09/03/2023
They say knowledge is power so a king or queen with knowledge becomes a god. There will always be modern day kings and queens amongst us. From the disputed to the undisputed in every facet of society. Whether it's in sports or business, kings like Lebron, Carter, Tyler and queens like Ava and Oprah will manifest themselves at a point in time as a reflection of their present society and their African heritage. Modern day kings do not need thrones; only an audience will suffice. That’s why we had Queens like Holiday, Nina, Whitney, and Kings like Pac, Biggie and Kobe, and even though we lost them too soon, their legacy will always live on through us because we are also the scion of kingdoms and empires that got lost in transit. Or translation, depending upon one’s perspective. From Queens like Cleopatra to Kings like Mansa Musa, Sundiata, Chaka and the Black Pharaohs who were overlords of the Great Pyramids, to modern ones who ultimately proved to be immensely gifted with social consciousness and became too powerful for a heaving world filled with misplaced systems of governance. Queens like the Nehandas and Asantewaa and Kings such as Lumumba, Dedan, Biko, Nkrumah and Sankara will live on forever. We strive to espouse their legacies and bring them to life by word of mouth and the power of pens mightier than any weapon they were struck down with. Spurred by actions that are devoid of vanity from conniving thoughts, we would recreate their uniqueness and peerless greatness in order to achieve a spiraling sense of awareness as a people first and foremost, and then as a culture that will never, ever be defined by the ambiguity of race again. When all is said and done, knowledge of self is a liberating form of power. No matter your culture or ancestry, self-awareness is the first and last step in deconstructing vile forms of social construction, and building upon all forms of humanity and empathy which makes us all human, in the end.