Know Thy Fathers and Thy Mothers: Know Thyself
- The H3O/Art of Life Blog
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Dr. Gloria J. Latimore-Peace
Presented by Omni-University
"It takes a village to raise a child."
African Proverb
Exodus 20:12 (KJV) "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." [1]
In the foregoing scripture, we are admonished to "honor our mothers and our fathers that our days may be long…" Yet, here in America, only 2 out of 365/366 days- one for Mothers and one for Fathers- are set aside to "honor" them. And, if it were not for the initiatives of Ann Jarvis, who is said to have originated it on May 12,1907 and President Woodrow Wilson, who made it a national holiday in 1914, there may never have been a MOTHER'S DAY Celebration here. Neither would there be a Father's Day had it not been founded in the State of Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd in June of 1910.
The Western practice is to define both "mothers" and “ fathers “ i.e., assign "motherhood" and “ fatherhood,” only to females who give birth or males who provide the sperm that fertilize the ova .In contrast, African kinship groups do not restrict the concept of motherhood to biology, sex, marital status, time, or space. This is undoubtedly because of their commitment to the African Proverb that asserts: "Children are the reward of Life."
Hence, the nurturing, protecting, and providing for children is the priority - the primary purpose and function of both mothers and fathers among African kinship groups.
It follows, then, that "giving birth" is one- but not the only means- by which one becomes a "nurturer," i.e. a ,mother or a father and it is, therefore, not the final determinant of "motherhood." or “fatherhood”.
According to ancient African traditions, both the female and male siblings of the "birth mother" who, in this social system, are only known as "aunts" and uncles" , were recognized -and related to- as mothers and fathers. In fact, this principle applies to every generation. These so- called aunts and uncles, Grand "aunts/uncles," Great-Grand "aunts/uncles," Great-Great Grand "aunts/uncles," etc., are, in reality, Grand-, Great Grand-, and Great Great Grand MOTHERS and FATHERS!!
According to Ancestor Dr. Elkin T. Sithole,Maa Kheru, a member of the Zulu kinship group of South Africa, there are not only female mothers but there are also female fathers, who are called "Babekazi’. In addition, there are male mothers, who are referred to as "Malume". Each "Malume," i.e., male mother, serves as a mother of the children of their sisters. At the same time, they are fathers/Baba(s) of their own biological children.
Simultaneously, Babas are also regarded as fathers of their brother's children. The same principle applies to the members of their age-grades -those with whom they were initiated- in their relationships with each other's children. They are regarded--and treated- the same as the brothers and sisters who are joined by ties of blood. These "social brothers and sisters" are also seen as mothers and fathers of the children of their peers.
In other words, all of the children belong to all of the adults in the family/community and all of the adults have a duty to care for all of the children in the family/community.
In the original African family organization, the functions of Mothers and Fathers were all-encompassing. The concepts of "half-" or "step-" brothers or sisters, or "outside" children, or "only" or "orphaned" children, or "childless couples" are anomalies to the African mind. In fact, since, in the African tradition, rather than individuals marrying individuals- families marry families. Rather than losing a daughter, the bride's family not only gains a son but also the groom's entire kinship group. Of course, the same applies to the groom's family, who gains a daughter and her kinship group, as well.
It was because of the uniting of families that it was impossible to be, or to have, a "motherless child." Imagine- if you can- the trauma experienced by the African children who were stolen from their Mamas and Malumes, their Babas and Babekazis; who were transported-as "cargo"- to a "new world" in which they were forced to live like "motherless child[ren], a long way from home." African descended people throughout the diaspora are still suffering the effects of those inhuman practices-from what Ancestor, Dr. Patricia A. Newton,Maa Kheru, termed, Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder /PTSD.
Linnaeus, the "Father of Animal Classification" categorized humans as part of the Mammal, i.e., animal class. However, according to Ancestor Dr. Llaila O. Africa Maa Kheru, [2], Africans place themselves in a separate category, i.e.,Human. It is telling that Linnaeus's System of Animal Classification does not include Humans .
It is important to note that animals do not have families,per se. They have herds and flocks and prides and packs, and kids, etc. However, African people do not regard themselves as a part of the animal kingdom as defined by Linnaeus[1]. The African family is a kinship group that is comprised of people who are descendants of a common HUMAN Ancestor. We recognize that it is a blessing to have been given this precious birth into the Human family. Therefore, the African concept of family is grounded in the Human family model.
There is a significant difference between the African "Human" family organization and the Euro-American "nuclear" family. The latter model is limited to a kinship group that is composed -ideally-of two parents and their biological or adopted children who occupy a single-family household. The sociological appellation, "extended family" is used when other members of the family live "under the same roof." This term is often erroneously applied to the African family . However, in the African way of looking at the world, that term is an oxymoron- a compound word composed of mutually exclusive terms. Its use is the consequence of viewing the family from an European frame of reference.
The African family cannot be "extended" because there is no one outside of it to be added to it. Everyone in the kinship group is already included in the family, i.e., the entire kinship group is the Family.
The African proverb that "It takes a village to raise a child" was not, nor could it ever have been intended to be limited to, a book title or a slogan to which only lip-service is given. It is an "ages-old" value inherent in the African worldview, one which was inextricably woven into the fabric of the African way of life.
Therefore, it is the sacred duty of all of the children, young and old, to honor all of our Mothers, including the sisters and brothers of our biological and "social" mothers: Godmothers,"surrogate" mothers,"adopted "mothers, "play" mothers, etc.... - the Living, the Dead, and the Yet-Unborn. Let us reclaim our African heritage so that we can rebuild and, thus, reunite the African Family: the first Family and best Human family model ever created on Planet Earth.
BlogNote:
From Dr. Josef Ben Levi
“There are 2 possible dates: between 1390-1352 BCE. The time of Amenhotep III and the 8th cent. BCE. The time of Ramesse II about 1290 BCE. Each are disputed dates. I kings 6:1 reads “Now it came about in the 480th year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign over Israel…
The possible dates for the text are the 6th thru 8th cent. BCE during and after the Babylonian captivity.
[2] Ancestor Dr.Llaila O. Africa. African Holistic Health.
*There are a number of words for both female and male mothers in the languages spoken by the Zulu kinship group.
Recommended Viewing:
"Reflections on the Life of an Icon: Baba Hannibal Tirus Afrik," Part 2, Featuring: Ancestors Useni Eugene Perkins and Rasheed Akbar;Vocal Artists Joan Collaso and Maggie Brown; Prayer and music by Minister Rahim Darrell Wilson/ "Sax Preacher;" Theme song, "Umoja" by Baba Kwame Steve Cobb and Chavunduka.
"Family Matters: The Role of the Parents," Featuring: Dr. Asantewaa Oppong Wadie and Wayne Sebamurti Gentry, an H3O Art of Life Show.
Recommended Listening:
"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" Performed by The Fisk Jubilee Singers in "African American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition."
Recommended Reading:
Dr. Boyce Watkins: It Takes a Village to Raise the Bar: A New Paradigm for Black America
Ancestor Cheikh Anta Diop, The Cultural Unity of Black Africa"
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