Gye-Nyame Journey Media

The Three R’s of Relationships: Building Bonds on Respect, Responsibility, and Reciprocity In every relationship—whether personal, professional, or communal—there are foundational pillars that support and strengthen our connections. I call these the three R’s: respect , responsibility , and reciprocity . They’re the legs of the stool upon which strong, enduring relationships rest. Respect: Seeing Beyond the Surface True respect goes far beyond superficial acknowledgments. It’s about looking deeper—truly seeing the person beyond what’s on the surface. This means engaging with others on a level that honors their stories, experiences, and inherent worth. Respect isn’t just a courtesy; it’s a commitment to understanding the person in front of you, appreciating their struggles and triumphs, and valuing their unique perspective. Responsibility: Owning Your Part in the Relationship Responsibility in a relationship isn’t just about meeting obligations—it’s about owning your role in nurturing a...

  Respect vs. Fear: The Vision That Strengthens Our Collective Work In many conversations—whether with elders, peers, or the youth—I hear the same demand: “I want respect.” But when I listen closely, I notice something troubling. Many are not truly asking for respect—they are asking for fear . They want obedience, submission, and silence in their presence. They want others to comply without question. They believe that being feared means being honored. But fear is not respect. And confusing the two does more harm than good, especially within our families and communities. Fear Is a Weak Foundation Fear may get temporary results, but it does not create true loyalty, trust, or love. A person who fears you may do what you say today , but they will resent you tomorrow . Children who fear their parents may obey in the moment but will eventually rebel or distance themselves. Community members who fear leadership will disengage when they feel safe enough to do so. Fear silences voices. It ...

  Great Imani: It has been a very busy few days. I am working at the Ohio Alliance Of Black School Educators (OABSE) conference here in Columbus, Ohio. It took more time that I expected but it was worth it. It is great to hear about all the work that is going on with schools, especially when it comes to Black children. "Imani - a collective force rooted in community" I was trying to record my show but my daughter wanted to take a long walk in the woods in the dark. So I accepted her challenge and we ended up going four miles. Needless to say after the long day, and the evening into night walk, I was exhausted and would have not been able to give yall my all. I am bringing this up because it was a lesson in it about Imani. My daughter was excited to go for our walk but as it started to get dark, the excitement started to turn into fear. Before the sun totally disappeared she was running around picking flowers, running ahead of me, and lagging behind. As the darkness solidified...

  Great Kuumba Congratulations you have been born in a legendary time. I am serious, we are standing in the midst of a crisis point in history, and you have the opportunity to take action that will mark you down in the historical memory of your people. But before you go out and conquer the world please take some time to conquer yourself, or better yet align yourself with your Culture, and principles. The world is in the middle of changes that are happening so fast that people are lost. If you don't believe me just take some time and think about the changes you have experienced in your life. It used to be that the only way you could be heard was to be selected by a big corporation and pushed. We are now standing in a time where we can actually share our talents, and skills with the world (no middle man needed). When I was young I used to dream about being on TV. Now I get up every morning and do a show. I never thought that I would be able to do something like that, but that is the ...

  Great Ujamaa in this week of Ujima: These are two beautiful principles especially when they come together like today. we are forced to look at them and then take a hard look at ourselves, and think about whether we are exercising them. Ujima (which is the week that we are in) speaks to us about collective work and responsibility, but also in our system it represents the powerful and necessary principle of respect. Without respect nothing moves. Respect is like oil; it allows different parts to run smoothly together, and it reduces friction. Today's Principle is Ujamaa which talks to us about cooperation and resources, but it also represents the principle of gratitude, and reciprocity in our tribe. When we take the time and put these two principles together we get an unbeatable combination. A combination sorely needed in our communities. "Ujima reminds us of collective work and responsibility; but also respect, without it nothing moves." Today, I want to take a look at t...

  Great Ujima during this third Ujima in 2022: I am excited to be able to reach out to all of you and build in the way that we do. Waking up this early and hitting this keyboard has been a mixed blessing. I guess all blessings are. Strange how the world seems to work like that. Hey... That thought moved us into what I want to talk with yall about this morning. Work, that dirty word that we have learned to associate with early mornings or late nights. Work, the place we go to be abused and missed used. Work, that hamster wheel that we have sold our most valuable asset to run on powering someone else's dream. I know y'all may be waiting for me to unleash some secret that is ingrained in the Nguzo Saba that can free you from the drudgery, but.... Naw I can't. There is no cure for it. We have to work, as a matter of fact I am writing this to encourage you to continue doing so, but what I am going to point out for you is that you may be working too much for the other team, and n...

We've all heard people speak about their personal calling, the vocation that has screamed out into the world at them. But tonight I want to spend some time looking into your tribe's vocation. What has your group been called to bring and share with the world? I believe that this is a great topic for Ujima. We are in a time of great turmoil, but also of great potential change. We are witnessing an explosion in technological advancement and scientific discovery, but we're also seeing a rise in violent nationalism and extreme political tribalism. The question of who gets to control the technology and knowledge being created is wide open, but what does seem evident is that the current systems of power have no intention of giving up that control anytime soon. There's only one way for us to take back control over our shared future: WE NEED TO ORGANIZE AND ACT AS TRIBES! Learn more at>>>> Follow

After reading this blog by  +Seth Godin   I had to reflect on what Respect truly means. I love to look into words and get back to their roots. As  a matter of fact, I make it a habit. I believe that you can only grasp the true meaning of a word when you go back to where it comes from. i guess this is a lesson that I learned from the Book called  "Openings To The African Tree of Life by Erskine Peters" in it their is a proverb that states "in the original name is the essence". For me this has become a mantra that a say and put into action. By practicing the wisdom that lies in that proverb it has helped me make sense of words that I and others around me would just throw around. I began to realize that I was using words simply on feeling and not really understanding the true meaning. That brings me back to the word Respect, which the blog (at least to me ) is talking about. The word Respect is composed of to smaller words:  Re- which means again Spect- which me...