Gye-Nyame Journey Media

Reciprocity is the act of returning something to someone who has given you something. In Gye Nyame culture, reciprocity is an integral part of daily life. To  understand why, one must first understand that the Ujamaa concept does not exist in isolation; it is at the very heart of our belief system and culture. Ujamaa requires reciprocity from everyone throughout the community which includes both giving and receiving within it. No other element or quality can be found in our system without it being regarded as lacking in some way if there was no reciprocity involved with it. The individual members of our community are taught that when they receive something, they must return the favor so that they are experiencing a balance of giving and receiving throughout their lives. This balance then allows us to experience an overall sense of harmony throughout our group which is necessary for us to function together in peace and tranquility since our group members recognize that they will be depe

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

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

I've been seeing a lot of this lately. The masculine spirit has been acting out in some very unhealthy ways. And it's understandable. Our society is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. We're changing the way we do things and the way we think about things, and that can be scary for a lot of people who have been taught to operate by a certain set of rules for their entire lives--especially those who are used to being in charge. The way I see it, the only solution is for us all to take a moment to check in with our masculine energy, and ask ourselves where it's coming from, and why it needs to be expressed in any particular situation. This is imperative, especially if it is not being expressed in a positive and productive manner. I would often suggest to look at the facts, don't speculate or make assumptions--that's how we get into trouble with this kind of thing. If you find yourself getting angry or violent toward someone else, stop what you're doing and a

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

The Power of Unity can be enhanced by the power of the stories we tell ourselves about our circumstances. Many overlook the power of a story and the benefits of creating a story of power over a story of victimhood. These stories can help inspire us and put things into perspective. Here are 5 ways to see the power in your story: 1) Storytelling is one of the most powerful universal means for transmitting information, modeling behavior, and encouraging change in any situation. 2) Stories have an uncanny ability to generate creativity and innovation. They are vehicles for problem solving, activating dormant resources, and even developing technological breakthroughs. 3) Stories have been proven to improve focus, reduce anxiety and stress, strengthen resilience, and increase productivity through their impact on attention, mood, motivation, perception, and performance. 4) Stories are powerful tools for self-expression and personal growth. We often create them to deal with problems or challen

  “Existence has a face on every side. Each face teaches a lesson. Those who fully understand existence, do not separate the faces from the lessons. And every lesson reveals aspects of cosmic law.” My study of kheper in the  medu Neter has been an adventure. Kheper is associated with a number of connotations: coming into being, existence, aspects of the process of creation, the process of transformation, change, development, to be, to exist, to evolve, all that exists and all the modes of existence. Hence, trying to capture the sense of Kheper that is needed for translations can be a bit challenging at times.  My Western thoughts and beliefs also hindered me from understanding what the Kemites (Ancient Egyptians) were expressing to us. Often when trying to gain insight into what is being expressed, I encounter a paradox. I give an example of how my deductive logic and what is being expressed create a seemingly contradictory understanding (paradox), and working through the paradox, an e

  You know what they say, right? "The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking." We're not just dreaming here: we're actually doing it. And this week, we're rolling out our newest project: the principles of the week. We've already taken over the days of the week, and now we're making a push for the principles that underpin them. We're done with deities from other cultures. We're done talking about gods and goddesses who don't care about us, who can't even relate to us—who are often lecherous and destructive themselves. Instead, we're anchoring ourselves in our own pride and culture with the Nguzo Saba every day of the week, reminding us all of how we ought to be carrying ourselves. And now we're making a push for the principles that underpin them. Because you know what they say: "The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking."So let's stop dreaming and start do

 This week, I was truly inspired by a group of young men who wanted to learn how to podcast. They have been after me for a while, begging me to set up a podcast about anime. So I did it. And can you believe what happened? These guys were incredible. I've never seen anything like it! They were just shy young men when I met them, but when I told them to go, they all transformed into anime experts right before my eyes! I couldn't believe it—they handled the whole thing w ith such maturity and professionalism that I was totally blown away. And in the end, they all had such great things to say about their favorite shows and characters. It was so great to see. Now this isn't just some little hobby, either—these kids are building real skills of communication that will serve them well in every area of life. And they're having fun while they do it! I can't wait to get back into the studio with these guys and see what else we can do together. Support their podcast @ Anime Cla