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CANEI: Constant and Never-Ending Improvement

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CANEI: Constant and Never-Ending Improvement Great Day, Family. This reflection is for the Elders, Warriors, and Nation Builders out there who understand that growth doesn't stop at a certain age or title. This one is personal—and tribal. Because I’m walking this path, just like you. Today’s theme? CANEI : Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. From Kanai to CANEI: How the Journey Began Long before it was a concept, CANEI was my life. Back in the early days of Gye Nyame, I had the honor—and the challenge—of raising my sons. I was blessed with a contract through a program called Kanai that allowed me to work with African American boys many deemed “difficult.” But what they called “difficult,” I called “diamonds in the dirt.” These young men became the Gye Nyame Boys , and we birthed what would become the Gye Nyame House . Through that sacred work, I realized something powerful: self-improvement wasn’t enough. We had to aim for self-mastery. That shift in perspective laid th...

Question 2: What Does a Warrior Do?

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Peace, Tribe! We’ve made it to the second day of exploring the Gye-Nyame Questions , and today we’re diving into Question 2: What does a warrior do? Before we jump into that, let me give you some history about how these questions came to be because understanding their roots is essential to fully grasping their meaning. The History Behind the First Seven Questions The first seven questions—like “What is a warrior?” and “What does a warrior do?”—came about during an important chapter in my journey. At the time, one of my elders, Mama Malika, hired me to assist her with a project at the Africentric High School. She loved what I was already doing in the community, but she wanted to create something similar that wasn’t directly connected to other initiatives like the Underground Railroad (UGRR). Why the separation? There was concern that if the school’s funders became aware of our other grassroots projects, it could jeopardize their funding. So, I developed the first seven questions specif...

Purpose & Ujima

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  Purpose & Ujima Great Ujima: First I want to apologize for the total mess up with the “Daily Toast”. I already shared that the sound was messed up for this week, but I found out that I posted it at 6:45am rather than 5:45am. Now I have to go back and listen to my commercial to check what time I stated was show time. I go through phases where I totally forget show times, and a bunch of other stuff, just ride the wave for this week and we will be back to normal next week. It’s crazy to think that I had a big accident during the week of purpose, but all things work together to bring balance. Enough of that!  Let's get to our discussion. Well we have made it to the magnificent principle of Ujima, and we are in the week of Nia, so let’s pull these super beings together and see what they can do. “Ujima is a principle most people don’t know about because it’s a collective action that involves building community, but not in the way you think. Find out about it here!” We know tha...

Remember Your Family (sample)

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Today is called Kujichagulia (32222-6). This is the day when we celebrate our self-determination and family. As a member of the tribe, I'm always thinking about how I can best improve my life so that I can build something that is lasting. If my internal supports are collapsing, then what's the point? And to me, family is a huge part of that support. It's important to have both people and community in your life that you can rely on when you're facing hard times or need advice for how to move forward. I want to encourage all of you to take some time this weekend to not only connect with your family, but also reflect on some of the things they've taught you over the years: What are their values? How do they express them? What lessons have they learned that they want to pass down to you? This knowledge will be helpful whether or not your family is still around by your side. Sometimes there are people in our lives who we love and respect, but for one reason or another, w...