What Black African Film has revealed to us? Blacologically, What Black African Film has revealed to us? First of all I want to give praise and glory to the Creator, honor to the Ancestors and; thanks and appreciation to the Black Scholars, in particularly in this study, the Black African Film Producers. I want to thank the creator for my life, health, strength, talents and the gifts he gave me. I want to honor the Ancestors for providing me with the Knowledge of their wisdom and for having the courage of their convictions to do the work that provides for me the ability to stand and say Blacology. I want to give thanks and show my appreciation to the Black African Film Producers for their uncompromising spirit in our struggle for freedom, justice, and redemption. I love and appreciate you and I believe in you. And you did a great job in maintaining and articulating the uncompromising struggle and passing on the asset and tools of our culture to my generation. Julius Nyerere said, “1We are the custodians of the culture of our ancestors, mothers, and fathers. We are the perpetuators of the culture of our children. We have no right to leave behind a culture that is less fertile than the one our parents left to us”. I also want to say, I am thankful for Howard University Graduate School of Arts and Science and specifically its African Studies FILM AND HISTORY IN AFRICA Class instructed by Dr. M. B. Cham for its innovativeness. What I like about the FILM AND HISTORY IN AFRICA Class is that the class is a seminar. A seminar is a consortium where all ideas are a part of the shaping of the education of each person. In saying that, I want to give my position. I come to you today not as a sociologist, a psychologist, nor as an anthropologist. As a matter of fact, I do not come to you from any of the Eurological Fields of study. I come to you today… as a Blacologist, a Cultural Scientist from the Cultural Science of Blacology. Blacology - is the scientific study of the evolution of Black African People and their culture. It is the perpetuation and utilization of the ideas, philosophies, theories, beliefs, 1 TPCN - Great Quotations (Quotes) By Julius Kambarge Nyerere To Inspire and Motivate You To Achieve Your Dreams! Let these quotes help you become more successful and achieve your dreams http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotation 1 What Black African Film has revealed to us? concepts and notions of their past and present life experiences and the spirit of their uncompromising struggle as their Cultural knowledge. It is also the affirmation, acclamation, declaration and proclamation of Intellectual Genius, Creativity and the Black Story. Wholisticly, it is the manifestation of a Blacological Intellectual Cultural Science Education. I say this because, I want you to understand that I do not see things the way that you do. I see them from a Blacological Perspective. I have studied Negro History, Negritude, Negro Nationalism, Black History, Black Studies, Black Nationalism, African-Centered Education, Afrocentricity, Pan-Africanism and African Studies. I studied at the Black Panther Party International Black Library in Chicago, Illinois in 1968, where I learned the art of Black Dynamics. I am a student of the Black Consciousness Movement. In 1973 I participated in the “Think Black Campaign” At Harper High School in Chicago, Illinois were we as Black Students conducted a campaign where we exercised our ability to “Think Black”. This thought is in the tradition of my culture. These were the time of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement in the City of Chicago. Our Black Consciousness was an effort to have more Black Teachers, a Black Principle and Black History Programs at an integrating Harper High School. It was an effort in conjunction with the movement for the Martin Luther King Holiday. I have many life Experiences of 50 years as a Black Man. I am a Graduate and student of HBCU’s Prairie View A&M University, Bishop College and I am now PhD Candidate at Howard University in African Studies. As Malcolm X has done I have selfeducated myself on Black Scholars before taking on Eurological institutional training. I have also conducted an analysis of my own mis-education in African-Centered Education at the Pan-African University founded by Abena Walker, so as to undo my mis-education. I have also studied the book, “Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery by Dr. Niam Akbar so as to educate my self on the Chains of Psychological Slavery. I have Studied Decolonizing the Mind: by Ngugi wa Thiong'O, in African Studies at Howard University under Dr. Mbye B. Cham. If you have not completed such courses you can not decolonize your mind nor undo your mis-education. 2 What Black African Film has revealed to us? I have learned in my 40 years of study and research on Blacology, that as Black People we are to learn from the information and studies we have acquired, so that, we can make life better for the next Black Generation. Blacologically, we must ask ourselves, how can this help Black People? That is our cultural responsibility and our fate. Blacologically speaking, I am not anti-white, nor am I Anti-Jewish, nor anti-Arab nor Anti-Semitic. What I am is Pro-Black. I am a Professional Black Scholar. I am a learnt Blacological Scientist. I am a Blacologist a Cultural Scientist. I am Black and proud of it, and I lived the life I sing about in that song. I don’t make excuses nor apologizes for it. Now let’s Blacologically discuss the revelations of Black African Film. What Black African Film revealed to us, was the Europeans did not except the Oral Traditions of Black Africans as legitimate in the Eurological history nor as a record of their history. Blacologically speaking, I thought that to be somewhat hypocritical in terms of eurological academic studies because all documented existence was developed from the oral past and present. The beginning of Eurological history was an oral tradition. The Europeans had to write down their oral stories in order to make documentation of some kind of reality out of it. One must ask the question, what was really going on with this assertion? With that statement, I found it to be some what stagnating in the way of the development of the oral tradition of Black African Culture to be written and documented by Black Scholars. There is nothing new under the sun. Blacologically, Since we are at the point of beginning to write our oral tradition as Black Africans in the Black Diaspora and on the African Continent. I saw that as destructive to our advancement. It is also scheming and facetious as well as racist. When someone is telling you that your oral tradition is not relevant when they had to go through the same process that is deceitful, it is a fact all written words started in the oral. In order for Black Africans to redevelop their culture it must be our autonomous point of view and not from some one else. Black African Film also revealed to us, the existence of the universe is not one solid block it is made of different cultures. It is within our motif and our make up to develop for our culture an authentic autonomous Black Story that is not only symbolic but factual and true. Each culture has an autonomous tradition and custom of each particular ethnicity. 3 What Black African Film has revealed to us? Each experience gives some insight in terms of what people are saying about their cultural story them selves. The universe is made of many different cultures. Many different individuals make up cultures and contribute to it. Each culture has it own story to tell. No one culture is superior to another. Anyone can write about their culture. This is not an Arabic or Eurological talent or gift only. The universe belongs to every people. 2 Black Story - the oral account of rumors, tales, fables, legends, and traditions of Black African Culture converted into a written script, articles, documentation, or publication, an authentic autonomous product of the Intellectual Genius and Creativity from the mind of the Black Scholars. No one can tell our Black Story or Black African Story like we can tell it. This is an undeniable and unalienable God given right. It is only humane and righteous that we be able to write our Black Story as well. Black African film is an example of how Black People must tell their own Black Story. The Black Story in Film is an epic and mythical cultural autonomy. The Black Story in Film reflects an Epic Saga that must be told, one that is eternal, one that goes back beyond the origin of the Eurological word “history”. Blacologically speaking, in a way for me as a Black African born in United States, seeing a production as such really brings home to me in a spiritual and cultural and personal way. Something that all Black Africans born in this land are looking for in one shape or form is a truth about our Black Culture. We want to know that at home (in Black Africa) our People do want to know who we are and how to connect with us. We also want to be able to build some cultural Bridges. There are a lot of artificial barriers that divide Black People from really knowing and caring about their cultural existence. Also having some interests from their past and how to establish some communication with other Black African People through out the Black World. As Black African People we have a very serious spiritual and cultural disconnection that exists amongst us in terms of a reality that is actually our own. We need to know how we can go back and connect with our past culturally. We need to be able to share the 2 See Cross, W. Prof. BlacFonicz: Coined Blacological Terminology and Words, Blacology Research And Development Institute Inc., CulturalScience@cs.com, BLACOLOGY.COM, Landover, Md 20744, 2006 4 What Black African Film has revealed to us? information of our struggle and the pain that we both have. To see the film Asientos by François Woukoache, with Black African People standing on the edge of the ocean was a revelation of cultural unity. Standing with the lights lit waiting for our return to greet us is very spiritually and culturally powerful in terms of what we had been taught. This is an example of the oral tradition of Black African Culture that we must gather and preserve in building an autonomous Cultural Science as Black Scholars. It revealed the responsibility of the Black Writers to the redevelopment of Black African Culture. It is for Black Scholars our cultural obligation. In the United States we were victims of the orientation of Eurological colonialism. We were taught that there was no one who cared. We were taught on this continent that everything Black was not good and everything African was no good. We were also taught the Black Africans did not want us back. Nor did we want to go back. All this was done in silence and that silence is still a determining factor. When I say “we”, I don't only mean a totality of all Black Africans born in this land of the United States but, in the entire Black World. It takes a certain amount of education to undo the mis-education we all suffer from. It takes a certain amount of research and education to appreciate that Black People are the same wherever you go. Blacologically, we all feel connected in some kind of way and we all have struggled from captivity and the process of enslavement and colonialism. It also revealed the question about when white people and Black People say that Black Africans who contributed to the slave trade in the film “Addangaman” by Gnoan Mbala. This is true but what about the ones who lost people and wished for them to come back and long for their return. These are Black People that over the centuries are struggling in pain to try and make that connection culturally. This was reflected in the film “Little Senegal” by Rachid Bouchareb. To see it on the film is to see the depth into the struggle we have faced as Black African People. We must know that Black Culture is strong and how it was hidden and taken from us is well known. What Black African Film has revealed to us? It has capture for us the images of our oppression, indoctrination under captivity. It is showing us what we look like after we have been subdued by others. Now we have to look at it that so that we can make changes. In 5 What Black African Film has revealed to us? many a times the Black African Film has showed us what the problems are and how we exist. It also shows us the solutions. We are faced with a very serious problem as a people, because we need to know this for ourselves. Blacologically, are we aware of the extent to which colonialism has been forced upon Black People in the Mother/father land. As a matter of fact Black People in the United States are not aware that they are under colonialism themselves. What is the extent to which neo-colonialism contributes to the maintenance of colonialism? But Black African film has brought this to our conscious. These are Blacological Variables to the silence in Asientos and All Black African film that is parallel in all that we do as Black People. 1. Denial (of culture) 2. self-hatred, animosity toward other Black People 3. comfort in the convinces of colonialism. 4. lack of knowledge about Black Culture. 5. no knowledge and denial about racism/white supremacy. 6. Lack of knowledge of how to undo Mis-education, decolonize your mind and be aware of colonial cultural conditioning. 7. Negative Individualism (I, me, self, mine, selfishness, exploitation of Black People) 8. The victims of divide and conquer, films of the Black feminism and none about Black Manism the promoting and building of strong and wise Black Men. 9. Assimilation, emulation, and mimicking of eurological culture. 10. The assumption that we have knowledge of Black African Culture. 11. The twin negatives jealousy and envy. 12. The inability to communicate due to a lack of knowledge about the application of Black African Language and linguistics; reading, pronunciation, and accent. 13. Sexual irresponsibility of both Black Men and Black Women in all ages in Black Africa and the Black Diaspora. 14. The lack of appreciation and value for the gift of procreation. 15. No plan for the next generation. 16. Only living for the present. 6 What Black African Film has revealed to us? 17. How the colonial religions are used to maintain our contentment with the conveniences of subjugation. 18. No honor for the Ancestors and Elders and people hood. 19. BlacMen without Black Woman as guidance and Black Woman without BlacMen as guidance. 20. A people without the knowledge of Family Tradition, genealogy, and heritage. 21. The lack of a theme for the redevelopment of Black African Culture. 22. After all that, there is the simultaneous message of the uncompromising struggle for justice and Redemption and freedom. What Black African Film has revealed to us? Black People do not have their own perspective the eurological culture can say sociologically, psychologically, anthropologically, and historically, but what do the Black Scholars and their grassroots have to say autonomously? I will tell you from your culture Black People, you can say Afrocentristically, and Blacologically. If you are Black African and you are not thinking Black, if you are Black People and your are not thinking Blacological now is the time to start. We can never be #1 with any one else, until we are #1 with ourselves. In films such as Sankofa, Emitai, Camp de Thiaroye, Deluge, Le Grand Blanc de Lambarene, what Black African Film revealed to us was what my Master Thesis Black Solidarity and Institutional Racism3 says which is a Blacological Synthesis: The greater the degree of Eurological culture, the lesser the opportunity of Blacology. The greater the degree of Eurological culture, the lesser the degree of Black Culture. The greater the degree of Eurological culture, the lesser the degree of Black African Culture. The greater the degree of Eurological culture, the lesser the opportunity to think about the redevelopment of Black African Culture. The greater the degree of Eurological culture, the lesser the opportunity to develop an authentic Autonomous Blacological Intellectual Cultural Science. 3 Cross, Walter, Masters Thesis: Black Solidarity and the Awareness of Institutional Racism, Cultural Consciousness Scale, ©1987, Also written and published as a book in © 2004, 7 What Black African Film has revealed to us? We are not what we have become. It is a strange thing because we are not able to say what we have become. Some of us can not speak or read in our own autonomous languages. This is why we need to be able to express ourselves in Black African Film. So, then we have to speak it in the words that have been forced upon us. Blacologically, we need to make a film about why there is no Blacological Intellectual Cultural Science Education in the Black African Culture by Black Scholars. This is how we must address our concern. We must speak the language in the spirit of our cultural rhythmus. 4If I speak in the language of other cultures and assimilate to their ways, but have not Cultural Affirmation, I am a copy-cat or a second class citizen. If I have their theories, philosophies, and beliefs, and quote all their great men; and have studied all their sciences, so as to perpetuate their culture, but have not a sense of my own Cultural Solidarity, I am walking the path of least existence. If I throw away all my heritage, and hold up the heritage of other cultures, but have not any consciousness of my own, I gain nothing. Black African Film has revealed to us the many mythical ways we can see ourselves. Instead of being silent about them, we must write out the Oral Traditions so that we can hold them up to the light and see what we got. As Black Scholars we must be in the business of myth making in order to redevelop a damaged culture. We must no longer practice it is okay to be ignorant as a method of dependency. We must use our talents, and creativity to gain Intellectual Liberation. There is a myth in the Black African Culture and thru out the Black World, about why the Black Man does not use his own autonomous body of knowledge. It is about the four men the Creator gave talents to. The Creator gave the white man 4 talents, the Asian man 3 talents, the Arab man 2 talents, and the Black Man 1 talent. When Creator came back after a time to ask each men what did they do with their talents they had received? The white man who had 4 talents doubled his. The Asian man with 3 talents doubled his. The Arab man with 2 talents doubled his. The Black Man with 1 talent was so culturally conditioned by the 4 Cross, Walter, A Brief Introduction to Blacology A Cultural Science, The Way of Blacology the book, by Profesa Walter Cross, © 215re © 2004, 8 What Black African Film has revealed to us? colonialism the other men had caste upon him, under the affects of enslavement, captivity, and mis-education. The Black Man became so intrigued by the conveniences of these inhumanities. He has not at this time used his talent at all. The Black Man buried it under the sand and did nothing with it. The creator in his benevolence has yet to come to the BlacMan. What is the fate of the Black Man? Will the Creator take the talent from him and he becomes a servant to the other men. Or will he do like Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey said, “raise you mighty race and be what you can”5. Blacologically, Our vision in this millennium is to utilize the gifts and talents the Creator has given us. Is this the fate of the Black Man or can he control his destiny? In order for the Black Man to accomplish the task at hand he must be in the business of myth making. He must use the gift of his creativity and intellectual genius to make a myth. He must say be and it is. Here is a myth from a Black Man. THE MYTH OF BLACOLOGY 6 (The Poem) There is a MYTH. It is a vision deeply rooted in the Black Culture, @the HBCU’s and in the MINDS of Black Scholars There is a myth, That one-day in the Black Culture all over the Black World, The sons of former captives, free Black People, and Traditional Black Africans will be proud of their Culture, and will be able to live together as BROTHERS and SISTERS There is a MYTH... BROTHERS, That one-day in the Black Culture 5 Historical Facts about Marcus Garvey and the UNIA-ACL, www.unia-acl.org/info/historic.htm 6 The “Myth of Blacology” was inspired by the “I have a Dream” speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington in 1965. In a documentary video entitled “The Trumpet of Conscious” on C-span in 1985. 9 What Black African Film has revealed to us? BLACOLOGY will be taught to Black Children and they will be able to say AUTONOMY at last, and...That they will no longer have to deal with second class citizenship, minority status, and colonialism. There is a MYTH that the… CULTURAL SCIENCE OF BLACOLOGY will come and eliminate the cultural depravation of Black People. There is a MYTH, BROTHERS and SISTERS. That BLACK MEN will no longer be depended on the ologies of other cultures, But that they will utilize the philosophies, theories, and the knowledge of their FOREFATHERS, to develop for their culture solutions to the problems of Black Culture and BLACK AFRICAN PEOPLE. There is a MYTH, one day in the Black Culture, the SCIENCE OF BLACOLOGY will become a reality… in this day, with this SCIENCE, we can go out and achieve Autonomy and there will be no insurmountable goals. 10 What Black African Film has revealed to us? There is a MYTH.... that my children and other young BROTHERS and SISTERS will not come up the way I did. They will be judged on the content of their character, and their character will be molded by Black African Culture and not by the w.a.s.p. measuring rod of white middle class standards There is a MYTH.... this afternoon that here in this country and the world BLACK BROTHERS and SISTERS will be able to study BLACOLOGY in their schools and that BLACOLOGY will be a SCIENCE that will be a contribution to world culture, and they will be able to be productive and be creative in their culture. By building institutions for self-determination. Yes, There is a MYTH, That one day in Black Culture that The SCIENCE OF BLACOLOGY will become REAL and BLACK KNOWLEDGE will role down like waters and BLACK HERITAGE like a mighty stream. 11 What Black African Film has revealed to us? There is a MYTH... BROTHERS and SISTERS That we will recognize the philosophies, theories, and beliefs of the BLACK SCHOLARS and that all BLACK MEN, BLACK WEMEN, and BLACK CHILDREN are involved by the creators will in some unalienable rights and among these are Cultural Affirmation, Cultural Solidarity, Cultural Education, and Cultural Intellectual Autonomy. There is a MYTH, That exploitation, degradation, and cultural inequality will be eliminated and Black Culture will be exulted and that maginalization, underestimation, and devaluing of Black People will come to an end and Black Intellectuals will see the glory of Black Culture revealed… and all BLACK AFRICAN PEOPLE shall see it together. There is a MYTH...this afternoon that the BROTHERHOOD of the BLACK MAN shall become a reality in this day and through BLACOLOGY we can go out and achieve Autonomy. With BLACOLOGY we will be able to build A tunnel of hope…. through a mountain of despair We will be able to achieve a new day when all BLACK AFRICAN PEOPLE will 12 What Black African Film has revealed to us? have KNOWLEDGE of their CULTURE. They will be able to join hands and say AUTONOMY at last. Thank the ANCESTORS for their sacrifices, AUTONOMY at last. THANK THE CREATOR ALMIGHTY, AUTONOMY at last We want to make them proud. There is a MYTH that… BLACOLOGY will … Make real the words. “ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL” by the liberation of the Innovative Authentic Monolithic Intellectual Creative Genius (IAMICG) of Black African People and their Culture. ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO THE ANCESTORS AND THE CREATOR! By Blacologist: Profesa Wulta Zamani Xrozz What I like about Black African film is that they are not your typical or traditional Negro or African–American comedy or religious assimilation films of the past 5 to 10 years. Nor are they the verified integration type of film that is made to include whites to be able to cross over in to the eurological culture, as though something is wrong with Black Culture. If the Black Culture is not what it supposed to be, it is up to Black Scholars make what it should be. These films did not make me feel as though they had to be approved by eurological institutions or their scholars. What these films have done is provide a look at other aspect of Black African Culture other than the assimilation aspect of Black Culture. These films give Black People a chance to critique, maybe not critique, but look at the affects of colonialism in other geographies where Black People are, so that they may be able to see how they are affected and which is also a realistic look at themselves. The major concern here is that when colonized Black People see Black African Film they need to have some one to help to enlighten them on how colonialism Racism/white 13 What Black African Film has revealed to us? supremacy works, what it is, and what it does and read the “Willie Lynch Letter7” in order to know what it is and how to apply it to your life. Sometimes Black movies reinforce the mentality of being the victims of colonialism. Until we as Black Scholars have undone our own mis-education and decolonized our minds we can not know how we have internalized colonialism. As Black Scholars, we need a Blacological Intellectual Cultural Science Education Organism one that makes Black Culture evolutional and perpetual for all generations. This must be a combined effort or a two way street from the Black Diaspora to Alkebu-Lan and the reverse (Black Africa to All Black People in the Black World and back). This is what Black African film has revealed to us. As Black Scholars we must learn to talk about Black Culture with the same vigor and wisdom as we do when we talk about the colonial eurological scholar. In fact we do not need to validate Black Culture by quoting any euro-scholars. The Black Scholars can stand the test of time they have their own cultural sphere. In Black African Film the Black Story is complete with examples of Intellectual Genius and Creativity with great debates that have, in various ways defined Blacological Thought over time. The most celebrated of such debates is that of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubios, Dr. Martin L. King Jr. #II and Malcolm X, Ousmane Sembene and Leopold Sedar Senghor whose ideals and beliefs stand for the justice, redemption and advancement of BlacPeople and the redevelopment Black African Culture are a blueprint for the present and unborn generations to come. The development of such Black Scholars will continue to evolve from this authentic autonomous Body of knowledge in many parts of the Black World forever. Blacologically speaking, I refuse to accept the ideal… that, the presence of the Eurological Scholars makes the Black Scholars morally incapable of reaching up for the Black Knowledge that forever confronts them. 7 Advice For Slavemasters, On How To Make Slaves, From One White Slave Plantation Owner, "The Willie Lynch Letter", www.northtulsa.com/willielyn.htm 14 What Black African Film has revealed to us? Reference: 1. Cross, Walter, Masters Thesis: Black Solidarity and the Awareness of Institutional Racism, Cultural Consciousness Scale, ©1987, , Graduate School of Sociology and Social Work, Dr. Clyde O. McDaniel Class Instructor, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX CulturalScience@cs.com, Also written and published as a book in © 2004, @Blacology Research And Development Institute Inc., Ft. Washington, Maryland 20744, Blacology.com. 2. Mbye Cham, "Film and History in Africa: A Critical Survey of Trends and Tendencies." In Francoise Pfaff, ed., Focus on African Films. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004. 48-68. 3. Mbye Cham, "Art and Ideology in the Work of Ousmane Sembene and Haile Gerima," Presence Africaine, 129, ler trimester, 1984: 79-91. 4. Mbye Cham, FALL 2007, in Course Reader, AFST 328: FILM AND HISTORY IN AFRICA , 1004-07, Instructor: Mbye Cham, e-mail: mcham@howard.edu, African Studies Ph.D. Program, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 5. Genevieve Fabre and Robert O'Meally, History and Memory in African-American Culture. (London: Oxford University Press, 1994) 6. David Murphy, Sembene: Imagining Alternatives in African Film and Fiction, Trenton, NJ.: Africa World Press. 2001 7. Robert A. Rosenstone, ed., Revisioning History: Film and the Construction of a New Past. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1995. 8. Femi O. Shaka, Modernity and The African Cinema. Trenton, NJ.: Africa World Press, 2004. Read the chapter on "A critical Reading of Ousmane Sembene and Thierno Faty Sow's Thierno Faty Sow's Camp de Thiaroye" 378-405. 9. Teresa Barnes, "Flame and the Historiography of Armed Struggle in Zimbabwe." In Bickford-Smith and Mendelsohn. 240-255. in course reader AFST 328, 2007 10. Marcus Garvey Towards Black Nationhood, narrated by Ozzie Davis, www.uniaacl.org/info/historic.htm, Collectors Idem, Video Achieves @Blacology Research And Development Institute Inc., Ft. Washington, Maryland 20744, Blacology.com, 2006 11. Advice For Slavemasters, On How To Make Slaves, From One White Slave Plantation Owner, "The Willie Lynch Letter" By The Black Arcade Liberation Library; 1970 (recompiled and reedited by Kenneth T. Spann, www.northtulsa.com/willielyn.htm 12. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Trumpet of Conscious”, Presentation of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., on C-Span in Dallas Texas, TBS Production, Inc. Copyright 1985. 15