In recent years the crisis that is engulfing our young people has seen increasing numbers of us draw for the concept of ‘Rites of Passage’.  This focus has largely been trailed on Afrikan boys/young men who lag behind their female counterparts academically (1), are by far more likely to be excluded from school, which thereby exponentially increasing their propensity to be involved in knife-related offences (2)

Yet in spite of what appears on the surface, Rites of Passage, from its Afrikan roots is founded on the idea of male-female complementarity, which as Warrior scholar Mwalimu Bomani Baruti explains:

“Complimentarity, as all other principles of Ma’at, should determine and guide our thought and action with everything animate and inanimate, tangible and intangible, knowable and unknowable.  It should unquestionably remain an essential and inextricably intertwined ingredient in our relations with those we love and care about.  It should remain deeply folded in foundation of all our interpretations and creations of reality. To be Afrikan is to be complementarily centered in all healthy and meaningful relations.  Noncomplementary relations must be shaped into complementary ones.  Or if that is impossible they should be discarded.” (3)

So in recent years we have seen more Rites of Passage type programmes being established to cater for girls/young women.  For example, as a sister programme to the male project, Origin, based as New Initiatives in south London, Akuah  was launched in 2015.  Similarly, following the establishment of the Manhood Academy, this time in north London, the female counterpart was set up. (4)

Thus, irrespective of where we might believe the need is greatest, the necessity for both male and female programmes has deep, Ancestral roots.  As Jomo Kenyatta explains in Facing Mount Kenya with respect to the Gikuyu:

“One body in all tribal matters and have a very strong bond of brotherhood and sisterhood among themselves. Thus, in every generation the Gikuyu tribal organisation is stabilised by the activities of the various age-grades, of old and young people who act harmoniously, in the political, social, religious and economic life of the Gikuyu.” (5)

For the Gikuyu and as tended to be the case Ancestrally, the initiation process was a fundamental interdependent aspect of society. However, in the so-called diasporean context, the structured, grounded and orderly transition from childhood to adulthood, runs counter to existential reality for Afrikans within an oppressive system such as the UK.  The paradox being that many tenets of that very system are being embraced by our young people, even if in some very creative formulations. 

Previously generations grounded their identity their forebears Afrikan/Caribbean heritage, rather than a British one.  But as successive progeny become further and further removed from those origins:

“Socially now more than ever in Britain, all kinds of cultures are interacting with one another. It is amongst this cultural scene that the term Black Britishness has properly been able to develop. Black Britishness is the amalgamation of African, Caribbean, and British culture coming together as one. One of the easiest places to see this is in slang and patterns of speech. Within slang you can hear several linguistic influences from Jamaican patois, Nigerian Yoruba, Ghanaian Twi, Arabic due to large Muslim populations amongst certain African countries, and of course English to tie them all together.” (6)

The above perspective affirms that “the Black British populous is here to stay” (7), although a similar, though lesser known proclamation was made almost forty years ago in the wake of the New Cross Massacre.  The slogan “Thirteen Dead, Nothing Said” mobilized a movement but the campaign, perhaps in recognition of it varying political strands, had another rallying call: “Come what may, we’re here to stay.” (8) 

Conversely, episodes like the Windrush Scandal indicate that Britannia is not quite ready to reciprocate.  The report into the debacle, curiously released in the midst of the coronavirus crisis (9) exposed the government’s “institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness’ towards race.” (10)  Moreover, the likes of Cheryl Phoenix of The Black Child Agenda have been raising the alarm for years about state sanctioned malfeasance with regards to our children. (11)

So even though our overstanding of our identity in the UK may evolve over time, the hosts remain unrelenting in their antipathy.  Hence, the various community initiatives that have been developed over time either in resistance to the state/societal onslaught and/or to affirm who we are as a people.

As a usable model, author Mary C Lewis shares “a rites of passage programme for you” in her book Herstory: Black Female Rites of Passage, published in 1988.  She uses the Nguzo Saba (“the Seven Principles of Blackness”), created by Dr Maulana Karenga, that most people associate with Kwanzaa as an “effective frame of reference.” The overall objectives of the programme include:

“To foster knowledge among young Black females of the specific nature of their sexuality;

To encourage appreciation of African-American familyhood and the manner in which process-oriented, survival-based family rules are shaped by cultural traditions and individual circumstances;

To enhance participants’ awareness of their role in the development their community and their friendships;

To increase the appropriate and practical use of time, work, habits and money;

To direct participants’ interests and attitudes toward creative self-expression as a meaningful vehicle;

To use nurturing, self-loving approaches to a variety of everyday as well as ‘benchmark’ situations.

Overall Goal: To provide opportunities for Black female adolescents to prepare themselves – physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and culturally – for the passage to womanhood.”  (12)

The programme components are arranged under several different themes with respective goals, methods and resources.  The themes and goals include:

“Sexuality

1. To increase knowledge of the stages of adolescent growth.
2. To increase knowledge of the areas of development within each stage.
3. To specify participant’s concrete reasons for delaying the onset of sexual intercourse.
4. To specify participant’s concrete reasons for delaying pregnancy.
5. To increase awareness of myths about Black females and the role of myth making today.
6. To facilitate formation of personal definitions of Black female sexuality.

Familyhood

1. To increase knowledge of African traditions regarding family roles.
2. To develop awareness of participant’s responsibility and importance to her family’s effectiveness.
3. To demonstrate at least one way participant can apply an African tradition to the life of her family.

Our Community/Our Friends

1. To develop specific definitions of participant’s expectations regarding her community and her friend’s roles in her life.
2. To increase awareness of participant’s responsibility, role and importance to her community and friends.
3. To increase skills in implementing participant’s community role.
4. To increase knowledge of role a community has played in African-American history.
5. To facilititate development of communication skills.

Our Time/Our Work/Our Money

1. To increase awreness of the role of time in adult life.
2. To increase knowledge of work habits participant can presently implement.
3. To foster awareness of ways to implement cooperative economics.

The Well of Creativity

1. To increase participant’s wareness of African traditions in music, crafts and dance.
2. To foster participant’s interest in gaining additional skills in African-oriented music, crafts or dance.
3. To increase knowledge of ways in which African aerts traditions are applied to the popular arts.
4. To facilititate production of alternative’media messages’ involving music, crafts or dance.

Being and Becoming Whole and Proud

1. To increase knowledge awareness of nurturing techniques to use in everyday situations.
2. To increase knowledge of ‘benchmark’ events in a Black female’s life.
3. To demonstrate skills gained throughout the rites of passage program.” (13)

Similarly, The Womanhood Academy, inspired by their vision to:

“Help transform and educate Queens in all aspects of life – economically, socially and culturally so they can develop and become self-sustaining and an asset in their community.  We promote the ethos ‘we are our sister’s keeper’ as we believe it is the driving force for social change in our community,” (https://www.womanhoodacademy.com/services)

have developed a range of services including Rites Of Passage, Girls Talk, Seminars, Life Coaching Services and Mentoring Services to fulfil it.

(1) Department for Education (22/08/19) GCSE results (‘Attainment 8’) By ethnicity and gender. https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16-years-old/gcse-results-attainment-8-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest#by-ethnicity-and-gender

(2)  Office of the Children’s Commissioner School Exclusions Inquiry (2012) “They never give up on you”. p. 9 https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/They-never-give-up-on-you-final-report.pdf;  Sharon Hendry (02/03/19) ‘OUR FIGHT AGAINST EVIL’  Friend of stab victim Jaden Moodie says his exclusion from school put him on a path to tragedy.  https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8548021/jaden-moodie-murder-school-exclusion/

(3) Mwalimu K Baruti (2010) Iwa: A Warrior’s Character. Akoben House. p. 6-7

(4) The British Blacklist (12/02/18) Following the success of the Manhood Academy, Womanhood has now been born! http://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/following-the-success-of-the-manhood-academy-womanhood-has-now-been-born/.

(5) Jomo Kenyatta (1961) Facing Mount Kenya. Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd. p. 2-3

(6) Zweli Chibs (01/07/19) How [@stormzy] Glastonbury is important for Black British identity. https://www.guap.co.uk/blog/2019/07/01/how-stormzy-glastonbury-is-important-for-black-british-identity/

(7) Ibid.

(8) Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka (2011) Commemorate, Evaluate, Organise to Liberate! The Whirlwind, edition 9. p. 2-3

(9) Satbir Singh (20/03/20) The damning Windrush scandal review has been buried under the coronavirus crisis for a reason. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/windrush-review-coronavirus-home-office-priti-patel-racism-a9413796.html

(10) May Bulman (19/03/20) Home Office showed ‘institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness’ towards race, Windrush report finds. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/windrush-report-scandal-generation-news-racism-latest-a9411186.html

(11) The Voice Online (13/10/19) Black Child Agenda conference aims to tackle youth issues head on. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news/2019/10/13/black-child-agenda-conference-aims-to-tackle-youth-issues-head-on/

(12) Mary C Lewis (1988) ‘Herstory: Black Female Rites of Passage. African American Images. p. 115-126

(13) Ibid.

We ask the question:

Princesses to Queens: How well are we nurturing our girls?

1) Is there too much focus on boys?

2) What are the main challenges facing Afrikan girls?

3) How do we reconcile intergenerational identity issues?

4) Will the Brits ever allow us to be British?

5) What is the community’s role in supporting Rites Of Passage programmes?

Our Special Guest:

Pryncess Bignell: is a dynamic and creative proactive healer of the community. Professionally, she is an early years intervention and prevention practitioner. Co-director and Co-founder of Womanhood Academy and Nzingaz, 2 organisations focused towards the empowerment and support of girls, women and their support networks.

Pryncess has 2 young Queens herself and believes in the value of self-care, self-acceptance and healing the healer. She also has founded Superwoman Surgery which is solely geared towards women mothers in particular suffering from ‘superwoman syndrome’ which is a condition many black women suffer from where they put themselves under unrealistic pressure and do not reach out for help or prioritise themselves.

Body beauty Embraced is another movement she has founded encouraging women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their natural bodies which is so important in today’s society which is striving towards superficial perfection, creating an unrealistic expectation and unnecessary pressure.  Pryncess is also an advocate for healing the black family and rebuilding the village infrastructure to nurture and promote healthy functional black families, she is the host for Ebony Love a black dating event that explores underlying issues and encourages dialogue between both sexes in order to normalise openness and effective communication between our Kings and Queens.

Pryncess is also a gifted poet and has recently joined the Black Women’s Time poetry collective and also uses her skills to create stimulating poetry workshops in local schools and within the organisations she works with.