrikan people from their homeland, their natural identity, and living knowingness of themselves. All manner of vices have been deployed as tools of derailment including imposition of contemporary religious doctrine, mis-education, anti-Afrikan propaganda at large and a host of other vile ills. The enemy desirous of locking the Afrikan in dire state of abject unknowingness of the self, is then able to continue his scourge of criminal piracy throughout the Afrikan world unchallenged, unchecked.

Wonderfully, multitudes upon multitudes of Afrikan souls throughout the world are ridding themselves of the folly of alien imposition and asserting their true divine selves through the Afrikan spiritual and cultural way. The most beautiful and magnificent people of the world are to naturally cultivate themselves in all of their superlative glory of self and as such become fully flourishing in all aspects of self-determined life.

Kwanzaa is celebration of the Afrikan self throughout the Afrika nation. This observance brings to into celebration the cultivation yield of ever-ascending mission for Afrikan liberty and nationhood. It is an assertion of natural identity, nation identity and the identity of Ukweli (Truth).

Collective assertion of living knowingness and identity of self is key and must not be the dictate of alien forces of anti-Afrikan agency. Being a part of a spiritual and cultural organ for the ascendancy of the Afrikan nation is an imperative endeavour for the Afrikan soul. The Universal Royal Afrikan Nation is such a mission. With its all year round Afrikan-centred spiritual and cultural calendar Afrikanness is living substance of elevation from one observance to the next. Kwanzaa as an important part of the calendar cycle joyously punctuates the victories of the annual cultivated harvest.

The wonderful observance of Kwanzaa takes place from the 26th of so-called December to the 1st of so-called January. It is seven-day period of Afrikan celebration and spiritual-cultural enrichment. Based upon the harvesting traditions of the Afrikan world this celebration of first fruits has at its core the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) together with an beautiful array of deeply meaningful symbols established elevate the Afrikan world community to its fullest flourishing.

Kwanzaa is one of the essential cultural observances of life within the Universal Royal Afrikan Nation. The Universal Royal Afrikan Nation (URAN) is an Afrikan-centred spiritual and cultural mission for ascendancy that embodies living spiritually and culturally rooted life. To find out more about URAN and its spiritual-cultural mission for liberty and nationhood click here. The exquisite URAN pendant can be obtained online by clicking here.

In his capacity as an Afrikan-centred spiritual cultural practitioner this author is available for further learning in this regard and also for the carrying out of ceremonies such as naming and name reclamation. For details please click here.

Afrikan World Studies programmes are an important forms of study in understanding the Afrikan experience. There are a range of subjects covered on these programmes including History, Creative Production, Psychology and Religion. To find out more about these learning programmes please click here. For the video promo for these learning programmes click here.

Also, in the approach to the important cultural observance of Kwanzaa, the text: From Pert-En-Min to Kwanzaa - A Kuumba (Creative) Restoration of Sacred First Fruits by this author is available to purchase online here. This publication provides informative detail on the of the Kwanzaa celebration. You can also visit the institution of Yemanja to pick up a copy.

At nominal cost, also consider acquisition of an a4 laminate poster of articulations by this author when visiting the Yemanja institution to enrol, consult, learn, gather or otherwise.

Also, visit www.u-ran.org for links to Afrikan liberation Love radio programme on Universal Royal Afrikan Radio online.