25th Annual MAAFA Commemoration San Francisco Bay Area Reflection, October 11, 2020

 Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the 25th Annual Maafa Commemoration San Francisco Bay Area in Zoom. The beach ceremony was by invitation. Here is a link to both events and a commentary on the first: Beautiful day!

Wanda Sabir Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, African Ancestor Ritual was really wonderful. We gathered early morning distanced so that we could keep each other safe. The beauty of the gathering evident in the patience and comradery, love and compassion. Youth helped with the altar this year, young women named for goddesses, MAAT and KALI and a young man accepted Brother Neter Aa Meri's call for assistance. We saw them take the food to the ocean, distribute flowers to those assembled along with candles and other items. As they ate the potatoes, rice and other items, I recalled years past when I'd arrive at 4 AM as Neter Aa Meri was building the altar and explained the various items on the table as I tried to name all the images in the backdrop poster.

 King Theo led a wonder Holistic African Movement, preceded by Brother Dar's lovely rendition of Negro Spirituals such as Many Thousands Gone and Old Freedom. Uncle Bobby and Sister Beatrice joined Sister Wanda Sabir in recalling the largest Slave Revolt in US History in January 1811 in Louisiana, just east of New Orleans. Last year, in November, hundreds of us gathered to reenact the March to New Orleans for Freedom. The morning wasn't as cold as the previous year. Anchoring the morning rituals were the spiritual crew from Wo'se Sacramento, with Ministers Alicia Teasley and Imhotep Alkebu-lan. They were a great team. One could feel the earth cracking open as Minister Imhotep walked the circle with the Unity cup inviting everyone to dip his or her hand into the liquid. I had on gloves and thought about viral transmission briefly as I complied.

 Lessons for future gatherings would include hand sanitizer for everyone and a hand washing station. We were distanced and Brother Che, lead officer in the Community Ready Corps and when available, founder, Turha Ak, have been volunteering security for MAAFA SF Bay for a number of year stressed the importance of wear masks and covering one's mouth and nose and distancing. Sunday there were four men securing the space for us. Brother Dar opened the Ritual with select Negro Spirituals, Many Thousands Gone with Oh Freedom. We liked it so much, we had him sing it again before the morning Ritual closed.

King Theo shared an African Holistic Movement that like every activity that morning, spoke to the themes: unity, sacred spirit, Sankofa and Ancestral wisdom. From the songs Minister Alkebulan had us singing to Min. Alicia's invocation to the creator, we were reminded that we are the medicine. The healing lies in each of us and in the collective application of the medicine. Wellness is communal.


The drummers were outstanding! The balance of the energies evident in the interplay. Ayikwei H T Scott's set up was unique. He had an array of percussion instrument enhanced electronically-- enabling his orchestral presence. Ava Square-Levias led us in movement which helped up located once again within our person our strength. She is one of my favorite choreographers, because she consistently lives the movement, that is, Black or African Liberation Movement as an embodiment.

 Oscar Grant's Uncle Bobby or Cephus X Johnson and Sister Beatrice joined me in remembering the Slave Rebellion Reenactment last year in November. It was Dread Scott's brainchild, to have a body of Africans dressed in period costumes March to Lew Orleans along the same path these Africans in January 1811 marched. Hundreds of us traveled from throughout the country to New Orleans where we met East along the River where the sugar plantations were located. Each morning over several days we met to pick up machetes, muskets or cane knives, eat breakfast and the board buses to take us to the site. We walked on levees along a road, the same trail of tears our ancestors whose names we called, marched for freedom-- our rallying cry, just as theirs, "Victory of Death." "On to New Orleans." "We're Going to End Slavery." NOLA was the political seat at that time, so the Africans were headed there to discuss their demands.

 Sister Beatrice said that even though this was a reenactment, most of us were not acting. It took several conversations for the white crew who didn't comprehend what African Americans present were reliving and the emotional toll this March to NOLA was creating. The two then began to call the names of people killed by police. Desmond Iman invited those present to release pent up emotions attached to anger and grief so that we could free ourselves. As he shared a personal story of loss he has carried since age 11 when his 11 year of cousin who lived in the south was a victim of racial terror.

We closed with a ringing of bells for the 400+1 years of African American history 1619-2020. The beach was empty almost to the end. We started a bit after 6 AM and ended at about 8. We went a bit over. The plan was to end at 7:15, sunrise.


The Ritual at the beach was by invitation to keep people safe. A few people showed up whom we did not know, but they were few. The commemoration was virtual this year.
Here is a link to both: Virtual 25th Annual MAAFA Commemoration Part II 


and Virtual 25th Annual MAAFA Commemoration Part I

Thanks to Brother Kwalin Kimathi who hosted the first program (as well as gave tech support as did Sister Koren Clark) and to Brotha Clint and Sister Afua who joined him in Zoom to talk about the MAAFA Tradition in the SF Bay. We also want to thank Melvin Phillips who videotaped for the livestream broadcast and thanks to Brother Che and the other men from Community Ready Corps for onsite security. 


Special thanks to King Theo Aytchan Williams, Iya Ava Square, Iya La Tanya Carmical, Ayikwe Scott, Baba Darinxoso Oyamasela, Mins. Alicia Teasley and Imhotep Alkebulan, Desmond Iman, Brother Neter Aa Meri and his assistants; Sistar Gwendolyn “Sunrise” Traylor; Brother Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson, Sister Beatrice X Johnson. For the second part of the 25th Anniversary of MAAFA SF Bay Area, we want to thank Sister Karla Brundage for her tech support, Sister Koren Clark for tech support, Sister TaSin Sabir for her website and media development; Brother Mike Jackson, Montgomery MAAFA and ICCAAMP for his media support; and of course all the contributors to the Virtual 25th Annual MAAFA Commemoration in order of appearance: 

Sister Wanda Sabir, host; Sister Opal Palmer-Adisa, Ph.D.; Brotha Clint; Baba Kola Thomas; Seestah IMAKHÜS Njinga Okofu Ababio, Brother Alonzo “Zochi” Young, (Ethiopia); Iya Mahealani Uchiyama; Aishah Bashir and her mom: revered ancestor, Iya Jaquelyn Hadiah McLeod; Joan Tarika Lewis on her cousin, revered ancestor, Sister Makinya Kouyate; Baba Ustadi Kadiri & Sister Bisola Marignay on revered ancestor, Brother Tahuti; Ms. Nia McAllister; Sister Bisola Marignay, Ph.D.; Iya Queen Hollins, Earthlodge; Iya Osotunde aka Mama C (Tanzania); Kumasi-- Black Liberation Pledge; Dr. Francis Cress Welsing, MD., revered ancestor, “A Liberating Black People’s Prayer for Peace” (©1996); Ms. Koren Clark on her father, honored ancestor: Dr. Syed Malik al Khatib (1940-2014); Min. Alan Laird, M.Div; Baba Eddie Abrams -- Umoja House; Karla Brundage -- The Black Arts Movement; Min. Mxolisi, M.Div., Wo’se co-founder; Sister Piwai (Zimbabwe); Sister Omitola Akinwunmi (Uganda)—she will lead the Virtual Maafa Townhall Workshop 11/22, 2-4 in Zoom; Sistar Gwendolyn “SunRise” Traylor; Brother Mehib Holmes, Atlanta, GA; Sister Kharyshi Wiginton, “MeToo,” Texas; Brother Bryant Bolling and Sistar Zakiyyah Capehart-Bolling; Honored ancestor, John Coltrane for his “Love Supreme” -- and to all those who are a part of the MAAFA Commemoration SF Bay Area Global family. 


Don’t forget to visit the MAAFA SF Bay Area Boutique for gifts.