Gye-Nyame Journey Media

Great Kujichagulia; We are in a Kuji week and today is Kujichagulia day. I guess this means we need to take a deep look at defining. We have to take time and break down so that we can know exactly what we are doing when we exercise the power of Kujichagulia. When we define something we are stating or setting forth the meaning of a thing. We are also saying how something will be referred to or perceived in some context. We also determine what is important about an object and what is incidental, contingent, or unintended about it (1). Defining can be both difficult and easy depending on the situation you find yourself in. We are defining who we are and what we stand for. The dictionary definition of Kujichagulia would be: self determination. Most people believe that this is associated with the right to make decisions concerning one's own person or affairs. Some think of it as self-rule. There is no doubt that there is much debate on the real meaning of Kujichagulia (self-determinatio

Great Umoja: We are in the week of kujichagulia and now we have to figure out how to see these powerful, life changing principles through the lense of Kujichagulia. To get things started let's look at what the principle Kujichagulia is: Kujichagulia speaks of us defining ourselves, naming ourselves, creating for ourselves and speaking for ourselves. This principle is about creating reality. Using the power of words to shape the world we exist in. Now to apply that concept to the other principles will be a joy. Today we are on the principle of unity, and kujichagulia demands that we take the time to define what this principle is. "We need to break it down to it's very last compound." Let's be clear we can't do anything until we have a clear definition of what this principle is. Unity is being or existing together as one; undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting; harmonious cooperation; agreement; unification; uniformity; consistency;

  Great Kuumba: Second day without a podcast I am going to have to make this one twofer. We are going to continue with the discussion about the illusion of disunity. Today of course coming from the principle of Kuumba. Kuumba for those of you that are new to the culture means creativity. I am throwing out the idea that disunity is not a problem in our community. I believe that it is a manufactured illusion that is being powered by us. Wisdom — as it goes — is knowing what to do next. And creativity is the ability to seek out solutions to our problems. Consequently, wisdom and creativity go together like peanut butter and jelly. But what happens when we use our creative powers to create ignorance? What happens when we use our wisdom to create foolishness? We get ideas running through our communities and lives causing pain and suffering. The illusion of disunity is a major focus for today, although I could hit on many others. The reason why it's important is because it affects how we

So today I want to focus on these trouble makers who keep us divided. Let's call them the illusionists because they are magicians of sorts. They are skilled at getting us to believe that we are separate and not united. They are masters at getting us to see and even create the differences between us and others. They know that if we see ourselves as different from each other then we will not come together as one. Now there are different types of illusionists, but for now I want to focus on the ones that come from within. These are the illusionists that in most cases we can recognize once we know what to look for. These people have a need to have drama in their lives and in our lives, so they try to create it when there is none. They do this by manipulating information and distorting reality, sometimes they do this to intentionally hurt someone or a group of people, but most of the time they do it because they don't know any other way to live. See these illusionists have been taug

Revolutions are not simply about tearing down the old and building up a new. They are about creating an environment to sustain change in a manner that has never been done before. In order for us to do that we must have an understanding of our resources and how to invest them into the things that will make change possible. In order for us to be successful in our revolution, we have to understand how we can create communities that support the development of future leaders. I know it sounds like a stretch but as you continue to read you will begin to see that it is necessary if we want change. The reason why this is so important is because our children are our future and if we do not teach them properly then we will get the same results over and over again. This is why Umoja & Ujamaa have been connected from the beginning of time - they are symbiotic with each other. If you want the freedom of Umoja then you have to have Ujamaa or else it will wither away like a flower without water.

Ujima is nothing but our Umoja in motion. What I mean is that everything that the definition of Umoja calls for is used in motion and in action through the principle of Ujima. The first part of this principle calls for us to build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together. We have an obligation to each other if we are going to be successful in life, because no one person has all the answers, no one person knows how to solve all the problems. The second part of this principle calls for us to remember our past, so we don't repeat it. We should know that there were others before us who had a lot of good ideas about how to solve different kinds of problems. We can learn from their mistakes, too — so that we don't have to repeat them. That's what history means. Now we need to gather the lessons recognize what we have and move into the future boldly. We can no longer be held back by the ill

The meaning of Imani means ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ and it is the seventh principle of the Nguzo Saba or Kwanzaa. Imani signifies faith in yourself, your people, the community, and your Creator. Imani is often seen as confidence, trust, and self-belief. In order to have faith in others and to believe that there is a higher power that governs our lives, we must first believe in ourselves. This principle encourages us to become self-reliant and responsible for our own actions. We must not fear failure but instead use it as a stepping stone to success. There are always new challenges that lie ahead and you should be prepared for change and willing to adapt. We should be proud of who we are as individuals and communities and have faith that we can overcome all adversities by being creative, resourceful and persistent. While some may not share the same beliefs, having faith in others is still an important aspect of life. When we are able to put our trust in those around us, this allows us to hel

Imani is the foundation of so many other principles. We can't discuss Umoja without Imani—and we can't celebrate Kujichagulia without Imani, either. Yesterday, we touched on the importance of Imani when it comes to Umoja, and today I want to jump into this discussion with Kujichagulia. Self Determination is a powerhouse in itself but like the other principles it leans on Imani. In order to exercise the power of Kujichagulia we have to have faith in ourselves. This is why it is important to really take the walk through Imani and gain all the lessons that accompany this principle. Once we have worked on the Imani in ourselves we can now leverage its power and move to the next level. We can extend our Kujichagulia from us to things around us. For those new to Gye-Nyame, kujichagulia is much deeper than the words self determination. Kujichagulia is about the ability to define. Once we have established Kujichaguilia within we can now start focusing this power out into the world. Joi

For any type of Umoja to happen in our lives, we must first be unified within ourselves. This requires a high level of faith and trust in yourself. The strength of your Imani is the foundation of the Umoja principle. Umoja can take place on multiple levels. There is internal unity, which means you are unified within yourself; and there is external unity, which means that you work with other people and form a union. Internal unity is essential because it allows us to build strong relationships with ourselves and others. External unity can be defined as how well different groups can work together for a common goal or purpose.  The Imani principle turns on the light of Umoja, it shines so bright that it will help you see yourself through the eyes of great love, self-respect, and compassion. It will also help you see others through the same light, they too become worthy of your respect and love when you have activated Imani before attempting to connect with them.  Internal Umoja helps us g

I’m in a room of people and I see the strongest black woman I have ever met. She walks with the stride of an African queen and the smile of an angel. She is intelligent, beautiful and powerful beyond measure, but for some reason she does not believe that she is worthy. She does not believe that she deserves to be free from the shackles of systemic racism, or that she deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. This woman believes her destiny is in the hands of everyone but herself. She has lost her faith in her ability to positively impact her own life. This woman has lost sight of the power that lies within her. The power to do anything, be anything, and create anything she desires. This woman needs to regain her faith in our Ancestors, their ability to influence events in our favor, the power of our Kuumba to shape, mold, and protect our lives, and above all else, she needs to regain her faith in herself. For it is this faith that will instill confidence in the actions we take t

  Cultivating your creativity is a skill you can learn, and one that can help you build a world that reflects your culture. Here are four steps to get you started: 1. Embrace your culture and yourself. 2. Be aware of forces that seek to destroy you by attacking everything about you, including your mind, body, emotions, spirit, culture and tradition. Don't let those forces convince you that everything about you is bad, wrong and/or evil! 3. Focus on creating balanced growth and change in yourself and the community around you—this will make a difference! 4. Have faith in your personal power and the power of your collective To go more in depth with this concept and get some more tips check us out at: Follow

Kuumba is the Swahili word for “creativity.” Creativity is why we're here. We live in a world that's far more abundant than most people realize. The earth and heavens are overflowing with natural resources that are ready to be tapped into if we were only able to refine our skill at harvesting them by applying creativity to the mix. Nia helps us to develop skills that help us to identify opportunities and channel our creativity so that it shows up on our doorsteps in the form of money, cars, houses, career paths, relationships, answers, solutions—you name it! The more confident you become at using your creative ability at home, the more expansive you will likely feel in your everyday life—and what's a revolution without a little abundance? Follow

Have you ever felt an overwhelming desire to do good for your people and community, but felt like you didn't have the resources or know-how to make a difference? If so, you're not alone. We've been conditioned to believe that our impact is limited to the amount of money we spend or the number of hours we volunteer. But what if there was a way to reach more people and make a bigger impact without spending a dime? Ujamaa is about learning how to share resources and cooperate so that we can build up our communities and move to the next phase of nation building. But it appears that many of us overlook the goldmine that is sitting right under our own feet. We think that our wealth sits outside of us in houses, cars, clothes, shoes or other material possessions, when in fact the only thing we truly possess are the five parts of our being. We are in the world today struggling to survive when we have not yet unleashed the full potential of our Kuumba. We have unleashed it for other

The principle of Kuumba is important when it comes to building collectives. Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. When it comes to building a collective, this means the use of creativity that allows the invention of stories, rituals, ceremonies, initiations etc.. That allows for the building and maintaining of a collective. Kuumba also means to leave your community more beautiful and beneficial than you inherited it. When it comes to the building of a collective this means leaving behind stories, doctrine and legacies that help the next generation build on their foundation. This includes sharing resources such as books, journals and other materials that help build on the foundation you started. Kuumba has also been used in its literal sense which is to make something happen because someone wanted it to happen or is making an effort that makes it happen. This can be seen in social movements as they are often made up of people who want

The power of determination and the creativity that drives it goes back to our childhood. As kids, we played games during recess and organized our blocks into towers or towers into castles. Our parents told us to stop playing but we didn't listen because we loved to play. As adults, we can apply this power of creativity and determination to any area of life. One reason why Kujichagulia has become so popular is that it provides an opportunity for us to embody these qualities in a profound way. We have all faced difficulties in our lives. These struggles may be big or they may be small but no matter how big or small, they are always there. We can get stuck at times. We may feel overwhelmed by certain problems or situations. However, no matter what the problem is, Kujichagulia provides the tools for us to empower ourselves through determination and creativity when faced with any challenge. Practicing Kujichagulia means being willing to work through difficult things in life that we enco