Unity Ain’t Just a Word: Practicing What We Pledge

Today, I found myself musing on the principle of Umoja, or Unity.

I went through my morning meditation and workout, but something was missing — I forgot to recite the Gye-Nyame Pledge. That may not seem like a big deal to some, but it made me pause and reflect.

Why do we pledge? Why do we say these words each day?

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The Power of a Daily Pledge

A pledge is more than recitation — it’s a daily reminder of who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re building.

Whether you're building a business, raising a family, strengthening a tribe, or transforming a community — Unity is required. Umoja is not passive.

It’s not a cool word to post. It’s not just a hashtag.
It’s a practice.

Or maybe the better word is praxis — not just belief, but action. Daily. Deliberate. Intentional.

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Practice Over Perfection

A pledge helps ground that action.
It reminds us not just of where we’re going — but who we must become to get there.

Something we can do together — recite together — build trust together.
But it has to be more than just words.

Too many people pledge and promise things they don’t take seriously.
And here’s the hard truth:

If you truly believed in the Creator, the Ancestors, or any higher power watching you at all times —
you’d move differently.

If you really believed your ancestors were watching you…
Would you still act the way you do?
Would you do that shameful thing knowing they could see it?

These daily practices remind us that we are connected to something greater than ourselves.

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Serving Something Greater

Let’s take it deeper.
Even Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs — often taught as ending in self-actualization — didn’t stop there.

When Maslow dug deeper, he found that the highest level of human development was self-transcendence — when you give your life in service to something bigger than you.

That’s what Umoja is about.

That’s what being Gye-Nyame is about.

Our tribe, our community, our family —
these are all greater than self.
Our highest calling is to be in service to them.

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The Unity Within

But here’s the real starting point:
Unity doesn’t begin out there. It begins within you.

Are your:

• Intuition

• Mind

• Emotions

• Spirit

• Body

...moving in harmony?

You can’t build unity outside of yourself if you don’t first work toward unity within yourself.

And let me be clear:
It’s not the perfection of Unity that changes your life.
It’s the practice of it.

The attempt.
The striving.
The movement.

That’s where the growth happens.
That’s where the power lies.

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A Final Word

So today, I return to the pledge. Not out of routine… but out of intention.
Because Unity — Umoja — is more than a principle we say.

It’s a way of life we practice.
It’s a standard we strive for.
And it’s a legacy we must live.

— Brother ha2tim