Spirit of Omowale Malcolm X All-Year-Round: Kwanzaa 

The Creator Supreme has blessed the Afrikan to live sacred life in holistic oneness in centrality of the sacred universe. As such the spiritual and cultural observances of the Afrikan calendar cycle reflect that oneness. In this, observances are spirit energisers and enliveners for all-year-round living. These vital times of year do not confine spirit but rather nurture, groom and shape Afrikan souls to fully flourish with each observance highlighting its special focus. From observance to observance holistic living and oneness of spirit becomes ever more deeply manifest. Observances relate to each other and are interrelated in profound ways. The important observance of Omowale Malcolm X Kukumbuko of the Universal Royal Afrikan Nation energises spirit with its special focus on this great hero and manifestation of Heru, Ogun through remembrance. The spirit of Omowale flows throughout the annual cycle, an example of which, is the wonderful observance of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa had not yet been creatively restored and popularised during Omowale’s physical life span. However, the inspiration of Omowale Malcolm X was certainly a part of Kwanzaa coming forth throughout the world. Omowale had a profound depth of connection with his Afrikanness. He studied Afrikan history and life and encouraged Afrikan souls throughout the world to do likewise to inform ascension. The following is selection of words from this great hero highlighting the spirit of Omowale Malcolm X associated with the substance of Kwanzaa and its values:

Omowale Malcolm X on Afrikan life’s continual process of harvesting through the cultivation of self:

“When you put a seed in the soil it remains beneath the soil until the season changes. And when the season changes, the seasonal change automatically brings about. Rather, atmospheric conditions bring about a seasonal change that makes that seed come up or crop grow in its appointed time and all over this world today God [her/]himself has brought about political changes, a political atmosphere, social atmosphere, economic atmosphere. These economic conditions, these political conditions and social conditions combine to bring about a situation that is making [Afrikan] people in America [and world] more receptive – their mind more fertile to the seed of truth”

Omowale Malcolm X on the establishment of learning in the language of Kiswahili:

“We’re having classes set up in Swahili…You know one of the things I found out when I was in Afrika, I felt very much at a loss, many times, by not being able to speak the language”.

Omowale Malcolm X on fatherhood

Omowale Malcolm X on the essences of the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles):

Umoja (Unity)

“When you total up the number of [Afrikans], real [Afrikans] in the western hemisphere there are perhaps a hundred million and if these people ever unite amongst themselves, not only is it necessary for the [Afrikan] in the United States to be organised but it’s also necessary for the [Afrikans] in the Caribbean, the [Afrikans in Cuba], the [Afrikans in Brazil], it’s necessary for all of them to be organised and then once they are organised in each place, we have to organise among ourselves so that the [Afrikans] in the United States will be working in conjunction in a coordinated programme with those who are in Cuba and those who are in Brazil and those in Venezuela and those throughout the Caribbean and Haiti and in the [other so-called] west Indian islands. And in this way we actually get strength.”

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

“One of the first things I think young people, especially nowadays, young people should learn how to do is see for yourself, and listen for yourself, and think for yourself and then you can come to an intelligent decision for yourself. But if you form the habit of going by what you hear others say about someone or what others think about someone. Instead of searching that thing out for yourself and see for yourself. You’ll be walking west when you think your going east. Or be walking east when you think your going west”.  

“When a man is educated he will think for himself and defend himself and speak for himself.”

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

“To establish our own economic system and society and thereby we’ll be able to solve our own problems ourselves and prove that we are human beings and a part of the human family and can do for ourselves what other humans have done for themselves. And then we’ll be able to stop blaming the white man for what he has done and stop begging the white man to solve our problems. We’ll be able to solve our problems ourselves.”

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

“We should own and operate and control the economy of our community.”

Nia (Purpose)

“To develop all of our dormant potential all of our dormant capability. In developing this dormant capability, the right and the ability to stand on this earth on some land of our own and bring about a civilisation and a society in which we will be completely independent. Complete freedom to take care of the needs, to take care of the wants and the likes and dislikes of our people. To establish our own nation, our own society, our own heaven, our own future.”

Kuumba (Creativity)

“Create a situation where the young people, our young people, students and others could study the problems of our people for a period of time and come up with a new analysis and give us some new ideas and some new suggestions as to how to approach a problem that too many other people have been playing around with for too long.”

Imani (Faith)

“This is what you have to understand, as long as that strong spiritual power was in the Movement – it gave the moral strength to the believer that would enable him to rise above all his negative tendencies. I know because I went into the Movement with more negative tendencies than anybody in the Movement. And just faith in what I was taught made it possible to stop doing anything that I was doing and everything that I was doing. And I saw thousands of brothers and sisters come in who were in the same condition and whatever they were doing would stop it overnight, just through faith and faith alone. And by this spiritual force giving one the faith that enabled me to exercise the moral discipline it became an organisation that was to be respected as well as feared.”

 

It is in the spirit of the articulation associated with Kuumba that was surely key for the creative restoration of Kwanzaa came to fruition as young people organised themselves, studied and concluded that:

“the key crisis in Black life is the cultural crisis”.

Further :

“Us reaffirmed Marcus Garvey’s call to put our people first and to work tirelessly to free and empower them. In the sixties, we had stood up seeing ourselves as descendants of Malcolm with an awesome obligation to wage the revolution he had conceived and called for. We thus saw ourselves as servants and soldiers of the people always on post and on point wherever called and needed.”

In the decades following Omowale Malcolm X’s physical life span. Many progressive Afrikans of various religious persuasions have been inspired by or have learned from the great hero Omowale Malcolm X and have expressed restoration of the Afrikan spiritual and cultural way through the progressive substance of Kwanzaa.

Khalid Muhammad: “I’d studied Malcolm, I’d searched all of Malcolm’s tracks and footsteps. I went to the barbershop, Nubian Nations to sit in the chair where he used to sit in the chair. I went to visit with his sister and as I went to Sister Ella and just to sit at her feet in Roxbury…Malcolm became the centre of my life…I think the ‘man’ should know that I still live ‘By Any Means Necessary’ to this day”.

Khalid Muhammad: “I’m just as interested in the freedom of my people as I am in the Self-Determination or the Kujichagulia – self-development, them being self-defining, self-respecting and self-defending”.

Rev. Ishakamusa Barashango: “Molasses, the prime ingredient of the New England [enslavement of Afrikans], was the ‘miracle’ out of which America so quickly rose to power. To put it another way the ‘miracle’ was you, in the person of your [Afrikan] ancestors who worked according to Brother Malcolm X ‘From can’t see in the morning til can’t see at night. Even after the long day’s work was over our people still could find no rest”

Rev. Ishakamusa Barashango: “To those misguided Black people of a negro mentality who believe that white people should be allowed to participate in the celebration of Kwanzaa, we say, Kwanzaa is not to be played with, it is not to be used for personal gain, political leverage or bridge the gap between the races. It is and will continue to be what it was created to be, sacred to the Afrikan race. Kwanzaa is set aside and set apart from all other things in this [European] dominated society for purposes other than that normally engaged in. The principles of Kwanzaa form the basis for our way out of this degenerate and destructive society and inspire us as a people to create our own New Society based on the sacred laws of nature and the positive tradition of our Afrikan Ancestors”.

The eulogy of Omowale Malcolm X included the words: “In honouring him, we honour the best in ourselves”.

The basis upon which Kwanzaa and other Afrikan observances and practice emerges is to: “select, preserve and build on the best of what we have achieved and produced, in the light of our knowledge and our needs born of experience”.

In the approach to Omowale Malcolm X Kukumbuko, learning can become a progressive and purposeful mission. Time taken to learn can go a long way. Learn of Afrikan progressive mission and live Afrikan progressive mission is the becoming of vital Afrikan acumen.

Throughout the annual cycle of the spiritual and cultural calendar of the Universal Royal Afrikan Nation observance to observance, Afrikan life is endowed with the essential of living knowingness. For the Afrikan souls, being a part of an organ for mission ascendancy is key. The Universal Royal Afrikan Nation is a spiritually and culturally rooted organ for Afrikan ascension.

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 Omowale Malcolm X Kukumbuko, the text: From Ajar to Omowale – The Spiritual & Garveyite Journey of Malcolm X by this author is available to purchase online here. The trailer for this important text can be found online here. This publication provides detail on the life and example of this great hero. 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.