Return to your African Roots

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Created on Friday, 20 July 2012 00:00

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Return to your African Roots

July 2012

Former lecturer at the university of East London and researcher in African history, Dr Kimani Nehusi has called on African and African-Caribbean nationals in Britain to return to their African roots and the values of their ancestors as a means of mentoring the youth while recapturing the principles that bonded African communities.

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Tracing the origin of the African ancestors, he stressed the importance of Afro-Caribbean nationals being acquainted with African history and civilization, which began long before that of the Europeans.

Dr Nehusi, known for his work on linguistic, Ancient Egyptian (Kemet) language and cultural dispersal and Caribbean history and language, used the theme ‘Interrupted Journey', to remind a packed audience of Afro-Caribbean nationals at the Willesden Library recently of their true identity.

He told them: ‘The family is the most important institution in human history. Our African ancestors were the first to begin the civilization but most of us who are alive today do not know what we have done.

We cannot afford not to connect with our ancestors who caused us to be here. They are a great value to us as they are the ones with knowledge, wisdom, experience and understanding. However, we do not use that source of value’, he lamented.

He argued further that Afro-Caribbean nationals need to retrace the steps of history to the African fore-parents to solve many of the problems today.

‘We must become ourselves again. Our ancestors say that if you know your beginning well the end will not trouble you. They also say that knowing who you are is the beginning of wisdom.’

Source: Jamaica Times, July 2012