Life After Leopold

(mother at the spot where her son was found hanging from a tree)

Reading the book was gut wrenching and sad. The disregard for human life is sicken. Slavery is not over. Yes in the legal sense we can't just go after another culture and take them and make them do things against their will. It is 2008, we have domestic violence where women are held captive by their mate mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes rape and torture by someone that they knew and loved. What about all the gang violence and black on black crime just killing one another over a pair of sneakers or a dollar trying to get to the American Dream, what about human trafficking? Women and girls taking from the home under false pretenses that will become a model or actress and sold in the sex game. What is the hot commodity in all of these, the human being, the human soul. What price does one have to pay to get to the top? Or to be in control?

Approximately 33 million1 or 15% of all U.S. adults, admit that they were a victim of domestic violence. Furthermore, 6 in 10 adults claim that they know someone personally who has experienced domestic violence.

Among all adults, 39% say that they have experienced at least one of the following, with 54% saying that they haven’t experienced any:
Called bad names (31%)
Pushing, slapping, choking or hitting (21%)
Public humiliation (19%)
Keeping away from friends or family (13%)
Threatening your family (10%)
Forcing you to have sexual intercourse without consent (9%)

On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day.1
92% of women say that reducing domestic violence and sexual assault should be at the top of any formal efforts taken on behalf of women today.2
1 out of 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime.3
1 in 5 female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Abused girls are significantly more likely to get involved in other risky behaviors. They are 4 to 6 times more likely to get pregnant and 8 to 9 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide.3
1 in 3 teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, slapped, choked or physically hurt by his/her partner.4
As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy. 5
Violence against women costs companies $72.8 million annually due to lost productivity.6
Ninety-four percent of the offenders in murder-suicides were male.7
Seventy-four percent of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner(spouse, common-law spouse, ex-spouse, or boyfriend/girlfriend). Of these, 96 percent were females killed by their intimate partners.7
Most murder-suicides with three or more victims involved a "family annihilator" -- a subcategory of intimate partner murder-suicide.Family annihilators are murderers who kill not only their wives/girlfriends and children, but often other family members as well,before killing themselves.7
Seventy-five percent of murder-suicides occurred in the home.7

Life after the Congo: we are still losing more women to domestic violence than we did during the slave trade. It seems as if we are going backwards not forwards.

National Domestic Violence Hot line: 1-800-879-SAFE

BLACK ON BLACK CRIME STATISTICS

While African Americans comprise 12% of the U.S. population, 45% of all murder victims in 2002 were African American, 91% of whom were killed by African Americans. Nationally, homicide is the leading cause of death for black men and second leading cause of death for black women ages 15-24. There have been over 250 homicides reported over the last 5-6 years in Pulaski County. United States spends an average of over $4.5 billion on emergency and physical/occupational therapy associated with crime-related injuries/deaths.

No matter how we slice it someone is still making money off the black man's death or destruction. Think about what 4.5 billion dollars could of did for the schools?

Life after the Congo is a little scary we took away the slave ships and replaced it with guns, verbal and physical abuse just to get to where we think we need to be.

http://www.pauljusticepage.com/ Geonicide of the black male

Congo

Reading the book, was an emotional journey. It always takes me back to why? Why did the Europeans come over and take these people from their home and forced them to live in such a inhumane way? Why was Africa the target out of all countries and cities in this world why target them? Even before the Europeans came over the Africa Kings were trading slaves as well. No matter how many times you read and study books on slavery and the conditions it still brings up some k emotions. Millions of Africans lost their lives on this journey and for what? It was all because of greed and power in the end. People found a new way to make some money and unfortunately people were the commodity and they risk alot for others to make some money.

Today what is so different? Nothing, people are driven by the same evil monster to make a quick dollar. They are willing to exploit belittle and killed sometimes to make money. Everyone is waiting for the new get rich quick scheme or plan. They are willing to kill their wife for the insurance money, make young people a slave to drugs to make money, or sell their own soul to the devil for the money. Just as long as they are comfortable people have little regard for human life.

Much hasn't change yeah we are not bound physical by shackles and chains, but we are mentally. That is what is worst the physical chains we can remove how can change are way of thinking?

Kola Nuts

Kola Nut
Kola nuts (or cola nuts) are the seed pods of various evergreen trees that are native to Africa; Sterculiaceae cola vera is the scientific name of the most common species. The kola nut trees, which grow as tall as 60 feet (18 meters), are most common in Western Africa.

Kola nuts are important in many African societies, particularly in Western Africa. Besides the fact that Kola nuts contain caffeine and act as a stimulant and anti-depressant, they are also thought to reduce fatigue and hunger, aid digestion, and work as an aphrodisiac. Kola nuts can be found in soft drinks such as Coca Cola. In some parts of Africa, kola nuts are given as gifts to visitors entering a home, usually with some formal ceremony. Offering the kola nut is a gesture of friendship and hospitality.

Breaking the Kola nut with friends and family is like passing the peace pipe in Native American cultural or breaking bread in other cultures. It is ritual of bringing people together. Sounds familiar? Many family and cultural tradition involved food and a gathering of people. Food does bring people together. If we think about our heritage and different cultural we can think of many ways of people coming together, solving problems, celebrating, grieving all over food.

In the book, the Kola Nut was the meeting ground for the different tribes. Everything was centered around the Kola Nut. In the book, major decisions wasn't made until the kola nut was broken. It is like the Kola Nut was a center of piece for the moment. If we think back after we have had a good meal or drink we are a little calm down and able to make more rational decisions then on an empty stomach.

Things fall Apart

I am so intrigued by the book. I love learning about other cultures. This is my first time reading anything from Achebe and did a good job depicted the African villages. One thing that pulled at my heart was the constant of mention of babies dying and killing kids. As a mother I couldn't grasp my mind around losing a child or even sacrificing a child for a purpose. Not by any means downing their culture, but I couldn't understand why. It kind of made me think with many African Americans calling to go back to their motherland and their roots could they honestly make it in their culture?

I was also intrigued by the way the wives and other women all knew their role and what position they played. It is interested to read about a man having many wives. I wonder how the women felt about being part of a triad or a quad of women. I guess you only know what you are raised with. One thing that did seem cruel was the beating of the women. I know that may be protocol, but that is a little inhumane to constantly beat on your wife, and their are certain times when you couldn't. It goes back to every society or clan is different.

The missionaries that came into the village. Why? Why disrupt the village by trying to convert them to a religion that they wanted. I was disturb with that. Why did he feel it was necessary to come into the village and tell them there way of believing was wrong and they were going to hell. It frustrates me so bad when people try to put their beliefs onto someone else. The people were in the village not bothering anyone and he comes disrupting their natural order of things. If someone wanted to worship a tree and their foot why is that people's business. They found something that works for them. When it comes to religion if you are not following the mainstream religion then you are destine to go to hell. Just leave people alone

Another topic that was introduced in the novel was the idea of polygamy. Many religions and cultures have embraced polygamy and it is not a foreign concept. One of the most popular and followed religion, Islam, has permitted polygamy among their believers.

Polygamy in the Quran
The Muslim scripture, the Quran, is the only known world scripture to explicitly limit polygamy and place strict restrictions upon its practice:
“… marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one.” (Quran 4:3)
The Quran limited the maximum number of wives to four. In the early days of Islam, those who had more than four wives at the time of embracing Islam were required to divorce the extra wives. Islam further reformed the institution of polygamy by requiring equal treatment to all wives. The Muslim is not permitted to differentiate between his wives in regards to sustenance and expenses, time, and other obligations of husbands. Islam does not allow a man to marry another woman if he will not be fair in his treatment. Prophet Muhammad did not tolerate discrimination between the wives or between their children.

Also, marriage and polygamy in Islam is a matter of mutual consent. No one can force a woman to marry a married man. Islam simply permits polygamy; it neither forces nor requires it. Besides, a woman may stipulate that her husband must not marry any other woman as a second wife in her prenuptial contract. The point that is often misunderstood in the West is that women in other cultures - especially African and Islamic - do not necessarily look at polygamy as a sign of women’s degradation.
Even though we see the clear permissibility of polygamy in Islam, its actual practice is quite rare in many Muslim societies. Most Muslim men feel they cannot afford the expense of maintaining more than one family. Even those who are financially capable of looking after additional families are often reluctant due to the psychological burdens of handling more than one wife.

Being a Muslim woman I will not enter into a relationship with a man and another woman. I feel as if I will not be able to handle the burden of my husband juggling two women. I know Muslims women that are in polygamist relationship I don't know if they are happier or not. I do know that is not for everyone and I do not condone nor condemn anyone that wants to practice polygamy.

www.islamicity.com/mosque/w_islam/poly.htm

Yoruba

The Yoruba (Yo•row•ba) are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Many people speak the Yoruba language. The Yoruba found mostly in Nigera consist of 21 percent of the population.



Yoruba shares borders with other villages such as the Borgu, the Nupe and the Ebria, and the Igala and other related groups are found in the northeast.



The philosophy of Yorùbá (also known as Irunmole, Ifa, Orisha or Aborisha) is that all humans have Ayanmo (manifest destiny) to become one in spirit with Olódùmarè (Olòrún, the divine creator and source of all energy). Each person in Ayé (the physical realm) uses thought or action to impact the community of all other living things including the Earth, and so to move towards destiny. As such, one's destiny is in one's hands. To attain transcendence and destiny in Òrún-Réré (spiritual realm of those who do good and beneficial things), one's Orí-Inu (spiritual consciousness in the physical realm) must be elevated to unify with one's Iponri (Orí Òrún). Those who stop improving are destined for Òrún-Apadi (spiritual realm of the forsaken). Life and death are cycles of habitation in physical body and spiritual realms while one's spirit evolves toward transcendence. This evolution is most advanced in Irùnmolẹ (oní irun, of the unique hair that distinguishes humans from beasts; imo, enlightened of destiny, ilẹ on the land)



For most people, iwapẹlẹ (balanced culture), meditation strengthen one's Orí-Inu. One is able to gbadúra (pray) for support of the Egungun (one's elevated ancestors) or the Orí-Òrún for the tools of the Odu (knowledge of all ages) to one's benefit. Those with strong motivation to acheived a fulfilling destiny may consult Orunmila through Ifá (divination sciences) and ẹbò (offering). In invoking the Orunmila so directly, care is required to ensure alignment of thought and action. The Orunmila brings into motion either Oríṣà (benevolent or angelic forces) or Ajẹ (malevolent or demonic forces). All communication with the Òrún is energized by invoking Àṣẹ (the essence of Olódùmarè that gives life to all). Àṣẹ is delivered by Ẹlégbara (Eṣu, the divine messenger) who, without distortion or partiality for good or for bad, negotiates communication to the Òrún and navigates Òrún forces to the Ayé.n western Nigeria, there are also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin, Ghana and Togo



Yoruba (native name èdè Yorùbá, 'the Yoruba language') is a dialect of West Africa with over 25 million speakers. The native tongue of the approximately 40 million Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Apart from referring to the aggregate of dialects and their speakers, the term Yoruba is used for the standard, written form of the language. Yoruba is classified as a Niger-Congo language of the Yoruboid branch of Defoid, Benue-Congo. Yoruba is the third most spoken native African language.


The Yoruba are rich in heritage, cultural and spirit. This was a fascinating group to research on. It enlightens me to know the many groups that are in Africa and all are so different.



Source: Online Encyclopedia. www.en.wikipedia.org










Months in Yoruba calendar:
Months in Gregorian calendar:
Sere
January
Erele
February
Erena
March
Igbe
April
Ebibi
May
Okudu
June
Agemo
July
Ogun
August
Owere (Owewe)
September
Owara (Owawa)
October
Belu
November
Ope
December