Last month (November), my spiritual brother and friend in Ghana sent me this video on Dr. Nobles’ thoughts. My friend cautioned me to take my time listening to the video, not to rush through it in one sitting. After listening to the interview a few times, I agreed that this was an interview worth listening to and learning much from.
Dr. Nobles is speaking primarily to African people in this interview. He has a fine mind. One that is not only intellectual, but also spiritual. His message is simple. The idea African people have of themselves is key to our own liberation, or to further enslavement.
Dr. Nobles emphasizes that the challenge African people have is not only an intellectual one, but even more importantly, it is a spiritual one. The intellectual part, we understand to be the reversal of dehumanization brought about by effects of physical and of mental colonization. Africans have to mentally decolonize, and then to re-Africanize. One can assert that this part of the challenge is well understood and also fairly well taken up by black consciousness movements.
Even more important, according to Dr. Nobles, is the need for Africans to reclaim their spiritual identity. The loss of spiritual identity is, he asserts, even more important and and an even bigger blow to black people than the drawbacks of physical and mental colonization. African spiritual philosophies are diverse and some are very advanced, if for no other reason than that Africans as a people have had the longest amount of time to develop these spiritual philosophies. As Africans, to limit ourselves from this potential source of empowerment, our spiritual identity and the advantages it can bring, is a real shame.
So, for me, that was the crux of Dr. Nobles’ message: that physical and mental decolonization is what we must focus on, in addition to reclaiming our spiritual identity.
Along the way, listening to this elder, I became excited on several occasions, one of which was when he began to express his understanding of the so-called “junk DNA” we all carry, and its links with spiritual activation and even with spiritual ascension. The elder opined that Africans through their spiritual philosophies and practices had developed ways of activating aspects of the 90% or so of DNA often regarded as junk. Therefore, not leveraging that knowledge, as Africans, can only be disadvantageous.
Important to mention that this interview is not all just about intellectual and spiritual discussions. The interview also delved into areas concerning mundane aspects of life: what it means to be a member of a community. What it means to be responsible. What it means to contribute. And much more. Do check out the interview if you can make the time.
I think the interview was originally done around 2004, however the version posted below was uploaded onto YouTube in 2017.
