God and the Divine?!: A Redefinition for African People and Humanity

By James Morgan

Earlier this week I was listening to the newest digital release by 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) entitled "Forever King". On his track " Michael Jackson Freestyle" 50 says a verse that to some could sound disrespectful, to others a reality and still to those who have what I view as a higher and more scholarly understanding of the African relationship with history and the divine, a true work of of the dormant Pan-African genius of practitioners of the hip hop lifestyle. In the song he says "They act like they know God better than me, I know God-Allah, he used to pump crack up the street." Some who read this may be confused by the scholarly title of this article and the usage of one of the biggest capitalists our community has produced in the introduction, but I ask you to hear me out and then decide for yourself. It is no secret that African people all over the world are a very spiritual/religious people. We gave the world spirituality and its first vocabulary to describe the divine source of existence. Sadly thanks to an almost 1,000 year philosophical and political campaign many inside and outside of our community are conveniently choosing to neglect or ignore this fact. This is the reason for this documents creation.

In the above alluded to verse to the unfamiliar reader there exists a pseudo-pro Islamic identity that could be mistakenly construed as being rebellious against Americas seemingly default Christian identity. However to those who are true students of history, they recognize that Mr. Jackson is in fact alluding to the 5% movement also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths which is a very popular movement with young inner city Blacks, especially those who like myself are from the North Eastern Coast of the United States. When looked at with the scholarly lens of Black Liberation, one can recognize this verse as an example of the modern worldwide African need and attempts to redefine the concept of the divine which I (not being an atheist) believe is essential to the forward movement of African people and the broader humanity. To quote the famous fictional Jedi Master, Yoda "You must unlearn what you have learned" This is essentially what The Honorable Marcus Garvey meant when he stated that Blacks should "Look to the Gods of Ethiopia" and what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was echoing when he taught members of the Nation of Islam that "There is no mystery god".

On an intellectual, spiritual and in many instances physical level both men and movements are declaring all out warfare on Western European concepts of the divine, which I as taught by my teachers believe is needed in order to liberate our people. One of the biggest historical errors ever fabricated in the many houses of worship in the Western hemisphere and the so-called middle east is that Africans needed to have God and his religion (be it Judaism, Christianity or Islam) brought to them because we had no concept of theology and philosophy in any way shape or form. Bigger historical errors may exist but they are indeed few and far between. Those who are truly students of history working toward liberation do not have to be followers of Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam but I do believe must still recognize that for African people there has never existed a "Mystery God" nor a mystery to God as was decreed at the birth of the Catholic Church and is likewise taught in so-called "mainstream" versions of Western religious thought dating back to the Greeks.

In his written response to Dr. Henry Louis Gates' "Black Demagogues and Pseudo-Scholars", Dr. John Henrik Clarke notes, as the historical record shows that whatever religion African people choose to or are forced to practice we bring practicality to it because after all, if God is real than God really works. Dr. Clarke notes that on American slave plantations, our ancestors would sing songs showing an identity with the Hebrews in the Biblical book of Exodus. Although this was certainly not the intention of European monks when they introduced or reintroduced Christianity to the Africans held in bondage it was a phenomenon that they had absolutely zero control over. Although admittedly there have existed many Africans who chose (and still choose) the Bible or Quran over our true ancient home land there are yet and still Africans who have chosen to step outside of the Abrahamic paradigm or use it to further the cause of African liberation. In either of the two latter cases I believe that those individuals and institutions should be supported as long as the unwavering cause is as mentioned above, and the party in question is willing to practice 100% historical scholastic accuracy.

How do we begin to redefine the concept known to us in the English language as divinity? We must start by redefining the concept central to divinity "God" or more broadly "The Creator". If the Creator or even more abstractly "A Creator" exists than what is the nature of that Creator? As we know Africa being the birthplace of humanity, I believe it is best we start at the beginning and move forward. In prehistoric Africa (prehistoric meaning prewritten record) as well as when Africans began to write the Divine way of life, what the Ancient Kushites (Nubians/Ethiopians) and there later offspring the Kemites (Egyptians) called Ma'at and the Creative being or force that brought existence into being were one of the most written and talked about things, and the historical record shows this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Although these beings/forces were viewed as having external and natural manifestations they were also viewed as having manifestation existing in part or in the whole existence of human beings. This is an undeniable historical fact. Therefore when Dr. Wesley Muhammad (aka True Islam) titles his book "The Book of God: An Encyclopedia of Proof That the Black Man is God" he is historically accurate in most cases.

The issue that I believe has risen with the advent of the Abrahamic Faiths is the issue of language. The vast majority of those in the Academy and the Houses of Worship do not have the vocabulary to understand what our ancestors were teaching in ancient times and in our contemporary cycle of history. The signs and symbols of these primordial African people offers to us the blueprint and framework from which all other theological and philosophical ideologies emerged be they positive or negative. I admittedly hesitate to even use the term "God" because of its historical origins and the misrepresentation of it. Before we can begin to discuss theologically with ourselves or others we must define this essential concept for ourselves and stop looking externally for the definition. The historical record shows that whenever a religion was imported into the African mind that although some good has been done, confusion surely follows.