Defining the "Mbongi"

In the most recent session of freshman seminar, my class had the honor of meeting with Dr. Greg Carr, the head of the African American studies department for Howard University. In Dr. Carr’s lecture, he spoke of the Mbongi and its role in the African American community. His speech was profoundly engaging and offered a different viewpoint of Blacks as a rich culture of people.

The term Mbongi, or “common shelter,” circumscribes a space in which every individual has a voice; and this voice is an intellectual power, that serves as a continuum of knowledge and tradition. Along with the Mbongi, we learned about such terms like Boko, Yemba, Lusanga, and Kioto, meaning to break, create shelter, mix and inhale. Unbeknownst to me before the Mbongi can be found in everyday life, from the campus, to the salons, to our neighbors front porch and so on.

Another concept Dr. Carr discussed was African Brilliance in relation to Human Brilliance. One of the sayings mentioned in the lecture, “To be African is to be Brilliant and Excellent,” gave me a stronger sense of pride in being an African American female. He spoke of the, “Mistress of Measurement” an African woman who was considered to be one of the earliest mathematicians, and Albert Cassell, a prominent architect from the south. Almost seventy years ago, Cassell was given a task to build a library for Howard University. Howard asked that the building look similar to Independence Hall and till this day the Founder’s Library stands tall and gratifying.

A point that I also learned about was African’s view on education. They believe in order to learn one must excel in reading, writing, counting, measuring, reflecting and service. In addition to, Africans have been excelling in education since ancient times. An example of this mentioned, is the alphabet which is said to be derived from earlier African hieroglyphics.

All in all, I thought Dr. Carr’s lecture was enlightening. Seeing myself as the heir to the African thinking has shown me it is my duty to uphold the doctrines set before me by our ancestors. And through education and ambition I have a voice in my community, one that will essentially contribute to the overall mission of the Mbongi.