In the second of our exclusive six-part series, Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka, spiritual leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement will provide more practical insights into Afrikan Spirituality, within the context of the Afrikan life cycle. Subsequent parts of the series will take place on the first Monday of the month as follows: Part 3 – 4th November, Initiation; Part 4 – 2nd December, Marriage; Part 5 – 6th January, Eldership; Part 6 – 3rd February, Death and Passing Over.
While, Afrikans continue to buck the trend of declining religiosity in the UK, (1) naming ceremonies in the wider society appear to be a beneficiary of this growing secularisation. They are on the increase to an estimated 10,000 per year while Catholic and Anglican baptisms have fallen by 16% and 33% respectively. (2) To meet the increasing demand of these “non-religious” ceremonies two thirds of local authorities now offer them. (3)
There is no data on how many Afrikans are practically endorsing this development of naming ceremonies at the Town Hall. We do know that in London alone, Afrikans are virtually propping up the church, accounting for 44% of churchgoers in spite of being just 8% of the population. (4) This suggests that, whatever the trends are in white society, Afrikans are not inclined towards a “non-religious” anything, indicating an ongoing recognition of some kind of sacredness involved in naming a child. But even if this is the case, it does not necessarily mean that it will be based around Afrikan culture. This, according to our esteemed scholars goes to the heart of our inability to liberate ourselves. In the introduction to Anthony Browder’s book From The Browder File, Nana Baffour Amankwatia II (Asa G. Hilliard III) lists ten factors at the root of Afrikan disunity and misdirection, the first two of which are:
“1) We let our names go. The first step towards disorientation is to surrender your name.
2) We have surrendered our way of life (culture). We have stopped speaking the language we knew and we have stopped behaving as African people behave. We have lost our way of doing things and we have adopted the ways of people unlike ourselves…” (5)
The paradox of existing in a white supremacist system is that doing what Nana Baffour counsels against is exactly what is required to ‘get along’. For example, there is a significant body of evidence showing that “British citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds (with a name based on their ethnic background) have to send, on average, 60% more job applications to get a positive response from employers compared to their white counterparts.” For Nigerian sounding names it is as high as 80%. (6) Similarly, in education:
“A study by Ofsted in 1999 showed that students with a typically African or Asian-sounding name were likely to be given up to 12% lower marks in institutions where anonymous marking was not in place. However, Leeds University found that after changing its system to introduce anonymous marking, the scores of black minority ethnic students and women rose by up to 12%.” (7)
Although some academics have more recently queried the effectiveness of ‘blind marking’, the symbology of the limiting effect of an Afrikan name persists in European society, especially economically and educationally. (8)
Perhaps the current state of affairs could be a motivating factor for building the unity, including a healthy regard for Afrikan names and culture, that Nana Baffour referred to above. If the reliance on European education and employment is eschewed in favour of establishing our own institutions, it would render Afrikans self-reliant and less subject to discrimination for simply having names reflecting who we are. This latter point in important because names have a fundamental significance in Afrikan culture. As the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement outlines in it naming ceremony document:
“Procreation {conception and birth} is a most powerful concept in the culture and history of Afrikan people. For the birth of a child is regarded to be a Divine gift, i.e. a gift from MWARI {God}, which confirms MWARI’S pleasure in us. Procreation therefore {our Ancestors taught} is the manifest power of MWARI vested in us. The Divine Power to create and nurture life, making evident the MWARI LIKENESS {Godlikeness} of our nature of being. Our Ancestors also taught that: “Children, immortalise our existence as they perpetuate our names and legacies, through which our spirits continue to live.”
Children to the Afrikan are therefore precious, born with a Divine purpose, objective and destiny. Hence the birth of a child, in Afrikan tradition, is always met with great celebrations and thanks giving. So precious is the life of a child that much care is taken and deliberations made in planning his/her life.
The naming of the child is the first matter to be deliberated on. This is an extremely important process within our Afrikan tradition. For the name {our Ancestors taught} awakens the human soul and defines the nature, character and Divine purpose of the child. The Divine purpose and character are expressed in the meaning of the name. The name may also reflect the natural communal or family circumstances surrounding the birth of the child, the birth itself, or may commemorate a significant cultural or historical event in the family/community. It may also reflect the seasons or particular day in/or on which a child is born. Such events and circumstances {our Ancestors taught} are integral in determining the nature and shaping the character of the child. It is customary therefore to hold a special ceremony of blessing {a Naming Ceremony} to complete this hugely important act.
The Naming Ceremony is the blessing of a child by the communal family in which the child is born. This is the formal introduction of the child who is the son/daughter of every adult member of the communal family all of whom will have responsibility for the raising the child. Once the birth is announced the community awaits the celebration of naming with great anticipation. This is a grand occasion that embodies special rituals, joyous spirits and creative expressions. The celebration must be powerful, in order to awaken the soul of the child, to instil the power of the love that is felt for him/her and to engender a sense of their value and importance. Everyone therefore comes prepared to give fully of themselves, to ensure that the ceremony attains this objective and that the child receives the richest blessings. The ceremony therefore requires full participation from the entire communal family.”
Through Alkebu-Lan Blessings, Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka approaches this subject having led scores of naming (as well as rebirth, passing over and initiation) ceremonies over several decades. For tonight’s show, he will assert the necessity of giving our children the right names to attain wholeness as Afrikans:
“The Ren is the name. In the teachings of our ancient Kemetian Ancestors, a human being has not been fully born until a Ren has been uttered into their soul. The Ren is the name, that which gives energy, power to the soul of the human being, the baby. That which awakens the soul, the spirit of this baby and gives it energy to grow and to function in this dispensation of time. And so it is vital to the existence of this child that this Ren is uttered into the soul of the child. The ren in that context must be an Afrikan name. and we must ask ourselves, what happens then to the soul of the Afrikan if a Ren is not uttered into that soul. That Afrikan has not fully, come into being, that is of vital importance. It’s almost as though we are walking zombies because that powerful Ren has not evoked that spirit in us, that enables us to function within our natural essence of being.
So it is vitally important that we restore that particular wisdom of our Ancestors… It bears emphasising that any old name will not do, the must be an Afrikan name because only an Afrikan name can speak directly into the Afrikan soul of that Afrikan child. That Afrikan name bears an essence. That Afrikan name bears an energy that awakens, evokes the spirit of the Afrikan child. That Afrikan name comes from that ancient Afrikan tree of life… the divine purpose and character are expressed in the meaning of the child’s name.”
In the present though, the effects of the Maafa (9) has not only left many Afrikans with non-Afrikan names, it has separated us from Afrikan culture. Bro. Ldr also advocates Rebirth Ceremonies, where adults reclaim (as opposed to change) their Afrikan name. Yet, historically and contemporarily there have been and are Afrikans that have and do distinguish themselves for the community who have European names. However, this may not preclude the need for Afrikan names because in the final analysis, it is human to operate from within one’s own cultural matrix and no cultural matrix has been as maligned as much as the Afrikan.
(1) Harriet Sherwood (23/05/16) ‘People of no religion outnumber Christians in England and Wales – study. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/23/no-religion-outnumber-christians-england-wales-study.; Liam McLaughlin 07/08/13) Is it harder to “come out” as an atheist if you’re black? https://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2013/08/it-harder-come-out-atheist-if-youre-black
(2) Tailor Made Ceremonies (19/09/18) Popularity of Naming Ceremonies versus the decline in christenings. https://tailormadeceremonies.co.uk/popularity-of-naming-ceremonies-versus-the-decline-in-christenings/
(3) Ibid..
(4) McLaughlin. Op. cit.
(5) Asa G. Hilliard III (1989) Introduction in From The Browder File by Anthony T Browder. The Institute of Karmic Guidance. p. vii-viii
(6) Rianna Croxford (18/01/19) Why your name matters in the search for a job. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46927417.
(7) Daniel Boffey (29/07/12) ‘Blind marking’ urged to raise exam score of pupils from ethnic minorities. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/29/race-schools-edication-banks-lib-dems
(8) Holly Else (31/08/17) The Limits of Blind Marking. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/08/31/study-finds-limited-impact-blind-marking-british-university
(9) Marimba Ani (2004) Let The Circle Be Unbroken. .Nkonimfo Publications. p. 12-14
we ask the question:
How should we name our children?
1) Do Afrikan names hold us back in UK society?
2) How does hot having an Afrikan name effect our potential as individuals?
3) Would all of us having Afrikan names makes us more unified?
4) How would one practically about naming their baby or reclaiming their Afrikan name?
Our Special Guest:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a renowned Afrikan-Centered Education Consultant and educator and is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing. He is a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.