Every single day I am reminded that this world does not value
Last week, I expressed one angle of this reality in response to the Women’s March on Washington…All these white women coming out the wood work suddenly…Suddenly they are pressed because they may be affected by unfair treatment under trump( I will not capitalize his name)… Their sudden alertness an ever revolting reminder, that people always make a way for things that are most important to them—BLACK Folks blood gushing and nuanced oppression isn’t one of those things, obviously.
And today, I wake up to more news of the orange demon being hellish towards Muslims with a ban, making entering the country very difficult for them. Folks with green cards and midair when he made this decision were unable to enter the country at first. Thankfully, so many have gone into immediate action on their behalf: Judges, BLACK Caucus members, orgs like ACLU, protesters, etc… The countries evil-carotene chose to ban and those he didn’t choose to ban; this shows there is racial & economic bias coming from all angles… It’s just a mess. The ban includes 7 countries and will last at least 90 days, and Refugees are banned for 4 months thus far. Though I am glad to see the protests swell and the help and solidarity coming in from very side, it again reminds me that no one comes to this sort of aid for BLACK People… Ever. What should I say? I just don’t know.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to. This week I want to uplift BLACK women and girls and remind us that we are worthy, we are regal, we are magical… All of us in all of our nuanced glory. As some of you know I am an author amongst other things. One of my Published works is a collection of poetry entitled: Nigiste Nigist: Ancestral, Present & Forever Entangled. It is BLACKNESS through my lens—Very authentic, powerful, vulnerable. So what is a Nigiste Nigist you ask? I will copy part of the preface from my book below, to answer this question:
Nigiste Nigist is a phrase taken directly from the ancient Abyssinian (Ethiopian) language of Ge'ez. Ge'ez is the mother tongue of many Semitic Languages, including the current and official language of modern Ethiopia: Amharic. Many recognize the word Negus, which means “King” in Ge'ez. Naturally, Nigist is the feminine version of this word, meaning “Queen.”
So Nigiste Nigist literally means “ Queen of Kings” or more plainly, a Queen/Woman who rules in her own right. This means that she did not marry to become the ruler of an empire; she ascended the throne just like a man would, or because she was the best for the job. It means her status as woman was not the validating or invalidating factor of her ascension... It wasn't the masculine presence that “made” her. A Nigiste Nigist can stand alone in her own power if she so chooses. This is the embodiment of who I am, and many other BLACK Women as well.
For a considerable number of BLACK Women in Feminist & Womanist circles, being called a “queen” has become synonymous with BLACK Men who have a misogynoir mindset. Men who want to call us queens, and then rule over us, and demean our power to become and be and do. A way to put chains, where we should be free... A way to practice the form of patriarchy that was brought to our conscious by European enslavers and land nabber's, under the complicated guise of being “woke.”
I've personally decided, that I will not allow the misguided and obtuse, to stop me from remembering... Remembering that the ancient, and not so ancient rulers of various nations of Africa, were fierce warrior women. Strategists, highly intelligent, powerfully feminine, rightfully cut throat and measured, nation savers and makers: Goddesses! They were not weak and they were, in most cases, not prohibited from using their talents based off their blessed status as women. They were respected, and they were revered because of their capabilities.
Black Women, we have all of this and more in us still today... It is in our DNA. I find that Nigiste Nigist, queen, empress, or any other royal designation; they are terms of empowerment and remembrance to me, though I do understand and respect some women feel some sort of way about such terms. To me, they exemplify the amazing Divine nature of BLACK Women, showing our ability to be and do everything; including the sacred rites that only we are immersed in.
I do not see it as a hierarchy of you ruling over me and vice versa. I do, however, understand that royals had an exalted position over the people throughout history. I see royal titles, in our collective case whilst shipwrecked on these Amerikkkan shores, in terms of the exalted honor we have as the originators of all humans... A collective governing that requires us to not only reclaim, but to responsibly take charge and lead in truth and integrity. After all, Patriarchy as we know it today, is new to African Peoples in the scope of history's time continuum.
When we as Black People of variance, are experiencing so much hatred based on who we are, reminding ourselves about our “highness”, as Queens and Kings in the right context, can be very soothing to our soul health. I believe that it invokes remembrance... Truth... Helps us keep going and keep our heads in the high position that they should have never been lowered from.
Being exiled here in our now home Amerikkka, is definitely interesting. We live here... We're use to being here, but our heartbeat cadence and our soul rhythms tell us we are not home, well at least that is how I feel, how about you? Our Ancestors, with their highly educated and royal-esque ways were enslaved and brought to work these stolen lands. This hurt is still in our DNA, and the hatred of the enslaver is still in the DNA of those who continue, by choice, to propagate the systematic hatred, that bridles our souls from speaking clearly and authentically.
So…Now that I have explained Nigiste Nigist and what it means to me, let me offer you this song entitled: Rhapsody Nigist & music tribute video from my melanated heart to yours… A sort of anthem to remind us and encourage us, because baby…We are all we got! It is a tribute to every part of our womanhood, to those we have lost, to those who have stood, to those who have cried, to those who have made a way out of no way, to those mentor and restore those around them…This is for all of us.
Video:
Song: Rhapsody Nigist Song
In Unashamed Négritude & Revolutionary Love,
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