Quotes of the Week #6 and #7

The month of February is not only the Black History Month in Jamaica, but as of 2008 Reggae Month as well. Thus in keeping with tradition the University of West Indies hosted a number of events dedicated to highlighting reggae history and culture. While sitting in the back row of the Annual Bob Marley Lecture Series listening to Ras Tekla Mekfet; I had an epiphany.

I realized that I have been spending all of this time reading in search of the one quotation that could be abstractly applied to this thing we call life. All the while not realizing that life itself presents many moments of reflection. Therefore this weeks' quotes comes from no ancient tome or well known speech, but pieces of wisdom I overheard and moments of self-reflection.

The first quote is from a side comment made by Ras Tekla Mekfet during his keynote speech --which I jotted down on the edge of the brochure:

"I prefer nature to technology, its more reliable and consistent." (Ras Tekla Mekfet)

The second quote came to me today while I was feeling good, walking down a backstreet headed to the bus stop humming "Knocks Me Off My Feet" by Stevie Wonder. Unfortunately I had to experience it to realize it . . . lets just say it humbled me:

"The man who walks with his head high too long will either step in a ditch or a pile of sh't." (Me)

Last month I stepped in a pile of sh't. Today I stepped in a ditch and almost fell, looking like a fool.

The Archaeology of Africa and the African Diaspora Conference

Just last week Howard University hosted one of the first archaeology conferences of its kind. Entitled, "Windows from the Present to the Past: The Archaeology of Africa and the African Diaspora," the three-day conference consisted of a number of presentations by faculty, students and retired scholars. I co-authored two papers for the conference, one on African American heritage tourism and our research on Gambia's James Island and another on our on-going research at Walter C. Pierce Park and the disenfranchisement of African American public space. Both presentations were well received, the former of which I delivered. Also during the course of my research for the Gambian paper, I came across this article on African American tourism, Cuba and Joe Louis; very interesting I believe.

The conference was a milestone. As I stated earlier, I believe it is one of the first of its kind. It was very inspiring to see the newest research pertaining to African and the diaspora as well as meet other aspiring black archaeologists -- although we are still few and far between. There were three presentations that really stood out to me: Paul Mullins, Anna Agbe-Davies and Merrick Posnansky.

Dr. Mullins spoke about African American consumerism from emancipation into the early 20th century. He stressed the importance of a piano as a status symbol and it really helped me to connect some dots. For one, my mother always said she wanted a piano in the house and I had never understood why. On another note, it really helped me to understand the history of the birth of Jazz. If we see blacks in Chicago, Harlem and other metropolitan areas start to accumulate wealth (and pianos) two to three generations after emancipation, then their children learn how to plan those pianos. We arrive at a very prominent jazz scene emerging in the early 1920s.

Dr. Agbe-Davies is conducting archaeology on a home in Chicago that once served to board single black females during the great migration. I thought it was interesting the way she used the Chicago Defender to develop ideas about community. Combing through hundreds of articles she sees differences in the way Black Chicagoans conceptualized community in 1926, 1966 and 2006.

Finally Dr. Merrick Posnansky delivered the keynote address which I found very inspiring. During his keynote, he called for the need for not only more African and African-American archaeologists but also a larger concentration of research on the African Diaspora in Brazil and throughout the Indian Ocean region. He also recommended that more students, after taking a year or two to discover what you want to study, look to Africa for possible dissertation projects.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the repeated mention of a need to established some sort of African-American (or diaspora) heritage organization and the need for a National Graves Protection and Repatriation Act for blacks in America. As it currently stands there is no organization tasked with preserving African American heritage sites, and number of skeletal collections around the country -- including the Smithsonian -- house African American skeletal remains without the knowledge of their descendants.

More work remains and knowing that there are others out there conducting the same work, reinfuses a sense of purpose. Much thanks to the professors of Howard University's Anthropology and Sociology department -- both past and present -- for their continued dedication to the students and for making this conference come into fruition. The proceeds from the conference will go toward establishing three scholarships for Howard University students to conduct further research. I hope we can have another conference within the coming years perhaps at Fisk, Lincoln, Hampton, Spelman or Morehouse?

Recipe #5: Irish Moss

Last week I was instructed, along with a group of other students in the masterful art of preparing Irish Moss, a uniquely Jamaican drink made from seaweed. To prepare this drink you will need the Irish Moss (there is a yellow and an orange variation of the plant, the orange is more expensive but has a better taste), linseed, isinglass, and gum Arabic (all of which are shown below). I'm not sure where you can find these ingredients outside of Jamaica. We were told to go to the market and ask for Irish Moss and the specific ingredients but I doubt that will work in too many other countries.The chef has been preparing Irish Moss for years and didn't give any measurements, so I will attempt to explain the recipe as I saw it. First you clean the moss under running water (enough to fill a large pot about 1/4 of the way). Then you sprinkle about a tablespoon of gum Arabic, and 2 tablespoons of isinglass and another 2 of linseed.

Once all of the ingredients are in, fill the rest of the pot a little more than halfway with water. You allow the concoction to boil for 30 minutes to an hour or until the color starts to change and the consistency gets a little thicker. Remember to stir occasionally throughout. If you over cook it it will solidify and become almost like a gelatin. It is recommended that you add vanilla to taste and some people prefer to add sugar, and milk as well (or rum, if thats what you're into). When the drink is finished you drain of the liquid, discarding the seaweed, and let it cool in the refrigerator. It is said that Irish Moss is good for the digestive system and can serve as an energy boost. I have yet to recreate this drink but if you would like a more exact recipe you can check out this one or buy it in a can.

Quote of the Week #5

Taken from a Chinese proverb, I came across this quote while reading RZA's newest book, The Tao of Wu. It goes a little something like this:

"When planning for a year, grow corn. When planning for a decade, grow trees. When planning for life, train and educate people."

What are we planning for?

Archaeology at UWI

My apologies for the recent lack of posts. I am trying to get back into the flow. After the winter break I joined a group of archaeologists digging here in Jamaica. Members from the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS) came down from Virginia to continue excavations on the University of West Indies, Mona Campus. The university has an interesting history. During the enslavement period it housed three different plantations and served as a refugee camp during World War II. The purpose of the excavations this year was to continue to try and locate the dwelling of the enslaved Africans who lived and labored both at the Papine plantation and the Mona plantation. The hope is that the archaeological record will be able to provide information about the manner in which they lived that is not readily available through written documents.The field school lasted about a month, of which I joined in the last week. Most of the participants were employees from DAACS, second year archaeology students who were required to volunteer for class and other Jamaican archaeologists. Using the aid of old maps and information from past excavations we set out to locate the enslaved Africans' living quarters by digging shovel test pits (STPs) every six meters. The theory is that as we get closer to the old habitation site we will see a heavier concentration of artifacts. The finds were interesting. We came across beads, smoking pipes, broken glass bottles, ceramic fragments (most likely made by the enslaved population), iron nails, and various other related items. All of these will be taken back to Virginia for cataloging and analysis then returned to Jamaica.
Working on the dig proved a humbling experience. I met some really interesting people and learned a lot about archaeology in Jamaica. I also got a chance to try my hand at cataloging artifacts, which although not as fun as digging is equally as important. I'm going to try to see if it is possible to come down for more excavations next year.

More information on the excavations from last year can be found here.

Jamaican Response to Haitian Earthquake

By now everyone should be aware of the earthquake that recently hit Haiti. While they are still estimating the extent of the damage, I can say that the aftershock from the quake reached Jamaica and many in Kingston reported feeling a tremor soon after it hit. In light of the recent devastation, many people have been asking me the question; "What is the Jamaican response to the situation?" I too asked myself the same thing.

The bulk of Jamaicans whom I have spoken with about the situation have expressed a deep sympathy for the Haitian people. In terms of local projects, I know that supermarkets in Kingston have set up boxes soliciting for the donations of food and clothing. A Facebook group, Haiti Aid Jamaica, was also created to help channel support. The group provides information on donation drop-off points and supporting organizations. There are also reports that donations will be accepted at Jamaica's 2010 Jazz and Blues Festival slated for later this month. In regards to aid from corporations, the Jamaican National Commercial Bank has opened a bank account, 212 387 304, to receive financial contributions from the public.

The Jamaican government has also begun to take action. According the Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica's president Bruce Golding and his entourage, in addition to soldiers and supplies, will be dispatched to Haiti today. In an attempt to keep the Jamaica public abreast of new developments, a video message board was set up in the midst of the bustling Half Way Tree Square to deliver up-to-date information. There is also rumor that Jamaica may receive an influx of Haitian refugees in the coming weeks.

The ultimate question is to what extent can we realistically make a contribution? While the answer varies amongst concerned individuals, there are a number of charitable organizations that are receiving donations, some of which are listed on Austin's blog. The very least we can do is to continue to keep ourselves informed. I know at the bare minimum I will be donating clothes and food.

Our prayers and support are with the Haitian people.

Books for the New Year

When you think no one is watching you, chances are that someone is. I ultimately realized this on New Year's Eve when a stranger empowered me with a gift of knowledge. Before heading to Washington, DC to welcome in 2010, Shamira and I made a stop in Maryland.

After the publication of a newspaper article back in August outlining my Fulbright plans in Jamaica, my mother was contacted by a woman who was interested in my research and wanted to pass on some books she thought might be beneficial. A relative nearby held some of the books for me until my return this winter. On New Year's Eve we picked up the books from my cousin's house and continued onward to meet and thank Mrs. Washington in person.

What we thought would be a short hello-thank you-goodbye, turned out to be something all together different. Immediately she welcomed Shamira and I into her home and demanded that we take whatever books we wanted off of her shelf. There was a sense of hesitation, but after she reiterated the fact that she had no one to bequeath them too, we got to work. One by one books started coming off the shelf. It began with popular titles, like "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" and continued to get more and more intricate. In the process we uncovered several books signed by Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Sterling Stuckey, Ivan Van Sertima and Jacob Carruthers. However, the crown jewel had to be the a 1903 edition of Booker T. Washington's "Up from Slavery." I would have gladly taken all the books and left the shelves bare but knowing that I could neither carry nor read all of them, we took what we could manage and decided it might be best to have her donate the rest of her collection to a public library (of course we suggested Howard University). I must say, in all, I think Shamira and I must have increased our personal collections by about 30 books each. The above photo is just a fraction of the books I brought back to Jamaica.

Now the real work begins. I know that I now have an obligation to be productive because someone has taken the time and effort to invest in my education. With 30 more books to read, on top of everything else, I guess I had better get crackin'. More reading, thinking, and producing; thats my New Years' Resolution.