Daily Dispatches from Kemet

Historian Jabari Osaze will be posting daily descriptions of the Center for the Restoration of Ma'at's annual trip to Kemet (Egypt). He's has been leading tours of historic sites in Kemet for over a decade. Follow along to retrace the ancient footsteps of our African ancestor who gave civilization to the world.

It’s approximately 11 AM and we’ve just arrived in Cairo, Egypt. We are all anxious to begin our odyssey searching for the wondrous achievements of out Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) ancestors. This year, 16 people are partaking in “The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt Revealed” tour sponsored by the Center for the Restoration of Ma’at and the African Genesis Institute. Today’s simple activities include checking in at the Le Meridian Hotel which overlooks the magnificent pyramids on the Giza Plateau and a dinner cruise on the Nile River.

It’s fair to say that our 10 hour flight has left us in need of a good night sleep. However, each and every person on our trip has also expressed excitement over tomorrow’s visit to see the Great Pyramid (pyramids called mr or mrkhut by the Ancient Egyptians). Viewing the monument from the hotel with their own eyes has only left them with more questions. Even our travelers with mobility issues are considering descending the narrow long passage into the burial chamber of the third mrkhut on the plateau.

This is my tenth year of leading tours to Egypt. I am quite concerned about reports of the looting of sites all throughout Egypt. The revolutionary actions in Egypt over the course of the last year and a half have also allowed opportunist to both desecrate and steal ancient items. Archaeological sites all over Egypt have reported looting and even artifacts like the bodies of King Tutankhamen’s grand-parents have been desecrated. I wonder whether I’ll be able to receive more information on how extensive this problem is. As groups of people of African descent like ours are continuing to visit important sites on the African continent to look for our ancient footsteps, I can only hope that these sites will remain intact until we’ve become powerful enough to assert the importance of our homeland. These issues have left my head spinning. That’s enough for now. Tomorrow I’ll recount our tour of the magnificent mrkhuti (pyramids) on the Giza plateau.

UNCONDITIONAL: Multi-Media Art Exhibit & Performance Showcase

Uniting with our creative essence is the Key to our Holistic Restoration as individuals and as a Global Community.

Inundated with stereotypical, gender-degrading and culturally warped images and
perspectives on networks such as BET, the internet, movies, journalism, institutions,
etc…the intent of grassroots organizations Savaé inc and FreeLaavéSól’s is to
magnify the ingenious creativity of richly pigmented persons of the Diaspora.
"UNCONDITIONAL: An Art Exhibit and Performance Showcase, March 10th, 2012, will highlight the extraordinarily multidimensional artists as they artistically delve into what they know are the true fibers of the dynamic tapestry of Black Love—how Black Love is expressed for ourselves, our families and significant others, our legendary history, our domestic and global community.

"Unconditional" is inspired by the numerous requests for a display of images that exemplify positive and romantic reflections of Black Love. The selected artists will showcase their diverse styles through images that depict the true essence of LOVE and how it strengthens our understanding of acceptance, commitment and community. The images will represent how love binds and unifies us...Black Love is often misrepresented in mainstream media. We want to highlight the beauty of nurturing and loving relationships, while exploring the complexities of Black Love in today’s society. The ultimate goal of the Unconditional Exhibit is to create a space for and encourage dialogue about the importance of cultivating positive reflections of Black Love." -Savaé Inc

Black Love headlining the discussion opens the floodgates wherein founders Petula Payne and Fatima Friday delve into the at times unspoken and hidden aspects of Black Love in order to , deconstruct, decipher and synthesize the means for fortifying ourselves such that we can consequently lay the foundation for a healthy, vivacious and optimal future. The legacy of the ones who preceded us must be redeemed and honored.

This event entails what we Africans shall return to (Sankofa) in order to move forward and to ultimately ascend. The exhibit will navigate the roots of Black love as it is expressed from the perspectives of sculptors, fine artists, photographers, musicians, dancers and choreographers, spoken word artists, and vocalists. The pertinent cultivation of a dialogue between artists and the community accentuates the critical nature of Savaé inc and FreeLaavéSól’s desire to forge an artistically and intellectually-centered community that will continue to support one another in upbuilding of supportive collaborative-based artistic and healing-oriented endeavors.

The energetic vibration of African drums is just one magnificent element that
the Black Love Art Exhibit and Performance Show case will masterfully engage and
revitalize everyone with.

This multifaceted event will remind us of the reality that each of us are literally the stewards of our own destiny. Creativity--the thought, act and purposeful manifestation--has the power to foster a clairvoyant sense of perpetual optimism. Optimistically envisioning our lives--at each present moment and what we foresee in our futures, drastically improves how we see our lives-- both as individuals and as a global collective.

Creativity offers the energy burst of faith wherein what we THINK we can attain becomes less of a figment of our imaginations and an actual holograph of our Divine Expression. That Omnipotent expression we each possess is love. Love is UNCONDITIONAL for it resurrects the sacred essence of our legacy...the legacy of our ancestors.

Venue: Saturday March 10th, 2012, 6:30-9:00 pm. Free Candy 905 Atlantic Ave 2nd Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11238