“Kebuka (pronounced kay-boo-kah), is a Kikongo word meaning, in simplest terms, “remember.” It is to say that we must struggle to remember the most deeply hidden intricacies of what was taken from us and use that memory to rebuild our future in line with those ancestral traditions. Kimbwandende Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau, who is my primary source for understanding this concept, has defined it as to “look back both physically, (with your eyes) and mentally with your mind; to draw from the past experience (both positive and negative); to rely on one’s ground; [and] to link the past to the present reality before dreaming for tomorrow.” He says that kebuka “is both a physical or material and spiritual word” and indicates that “Kebuka is the equivalent of Sankofa” in Kikongo. He states, however, that “...kebuka as a verb is more powerful and more active and has more regenerating power itself than Sankofa.” Of course, we know that there is no competition between Afrikan languages. All Afrikan tongues are rich. And the more words we have that speak to the necessity of remembrance in recovering our sanity the better we are spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and physically able to engage our past, present and future as empowered Afrikans. Kebuka is simply a choice reflecting the need to have an additive Afrikan voice in the repertoire we use to speak a reAfrikanized reality into our nationbuilding efforts.” Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:03:49 +0000
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