Why We Need A Modern Day Bwa Kayiman
Violence, indifference and murder against black people seems to be an inevitable and inescapable cycle. We’ve been lied to, disregarded and mocked. We know it’s not stopping on their end. So what do we do? Pleading isn’t moving the hearts of our alabaster counterparts and prayer has never worked. No shade but Jesus must not have black folks on the mainline because he never seems to be available when we need him. And WE NEED HIM NOW more than ever.
Centuries ago, Africa and her diasporans were forced to yield to brutality, rape and mutilation at the hands of whichever European country was on the colonization menu that day. This contrived new way of life for Central and West Africans in a foreign land wasn’t always met with passivity. The Maroons, Yoruba, Kongo, Arara, Fon and Ewe were just a few of the tribes who lived together during this horrendous time and they fought back. FIERCELY. Death was not a deterrent.
Real talk…White Americans aren’t doing anything different than their European predecessors. The negroes are different. If we go by Darwin’s theory of evolution, we are not adapting quickly enough. We’ve gotten smarter but intuition, resolve and ferocity have gone to shit. We’d rather dialogue for understanding instead of getting rid of the cancer.
Our egun (ancestors) did just that. There needs to be a day of reckoning. We need our own modern day Bwa Kayiman which means “Alligator Forest” in Haitian Kreyol. Although naysayers liken it to a legend, it is how the Haitian people overthrew the French. Literally. Probably one of THE BIGGEST vodou rituals to have taken place in this hemisphere, Black Christians and Muslims set aside their differences to unite to bring down one common enemy- the French. On the fateful night of August 22. 1791, Africans from at least 21 different African nations invoked Erzulie Dantor…One of Lwa -she is known as the lwa of motherhood and is a great warrior.
I’m not a voudoun practitioner. I am a Lucumisa– an Oní Yemayá. This brief definition in the link will do for now. We can discuss outside of this post if you have questions. Europeans suppressed this part of us through intimidation, murder, and torture. They recognized the power we possessed when calling upon our ancestors. It is the main reason why drums were taken away from slaves. It’s how we communicated with our egun and deities. It typically involves a chant and repeating style song which as the leader becomes more connected with the deity through their voice, the deity comes through in the form of possession. You can certainly feel it building. I have felt it and let me say… NOBODY can prepare you for that feeling.
It was also the process in which diasporans fought slave revolts. Those who weren’t afraid to call onto their predecessors. We need to invoke a modern day Bwa Kayiman. Language isn’t a barrier. We would meet on sacred ground. Perhaps at The Devil’s Punchbowl in Natchez, Mississippi. Twenty-thousand dead former slaves were buried there. I am certain that the spirits of our egun would fill us so that we may handle our business. I know there is some holy roller somewhere calling me the devil. The devil doesn’t exist in Lucumi. It’s only negative and positive. Dark and light. No diablo. Lo siento. As a black woman, who uses magic damn near daily, I know what we can do if we all come together. Our problem as diasporans has been our uprisings have been small. We need the fury and fire of ALL diasporans for this to work. Priests and priestesses from Candomblé, Lucumi, Ifá, Haitian Voudoun, New Orleans Voodoo, Hoodoo, Division 21 and whoever else is in an ATR. This isn’t pretty. You would see things that may make you afraid after centuries of conditioning that our faiths were evil. Guess who’s popping up in ATR’s in droves? Yep. White folks. While they handed us Bibles. they snatched our power right from under us.
We have the upperhand though. There are certain places they can’t go because they have no blood ties or lineage to the faith. THAT is our advantage.
So instead of Kumbaya circles, Jesse Jackson speeches and countless seemingly useless prayers-let’s get these drums, dances, sacrifices and rezos together so we can get a handle on this horrific situation. Don’t worry. You can call Black Jesus and repent later.
