What separates Akoma Day from other well-known holidays is the fact that it is not a holiday, but rather a ‘cultural alternative to Valentine’s Day’. Founded by a Melanoid couple by the names of Montsho & Nwasha Edu, Akoma Day embraces the traditional African principles of love that aren’t necessarily limited to love shared between significant others. Under the principles of Akoma, the celebration of love goes beyond that, and acknowledges the love shared between friends, family, etc.

Culturally speaking, the initiative holds true to its African roots, even adopting insignia which shows just that. The Akoma logo itself is actually an Adinkra symbol which originated from Ghana, West Africa. The symbol actually stands for “soul consciousness” since the days of ancient Kemet.

In the following video, the Edus explain the origins of their company, and give viewers more of an in-depth comprehension of what this revolutionary act of Black love is all about.

Keeping true to the message of the Akoma House Initiative, the Edus are the living embodiment of love and perseverance as they are a loving married couple who are both highly trained, educated, and have successfully managed to use their own experience as Melanoid people in this society to address issues of love and relationships to others who seek their counsel because they are fully aware that the Black experience is exceptionally unique in comparison to any other racial group of people on this planet.

In light of two February-based celebrations that Melanoid people have traditionally observed (and are now slowly but surely deviating from for various reasons) such as Valentines Day and Black History Month, the Akoma House Initiative cleverly meshes love and culture in a way that serves the mental and emotional well-being of Black Society as a whole.

For more info on Akoma Day and the Akoma House Initiative, follow this link.

B. Clark

There seems to be a method to this insane white supremacist way of thinking. Due to the recent upward trend in overt racism/white supremacy that has emerged in a manner that our people have not experienced since the Civil Rights Movement, it is now encouraged to condone the mass incarceration, miseducation, gentrification, and murdering of all Melanoid people in this society, because there is no longer a want or need for us within the framework of the dominant society.

There is a longstanding and verifiable narrative that exposes the direct correlation between the proud celebration of whiteness by overt racists/white supremacists and the bloodthirsty quest for Melanoid elimination. For much of the early 20th century in the U.S., a burning cross in the yards of Melanoid families signified that someone in that particular family was marked for death by lynching, burning, and other gruesome methods of torture at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. In Europe, the chanting of racial epithets, the throwing of objects, and death threats from the mouths of dozens of thousands thuggish European fans at futbol (soccer) arenas means that the Melanoid player down on the field does not meet their approval, and they state their intentions to harm the Melanoid athletes who risk their lives to play a game they love and deserve to play. Simply put, whenever one of us gets called “nigger” by a member of the dominant society, death or violence toward us is soon to follow.

When white extremists such as the neo-Nazis hold rallies in American cities, their speeches are filled with hate and endorsements of attacking and killing Melanoid people in every way possible. All of this is done with a message that is unapologetically white at its very core.

So, for us to realize that the blatant and unapologetic celebration of white society and culture is racist is to also acknowledge the hypocrisy in their desire to do so. Their argument is that if Melanoid people can openly celebrate their culture and history, then why can’t they? First and foremost, Melanoid people under this system can never be racist because we do not benefit from societal exemptions such as white privilege. For members of the dominant society to demand that they be allowed to celebrate their whiteness without retribution, their true intentions are exposed, and that is to proceed with carrying out the centuries-long agenda of ensuring that their race survives…by controlling all affairs on the planet to ensure that they maintain their staying power, thus keeping this system as is.

The following video features commentary by white supremacist David Duke, who attempts to stir up white paranoia by suggesting that they may been soon eliminated by a Melanoid “threat” to their way of life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoKl47nK04M

by B. Clark

What’s even more interesting is that this isn’t the first year that Nike has released the BHM Collection. Apparently, the company has been releasing Black History Month-themed shoes and apparel for as early as 2005, when the Pan African flag—the same red, black, and green flag created by the Garvey Movement to promote unity and power among people of African descent across the globe—was featured on the side of the world famous Nike Air Force One sneaker, a shoe originally released in 1982 that ironically was given new life and re-introduced to the world by rap artist Nelly in 2002. At this point in our history, it’s become commonplace to witness multinational corporations rake in the dough from our images, talent, and in this case, our history…without our community ever seeing a dime of the profit.

Nike, like many other major name brand companies in the U.S., thrives off of the Black dollar. Will portions of the sales of the shoes and apparel go towards the families of the slain Black and innocent victims of police brutality? Will portions of the sales of the shoes and apparel go towards reversing the increasing trend of Black unemployment by creating jobs for Blacks here in the States as opposed to outsourcing the labor to third world Asian nations? Time will tell. On the flip side, perhaps this is their way of facetiously “honoring” us by naming one of their marketing campaigns in our honor.

by B. Clark