On last weekend’s edition of the Imvuselelo show on Umhlobo Wenene FM, Rev. Mzukisi Faleni said something very interesting. To paraphrase the good reverend, he emphasized the importance of the correct capturing and documenting of history, because along the way it gets lost and loses essence and meaning when retold. The good reverend pressed the right buttons when he said this because that is exactly my present state of mind.
History is important because it is the blueprint of who we are as a people. A few days ago, I searched for Xhosa traditional music online because I was homesick. I stumbled upon the videos of Madosini – a songstress hailed as the ‘queen of Mpondoland’ - and not only was I blown away by how great she is, but the very little I know about my culture was exposed. A spark hit me, and I felt re-aligned, repurposed. I want to know more about my culture and my people, and in my quest to know more, I also want to document and share the wealth of wisdom and colour that exists within our cultures.
The fact that the videos were shot and presented by white people bothered me as well. I was bothered by the fact that we are not leading the recording or documenting of our stories as Africans. Maybe it’s because the younger generation believes history is boring and should be left in dusty books in a deserted library, or maybe it is because we are all okay with being told who we are. But I find it very problematic to have my story told by someone else.
‘Black Lives Matter’ is more than just a hashtag or a movement; it is fact. Black lives are essential. As much as we continue to push for that narrative, we also have to remember to shine the light on our stories and tell them ourselves, accurately. We have to be the ones telling the world who we are, and we have to see the importance of who we are. I have said that black people are a force, and I will continue to preach that gospel. Our cultures are essential to ensuring a next generation that is self-aware and does not take their worth for granted. We have to define ourselves and be our very own orators, because our stories are best told by us.
One of the greatest blessings (definitely top three) I’ve received in my life, is knowing and experiencing my maternal great-grandmother before her eternal rest. I have been lucky enough to have three generations of incredible women in my family tree (great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and aunts), have a hand in my upbringing and shaping the man I have turned out to become. It is very important for us to appreciate the wealth of knowledge that lies within our elders. It would do us an awful lot of good to mine as much gems as possible from our elders.
Google doesn’t have all the answers, our elders do!
We should be illuminating African literature, African music, and Africa’s identity. The similarities in our cultures are inspiring. It’s as big and as bright a sign can be that our ancestors were connected and used each other as frames of reference.
The African renaissance starts with an aware group of people, and I would like to be one of those people. The group you belong to does not matter, what matters is that you are an African, and your history and your culture matters.
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