How to Behave

"Human brilliance and excellence must be connected to African brilliance and excellence".(Dr. Carr) This concept left me thinking well after the lecture. It made me conscious of everything that really originate from the motherland. Africans created writing, counting, sciences, arts, school, and religion well before the Greeks and other civilizations. We as a people were just as smart as any of our oppressors.

When Dr. Carr walked into the room, he had the presence of a great leader. I knew that he was going to say something worth listening to. With his clear and powerful voice, it was no doubt that he kept my attention. It made me very curious when the title came upon the projector: Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience: An Mbongi. I wondered how all of those convictions could add up to be "An Mbongi". When I said the word Mbongi in my head, it left a ring to it and I knew it held momentum. I really had no clue of what it meant and I was interested in the topic. Three questions came up that I wanted answered: where does it come from?, what exactly is it?, and how does it related to our generation and society?

Mbongi is an African tradition that is a "common shelter"(Dr. Carr); a place where things are worked out. It could be in search of a healing or solution. Mbongi brings unity and empowerment. It is how the community functions properly, giving everyone a way to have a voice. While I was critically thinking about the concept, it registered that any place could be a Mbongi: a church, school, barbershop, or home. Mbongis are everywhere, meaning that the African culture is all around us. I realized that a Mbongi does not have to be an actual place. For example, praying over someone. It brings shelter and healing without having to be an actual structure. Learning several other words relating to Mbongi made this even more evident.

A third major concept was learning and wisdom. There is a definite connection between the two. Wisdom is "fruitful learning", as stated by Dr. Carr. What I got out of the statement was that learning is receiving knowledge and wisdom is what you do with the knowledge

(Dr. Carr). Dr. Carr said we had to identify our own personal pathways. I took recognition that in our path we must bring forth deep thought to renew and engage. The best way of identifying your path is learning and the best way of learning is to do what you see, as described in African culture.

To be beautiful is not how you talk but how you behave (Dr. Carr). To live with excellence and brilliance is how I strive to behave.