TransGriot Note: On each night of the 2011 Kwanzaa celebration, just as I did last year, I'm going to write about each one of those principles and explain how it applies to the chocolate trans community and our cis African descended brothers and sisters. ***Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.Haban gari What's The News? It's time to light the seventh candle on the Kinara and ponder the seventh principle of the seven celebrated during Kwanzaa. Happy New Year! The arrival of 2012 signals a new beginning , a fresh slate and 366 more days (this is a leap year, people) to exhibit that faith the Imani principle calls for in ourselves, our people, our leaders and in the righteousness of and the eventual victory of our ongoing struggle for trans human rights. As I said in last year's post, we must for the sake of African descended trans people sick and tired of the status quo want something better for ourselves and the trans kids following in our footsteps. But in order for that to happen, we must take positive action and exhibit the faith that we will get a positive result from those action Benjamin Mays once said, "We live by faith in others. But most of all we must live by faith in ourselves - faith to believe that we can develop into useful men and women."I have the faith in myself and in the African-American trans community that with determined, discipled effort and given the opportunity, we can and will develop into useful men and women ready, willing and able to take part in building not only our own community, but uplifting our African-American one as we climb.I have the faith in my fellow African-American people that their justice and human rights loving side will overcome the faith based lies and innorage being spread about us and they will come on their own to the conclusion that trans human rights is a moral issue and worth fighting for as an African descende community issues.I have the faith in the African-American trans community that we will continue to vast off the shackles of shame and guilt in being trans, stand up, speak in a loud voice and assert our human rights.I also have the faith that we in conjunction with our African descended transbrothers and transsisters will work hand in hand with our African descended cousins across the Diaspora to ensure that the humanity of African descended transpeople is recognized, respected and protected in the laws of our various nations. Imani is that powerful a principle, and it's past time it be used as a force for good and human rights progress instead of the way some people have misused it as a shield and excuse for their bigotry and selfishness. Trans human rights is a just and righteous position in line with the arc of the moral universe. It is inevitable that humanity will recognize the fact their is no justifiable reason to discriminate against trans people and we will emerge victorious by continuing to point out that principled position.
