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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade

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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade Great Day, Fam. This one right here? It’s not for everyone. If you’re not at or approaching Eldership—defined in our tribe as about 55 years old and up—you might not feel all of this. But if you’re curious, or if you’re one of those younger souls already walking with wisdom, you’re welcome to keep reading. This message is for the Elders. For those of us who should know better. And yes—I’m including myself. Let’s Start With the Mirror I’ve got to confess something. I’ve been guilty. Guilty of being reactionary. Guilty of falling into the trap of conservatism. Guilty of romanticizing the past. Guilty of looking at our young people and calling them “soft”—as if we were born warriors, as if we didn’t have to become who we are through fire, failure, and guidance. Many of us Elders are stuck in a loop. We remember only the highlights of our youth—the toughest times we survived, the boldest moments ...

A Look At Our Current Reality - Reaching Umoja

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Unity is important, because it helps us to see that we can be like the branches of a tree — each with our own unique size, shape and position. But when we come together as one strong trunk, great things happen! We can help others in so many ways. Think about all the times you have been helped by someone else — a parent or older sister; perhaps a teacher at school — maybe even someone you don’t know! Now think about the times when you have helped others — when you have encouraged your little brother to persevere through his homework; or maybe when you took care of stray dogs in your neighborhood. Lastly, think about how helping other people makes you feel inside. It’s good for them and it’s good for us too! You may not realize it but helping others is part of Unity. By doing this we make each other stronger. We lift each other up, and Life becomes easier for everyone concerned. And when we live Life this way then everything works better: families get on better; communities work better t...

The Imani Of The Collective (sample)

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Imani is the 7th principle in the Nguzo Saba. In Gye-Nyame 7 is the number of study rest and perfection. Imani  is also interchangeable with the principle of trust and harmony in our system. That may not mean much to many, but it is a very powerful number in our culture. There are many factors that go into our ability to have faith in ourselves, but this is essentially the foundation for an individual's success. "I believe in myself and my ability to succeed." The first component of that statement is an expression of Imani. The second component is an expression of Ujima (collective work). There are many ways we can choose to express Imani, but only by working together can we truly achieve greatness. We cannot escape the fact that we are all connected. We all have a purpose here on Earth; it may be to educate, or love, or entertain, or heal—but whatever it is, we have all been given gifts that will allow us to fulfill our purpose. And when we work together as a collective ...