“The best way of learning to be an independent sovereign state is to be an independent sovereign state.”
Kwame Nkrumah
“Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. Thy claim it as their own and none can keep it from them.”
Kwame Nkrumah
First and foremost, I want to officially and sincerely give thanks to Black Truth Media and it's host, the Hon. Priest Jaja, for inviting me to co-host last night and guest host in his stead as he takes a brief leave. The experience is altogether new to me and I am being handed some pretty big shoes to fill. Still, that the Priest and his coterie have put their trust in me to navigate the ship, gives me confidence that I will do justice to the Black Truth program and for it's audience.
Secondly, as yesterday marked a very seminal event in the history of African peoples universally, I must extend heartfelt extolment to the Republic of Ghana for 55 years of independence from imperialist European colonial overseers. Under the stewardship of the stalwart Hon. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana positioned itself as the first sub-Saharan African state to remove colonial rule and gain self governance. This move not only secured their place in modern history, it to this day marks Ghana as one of the important gateways into Africa for many members of the Diaspora who through the wickedly brutal and devilishly vile African Holocaust of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, have had to trace their African roots from outside the continent.
Well since we've now gotten some station identification out of the way, let me tell you bout the guest for the night. It was my first time hearing the name Queen Mother Moses, but I assure you that it will not be the last. Forgive the obvious cliche there, though it was completely intended. I've met many Rastafari Woman over the years who are strong and fiery in their own right, though few have rekindled certain fires in my own belly like that of the honourable guest last night.
I gathered from her story that like many Rastafari who take to the livity, that early in her life she was inclined towards knowing her African self and fully reclaiming that identity. Queen Mother, a name given to her by Rastafari Elders at the outset of the Centenary birthday celebration for H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie 1st in July 1992, mentioned that while she was born on the island of Jamaica she knew from very early that she had Ghanaian Akan roots by way of her grandmother. I'm actually doing a family history search presently and this kind of information is a watershed for many Africans born outside of African borders due to the aforementioned slave trade. The Ghana connection was even more fitting given the Independence overlap.
Moses also shared of her affiliation with Empress of Zion Inc.(EOZ), an international not for profit Rastafari collective, and Women Against Violence Everywhere (WAVE), a volunteer collective of activists whose primary focus is to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault against women. I was also interested in her efforts working through and around the African Union (AU). As the quickly approaching May 25th 2012 Global Summit to take place in South Africa reminds us, there is an expressed need for the African Diaspora to come together and to empower itself. When asked what the Diaspora could do to further engage African governments and policy makers, Moses simply stated, "Organize." True indeed, as organization brings much needed strength and power to a much beleaguered peoples.
There is much more to Queen Mother Moses than I might have intimated in these few short lines, and I'm quite certain the archived interview will give listeners greater insight into the substance of a Woman, an African Woman who is indeed a champion and pioneer in her own right. I would leave you with a few words from the Woman herself, "The youth are not the future. They are the present." Stand up in your moment and be present and be the force of change that the future will be made of.
Harness the energy and fiery spirit of all the Elders that have stood on the front lines before us; those who have made their transition and those who are still with us today. Let us all be champions for them as they have left us an indelible legacy. Let us too be champions and guardians of the fire for those coming up behind us. They are our charges and bearers of the torch to come.
"God is LOVE, let us all Love."
Let I People Go Repatriation Now Feat. Queen Mother Moses 03/06 by Black Truth Media Blog Talk Radio
Kwame Nkrumah
“Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. Thy claim it as their own and none can keep it from them.”
Kwame Nkrumah
First and foremost, I want to officially and sincerely give thanks to Black Truth Media and it's host, the Hon. Priest Jaja, for inviting me to co-host last night and guest host in his stead as he takes a brief leave. The experience is altogether new to me and I am being handed some pretty big shoes to fill. Still, that the Priest and his coterie have put their trust in me to navigate the ship, gives me confidence that I will do justice to the Black Truth program and for it's audience.
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| Dr. Kwame Nkrumah |
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| Queen Mother Moses |
Well since we've now gotten some station identification out of the way, let me tell you bout the guest for the night. It was my first time hearing the name Queen Mother Moses, but I assure you that it will not be the last. Forgive the obvious cliche there, though it was completely intended. I've met many Rastafari Woman over the years who are strong and fiery in their own right, though few have rekindled certain fires in my own belly like that of the honourable guest last night.
I gathered from her story that like many Rastafari who take to the livity, that early in her life she was inclined towards knowing her African self and fully reclaiming that identity. Queen Mother, a name given to her by Rastafari Elders at the outset of the Centenary birthday celebration for H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie 1st in July 1992, mentioned that while she was born on the island of Jamaica she knew from very early that she had Ghanaian Akan roots by way of her grandmother. I'm actually doing a family history search presently and this kind of information is a watershed for many Africans born outside of African borders due to the aforementioned slave trade. The Ghana connection was even more fitting given the Independence overlap.
Moses also shared of her affiliation with Empress of Zion Inc.(EOZ), an international not for profit Rastafari collective, and Women Against Violence Everywhere (WAVE), a volunteer collective of activists whose primary focus is to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault against women. I was also interested in her efforts working through and around the African Union (AU). As the quickly approaching May 25th 2012 Global Summit to take place in South Africa reminds us, there is an expressed need for the African Diaspora to come together and to empower itself. When asked what the Diaspora could do to further engage African governments and policy makers, Moses simply stated, "Organize." True indeed, as organization brings much needed strength and power to a much beleaguered peoples.
There is much more to Queen Mother Moses than I might have intimated in these few short lines, and I'm quite certain the archived interview will give listeners greater insight into the substance of a Woman, an African Woman who is indeed a champion and pioneer in her own right. I would leave you with a few words from the Woman herself, "The youth are not the future. They are the present." Stand up in your moment and be present and be the force of change that the future will be made of.
Harness the energy and fiery spirit of all the Elders that have stood on the front lines before us; those who have made their transition and those who are still with us today. Let us all be champions for them as they have left us an indelible legacy. Let us too be champions and guardians of the fire for those coming up behind us. They are our charges and bearers of the torch to come.
"God is LOVE, let us all Love."
Let I People Go Repatriation Now Feat. Queen Mother Moses 03/06 by Black Truth Media Blog Talk Radio
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