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Please view the video I
produced from the Caravan: http://vimeo.com/7220546
View Pictures from the Sankofa Caravan events: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43762891@N03/show/
Forward in truth,
ZIN
Minister of Culture
National Black United Front
S.O.S. RADIO
Every Wednesday 3p-5p
90.1fm Houston, 89.5fm Galveston
www.kpft.org
www.trickledownent.com
www.soundofsoul.net
www.myspace.com/sosradio
www.breakrecordz.blogspot.com
"Enlightening the ears and souls of the people"
The 12th Annual Sankofa Caravan to the
Ancestors
“A spirit to be remembered”
By ZIN (Minister of Culture, NBUF)
As early as Thursday, October 15th
people from across the country began to converge to the cities of Houston
and Galveston, Texas for one event; The National Black United Front’s 12th
Annual – Sankofa Caravan to the Ancestors. The kick-off began with an
edutainment component organized by the University of Houston’s Liberation
Society and N.B.U.F. entitled “Drum and Chant – The Roots of
Hip-Hopoetry”, featuring master poet Mutabaruka and other local
Houston artists such as Sunni Patterson, 144 Elite, Empress Winter, Bishop
Black, Torian, Sar, Rez and hosted by Emcee ZIN. It all took place on the
campus of the University of Houston (central). It was a divine mix of
Hip-Hop/Poetry! You could feel the revolutionary energy in the room,
where all ages from toddlers to elders bobbed their heads, clapped their
hands and gave their Ashe’ to the wordsmiths of the night. This was
just the beginning of three days of reconnecting our past to the present
while showing the necessity for ancestor veneration, unity in our
communities and the need to settle our differences. The theme for this
year’s Caravan was “Settle your quarrels, come together…the sooner
begun, the sooner done” which was taken from a quote by ancestor George
Jackson.
There could not have been a more fitting theme, simply
due to immediate need for the rebuilding of a united front in the African
community as a whole. This has been the mission of The National Black
United Front’s Houston Chapter for the last decade, now under the
leadership of now National Chairman Kofi Taharka. Bringing together
African communities of all faiths with the sole purpose of healing our
people through prayers and actions of positive, progressive, forward motion
toward the liberation of African peoples worldwide!
The second event took place Friday, October 16th
at the S.H.A.P.E. Community Ctr. – Houston, TX. This event was the
viewing of the movie “Sankofa” directed by Haile Gerima which
featured question and answer period following the movie with two of the
films’ stars Oyafunmike Ogunlano and Mutaburaka.
For the last few years the movie has been shown
even though a large number of people have seen it. Nearly everyone in
attendance would attest to their need to re-visit the movie’s concepts of
reconnecting to the African spirit. On this evening the African communities
from Houston, Oklahoma, Dallas and Atlanta introduced their children to
Oyafunmike and Mutabaruka with proud and respectful reverence as they
explained how much it meant to meet “our” movie hero and shero.
The main event showed up as quickly as the rising
of the sun on Saturday, October 17th at 6:30 a.m. as beautifully
dressed members of the Pan-African community in their all white garbs met
at the N.B.U.F. Houston Headquarters, located at 2428 Southmore,
for this glorious day. The 12th Annual Sankofa – Caravan to
the Ancestors had arrived and all the excitement from the last two days had
come to a boil. Peace, Uhuru, Black Power, Forward, As Salaamulaikum, and
other greetings filled the air as Brothers and Sisters greeted one another
while mentally preparing for what was ahead. Capt. Khalid Greene and
the Houston IN-CERT (Inner city emergency response team) organized the
vehicles that would partake in the physical caravan down to Galveston, Texas.
The caravan included members of various community organizations
such as Sehah , O.B.U.-San Antonio, NCOBRA, Third eye-Dallas, TX.,
AAPRP, The Act of Change and The Shrine of the Black Madonna just to name a
few.
Arriving at 29th and Seawall in
Galveston, the caravan was welcomed by the sounds of African drumming and
waves crashing. Hugs and high spirits filled the air. Bro. Salim Adolfo
(Vice-Chairman of NBUF) opened the ceremony with greetings of peace from
the National Black United Front. Second to speak was Chairman Kofi
Taharka with the word of day on how our communities needed to settle our
quarrels now while firing the revolutionary spirits of all on the beach.
Oyafumike Ogulano blessed the ceremony with an opening libation, honoring
our holy African ancestors. African communities from Atlanta, New Orleans,
Dallas, Baton Rouge, San Antonio, New York, Tulsa Oklahoma, Jamaica and
Houston poured onto the beach to partake in the spiritual festivities.
Also in attendance on the beach were Cynthia
Mckinney and legendary percussionist Bill Summers. After singing songs of
praise and dancing to the drummers, all were invited to make an offering
into the very waters that once brought our ancestors from Africa into
captivity here in America. The ceremony lasted approximately three hours,
ending in a closing prayer and directions to the luncheon which was held at
Old Central Cultural Center. Once at the center Caravan attendees had a
chance to unwind, eat and listen to uplifting and motivational words of
wisdom from Chairman Kofi Taharka, Oyafunmike and Mutabaruka just to name a
few. Once full of spirit and nourishment, everyone quietly reflected,
smiled and gave thanks for the opportunity to work toward the liberation of
African people through reverence, sacrifice, love and power of community!
With the will of the creator and the ancestors, we shall meet again on the
shores of Galveston, Texas next year to revisit and reclaim our divine and
rightful place were our forefathers and mothers were brought to this land
unwillingly. However we willingly say “Forward ever, Backward NEVER!”
Many thanks and blessings go out to all of
the African spiritualist communities that attended and offered their body
of knowledge, wisdom and understanding on honoring our holy African
ancestors.
Special thanks goes out to the organizers of the
Caravan which include, Event Chair-woman, Osunbunmi Gaidi, Bro. Omowale,
Sis. Folade, Bro. T. Piper, Sis. Matti and all that came to the weekly NBUF
meetings and planning sessions.
Please view the video I produced from the Caravan: http://vimeo.com/7220546
View Pictures from the Sankofa Caravan events: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43762891@N03/show/
Forward in truth,
ZIN
Minister of Culture
National Black United Front
S.O.S. RADIO
Every Wednesday 3p-5p
90.1fm Houston, 89.5fm Galveston
www.kpft.org
www.trickledownent.com
www.soundofsoul.net
www.myspace.com/sosradio
www.breakrecordz.blogspot.com
"Enlightening the ears and souls of the people"
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