"Understanding Dr. Marimba Ani's Presentation: A College Student's Perspective"

Who is Dr. Marimba Ani? This isn't a question I thought to look up before going to this presentation. I went with no idea of what was to come. It was a big history lesson where instantly I knew, I needed to take notes. This Woman at the age of twenty-three attended the March on Washington, as young as I am, I respect her for being so courageous and brave to stand up because there were also people that just had to stay home and watch. Dr. Marimba Ani was best known for her publications that critique the thought of European culture.

"We need a different pardon, different structure, it all can't be done in school because it cuts out our ancestors," said Dr. Ani. She spoke on the teachings of our culture and ancestry. A pardon is a model of thinking, a statement of principle, statement of value, plan/strategy, reconstruction, reconnection, and revolution. I agreed with her about changing the model of thinking i think every day every individual works hard to alter their way of thinking to their own liking. The room was packed and the lines to ask questions kept growing, yet i just kept listening. There was so much information being provided, my notes just grew and grew. I love when my brain feels stimulated and I'm able to just think.

Dr. Ani mentions the returning of rituals, the understanding for the need of rhythm and how it relates to thought, dance, color, and music. She refers back to her teaching days and her studies on trying to convince her students they were African and how she studied the changes. "We need to think of ourselves of people of the African World," she stated. Brother Aja responds that he believes that it will not happen here.

Later, we go on to hear last questions before the end of the presentation. I hear people's stories, their wonders, their desires for the people living within their community. "How can you rest when your soul is tired of being the leader?" A lady in the audience asked Dr. Ani that question and it got me thinking because at the time I was feeling tired of trying to keep the ship (referring to my life) being capsized. Dr. Ani truly didn't have a true answer, but it is something we should think about. How can we sit back from being the leader and just take a moment?