“We must take the unequivocal position that if the Black race is to perish, the world must perish with us. Blood debts must be repaid in blood. We must never accept money and privileges as repayment for the mistreatment of our people. The past Black generation who suffered for no other reason than the color of their skin must be avenged not because of hate but for justice.” –Bobby Wright
Kentake Page recently underwent a three-week facelift, so I couldn’t add new posts to the website. Since the last Kentake Page Monthly Roundup, I’ve published five new posts. I also completed my Top Ten Black History Events series (for Substack), with Part 4 highlighting the two most controversial choices. For the first time, I received an unkind comment, which I promptly deleted and blocked the person responsible. Why? It was clear they hadn’t read the entire essay—likely just skimming it to express their grievances about Obama. I understand; many Black people had high expectations for his presidency, hoping it would end racism, and also have other political concerns. However, I am not a presidential analyst, and I’m not interested in political theories or conspiracy theories without significant evidence. My aim was to demonstrate that Obama represents both the significance of Black history and the danger of the extraordinary individual. Regardless of one’s perspective, no one can deny the impact of his presidency, whether viewed positively or negatively.
While writing this series, I delved into the Cuban Revolution—a topic that came alive for me through Tony Martin’s book, Caribbean History: From Pre-colonial Origins to the Present. Martin is a scholar I deeply admire, and I consider him the foremost writer on Marcus Garvey. I was fortunate to meet him in London in 2000, where he signed my copy of The Jewish Onslaught. My library also includes his works The Pan-African Connection, Race First, and a pamphlet titled “The Progress of the African Race Since Emancipation and Prospects for the Future.” Martin’s imaginative scholarship has profoundly influenced me. Although I have not yet published his biography on Kentake Page, he remains a towering figure in my intellectual world. I am because we are, and the community of Black history educators is vast and inspiring. Perhaps one day, I will write about the two books that shaped me as a young woman—when I truly began my journey into Black History, though my path started in girlhood.
It was through Martin that I first gained a deeper understanding of the Cuban Revolution. Reflecting on this, I realized how Jamaica’s ties to Cuba shaped my childhood.
Why did I open this post with a quote from Bobby Wright?
Because Wright insisted that the suffering of Black people cannot be resolved by money or privilege alone. His words illuminate why Cuban solidarity with Africa must be seen as more than just foreign policy. For a revolution born in a society built by captive Africans and marked by Black uprisings, Africa was never a distant concern. Operation Carlota declared that the memory of those once held in captivity imposed political obligations on the living. The response to centuries of racialized oppression could not be limited to compensation or ceremony; it required active participation in dismantling the colonial, racist, and imperial orders that perpetuated it. In this sense, Cuba’s doctors, teachers, arms, and soldiers represented not charity or payment for a historical debt, but participation in an ongoing struggle for sovereignty, dignity, and justice.
While writing Part 4, I realized that the Cuban Revolution deserved its own post on Kentake Page—hence, Cuba, Africa, and the Internationalization of Black Liberation. We all owe Dr. Tony Martin a debt of gratitude for this profound historical insight.
Another post inspired by this series featured Jessie Redmon Fauset. While writing about the Harlem Renaissance, her spirit resonated most strongly with me. I felt it was finally time to dedicate a post to her on Kentake Page. Trusting my intuition proved rewarding—during my research, I discovered an excellent podcast that explores why, despite being the most prolific novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, Fauset remains one of its most overlooked and underappreciated figures. She was a Taurus, born on April 27, 1882. If you share this birthday, you are connected to a powerful literary icon of the Harlem Renaissance.
Tula! During my Master’s degree, I wrote about Tula in my research proposal. In fact, he was the very subject of my opening: “In 2019, Tula was posthumously awarded national hero status in Curaçao. Some 214 years earlier, in August 1795, he had led a historic uprising on the island. Jacobus Schinck, a mediator sent by the colonial government, questioned Tula’s revolutionary actions. Tula replied, ‘We have been abused too much. We do not seek to harm anyone, and we are just seeking our freedom. French [Africans] gained their freedom. Holland was occupied by the French, then we must be free here’.”
It felt only right to commemorate this “Rising” with a post on Kentake Page. The uprising took place on August 17, 1795—a date that is also Marcus Garvey’s birthday. If you or someone you know was born on this day, you share a connection with a powerful legacy.
If I could choose any month to celebrate Black History, it would be August. It is one of the richest months for Black historical events—a true “istwa” month. August is also an ideal time to embark on a heritage trip to Africa, as the continent is cooler at this time of year. Ghana, in particular, should be your first port of call.
In fact, today—30th August—is Fred Hampton’s birthday.
Another recent post focused on Paul Laurence Dunbar. Although I can’t recall the exact reason I felt compelled to write about him, it was a tribute long overdue. Born on June 27, 1872, Dunbar died at the tender age of 33, yet his legacy endures—most notably through his iconic poem “We Wear the Mask.” Dunbar’s influence extends beyond his own era; he is often considered an ancestral guide to Maya Angelou, whose groundbreaking 1969 autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, takes its title directly from Dunbar’s 1899 poem “Sympathy.”
The first post on the newly revamped Kentake Page was “Ancestral Intelligence,” penned by a talented young woman I encountered on Substack. The experience brought me back to the very first poem I ever published on Kentake Page: “Retrospection” by Jumoke Verissimo, which appeared on December 27, 2012. Curious about Verissimo’s journey, I looked her up and was delighted to discover she now holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta and teaches creative writing at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her debut novel has garnered international recognition, earning nominations for the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Edinburgh Festival First Book Award, and winning the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize.
I can’t recall where I first encountered “Retrospection,” but I was immediately captivated by it—just as I was by “Ancestral Intelligence” by CJ Spears. I hope this talented young woman also goes on to achieve great things.
Our poets are not as widely recognized as our novelists or educators. I must admit, my personal collection of poetry books is limited—my library is divided into four main categories: Black History and Studies; Biographies; Fiction; and Self-Help & Astrology. Even so, my collection hardly reflects the many books I’ve read or those I’ve lost to family and friends over the years. Some I’ve had to give away simply due to lack of space; at one point, I donated two large bags of books to my local library. Books are my jewelry, but as a working-class Black woman, space in my humble home is precious. Interestingly, the most popular post on Kentake Page is “Five Inspirational Poems For Black Women.” I never imagined that a post on poems would become the site’s number one post.
Over the past three years, the top posts on Kentake Page have been:
Five Inspirational Poems for Black Women
Ten Powerful Quotes by Umar Johnson
“I’ve come to take you home”: A Tribute to Sarah Baartman by Diana Ferrus
Ten Powerful Quotes by Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
Betty Lou William: Four-Legged Beauty
Ten Ancestral Quotes by Credo Mutwa
The 10 Virtues of the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) Mystery Teachings
Kemetic (Ancient-Egyptian) Mystical Wisdom
10 Iconic Poems by Maya Angelou Every Black Person Should Know
With the exception of the Betty Lou Williams post, poems and quotes consistently attract the most readers. I also attract a lot of readership from South Africa.
Until next time.
Ancestral Blessings,
Meserette Kentake
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