As my son and I drove home recently, I reflected on something that he told me…
The stark reality that many of the friends that he used to hang out with are either dead or in jail.
I immediately taught of my elders in Africa and all the ebos, or sacrifices we had done to help Malcolm over the years. And how I took him to seek spiritual help in Nigeria because we feared that the streets of Oakland could snuff his life out at any time for being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people.
But my son, Malcolm, has escaped the statistics, and I havetheelders and the orisas to thank.
The young man that greets me every morning is a far cry from the thug he used to be. This young man is a dedicated father who helps his son with his homework. This young mans has two jobs and works seven days a week. This young man is very respectful to us.
What a welcome change from the angry, young man that I once worried about night and day. What a journey from a thug to a father who has successfully turned his life around.
Back in 2003, when my spiritual father in Africa told me that things would change and that I would see good things in my family, it was hard to believe. I wanted to believe the old man knew what he was talking about and that the prayers and ebos to the orisas would really work.
And the orishas delivered. It hasn’t been easy by any means, but I’m proud of my son and the wonderful transformation that I see. I’m also pleased to report that Malcolm’s six year-old son, Jakari, is on the honor roll and will turn out just fine.
In fact, Ifa predicts that Jakari will grow up to be a popular politician in the future. We’ll see.
Know that change is possible for you, too. That the storm you’re experiencing will not last forever. No storm ever does.
The report card on African-American health is grim:
*African Americans have the highest death rate for cancer than any racial and ethnic group in the US.
*The death rate for Black Americans with diabetes is 40% higher than other races and cultures.
*Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among African-American men and women.
*African-Americans have twice as many strokes as white americans, and black women are more likely to get heart disease and die from complications than any other group.
Experts say these inequalities are linked to glaring social and economic disparities in work, wealth, income, education and housing. And the fact that millions of African-Americans have no health insurance further compounds these problems.
But there’s also a glimmer of hope…
A growing number of African-Americans are embracing African healing traditions and other alternative health practices that can help save lives, leading experts say.
“There are aspects of health that are not being met by modern science,” says Charles Finch M.D., a physician and scholar who has worked extensively with traditional healers in West Africa. Finch believes modern science has a lot to learn from African healers.
A graduate of Yale University and the Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine, Finch blasts the Western medical establishment for suppressing indigenous healing systems and ridiculing traditional healers who have been providing outstanding health care for thousands of years.
African healers are highly trained and can often diagnose and treat illnesses using spiritual methods long before their Western counterparts can even detect them, Finch says.
Divination is the key to understanding what is happening with the client. Ifa divination, a system that originated with the Yorubas of Southwest Nigeria, is the most popular from of divination in the West. This ancient system can also be found in Santeria, an Afro-Cuban spiritual tradition that blends Yoruba religion and Roman Catholicism.
David Cumes M.D, a South-African born surgeon who has also been initiated and trained as a sangoma, or healer, is also a firm believer in the efficacy of African healing traditions.
“African healers laugh at us,” says Cumes. “Africa has aboriginal spiritual technology that we are only now beginning to appreciate. Theirs is the original medicine. Western scientists believe that they are on the cutting edge of the new age of healing. However, we may have missed the boat entirely. We may be technical wizards, but when it comes to the human spirit, we are really only beginners.”
Finch and Cumes will share their insights in the upcoming documentary film, “Across The King’s River,” which explores how African healing traditions intersects with science.
James Weeks, producer of “Across The King’s River,” says one of the goals of the film is to clear up misconceptions about African healing traditions. The film will be directed by acclaimed director Stanley Nelson, whose latest film, “Freedom Riders,” won three Emmy Awards for outstanding picture.
For more information about “Across The King’s River,” visit www.acrossthekingsriver.com
Very few people think of Africa when they turn on their lap-tops.
But one leading scientist insists that “every lap-top, every electronic circuit and every personal digital assistant (PDA) began in Africa.”
According to mathematician Ron Eglash, not only did the roots of digital computing begin in Africa . . .
The roots of the binary code that every modern computer uses can be traced back to the intricate divination systems that traditional African priests and healers use to communicate with the spirit world.
Dr. Eglash, a mathematician and Associate Professor of Science and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, says people are always shocked when he reveals that the binary code and the roots of digital computing began in Africa.
In this brief lecture on TED, Dr. Eglash discusses African fractals and the evolution of the binary code:
Eglash is one of several scholars that will be featured in Across The King’s River, an upcoming documentary film that explores modern science and African healing and spiritual traditions.
Across The King’s River producer, James Weeks, says the Western world owes Africa a huge debt – and a huge apology. “It’s one of the greatest ironies. Very few people realize that the binary code originated in Africa. It’s a significant contribution, yet African spiritual traditions have been demonized and ridiculed for centuries,” Weeks said.
Weeks added that one of the reasons he embarked on the film is to clear up misconceptions about African spiritual traditions and to showcase the contributions that Africa has made to modern science and technology.
Across the King’s River explores the sacred and healing traditions of three African cultures: the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria, the Dagara of Burkina Faso, and the Lebu of Senegal.
Stanley Nelson, an award-winning African-American filmmaker who has showcased several films at Sundance and on PBS, will direct Across The King’s River. Among Nelson’s notable films are Freedom Riders (2011), Jonestown: The Life & Death of People’s Temple (2006), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), A Place of Our Own (2004), Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (2005), Wounded Knee (2009).
“Men get caught up in the socio-economic nightmare of giving away most of their time in order to survive,” says best-selling author and shaman Malidoma Some. “We didn’t come into this world to give all our energy to stay alive, we came here to live. The biggest dragon is the one that tells us we have to work eight hours a day, and we end up being so tired that the very thing our soul is yearning for we don’t have time for.”
“The dragon wants us to be introverted,” Malidoma says on his website. “Men usually fool themselves into serving the big dragon. We must endanger the problem by confronting it,” he insists. “It is to be dug out of its hiding and exposed to the air. It cannot breathe oxygen. The light of day is lethal to it. That’s why the dragon tells us that we should be safe, because the dragon wants to be safe. We end up actually serving the very thing we want to be rid of.”
I first interviewed Malidoma more than 10 years ago in a tiny office in the hills of Oakland, CA. You can hear excerpts of our conversation at my other website, tamarindyears.com. But little did I know back then that I would one day be working on a film – and that Malidoma would appear in it. As I read his words about “slaying the dragon” I thought about my own escape from Corporate America earlier this year and how leaving the rat-race to pursue my passion was the best thing for me and my family.
A refugee from Corporate America – a happy refugee. That’s how I think of myself these days. Malidoma’s lifework and message about slaying the dragon strongly resonates with me at this juncture of my life. I’ve come to believe that we are all called to slay dragons – “dragons” that stand in the way of who we are and what we are called to do. Dragons that stand in the way of what’s healthy for us and our communities.
My journey toward this film has taught me that it’s possible to fight the dragon and win. No, it wasn’t a quick, easy fight and at times I’ve had my doubts. But we are on the verge of receiving funding for a film that will have a significant impact on the lives of millions. For now, it seems like the dragon has retreated to the corner. With the help of the ancestors and the orisas, hopefully it will stay there!!
P.S. For a treasure-trove of wonderful newsletters by Malidoma Some that have been archived, click here:
I immediately taught of my elders in Africa and all the ebos, or sacrifices we had done to help Malcolm over the years. And how I took him to seek spiritual help in Nigeria because we feared that the streets of Oakland could snuff his life out at any time for being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people.