To Be African or Not to Be:    

had not reflected upon the “fundamental problems of human knowledge and the meaning of human existence.” (italics mine).

While this may have been the state of our intellectual tradition thirty years ago, it is not our reality now. There exist a whole army of African (Abimbola, 1976; Abraham, 1970; Armah, 1973; Ba 1981; Chinweizu, 1978; Diop 1959; 1974; 1991; Nkrumah, 1964; Obenga, 1992; Opoku, 1978); and African American (Ani, 1991; Akbar, 1991; Adams, 1979; Ben Jochanan 1971; Ankh, Mi Ra, 1995; Carruthers, 1995; Hilliard, 1986; 1989; 1995; Karenga, 1984; 1990 ;Kambon 1992; Asante, 1990; Welsh-Asante, 1990; Myers 1988; Nobles, 1972; 1985; 1986a; 1986b; Spight 1977; T’Shaka, 1995; Van Sertima, 1985; 1989; Wilson, 1993) intellectuals who are thinking deeply about the question of African humanity, philosophy, science, traditions and culture. It is in the tradition of “thinking deeply” about what it means to be African that I propose that the real understanding of Black identity and our resolute response to living in an anti-African society will be attainable. It is only when we first think deeply about what it means to be a human being and subsequently, therein, how that meaning shapes our responses and reactions to living, will we learn or know anything of value. Hence, I think the notion of “human authenticity” and its expression as the “person” are the constructs that could offer a new research agenda in which to explore the frontiers of “African theory development.”

In thinking deeply about that small but significant moment in the history of ABPsi, when Dr. Hilliard stated, To Be African or not to Be: That is the Question, I believe the “discourse” has been forever clarified. With an African episteme and paradigm there are new questions to be asked. For instance, given the notion of “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) one could ask, in what ways are the various African peoples (e.g. Continental i.e., Ghanain, Yoruba, Senegalese, Bantu, Ethiopian, Sonay, South African, etc. and Diasporan, i.e, Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian, West Indian, European, Asian, North and South American, etc.) organically related? How does the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) function and/or express itself in different geo-political, socio-economic environments? Is full consciousness of the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) necessary for a complete sense of “personhood”? How does it relate to the meaning of “gender” and sex-related performance? What are the physical, social, and psychological manifestations of the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) ? How does the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) affect the sense of efficacy and human dignity?

In the context of “participation,” are there experiences or conditions that accelerate or retard one’s awareness of the “wayne bibi (Spiritness)”? Are different levels of racial concentration relevant to the awareness or expression of the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness)? How does an activated “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) versus an inactive or dormant “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) relate to various types of human conduct (e.g., intelligence, emotion, creativity, etc.)? What is the role of the “wayne bibi” (Spiritness) in     next page