The Glue Of The Family

   

   The Glue Of The Family

By

Sengbe Ben Yosef

   For more than 400 years there has been a riff in the African family. This riff was caused by European slave traders and Europeans seeking to enrich themselves off the backs of African people. We all know what I'm talking about right? Well if you haven’t missed the last 400 some odd years you know about the African slave trade and the mistreatment of African peoples by greedy racist Europeans. The African slave trade was the cause the worst holocaust known to man. Over 100 million and counting Africans have died in the holocaust. People seem to think the African holocaust ended in 1865 on the bloody battle fields of North America but it still goes on even in this day and time.

   The slave trade was one part of the holocaust but what came after that may prove to be even more deadly to the African people. Slavery facilitated the break up of the family and the division of African people on many different levels. Most of those breaks were as a result of the physical torture that left scars on the soul of a people.  Today that history continues right down to the public beating and murders of slaves to keep the other slaves in line. People want to see the world as changed but the African knows better. We don’t have the luxury of pretending racism is over and done. We know it’s far from over.

  
 

I could go on making point by point statements to support my views of the subject but what would be the point? What could I say that hasn’t been said before? What good would it do me when so many others have tried and failed? If the world wouldn’t listen to a prince of peace like Martin Luther King Jr. what chance would my crude words have of reaching them? So I will not waste time on that instead I will make a few points on what I feel we are doing to ourselves in this war that is being waged against us. I will attempt to make some points I hope will help my people in this fight for our humanity. We need some real life solutions if we hope to make it through this darkness.

   I come from a large family of American Africans. From the time I was born up until a few years ago my family had someone who was the glue of the family. Every African family has this person or has had one such person in the ranks of their family. In the times before the slave trade and colonialism we call these special people by other names such as Chief, Negus, Baba or Igbo. In the African family someone was always the keeper of the Odu or word of God. This person was also the guide for the community and family. My family had that person for many generations our most resent was my granddad. 

  
My grandfather was a strong African man who had wisdom and insight that kept our family moving forward.  Since his passing the glue in my family seems to be weaker and no one seems to want to take up the role or assume responsibility for the family’s well-being.  Every nation or family needs a leader someone who can galvanize the people and bring them together the rough times. This is missing in my family and has been missing in my race for some time. Who will come forward to take the helm? Who will give wisdom to the people and lead them with the Odu (word of God)? If we are to move forward as a people we need our teachers and Chiefs to come out from hiding and lead the people.

 
Will you come out now you good men and women who are the keepers of the Odu (word of God)? Will you lead us now and show us the way? We are lost on this path and we don’t know which way to turn. Our so called leaders today are not true to the Odu (word of God) and they cause many to stumble. With their lies these leaders endanger the masses and cause the children to die. They are not fit for their roles and they do the will of their earthly masters. They help to conceal truth and they lay with the enemies of our people. Oh God I beg you give courage to your children those whom you have chosen to lead the people. Help them to shake off their fears and trouble them less that may free their minds to serve the family community and your will.

 

   The glue is missing in our families and in the nation. Is there no one who will come forward? Every house must have glue or the nations bonds will become weak and the people will be doomed. I have said this at this time because God has put it on my heart this way and it is no accident that it happened now because the healing season is upon us. A season and time for new life a time for family and nation to rebuild their bonds.
    Let us come together in this season not to find one person to be the glue but let us all become the substance that bonds the family and the nation. Will you accept my challenge to you? Will you be the tie that binds us in this struggle? Shake off your fears and your worries that you are not enough because I know you are just what the family needs. You are glue and we won’t make it without you.