I WRITE WHAT I LIKE

When I started this blog a couple of years ago, I really was looking for an avenue to share my thoughts on an array of things. To share my fears, my struggles, my most burning issues and matters I like. But above all this I wanted to get an avenue to write about the GREATNESS that we are as South Africans.

As the name suggests, I took it from the well known collection of Steve Biko's writings. These were according to me the best of philosophies and my introduction to the writings of the father of the Black Consciousness Movement. It was through these writings that I started exploring my "BLACKNESS" and therefore started engaging with the possibilities that I was much greater than I was made to believe because of the color of my skin.

Through these profound writings by Steve Biko, there was a new passion incited in me. They incited a passion to dig deeper into the very thing that makes me and  pushes me to start inquiring about that which is outside of me that has everyone fixated on me about (The color of my skin). This only differential factor from other people has been the biggest cause of my pain. This very thing has made people look at me and at the onset start questioning my ability to be as great as they are or better. This skin has made me learn at a young age that "YOU BETTER WORK A HUNDRED TIMES HARDER THAN UMLUNGU" if you want to even get the scrumps off his table.

This was a lullaby that me and many other people with my skin color heard so very often when growing up. This thorny song became one with our skin and incited some level of discontent and pain. It reinforced the very notion that because of the color of my skin, I am not as good as the fairer skinned brothers and sisters hence I needed to work a hundred times harder to achieve and amass even the minimum success (a house and car that will be owned by the bank for the longest time).

The words contained in the writings of Steve Bantu Biko made me to start introspecting and questioning whether I accept the notion that I am lesser because I am BLACK. This is a journey I have made a conscious decision to undertake with nothing less than the best courage of my conviction. I have decided that this is a journey I will take and prove that my BLACKNESS is a symbol of greatness... That my BLACKNESS is indicative of the triumph of a human spirit. It is through my BLACKNESS that the brightest sparks and light will emanate. My BLACKNESS will serve as a beacon of hope for many others whose light has been dimmed by the constant reminder that their blackness devalues their existence. It is through my very own BLACKNESS that I will remind many others like me that "THEIR DREAM MATTERS" (as articulated by Lupita)

Anyway, my initial intention of starting this blog was precisely to have folk journey with me on this whirlwind of self-discovery. I wanted to start a platform where I can write what I like and have people engage with me on my thoughts... to start and continue with some dialogues that sustains us as cohabitants of this marvelous earth. Most importantly, it is a platform that I wanted to create and join many others who have taken the task to change the narrative of their BLACKNESS.

I guess with every journey, one starts with rantings and self-inspection and then embark on that LOLIWE.

This blog will take many turns as with every journey... Some of the turns will be rantings and self-critical exploration of where we are as a BLACK RACE, then as COUNTRY, then as CONTINENT and then HUMAN RACE. These explorations will simply be explorations of where we are as a people and where we need to be, AS I SEE IT ( and have thoughts and sights challenged and molded with your help and engagements)

But at the other turns we will celebrate MY BLACKNESS. I will explore the stories of our triumph that I think are starting to sink deeper into the ocean of self-loathing. I want to use this platform to celebrate the leaps and bounds we have journeyed on and are stilling journeying on to impart in us a sense of pride and self-worth. I want to continue with your help with narrating the GREATNESS of OUR BLACKNESS.

Ths is  mine and your platform (I will get better with navigating this technology) to just celebrate and push each other onto the trampolines that will propel us to achieve that ideal of AFRICAN RENAISSANCE.

This will mean calling each other out when we are tripping and affirming each other when we are soaring to greatness, as we often do but are blinded by our own self-loath and pity. We will affirm each other and really SHINE THE LIGHT OF OUR BLACKNESS....

I would like to introduce you to our BLACK FIRE ENTERPRISE....

Signing Out For Now
Karabo Lepote