Nuwaubian Peace
I was introduced to Nuwaubu the summer before my Freshman year of college. I went to parties and clubs that year, as most college kids do, but I also studied Nuwaubu with the brother Khunsu Hotep. We hit the scrolls hard for a semester and that kept me balanced. He left town to take care of business for a semester and I drifted. I resumed going to parties and clubs. It seemed as if a fight would breakout at every club. There were frequent shootings, even on campus. Finally, the summer of 1995 came and I visited the land for the first time. I attended Savior’s Day.
One of the most memorable things about Tama RE was the peace. There were well over 2,000 Black folks in one area for several days. And not one fight broke out. I didn’t have to endure the stench of one cigarette, blunt, or foul-smelling meats cooking. No one had their pants on backwards or hanging down below their hips making their tailbones devolve down. People were extremely kind and welcoming. And everyone was reading! And building about books and science and extraterrestrials and culture! Not the latest gangster rap or their 22’s. Just the fact that that many Black folks came together and bought BOOKS is enough to tell you there’s something special about Nuwaubu. There was nothing but peace. Everyone had a glow about them. It wasn’t just the cultural hairstyles and clothes. There was a sparkle in the eyes and a look of intelligence on everyone. It was one of the most peaceful experiences I ever had.
I say one of the best because, of course, the Savior’s Days to come just got better and better for me as I grew in Nuwaubu. To this day the most relaxing memory I have is doing Maguraj on a warm summer night. I see myself standing in front of the amazing black pyramid we built, breathing in the refreshing air with a hint of incense, staring up at a clear sky filled with stars you can’t see in the cities, and exhaling any stress. “Thank you BaaBaa, Dr. Malachi Z York. Thank you. This is peace.” I take myself there whenever I’m really stressed, or if I just want to center myself. I look forward to the day when my children will be able to do the same thing on the land they help to build.
Ahmus Hetep RE