One of the most vicious civil wars in human history are being fought with little to no bloodshed, and has reached a crescendo over the past 40+ years. This is the best way to describe the continual struggle between the Black man and woman.

In light of the well-publicized women’s march on Washington that occurred almost immediately after the presidential inauguration, it’s no secret that some of the most ardent supporters of this movement were Black women. It was quite an easy feat to gather legions of disgruntled Black women across the United States after the highly-heralded Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election, because she represented what many Black women have deemed to be a symbol of a renegade woman who goes toe-to-toe with the “old boys’ club” — the boogeyman of an establishment better known as patriarchy here in the States.

The fanfare that Clinton received during this most recent presidential race from Sisters is merely a byproduct of the axe that they’ve had to grind with Black men for decades now. In many (not all) schools of thought throughout Black female society, the long-running narrative is that Black men have only served to be the bane of their existence, acting as this proverbial monster who breathes fire under the guise of harsh words for Black women, and whose immense stature represents a mechanism of immovable oppression that bans them from any upwardly mobile progress.

However, much evidence exists that proves otherwise. In a story that was featured on Black Enterprise last year, Black female business ownership has grown exponentially more than many other groups of people who own businesses. Sisters also sit among the most educated demographic in this country. To further elaborate on the topic at hand, the very term “patriarchy” was originally intended to define the man’s traditional role in the familial construct. It was not meant to be used as a term to be categorized with other words, such as white supremacy, racism, ageism, etc.

Although the aforementioned term served a neutral purpose to merely describe a gender role, it has been taken out of context, and has been misconstrued to portray men–in this case Black men–to be the oppressors of their women. In Black society, nothing could be further from the truth. For the sake of this topic, “patriarchy” as it is referenced by some women in today’s time could very well be used to describe the longstanding devices of neglect and oppression that white supremacist males have not only used against their women (look up the witch hunts of the Middle Ages, or King James’s disdain for women), but to all people on a global scale. This very reference of ‘oppressive patriarchy’ by Black women should be left with women in other racial groups, because it is clearly not a Black female plight.

With the large number of households led by Black women with no man in sight, key supervisory roles in corporate America occupied by Black women, and the super influential mainstream media’s hand in ensuring that the Black man is virtually useless in this society, we’d be hard pressed to conclude that the Black man has the wherewithal to keep his woman down in this country.

Black women are our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and our best friends…our slaves and stepping stools they are not.

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