An Introduction to Black Love Day
by Ayo Handy Kendi
In the climate in which many were working on the destructiveness of Black on Black crime and the sad reality that Black youth had a 1 in 4 chance of being killed or incarcerated before age 21, Black Love Day was born. During a time in humanity in which many people were struggling with spirituality and inter-personal issues of identity and roles, prompting many relationships and marriages to fall apart, Black Love Day was born.
At a period in history, in which the fast pace of American life produced high levels of stress and achievement pressure, causing many to struggle with substance abuse, food , sex, gambling or some other addiction just to cope, Black Love Day was born. At a time in the world in which "intimacy" diseases were taking out people in large numbers in their early 20's and 30's, Black Love Day was born.
Within this critical time period, where many adults didn't know if they'd have a job from week to week to be able to take care of their families; with poverty rampant in a land of plenty, with a widening gap growing between the haves ' and have-nots, Black Love Day was born.
In a frightening period of time, in which we read of children being abused by adults in frightening ways; where alienated, White youth were killing their classmates, committing suicide at alarming rates, and carrying out racial hate crimes like their parents, Black Love Day was born. At the dawning of the new millennium which promised ‘Age of Aquarius’, humanitarian behavior, yet still faced with Klan rallies, church burnings, continued brutal lynchings of Blacks by Whites, noose hanging threats and news reminders of the existence of fear and racial polarization in the Nation, Black Love Day was born.
Many of the relationship issues, today, are similar to those that were seen at the beginning of Black Love Day (BLD) envisioned and proclaimed in 1993 by Sister Ayo Handy Kendi, a community organizer in Washington , D.C. She is the Founder I director of the African-American Holiday Association (AAHA), a non-profit, tax exempt 501 c3 membership organization. A spiritual message, from the Creator, was given to Sister Ayo inspiring her to develop BLD. The concept has been gaining greater acceptance each year.
Black Love Day (BLD) is a commemorative holiday or ‘Holyday’ of observance, celebration, reconciliation, atonement, and demonstration of love; showing at least 5 specific acts (tenets) of love - towards the Creator, for self, for the family, for the Black community and for the Black race. Whites show ‘love in action’ for Blacks and inspect their own racial attitudes.
The objective of BLD is to encourage Blacks to take a day to actively raise themselves up through Black self-love instead of self-hatred, by demonstrating love through service, celebration, forgiveness, apology, public and private rituals of reconciliation and for Whites to take the same day to raise themselves up, by being more reflective of their racial attitudes of fear, guilt, denial and negative behaviors of white privilege, white supremacy, prejudice, segregation, and bigotry. BLD offers a chance to use the transformational spiritual power of love, as a healing tool on the day of Feb 13th.
February 13th was chosen by the founder of BLD because February is the month for the observance of Black History Month and the number 13, in astrology and metaphysics, thirteen is the number of spiritual transformation. As Black people put love in action and involve themselves in the love rituals of BLD, and as Whites take personal inventory of their attitudes and be more mindful in their demonstration of loving acts of service and kindness towards Blacks, this will help all people grow more spiritual.
As one grows spiritually, this increases the ability to love. The return to love is a healing force and can be used as a tool to address many of the destructive behaviors, disrespectful attitudes, abusiveness and self-hatred which fuels much of today's family disruption, violence, racism, crime, anger and race polarity. BLD offers just one solution to make a difference to increase the peace and stop the violence for all people.
BLD offers a cultural and holistic alternative to Valentine's Day whose primary focus on romantic love between couples, is based on pagan European culture and rituals, and encourages Blacks to be mere consumers, buying the customary Valentine tokens of affection. Instead, BLD offers each individual or family member, every neighbor, co-worker, or gang member; any organization, group and all citizens of the world-wide community a chance to make a difference by giving of themselves, through loving acts, and by being more mindful of love for a day to actively, rejuvenate relationships.
The rituals and symbols of BLD are a synthesis of spiritual, metaphysical, African and African America customs which aid in heightening Black cultural pride and self-esteem. Gifts can be given if one desires to express their love, however gifts must be purchased only from Black merchants, in the spirit of Ujamaa (cooperative economics) to recycle money within the Black community.
It is recommended that gifts be made or chosen to enhance the spirit, mind, and body or chosen to reflect the love of African Diaspora culture and heritage, instead of the impractical trinkets and unhealthy, sugar-laden gifts traditionally given for Valentine's Day. BLD gives both Black and White communities one day to rejuvenate their relationships; a day of harmony in the Black community and a day of honesty in the White community. Hopefully, this one day of reconciliation will feel so good in both communities, that they will want to recreate these feelings again and again. Just possibly, this chain reaction of love will transform the nation as never before.
We know of the heart as a symbol for Valentine's Day. Yet, long before Europeans used decorative, lace hearts to symbolize romance, this ancient African, Adinkra (pronounced Ah-dink-rah) symbol was called the Akoma (pronounced Ah co mah).
The Akoma means literally ‘the heart’ and symbolizes love, patience, goodwill, faithfulness, and endurance, with its origin traced to the Asante people of Ghana and the Gyaman people of Cote'd 'Ivoire. This symbol, as well as other Adinkra symbols have been rediscovered and re-popularized in modern times by African-Americans in search of their stolen African cultural legacy.
Thus, the Akoma was adopted as the symbol for BLD. The greeting on BLD is Nya Akoma (pronounced N-yah Ah-coma) which means ‘be patient, get a heart’. On the day of February 13th, take 24 hours to be more mindful of love, be patient, get a heart and return to love. In the Spirit of the Akoma.
THE BLACK LOVE PLEDGE
I Pledge:
1. To show love for The Creator: To make a greater spiritual connection recognizing that we image the supreme being, the Creator. Therefore, I accept myself as a God-center, as the source of all creativity, love, power , and positive energy.
2. To love myself first and to erase all traces of self-hatred, for when I love myself, I therefore can love others. To take care of myself by not abusing myself through unhealthy life choices, such as: Drug usage; Unsafe sex; Poor eating and exercise habits; Negative relationships; Damaging attitudes.
3. To develop moral principles to stand for because if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything; To discipline myself to become the best I can be.
4. To forgive myself for past acts of unloving behavior and move on; to let love heal and transform my life.
5 . To show love for my family by: Supporting them; Spending quality time with them; Providing for them; Forgiving them; Communicating in ways to build better relationships; Accepting that our youth are not always the problem but it's parents who must take greater responsibility towards youth; Passing on knowledge, values, and culture.
6. To show love for my community by: Keeping it clean and environmentally safe; To recognize that the environment supports us only if we correctly support it; To work in service, with a group or in some activity to make the world a better place for all.
7. To show love for the race by: Learning our African History which gives us a foundation and a heritage to be proud of. To recognize that African people, all over the world have a common identity, a common struggle and a common need to love each other; Accepting that love for my race doesn't mean hate of others.
8. To show love for myself, the community, and the race, by: Building our economic base by expecting no one to do for us, what we can do for ourselves; By spending our money with Black people first; By learning and practicing sound financial management, entrepreneurship, saving, investing and wealth building principles; By developing prosperous attitudes.
9. To commit to the Nguzo Saba (The 7 Principles of Blackness) and to practice these principles on a daily and year-long basis not just during Kwanzaa: Umoja - Unity; Kujichagalia - Self Determination; Ujimma - Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa - Cooperative Economic; Nia - Purpose; Kuumba - Creativity; Imani - Faith .
*I pledge this day to put Love in Action on Black Love Day, Feb 13th and everyday.
Written by Ayo Handy-Kendi © 1993
by Ayo Handy Kendi
In the climate in which many were working on the destructiveness of Black on Black crime and the sad reality that Black youth had a 1 in 4 chance of being killed or incarcerated before age 21, Black Love Day was born. During a time in humanity in which many people were struggling with spirituality and inter-personal issues of identity and roles, prompting many relationships and marriages to fall apart, Black Love Day was born.
At a period in history, in which the fast pace of American life produced high levels of stress and achievement pressure, causing many to struggle with substance abuse, food , sex, gambling or some other addiction just to cope, Black Love Day was born. At a time in the world in which "intimacy" diseases were taking out people in large numbers in their early 20's and 30's, Black Love Day was born.
Within this critical time period, where many adults didn't know if they'd have a job from week to week to be able to take care of their families; with poverty rampant in a land of plenty, with a widening gap growing between the haves ' and have-nots, Black Love Day was born.
In a frightening period of time, in which we read of children being abused by adults in frightening ways; where alienated, White youth were killing their classmates, committing suicide at alarming rates, and carrying out racial hate crimes like their parents, Black Love Day was born. At the dawning of the new millennium which promised ‘Age of Aquarius’, humanitarian behavior, yet still faced with Klan rallies, church burnings, continued brutal lynchings of Blacks by Whites, noose hanging threats and news reminders of the existence of fear and racial polarization in the Nation, Black Love Day was born.
Many of the relationship issues, today, are similar to those that were seen at the beginning of Black Love Day (BLD) envisioned and proclaimed in 1993 by Sister Ayo Handy Kendi, a community organizer in Washington , D.C. She is the Founder I director of the African-American Holiday Association (AAHA), a non-profit, tax exempt 501 c3 membership organization. A spiritual message, from the Creator, was given to Sister Ayo inspiring her to develop BLD. The concept has been gaining greater acceptance each year.
Black Love Day (BLD) is a commemorative holiday or ‘Holyday’ of observance, celebration, reconciliation, atonement, and demonstration of love; showing at least 5 specific acts (tenets) of love - towards the Creator, for self, for the family, for the Black community and for the Black race. Whites show ‘love in action’ for Blacks and inspect their own racial attitudes.
The objective of BLD is to encourage Blacks to take a day to actively raise themselves up through Black self-love instead of self-hatred, by demonstrating love through service, celebration, forgiveness, apology, public and private rituals of reconciliation and for Whites to take the same day to raise themselves up, by being more reflective of their racial attitudes of fear, guilt, denial and negative behaviors of white privilege, white supremacy, prejudice, segregation, and bigotry. BLD offers a chance to use the transformational spiritual power of love, as a healing tool on the day of Feb 13th.
February 13th was chosen by the founder of BLD because February is the month for the observance of Black History Month and the number 13, in astrology and metaphysics, thirteen is the number of spiritual transformation. As Black people put love in action and involve themselves in the love rituals of BLD, and as Whites take personal inventory of their attitudes and be more mindful in their demonstration of loving acts of service and kindness towards Blacks, this will help all people grow more spiritual.
As one grows spiritually, this increases the ability to love. The return to love is a healing force and can be used as a tool to address many of the destructive behaviors, disrespectful attitudes, abusiveness and self-hatred which fuels much of today's family disruption, violence, racism, crime, anger and race polarity. BLD offers just one solution to make a difference to increase the peace and stop the violence for all people.
BLD offers a cultural and holistic alternative to Valentine's Day whose primary focus on romantic love between couples, is based on pagan European culture and rituals, and encourages Blacks to be mere consumers, buying the customary Valentine tokens of affection. Instead, BLD offers each individual or family member, every neighbor, co-worker, or gang member; any organization, group and all citizens of the world-wide community a chance to make a difference by giving of themselves, through loving acts, and by being more mindful of love for a day to actively, rejuvenate relationships.
The rituals and symbols of BLD are a synthesis of spiritual, metaphysical, African and African America customs which aid in heightening Black cultural pride and self-esteem. Gifts can be given if one desires to express their love, however gifts must be purchased only from Black merchants, in the spirit of Ujamaa (cooperative economics) to recycle money within the Black community.
It is recommended that gifts be made or chosen to enhance the spirit, mind, and body or chosen to reflect the love of African Diaspora culture and heritage, instead of the impractical trinkets and unhealthy, sugar-laden gifts traditionally given for Valentine's Day. BLD gives both Black and White communities one day to rejuvenate their relationships; a day of harmony in the Black community and a day of honesty in the White community. Hopefully, this one day of reconciliation will feel so good in both communities, that they will want to recreate these feelings again and again. Just possibly, this chain reaction of love will transform the nation as never before.
We know of the heart as a symbol for Valentine's Day. Yet, long before Europeans used decorative, lace hearts to symbolize romance, this ancient African, Adinkra (pronounced Ah-dink-rah) symbol was called the Akoma (pronounced Ah co mah).
The Akoma means literally ‘the heart’ and symbolizes love, patience, goodwill, faithfulness, and endurance, with its origin traced to the Asante people of Ghana and the Gyaman people of Cote'd 'Ivoire. This symbol, as well as other Adinkra symbols have been rediscovered and re-popularized in modern times by African-Americans in search of their stolen African cultural legacy.
Thus, the Akoma was adopted as the symbol for BLD. The greeting on BLD is Nya Akoma (pronounced N-yah Ah-coma) which means ‘be patient, get a heart’. On the day of February 13th, take 24 hours to be more mindful of love, be patient, get a heart and return to love. In the Spirit of the Akoma.
THE BLACK LOVE PLEDGE
I Pledge:
1. To show love for The Creator: To make a greater spiritual connection recognizing that we image the supreme being, the Creator. Therefore, I accept myself as a God-center, as the source of all creativity, love, power , and positive energy.
2. To love myself first and to erase all traces of self-hatred, for when I love myself, I therefore can love others. To take care of myself by not abusing myself through unhealthy life choices, such as: Drug usage; Unsafe sex; Poor eating and exercise habits; Negative relationships; Damaging attitudes.
3. To develop moral principles to stand for because if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything; To discipline myself to become the best I can be.
4. To forgive myself for past acts of unloving behavior and move on; to let love heal and transform my life.
5 . To show love for my family by: Supporting them; Spending quality time with them; Providing for them; Forgiving them; Communicating in ways to build better relationships; Accepting that our youth are not always the problem but it's parents who must take greater responsibility towards youth; Passing on knowledge, values, and culture.
6. To show love for my community by: Keeping it clean and environmentally safe; To recognize that the environment supports us only if we correctly support it; To work in service, with a group or in some activity to make the world a better place for all.
7. To show love for the race by: Learning our African History which gives us a foundation and a heritage to be proud of. To recognize that African people, all over the world have a common identity, a common struggle and a common need to love each other; Accepting that love for my race doesn't mean hate of others.
8. To show love for myself, the community, and the race, by: Building our economic base by expecting no one to do for us, what we can do for ourselves; By spending our money with Black people first; By learning and practicing sound financial management, entrepreneurship, saving, investing and wealth building principles; By developing prosperous attitudes.
9. To commit to the Nguzo Saba (The 7 Principles of Blackness) and to practice these principles on a daily and year-long basis not just during Kwanzaa: Umoja - Unity; Kujichagalia - Self Determination; Ujimma - Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa - Cooperative Economic; Nia - Purpose; Kuumba - Creativity; Imani - Faith .
*I pledge this day to put Love in Action on Black Love Day, Feb 13th and everyday.
Written by Ayo Handy-Kendi © 1993