Our Concept of Time as Worldview
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Originally published April 25, 2024
It is no secret that I have an issue with Afrikan people within Afrikan traditions accepting European time reckoning as the norm – the standard. By “accepting”, I mean referencing it even when speaking to each other.
Example:
The AD and BC Conceptual Trickery
This is very problematic when you ACCEPT this within your worldview. AD – from the Latin “Anno Domini”; meaning the year of our lord. "Lord" meaning the very Jesus they say they don’t believe in anymore!
BC – Before Christ.
To use these terms is to say that the world is centered around christianity and European time when in fact the very yõvó (whites in this case) that forced this worldview on the world barely make up 9% of the population on our globe!
Usage normalizes things for good or bad. It is high time that we normalize the use of an Afrikan view of time. Yes, we know according to the western worldview it is Thursday, April 25, 2024 (and that is even questionable for THEM). But at least say it from that perspective. Words have power. If someone asks me what is today’s date who does NOT live an Afrikan tradition, I start by saying “according to the Gregorian scheme it is…..”. If someone who is living an Afrikan tradition, or is at least Afrikan-centered, I tell them the date from the Afrikan calendar we follow. That being said, there may be different Afrikan calendars that will yield different dates. That’s fine. But none will be centered around the mythological jesus, January 1, or any confusion that the Catholic Pope Gregory created.
Today is Hwezangbe (the day), Võto 13, 6265 AX for me - AX from the Ajã words (“akɔ xwe” – year of the clan). What is today’s date for YOU?
Check out my video Birthdays, Birth Signs, and an Afrikan View of Time