Poet and Griot

February is Black History Month.  One of the activities associated with the celebration/learning about Black Historoy at my school was a performance given by this man:

He is Baba Kwabena Dinizulu, poet and Griot.

A Griot, (I just love the sound of that word) in Afrikan society, is an educator, musician, entertainer, advisor and mentor.  He is the keeper of the cultural oral story, cultural affirmation and ancestral wisdom.  The "Baba" part of his name is an honorific for father.  His presentation was very educational and quite interesting and very enjoyable.  These were stories with a purpose, well told, laced with drum music and audience participation.  Stories they hadn’t heard before.  Truly a wonderful experience.

There was one part, however, that I particularly loved.  Baba Dinizulu recited the following poem:

In the event of my Demise
when my heart can beat no more
I Hope I Die For A Principle
or A Belief that I had Lived 4
I will die Before My Time
Because I feel the shadow’s Depth
so much I wanted 2 accomplish
before I reached my Death
I have come 2 grips with the possibility
and wiped the last tear from My eyes
I Loved All who were Positive
In the event of my Demise 
 

And he asked if anyone knew who wrote it.  No one did.  (OK – I did, because I have read it before, but I don’t count in this instance – lol).  When Denizulu announced that this POEM was written by Tupac Shakur a murmur of mixed appreciation and surprise bounced around the room.  Then he asked the next questions:

How many of you know who Tupac is?  (virtually everyone raised their hand.)

How many of you have a CD, MP3 or other recording of his music?  (Again, nearly every hand went up.)

How many of you have read the book of his poems?  About 20 hands went up…..out of 200 or so students)

And he looked out at the students………and proclaimed…….if you have more CDs than you have books, you’re not learning.  You’re not growing.  Tupac was not a rapper, he was a poet.  Again I tell you, if you have more MP3s than books, you’re not going in the right direction.

And the students sat there quietly while it sunk in.

All the wonderful slices of Afrikan culture that he shared……..paled, imho, to that lesson.  THAT message is multicultural, multilingual, multiracial, multidenominational…..universal.  And oh how I hope it sank in.

And Tupac?  He was a rapper.  But he had the soul of a poet.  Some of the most beautiful current poetry I have read was written by Tupac Amaru Shakur.  Given the fact that his mother was a militant Black Panther…..is it any wonder his life took the direction it did?  If we can help one child find their way in this world…..then it is all worth it.

One more short piece from Tupac….and then I’m outta here to finish preparations for tomorrow’s soul food luncheon!

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it’s dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.