KWANZAA—UJIMA-COLLECTIVE WORK & RESPONSIBILITY- Putting the
“T” back in TEAM
TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND MAKE OUR
SISTER’S AND BROTHER’S PROBLEMS OUR PROBLEMS AND TO SOLVE THEM TOGETHER
As I lit my candle and sat before my stand keeping today’s
Principle, UJIMA-COLLECTIVE WORK & RESPONSIBILITY at the center, a childhood
story came to me. Stay with me familia as I will bring it or hope to bring it
all together for you.
I joined the Colon Track Team in the fourth grade. I was so
excited that my parents said yes to Coach Jones. I remember my first day at the
stadium with my cute shortsJ
and sneakers. As we got closer, I realized some of my teammates and now dearest
friends were running barefoot. I was not
happy about it. I had a look on my face and my mother got very upset.
My mother then had a “Mama” moment and pulled me by my ears
to the back of the stadium. She then firmly looked at me and said, you will
take off your sneakers and join your teammates and you will never make them
feel bad or less than. She ended her moment with these words; you are them now
and forever.
Familia, I did become one of them and still am. My teammates
where from all parts of Colon and we became a family, a community with a
capital “T”.
We traveled together all over Panama, slept in great spaces
and not so great. When I had my first adult exchange with Coach, I realized his
intent was to bring young kids from all over Colon regardless of class,
together as runners but the bigger purpose was as brothers and sisters. As I
sit and share with you, I now know that my parents and Coach Jones left a
lasting example of UJIMA.
Every single one of them is still that to me that is why I
see myself in every Black face and feel all our joy and pain. From that young
girl and through my travels my eyes are open and willing to receive which has
brought me to a place that I know I don’t need much to survive.
As we continue to grow and gain clarity on who we are as an
organization then the name makes more sense, the coming together of the African
Diaspora. Every Black/African problem is our problem. When we heard what was
happening to the Garifuna community in Honduras we shared the story, When Dr.
Camargo faced that racist moment in the supermarket in Panama, we shared the
information and joined her in her fight for justice. When we had our “Dia de
Trenzas” I had my trenzas.
When Francia spoke about the displacement in Cauca, Colombia,
I thought of Curundu, Panama, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Belize, Costa Rica even
the South End and Roxbury. Some call it gentrification or “Progreso” but for
many it is displacement from family and community.
In thinking of UJIMA- COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY, if one of
us doesn’t win then none of us wins.
No moment was stronger this year as the shooting of TREVON
MARTIN. We felt every teen’s pain, every Black man’s struggle and our
communities search for justice and equality. The young women of the HER Project
reminded me that it was also every young woman’s problem as they also feel
profiled.
My heart feels heavy thinking of other moments this year
when I did not see this happen but today I want us to reflect on putting the “T”
back in Team. I am staying on the side of good today because my mother is
guiding my words.
If you played any sport, been a part of any group then you
understand the phrase, “ I got your Back.” I ask each of you to use that phrase
with each other. I got your back, my brother, my sister and the “T” in Team
will show its glorious face in our communities.
A cheerleading moment is creeping up but I will spare you or
I should say, save myself from the embarrassment of a bad cheer. J
Our Global African TEAM will have the colors of our home country
while we hold up, BLACK, RED AND GREEN. UJIMA – COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY will
be an amazing home run. Yes, I am a daughter and sister of men who love baseball
so that came natural.
I kneel to the ancestors a lot on this one. I ask that we become
more humble with one another, to lean on the side of TEAM more. That we come together in good times and bad times and work as a TEAM. That we use the
energy, the Ase, to build us UP.
The “T” in team is alive and present to receive and hug you.
Peace and blessings my People.
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