The Psychology of Being Afrikan-Centered and What That Really Means

Now that some of us are claiming to have begun to study Afrikan-Centered information, when will we, as individuals begin to look at ourselves, study ourselves, and our own mentality and behavior? When are we, as individuals, going to own our ‘sh**’. If we are being honest, we must look at the ‘person in the mirror’. First of all, we must study the self. Many of us go around, after watching a few ‘youtube’ videos and all of a sudden we know everything. Many of us haven’t picked up one book by any of our Afrikan-Centered scholars. Oftentimes, we only get snippets of information from youtube, much of it incorrect; particularly when we listen to dudes whose behavior and character is suspect and in many instances, highly questionable. Listen to them well and then research the ‘facts’ they actually present. And look at their character and behavior. Is their behavior reflective of the words they speak? Is their character reflective in you? Or are you a much better person than that? After watching some of these Characters, the question you must ask yourself is, do you want to know more? Do you want to be more? Do you want to be a better human being? The task of wanting to know more, be more, and be a better human being can only come with putting in some of your time reading the researched work of our Grand Master Scholars, whose tireless efforts are worthy of your time and effort. And then we must do honest self-reflection. Our ancient indigenous Nile Valley Afrikan Ancestor, Imhotep, told us “Man know thy self”. How many of us have truly studied ourselves? How many of us truly know ourselves and our flaws? How many of us admit to ourselves our flaws and are honestly working on them, to correct them? This is why the study of Ma’at, Ifa, and other indigenous Afrikan spiritual systems, what they actually are, and the application of those indigenous Afrikan spiritual systems to our own lives and behavior is so critically important.

It is our behavior that we as individuals need to look at the most. Our behavior must reflect all that we say we know. In addition, in order for the Afrikan-Centered viewpoint of Economics, Academia, History, Political Science, other Sciences, Arts and Entertainment, Technology, Current Events, and Indigenous Afrikan Spiritual systems, etc., to fully become a reality there must be a serious push for the study of Afrikan-Centered Psychology. All of these pillars are important to the total Freedom, Liberation, and Sovereignty of us, as a race of people. And people need to stop picking one of these pillars as a means of denigrating any of the others. They are all important and none is more important than the other. However, many of these new, so-called ‘conscious’ people are ignoring what is one of the most important pillars of all and that is the study of the mind and the psychological effects of the system of Racism white-Supremacy and its influence on our own character and behavior. If you try to apply all of the other pillars I alluded to above, but exclude psychology, you will ultimately fail in all you do. Because there is a psychology to the use of all of those things. If we want ‘Unity’ or what I prefer to classify as ‘Collectivity of Thought and Action’, we must be honest and start looking at the self.

To be ‘Afrikan-Centered’ is to know your dynamic balance point. It is your core. It doesn’t mean we are always there. It means we always know where to go to find our proper direction.  We go back to Afrika, not always physically, but we always do so, in mind, body, and in our souls, and by tapping into the best of our ancient, indigenous Ancestral Culture, to know where we are, what we must do, and what time it is. We go back to Afrika to our Center. We go back to Afrika to find the best of our Ideology, Philosophy, Spirituality, Culture, etc. We do this because we are Afrikans, whether we are from the Diaspora or from the continent itself.

Afrikan-Centeredness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrocentrism

“Afrikan-Centeredness is to be grounded in a working knowledge of our uncompromised, indigenous Afrikan traditions. It is to be crystal clear about the fact that our indigenous Afrikan Traditions are purely Afrikan and, for this reason, we should interpret the world through the Universe-based, humanistic understanding of our Afrikan Ancestors. It is to think about and act on all planes of reality as they would, knowing they are we and we are they.

Being Centered is to be in sync with the indigenous Afrikan Way, which refers to the manner in which Afrikans have traditionally interpreted and acted in this world (i.e. before European, Arabs, and other foreign contamination). It is reflected in our evolved Cultural imperatives and the spiritual, psychological, and physical manifestations in which we naturally immerse ourselves. It is reflected in that common core of values, beliefs, and practices that run through all Afrikan ethnic groups…. The knowledge that we are our Afrikan Ancestors is enough to know that their traditions are ours. We respect ourselves when, and only when, we think and act in the spirit and Way of our Afrikan Ancestors.

The Afrikan-Centered warrior scholar thinks, speaks, and acts in the tradition of Ancestors. But does so aware of where we are and why we are here.”—from the book entitled, “Centered” pp 20-21, by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti

   “Being centered means actively thinking and living in the revolutionary consciousness and dynamic sacred space where the essence of what our Ancestors defined and lived as Afrikan people is at its purest and densely concentrated. Centeredness is the highest level of ourstorical and visionary consciousness, giving an unqualified, complete sense of meaning and purpose to being Afrikan. It is spiritual, mental, and physical state of being. Without centered, Afrikans are merely rotting pieces of driftwood floating directionlessly around in another’s sea of insanity.” From the book entitled, “Centered” page 139, by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti

We, as a race of people, do not understand the ‘Weaponized Subliminal Seduction’, ‘Propaganda’, ‘Indoctrination’ and how these tools of the system of Racism white-Supremacy/white Terrorism are used by our mortal enemies against us, in all areas of people activity, to influence our behavior and shape our character, each and every day. This is why we have individuals out here supposedly representing what it is to be ‘conscious’ while exemplifying the most debased behaviors imaginable. Many of these characters try to rationalize all of the most debased behaviors that we must stop participating in if we are ever to honestly do the work that must be done. So, let us for once be honest and look at the self. Our individual behavior must match our words. What each of us knows must not only be reflected in our words, but it must also be reflected in our character and our behavior. Otherwise, why study all of these pillars at all? The question each of us should be asking ourselves is this: Why do I want to know this powerful information? The first answer should be so this power information can transform me from what I was to what I can and should be—a better human being. If you are still acting like you were acting before you became ‘conscious’, you are just wasting your time. Most importantly, you are no better than those among our people who are still ignorant of this powerful information.

This is a quote that reflects what each of us must do and what must be done.

“Be not arrogant because of your knowledge. Seek Counsel from the ignorant as well as with the wise. For the limits of knowledge in any field have never been set and no one has ever reached them. Wisdom is rarer than emeralds and yet it can be found among the women at the grindstones”.–“The Teachings of Ptahotep”

So, I’ll leave you with the wise words of our great Ancestor, Imhotep, who said, “Man know thy self”.

Sources for self-reflection

(1) “The Isis Papers”, by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing

(2) “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing”, by Dr. Joyce DeGruy

(3) “The 42 Principles of Ma’at”

(4) “Centered”

(5) “Iwa: A Warrior’s Character”, both by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti

(6) “The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept”, by Neely Fuller

(7) “Black on Black Violence: The Psychodynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in the Service of White Domination”, by Dr. Amos Wilson

(8) “The Falsification of Afrikan Consciousness: European History, Psychiatry, and the Politics of White Supremacy”, by Dr. Amos Wilson

(10) “The Psychopathic Racial Personality and Other Essays”, by Dr. Bobby Wright

(11) “The Teachings of Ptahotep”