Increasing numbers of Afrikans are coming around to the notion that the eighth month of the year is now called Mosiah. In a 1997 message at the Alkebu-Lan Family Forum entitled How Long Shall They Kill Our Prophets… Then Apologise? Reparations Now! Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka outlined the rationale behind it:
“As our Ancestors teach us, there is power in the word. And as we speak, we are using an alien language. We must know that we have to correct that as a vital pre-requisite for our liberation. So when we say ‘August,’ we better know that we’re calling upon a European… so this month that we call ‘August,’ we may have to change that month to Mosiah – we have to do that, we have to redefine reality. Anybody have a problem with that?…”
It was the following year (1998) the full Mosiah season, a 31 day observance honouring the life and legacy of the Most Eminent Prophet and King, His Excellency Marcus Mosiah Garvey was launched in the community and the rest, as they is history. This year’s observance kicks off on Mosiah 4th with the film showing of the biographical film of the Garveyite Master Teacher – Baba John Henrik Clarke (in this his centenary year) A Great and Mighty Walk, while the official Mosiah Opening Ceremony takes place on Mosiah 7th (see http://alkebulan.org/mosiah/ for more details).
So while some may be just getting acquainted with the concept of Mosiah, there are a generation of young people that grown up known little else. For example, the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement Youth (A.R.M.Y.) would have been pre-teens during that first Mosiah season and have now matured into seasoned activists and organisers having gone through an extensive rites of passage and being involved in the nation building activities of the organisation. That the absence of such involvement can have a deleterious impact on the prospects of our young people is not a new phenomenon. Back in 1938 the Eminent Prophet offered this diagnosis:
“The morals of our young people are very loose. It is the fault of our environment and present state of affairs. They are suffering from something they never created. Another reason is that the young people are not encouraged to join helpful youth movements. Occupation will prevent and remedy this. Try to do what you can to make it safe for their existence. In your efforts, seek always to make it interesting to the youth to help themselves.”
The near eight decade time span has not dimmed the relevance of Papa Garvey’s insight. Thus, the extent to which we have established “occupations” for young people to get involved in. On the other hand, Sis. Natanya Duncan, Assistant Professor of History and Geography, Morgan State University, through her extensive studies of the UNIA-ACL and its auxiliaries has revealed that the average age of UNIA-ACL members was between 28-45, years so it was very much a young person’s movement, while having programme across the entire age range.
In the current climate there is a heavy and high profile emphasis on various campaigns that are in many respects laudable and necessary as the state needs to be challenged and exposed at every opportunity. However, these campaigns are not necessarily initiating “helpful youth movements” that are facilitating the “occupation” of our young people through a range of programmes and activities.
So we ask the question,
Where are the next generation of Garveyites?
- Are we creating programmes for our young people?
- Are the range of campaigns sufficient to engage our young people?
- Should our campaigns be waged within context of institution building?
- What would you say constitutes “helpful youth movements”?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence.
Members of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement Youth – Next Generation: Princess Nayo, Prince Ayele, Brince Akintunde and Prince Kamau. Who will all be extensively involved in the Mosiah Opening Ceremony on Kuumba (Fri) Mosiah 7th at Chestnuts Community Centre, St Ann’s Rd West Green, London N15 5BN from 6:30 to 10:30pm.
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