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Ciara Shack Shaka McGlotten New Black Ethnographies Dec. 4th, 2019
World of light
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October 10th, 2150
My name is Juneve Butler, I am an anthropologist in training at the University of the West. Since the 2100s all colleges have been permitted to a North, South, East, and West. All four colleges hold multiple fields of study and I happen to be in the greatest one yet, anthropology. Climate change and global warming in 2110 brought scarcity to numerous areas of the world. Farms were ruined, animals were going extinct, and that forced people to flee across the country to places that weren’t affected. Countries that were affected were running out of ways to support the needs of everyone, so they threatened their governments to help find a solution. The government had to make a decision; A quick one that would put the world in better shape and save humanity. For the sake of their own lives and for the safety of humanity those who had political power, presidents, politicians, kings, and queens around the world joined forces in order to come up with a plan to keep humanity going and growing in its population. Many politically affiliated people fled from this because the idea of rebuilding this world was too much to handle. In 2114 scientists discovered a planet that would be able to sustain human and animal life forms. Because of its naturally dark state this planet was named “The Light� in reference to its living organisms that provided light through variations of vibrant colors made from the reflection of the moon on to their skin. This is the skin's reaction to high levels of undetermined radioactivity. Since the discovery that it could sustain human life forms the government set out to find people willing to migrate. Over 47% of the
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population agreed to participate and be deported to The Light in hopes of a new and improved civilization. The Migrating people traveled by spaceship. what's now known as the MI (Mother Interplanetary) has been active for 10 years and now is used for global transportation as well. As a result of the decrease in population, the government issued a nationwide clean up resulting in the restoration of resources. On my journey I wish to examine a ritual performed by these people of mixed cultures in remembrance of their migration and establishment of a new civilization. Many people of the african diaspora migrated here in order to create a new life for people of color, a life that eliminated the discriminationof people’s skin color, sexuality, disability, and differences. A life that consist of bigger values. This was an opportunity of a lifetime to take back black culture. I have been researching The Light for 8 months less than anyone in this field of study and I’ve been given the opportunity to visit The Light. I have arranged to be staying with a family of six in their spare room. I am delighted and honored to gain such insight on a world outside of the one we live in. I’ll be staying for a week gathering research, learning the culture, and being apart of it. I will also be staying for the Daylight ceremony, an annual ceremony welcoming the sun to reflect upon the skin of its native people for 24 hours. This festival is rare to catch, no one has been able to document the scenery only in writing and it enhances every year. This will conclude my research, I will be documenting my findings apart of the essay and display the art I have found.
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Humans are known to be superior to other living organisms. Since human beings had mental and physical abilities that plants nor other animals had they thought of themselves as the rulers of the world. This is where we were wrong, we were not superior, we were unique. For decades earth was treated as a waste land, polluted in the air, in our water, on our land, Greenhouse gas; we abused this power, forgot to take care of the environment and the living organisms that came with it. Thus led to climate changes and natural disasters that became long-lasting effects of our selfish ways. From what science could tell we had at most a decade left on earth. This migration was the only hope we had to restore the earth in a timely fashion, reducing the population and spreading out to depollutionate our planet. Many of the migrating people were of afro descent. Those who decided to migrate wanted to revive what was taken away by white western civilization and take back the power that was ripped from the body, mind and souls of people of african descent. People are not seen as superior to other living organisms in this world. In fact, if it were that way we would be at the bottom of the chain. There creatures in this world, protectors, and guardians of the land. They have been here way before humans could detect any life forms in this world and have peculiar gifts that are enhanced by living in this world. Cantus can talk like humans, follow multiple languages and speak the languages of the land and water and plants creatures. Cantus can feel, they understand signals and feelings of pain, suffering, love, happiness. Every organism is connected to each other. In order to be welcomed into this world humans had to bring forth something to contribute to The Light. With that being said they were introduced to human agriculture, belief systems, knowledge, and technology. Soon the population became a mix of humans, cantus
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creatures, hybrids, and superhumans who possessed magic. Under the unity of The Light they have all been able to co-exist. They have prospered and held onto Voodoo, its secrets in magic pushed civilization forward and is heavily practiced on the planet. ive thanks to the Gods for bringing the day of light revealing and acknowledging the people's differences in skin, shape, and form. Voodooism allows people to connect to the spirits of the land and detect whether there's a threat to any living organisms. Gods and spirits like Agwe, ruler of the sea, Azaka Medeh, loa of the harvest, Baron Cimitiere, spirit of the dead, and Damballah, the creator of all life brings the world to its equilibrium and are worshipped in ceremonies.
Gesner Abelard This is a painting by a haitian artist of a ceremony praising Agwe, god of the sea.
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Holograms
Technology's sole purpose is to enhance the living conditions of the light people. The Light people have not completely converted to earth's way of using technology. Earthlings implant technology in themselves in order to make everything easier walking dogs, talking on the phone, getting from place to place. The light people use technology to enhance their conditions For example holograms for watches, phones, message boards and town reminders. The people are well aware of how dangerous technology can be so they’ve chosen not to abuse that power. Those who disagree with those terms have moved back to earth and traded with people on earth who wish to live a life on the light. Magic is the main source of technology. It has been around for centuries and has been passed down to people of african decent.
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I was able to get to know the family I was staying with. The Manu family welcomed me and allowed me to stay in their spare room for family members. I was honored. I could’ve easily been stuck in a home with a family who despised earthling, but the Manu’s weren’t like that. They are a family of six people, Mama Eghosa, the wife, Mama Omosefe, Mama Eghosas mother, Efosa, the father, Idemudia their son, Challa, and Emoso and Amenze, their daughters.
This interview was conducted with Amenze daughter of Eghosa
Juneve: Hi, How are you? Amenze: I am good, what is your name? Juneve: My name is Juneve, I am fromAmenze: I know where you are from. You are an earthing, we talk about you all the time. I am Amenze. Juneve: Well it's nice to meet you. I want to thank you for having me stay in your home and for agreeing to do this interview.
Shack 1 Amenze: It's no problem, nowJuneve: How old are you? Amenze: 14, but I am smart, and soon to be grown. Let's get into what you want to know, Shall we? Juneve: What I want to know? Ahh Yes! It won't be very long the interview time is dependent on what you say and how deep we go. Amenze: Okay, tell me what would you like to know. Juneve: You worship GodsAmenze: Loas Juneve: Yes, Who do you worship the most. Amenze: We do not have one god we turn to. That is not who we are. We have gods for things you wouldn’t even understand. Everything is important, nothing is better than the other, this is why we praise our loas, why we are thankful for the things given to us. Juneve: I see. Amenze: Do you? You’ve seen Mama Eghosa right? Juneve: Yes Amenze: How does she look? Juneve: She is beautiful. She wears big dresses, Long enough to wrap someone in it. She carries pearls with her, diamonds and gold, as if shesAmenze: No, she is bigger than an earth's cow and that is not offensive because it is normal. She is pregnant, but you wouldn't know that because she is sacred to us. She is in a state of love. We do not let people get close to her unless she allows it. She is protected by Loa Yemaya. Loa Yemaya the nourisher of women, this is why Mama Eghosa is so strong. She still does everything around the house, cooking and cleaning. We feed Yemaya, and in return she
Shack 1 strengthens Mama. Her altar is upstairs beautiful but you are uninvited unless Mama Eghosa says so.
Juneve: You said you feed Yemaya? Amenze: Loa Yemaya, Yes. Juneve: What do you feAmenze: Yams, we love yams, fish, anything the possesses value to her. Juneve: But she is not a person. Amenze: No be she is a spirit. Everything here has spiritual meaning. We are not entirely of this world, this is the surface. You will see what we bring. When the night comes. Juneve: The Daylight? Amenze: Yes. Juneve: Interesting, Can you tell me more? Amenze: I have to go Mama Omosefe is looking for me. STOPS RECORDER.
The sixth day of celebration starts tonight at 7:30 P.M. It will take place in the town of Zora, the center town of the 3 villages; Equix, Zora, and Yebba. The scenery here is extravagant, it's much more than what the pictures look like back at the university. There are people everywhere running around gathering fabrics of their choosing, plants to compliment their hair and paste for their body paint. In all of the five days I've stayed here I’ve never seen Zora so crowded. There were people on the roofs of all the houses at the center of town. Holograms
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hovered over the houses counting out how much time we had left till the day of light festival. People from Equix and Yebba help spread the decorations, mostly streamers and holographic balloons filled the area, all different sizes as if they were stars on the planet. Four trucks pull in front of the long tables situated in front of a restaurant. A dozen men leave the truck hands filled with pastries and dishes handing it over to the young woman fixing the decorations for the table. I thought this was the most interesting part of setting up, the way everyone worked together, nobody didn’t have a place to help. There was something for everyone. There are less than a towns worth of people that eat meat because there's no way to manufacture that type of produce. Meat is processed and brought from earth for those who really desire it. But for the most part the light people know the type of impurities embedded in these meats and wish not to mess with it. Its 8:30 P.M. The streets and sidewalks are filled with people from many areas of the world. The festival kicks off and everyone is clapping to the same rhythm of a beat, the drums bangs louder than the people allowing the people to make a sound great than it voice. Most people don't arrive until eight-nine o’clock but the family I've chose stay with insisted we come on time. The fabrics I saw earlier have been shredded and streamed into the trees and vines, the explosions of colors hung throughout the main street line. Billions of lights covering what only seemed to be the surface of the most colorful place in town. A woman walked down the road with her three children, mesmerized by the vibrant colors of the city. Her hair was long enough to wrap itself around her children’s waist and so she did. The children laughed, knowing this was all routine. They held onto her hair, playing with her curls, and trying to carry the weight of it. She smirked and released them, giving them a head start to run away and try again. The hair went on a wild goose chase sweeping the children off
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their feet one by one, bringing them back to their mother who had no worries in the world. After seeing that I looked for a beverage stand, for some reason my mouth watered to the smell of the food towards the ends of the road. On my way I almost fell into a woman, a plant woman so short she was literally half my size. This is the most magnificent parade i've been to. She looked at me, winked and continued to enjoy the parade. In all of my years I’ve never enjoyed something like this. My mother talked about such things. She said she had been here before I was born but never could remember everything clearly. The light people had many gifts, and talents that they shared. There are somethings that are kept hidden from tourists like me. But open to those who become citizens. One day I will become one of them. A loud noise started to take place. Right away I knew the ritual was going to start. The streets are filled with people wearing dresses, headbands and decor. Dancers coming down the street, families praising in worship circling up into enormous circle. My eyes began to deceive me, all I could see was the sun and that was all of my memory. The sun wiped my memory.
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Work Cited Hurston, Zora Neale. “Their eyes were watching god”. 75th anniversary edition. Harper Collins. 17 March 2009. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2UNFPas9KcgC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq =voodoo+rituals&ots=Haqyb0J-xB&sig=y_3ayeOFa-TO1merP6SpQsan2L0#v=onepage&q&f=f alse Owusu, Heike. “Voodoo Rituals” Sterling Publishing Company, 2002.