Page 93 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

COMMUNITY

Necessity of Emotional, Phys-
ical, and Mental Wellbeing
Emotional maturity and overall well
being needs to be nourished for
the stability of your little ones. You
must learn to get over heartbreaks,
accepting what is, dealing with the
shame and guilt associated with be-
ing a single mother, most important-
ly you must learn to not approach
this new challenge in your life as an
already failed attempt just because
you procreated with someone who
is not for you. Once you remove all
this junk from your consciousness
that is when you can really focus on
the task at hand. Just like in mathe-
matics, there are many avenues you pay attention to the messages of are a liability to the success of our
can take to get to the right answer. those children’s shows. A good ex- children.
ample is a sing-along cartoon show
Self care, exercise, eating right, called “5 Little Monkeys Jumping Educate the Child for Knowl-
finding time and space to cater to on the Bed'' that I happened to pay edge and Progress
your needs by learning skills you attention to when my toddler was Read lots of books to educate your-
have always wanted to learn but having some TV time. It depicts all self. Read lots of books to your chil-
never did is crucial, and the oppor- of the humans as either children, dren as well. Start this process early
tunities will present themselves. This parents, or a doctor, all of which are and eventually they will start reading
is a space for you to be creative. of the Caucasian race. But all of the to themselves. Dedicate their time to
Understand that your womb is in a monkeys jumping on the bed were learning an Afrikan-based curric-
constant need for creating. It does depicted as humanized apes with a ulum. This could be a solo project
not stop with a baby. Create a meal, tail where the little girl monkeys had or something other members of
a drawing, a vision for yourself and puff ball hairstyles, and the mother Afrikan children in your community
your family. Creating and maintain- monkey was wearing an African fab- could be a part of. In doing so, this
ing that creation is what we do as ric dress often seen worn by Afrikan will instill a strong sense of pride,
women. You have a choice. You women. identity, and a sense of belonging.
can choose to create and maintain We see these outcomes in thriving
chaos in your life (inevitably in your I could not help but think how communities.
children’s lives) or you can create these types of racist images could
and maintain love for life. shape how an Afrikan child living In the article “How Literacy Became
in the diaspora could view them- a Powerful Weapon in the Fight To
Setting the standards for self care selves, when repeatedly receiving End Slavery”, written by Collette
will give you peace of mind. If you messages that the world they live in Coleman, the author explains, after
think about it expressing love for views them as untamed apes. Or for the 1831 Nat Turner revolt, slave
yourself in this manner teaches the the Caucasian children absorbing owners made enforced literacy laws
world you are worth loving and will these Eurocentric images, in which which made it illegal for African
teach your children how to take ways might their interactions be like Americans to learn how to read or
care of themselves and that they are with my Afrikan son if they view write. Blacks would secretly educate
worth loving as well. themselves as superior to him? It is themselves and their children. These
easy for children growing up in the self-guided classroom lessons would
Educate the Child for Conscious- diaspora to get lost in these de- have been lessons taught from the
ness and Character grading belief systems. Remember Afrikan perspective. But when racial
When watching TV do not only en- you are trying to instill confidence, integration in the classroom came
sure your child is watching age-ap- resilience, and intelligence in your into play, in the 1960's, designing
propriate television shows, but also children. These bigoted perceptions our own curriculum was suddenly a

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 11 | MAR/APRIL 2021 93