What Works in Your Community?

[AfroNinpo]

Have you ever heard this, "Black folk just don't want to hear anything positive?" Yeah, you have! I personally don't believe it. African people DO want to hear how we can improve our lives/selves. Prove me right! Tell me what works in your community. How do you get your message accross to our people? What kind of responses do you get? Spread the word on Spreading the word!

[Revolutionary_Student]

Originally Posted by AfroNinpo

Have you ever heard this, "Black folk just don't want to hear anything positive?" Yeah, you have! I personally don't believe it. African people DO want to hear how we can improve our lives/selves. Prove me right! Tell me what works in your community. How do you get your message accross to our people? What kind of responses do you get? Spread the word on Spreading the word!

I usually try to plant seeds with my "unconscious" friends by playing dead prez when my friends and fam are around. Some of my friends and fam read so I try to recommend books to them but I don't think anything ever sticks.

[AfroNinpo]

Have you ever discussed the message behind Dead Prez's lyrics? Or, do you just wait for them to pick it up on their own?

[Revolutionary_Student]

Originally Posted by AfroNinpo

Have you ever discussed the message behind Dead Prez's lyrics? Or, do you just wait for them to pick it up on their own?

I most definately do! Like I said, nothing sticks. If it ain't talking about bitches, hoes, money, guns, or drugs they lose interest.

Paradigm shifting thoughts are rarely openly accepted and/or pondered by those with a closed mind or those who are content with the current world order.

[AfroNinpo]

Sometimes I find that it works when you make it personal. "What if it was your Mother/Daughter" etc. In my opinion, it doesn't stick because people are only concerned with their own well being. Try to make it personal. You must creat a sense of urgency.

[Revolutionary_Student]

Originally Posted by AfroNinpo

Sometimes I find that it works when you make it personal. "What if it was your Mother/Daughter" etc. In my opinion, it doesn't stick because people are only concerned with their own well being. Try to make it personal. You must creat a sense of urgency.

I'll try that next time. Let me share an experience with you though. My little cousin just turned 21 on the 19th of April. He's a big hip-hop fan so for his birthday I bought him dead prez's "Let's Get Free" album. He said thanks and that was the last time I heard from him. I've called; he never answers. I leave messages; he never calls back.

You think there's any connection between his distancing himself from me and my choice of gift or just a coincidence?

[AfroNinpo]

It's possible, but I doubt it. I could see if you had gotten a Reba McIntyre CD or something, but not a DP'z CD.

[Conscious Sistah]

I like to orgainse talks within my college, based around pan-africanism, identity, culture ect. i try to get the unconscious ones to attend however that can be very difficult at times. I also keep people in the know about any afrocentric events going in and around London, thorough word of mouth announcements in class and so on.

Within my family i get my mother and father to read books on African history and books on our great African warriors. My dad is currently reading the autobiography of Malcolm X. My mum is not a reader, but a good listner so I just converse with her,and educate her on a lot of things.

Debates are a great way of spreading the message and waking up the unconscious ones, because it is stimulating, fun and at the same time their learning something.

Musical events such as concerts. Dead prez has just finished their UK tour. They have a message, and a lot of hip hop fans i know turned up, im sure a fair amount of non-conscious ones went.

Poetry and rap! Their entertaining and they have good messages.

With young kids, african orientated drama, dance and art classes seem to be very popular as well.

[AfroNinpo]

Originally Posted by Conscious Sistah

I like to orgainse talks within my college, based around pan-africanism, identity, culture ect. i try to get the unconscious ones to attend however that can be very difficult at times. I also keep people in the know about any afrocentric events going in and around London, thorough word of mouth announcements in class and so on.

Within my family i get my mother and father to read books on African history and books on our great African warriors. My dad is currently reading the autobiography of Malcolm X. My mum is not a reader, but a good listner so I just converse with her,and educate her on a lot of things.

Debates are a great way of spreading the message and waking up the unconscious ones, because it is stimulating, fun and at the same time their learning something.

Musical events such as concerts. Dead prez has just finished their UK tour. They have a message, and a lot of hip hop fans i know turned up, im sure a fair amount of non-conscious ones went.

Poetry and rap! Their entertaining and they have good messages.

With young kids, african orientated drama, dance and art classes seem to be very popular as well.

So, out of these methods, which one would you say works the best in the UK as far as spreading Pan-Afrikanism?

[QueenWarriorNefertari]

What works in my community is talking to my People as MY PEOPLE. I speak to them with all my love and affection, even when meeting harsh rejection. I don't think of or come to them as stupid, unconscious, less than or anything else that I know already makes them feel alienated from me.

Knowledge is here for us All... but I know for a fact, too many of us do not feel worthy or that anything will come of them personally to take part. So I feed it.. nourish and nurture... share Me...share Us... share Love, Respect, Honor, Pride, Dignity and Power!

I give/lend books, I give/lend music, I give my time, I give my physical and spiritual/mental foods. Whatever they need and desire I give because I keep myself in overflow for Us. This is about OUR Life.. not just Me. It is a must I keep me as a Sanctuary for us all. A voice for the voiceless. A healer for the dis-eased.

Whatever I can do... I do it.. because WE and our Rising demands it. Not for thanks, not for accolades, not for kudos, not for anything but the possibility of them seeing what EYE see in them. Feel me?

All of this works and has worked for every community I've lived in thus far

ASE.

[AfroNinpo]

Originally Posted by Cynequa

What works in my community is talking to my People as MY PEOPLE. I speak to them with all my love and affection, even when meeting harsh rejection. I don't think of or come to them as stupid, unconscious, less than or anything else that I know already makes them feel alienated from me.

Knowledge is here for us All... but I know for a fact, too many of us do not feel worthy or that anything will come of them personally to take part. So I feed it.. nourish and nurture... share Me...share Us... share Love, Respect, Honor, Pride, Dignity and Power!

I give/lend books, I give/lend music, I give my time, I give my physical and spiritual/mental foods. Whatever they need and desire I give because I keep myself in overflow for Us. This is about OUR Life.. not just Me. It is a must I keep me as a Sanctuary for us all. A voice for the voiceless. A healer for the dis-eased.

Whatever I can do... I do it.. because WE and our Rising demands it. Not for thanks, not for accolades, not for kudos, not for anything but the possibility of them seeing what EYE see in them. Feel me?

All of this works and has worked for every community I've lived in thus far

ASE.

No doubt. So, in what capacity do you speak to our people? Group settings? One on one? Forums?

[QueenWarriorNefertari]

Originally Posted by AfroNinpo

No doubt. So, in what capacity do you speak to our people? Group settings? One on one? Forums?

Again...

Whatever the PEOPLE want. Need. Desire. Wherever I can meet up with them. I don't plan my movement in my mission.. I just Do. Because time is of the essence. I could be gone in the next breath... so I speak now, I hold now, I feed now, I give now, I do now. I'm talking at busstops, those spaces you mentioned above, bookstores, cafes, on the block, on stoops, getting our hair braided/combed/washed/cut/picked out lol, cooking, at my home, random corners and spaces... wherever we find each other!

Its never a question of who, where, when, what, how, or even why... I just Act. Either my planted seeds grow or the go ignored and neglected...but even then, those few come for replenishing through reading togther, exercising/walking together or just sitting and breathing together.

It works because I've made everything between me and us personal... we are We to me. If i'm not going up, they aren't going up. If any of them fall down, I fall down right with them. So it is my honore to keep us on the rise.