MAAFA: Remembrance & Renewal
The past we inherit. The future we create.
We ask you to bear witness to your ancestors
the human bridges that bore you cross
slavery's turbulent & troubled waters
& made a way out of no way
for our arrival into a diaspora
in another country we have transformed
into home
We ask you to consider those whose bodies & souls created you
those who made it possible for us
to breathe & be in this time & place
this space where & when nothing should be taken for granted
we were not even supposed to survive but we are here
& should never forget how we first arrived
We ask you to remember that whether in times of feasting or famine
we are never alone, both those departed & those yet to come
are watching over us
the universe is our witness
Today we say we have not forgotten from whence we came
and we recommit ourselves to cherishing our history
as we keep the faith & spread it into the future
The spirit & struggle of each & every one of us
always makes a difference
pamoja tutashinda—together we will win!
—kalamu ya salaam