Welcome to
GlobalEyes

Your Weekly Window
in the Mirror of the World.
Spartacus R.
The editor of Global Africa Pocket News and author of "Violation" and "The Maat Mystery" takes another look at the world.

Within certain politically conscious circles, there is great controversy surrounding the name of our continent. Where does the name Africa come from? What was it's original name? Some say it was originally called Kmet, others say Alkebu Lan, more say Ethiopia, while even more say Afrika and yet others shout Blah, Blah, Blah ... And while we argue over one Arabic, Hebrew, Greek or Latin word as against another, not many of us tend to use the term "Home".

If it is true that human life started with black-skinned people in the place we now call "Africa", it must be true also, that it never had an "original" name - except "Home", in whatever language we might have spoken originally. Of course, everywhere else must have had an original name which we used essentially, to tell our family and friends where we were going.

When we got there we would always refer to where we came from and where we were going back to as "Home". After some of us had been lost for a long enough time, they began to refer to where they were lost as "Home", so they had to create other names in new tongues for their original home.

Today we find Europeans (White people) doing what we used to do. Whenever they go somewhere, the first thing they do is give it a name. They never ask the local people what they call the place. They do that because of their conception of power, because it makes them feel that they own the land and it shows that they are in control. One Global European company in the USA even had the nerve to copyright the word Africa claiming that an African (Black) company cannot use it in their title (see GAP News V1, #2). It is the same with the naming of people.

On Sunday 17th December 1995, I attended the Annual Khepera Ba event in London where three brave Africans reclaimed their African names and discarded their European labels. I say "brave" because it takes a brave person to resist the tremendous pressures this society exerts to keep African people intellectually, emotionally and spiritually invalid. From the earliest days of Arab invasion, to European enslavement and colonization of Africa, the principle of name-change has been vigorously employed in the attempt to deny us our identity.

Are you an African? Do you have an African name? Do you speak an African language? Do you live with African culture? I am not saying that if every African person changed their names today or spoke Yoruba or ate Egusi, we would automatically be free. These things alone do not make you a conscious, self-determinate, Africa- centred individual, but their absence makes it more difficult to be such. We must try to understand the significance of the fact that the first thing our enemies do to us is change our names. Then substitute our language, distort our culture and alienate us from ourselves. The majority of Global Africa (Black people) answer to non-African names.

When you become a Christian or a Moslem, whether by way of coercion, bribery, false promises, deception or fear of self, you are required to change your name to a "Christian" or "Islamic" name, as with most socio / religious sects. Your Christian name must be European and your Islamic name must be Arabian, without reference to Africa or your original self. Why? Because the name you answer to is the key to your soul, the door to your very being.

It doesn't matter what anyone calls you, it is the sound you respond to - your name - what it means, what it stands for, which has the greatest effect on your behaviour, your thoughts, your feelings, your consciousness, your very existence and gives them access to you. Further, it is the language that name comes from and the conceptual meanings it carries which helps to process your self-identification. Every time that key is used, not only does it open you to interference by outsiders, it reconfirms and imprints on your psyche all the values that it represents.

However, Arabian or European names such as Tariq and Garvey are not necessarily anti-African if they represent such heroic African Ancestors as the "conqueror of Europe", who gave his name to Gibraltar(iq) and the great 20th century leader, Marcus. Their use would tend to invoke the spirit or at least inspire the person so named.

We have to get back to knowing ourselves because "Knowledge of self is the key to life" (see 'Violation: a look at non-physical violence in relationships'). We need to look inside to see who we really are. Our enemies know us, they know who we are and they want to make sure the majority of us never find out. They know that we have the power to free ourselves, we have the power to transform the whole world, because we are the power. All we have to do is remember who we are.