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Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior

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For those that make it their business to understand the ongoing dynamic of racism, as it is fueled by capitalism, xenophobia and institutional racism - Yurugu offers the pinacle of dialogue. What makes it equally interesting is that it also draws from traditional sources to provide esoteric insight into the matter as well. This is probably the most brave and holistic book about Eurocentricism gone awry ever.

Book stores are gradually finding out how important a book it is and starting to overcharge! It is still easily found by those who make a little effort.

COLLECTORS, DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $40 FOR A NEW COPY! Used copies can be easily found for around $20.

I first read this book several years ago. It was so far over my head at the time. I needed a dictionary by my side to get through pretty much every page. Yet, I knew somehow that I needed to get through it. And, somehow I did. Even though, when I was done, I had to admit that there was so much of it I just flat out did not understand.

But, then, as time went on, I found that the firm foundation of struggling through Ani's work was _exactly_ what I needed to prepare me for what was to come later in my Journey of Life.

I was able to read, and eventually understand, Ra Un Nefer Amen's "Metu Neter" because Ani forced me to get a grasp on the meaning, implications, and ramifications of Cosmology.

I was able to understand Welsing's "Isis Papers" because Ani taught me to step outside the box America had taught me from birth to imprison myself within and to question everything meticulously.

I was able, after years of denial, to recognize the wide and deep chasm between christianity and Christ because of the foundation Ani lay, warning me gently, without condemnation, that all was not as it seemed.

I could go on and on. But, instead, I will end by simply saying two things. One, an Afrikan is a fool, unworthy of benefiting from his ancestor's struggles, if he allows anyone to tell him what to read. And, two, if the childen of those who enslaved your ancestors are kicking and screaming, throwing a fit, and insisting that something you are about to do is wrong ... then that is a very good sign that you are on the right path to Knowing Self.

A wise scribe, thousands of years ago, wrote upon his books of wisdom, when he foresaw that soon others would come and corrupt his teachings:

"Be hidden, until an older heaven births human beings who are worthy of your wisdom."

Ani is one of those beings, birthed by heaven to be worthy of the wisdom of Tehuti.

Istlota

I bought this book 4 years ago at a time when I was searching for information about my self and ways to critically analyze my life and aproach to living as a Black man. I had heard of Ani's work via net searches and online excerpts from the book. From the few excerpts I read I knew that this book was one for me to have and "study" not just read. I must say that it was a painful, yet healing process, because with each page I could feel my mind shedding many of it's negative european conditionings and begin to reconnect to my heart, the true source of life as the Ancient Blacks of India (Read Anacalypsis I and II) and Africa knew.

It is an overt polemic to say the least and Ani pulls no punches in that regard, but this work must be viewed as it is intended: A critique of European behaviours, thoughts and spirit. Most people who have given this work a negative rating may not have paid attention to Indo-european history. I say "Indo-european" because many of the ancient Arab peoples were historically of the same lineage and those in power in Many Arab nations have the same traits. To the masses European and Arab cultures seem at odds but I beleive they work together in the backgroun, the so called manipulators of both sides work together to maintain control. Patriarchial consciousness and the degredation of the feminine are Yurugu traits, and even though they predominate in Indo-european cultures, ALL males in ALL cultures have the capacity to turn on their females but most cultures who are the majority here on earth (Non Indo-Euro) maintain a balance like a healthy organism, until they come into contact with Indo-europeans and then the disease state of mind begins. This book is directly aimed at those "so called" leaders we see and the manipulators of show behind the scenes, and the thoughts and behaviours many of us have taken on as "modern" when in fact they are madness. It's about Thought-formed patterns, the connection or disconnection from the heart and the subsequent behaviours that result.

Also, to get a better understanding of how this disease state of mind can spread, I would suggest on study the areas of occult (by definition occult means hidden, NOT evil knowledge) research about thought-forms. Our thoughts are living entities which are symbiotic with us culturally, and biologically as a whole. Thought-forms are driven and live by their inherent emotional programming, or feelings. Since the body and all of earth is about 85-90% water, and since many scientist nw know what ancients always have about the memory aspects of water, it is easy to see how thought-forms like viral or healthy bio-energetic emissions from cells in the body can spread diseased or healthy patterns. Indo-european cultural thought-forms are inherently concerned with conquering and destruction. Dissecting life, anti-nature (progress) anti-feminine, and causing those (non indo-europeans as well as europeans) to be driven to spread "freedom" across the world.

Study The "Shopping For Spirit" articles by Steve Gamble online to understand thought forms and how this ties in with Yurugu mind and any information you can on the subjects he covers. Then read Yurugu and see the correlations. Taking his research one step ahead, it means that the ASTRAL realms are populated by viral, yurugu thought-forms and discarnate people withe the same mindset which they carried with them apon death or they became that way because they never nurtured a connection with their cultural heartmind while on earth and fell "in line" with the status quo. This is the reason for the healing rituals Africans and other primary cultures perform: To help those in the Astral thought realms to move on and to maintain the balance of reciprocity here and there so that only healthy and balanced thought-forms exist. African culture in Maerican is defeated and hindered by the thought-forms used by us and imposed on us by our so-called leaders, the media surrounding us, and the constant repition of the "history" in the educational system which someone else has deemed right for us to hear and see. Done enough times, and these thought-forms become very powerful and must be overcome by their opposites. All of this may seem outrageous, but do the math, RESEARCH it and the history of radionics and so and connect the dots! Some will not connect the dots, because this "truth" does not resonate with them and it may never do so. But for those African Americans on the path to self-liberation, THIS book along with a LOT of study about thought as energy (study Radionics and the areas of sympathetic vibrations) will allow you to become free, ESPECIALLY youg black men and most importantly, young black women.

For anyone who is of Yurugu Mind here in America and Abroad (remember thoughts as energy cross culture or color lines) this book seems racist. It's not for you at this time because you are not ready for it, OR you are on another path to liberation. As Ani cites from the Sophists view, ther is no one truth, just different paths, which is anti yurgu to the core!

If you are ready, forget the detracters from this work,BREAK out the dictionary (I did and I am NEVER ashamed to do it, You..Must..Learn KRS One) and take it all in at your own pace.
Study it and look around you TODAY. Study it and LOOK at the world situation TODAY and what do you see? You wont see anything in my opinion, until you read this book my friends.

Marimba Ani provided a tool to lift the "veil" of reality that has been draped over our minds during the last 2 mellinea. She was formerly known as Dr. Donna Richards, "Let the Circle be Unbroken", wich is also short necessary reading. As a prequel New readers might also want to obtain: "Psychopathic Racial Personality" --Dr. Bobby E. Wright "The Falsification of African Conscious" --Dr. Amos N. Wilson "Chains and Images of Slavery"--Dr. Naim Akbar "Community of Self"--Dr. Naim Akbar Dr. Amos Wilson's Books (the remaider)are must reads!! Along with the Compliment book by Oba T'Shaka "Black Male/Female Equality[sic]" (even though the title should read "...Complimentarity". Please feel free to email me for discussion of the topics or help through them. P.S. don't forget to read Obenga's, "African Deep Thought" for a discussion of the Affirmative African Thought Structure/Science. Damu...

This book has nothing to do with racism. This a cultural critique of a system of thought which has historically oppressed every indigenous group it has come into contact with. To call it racist is to miss its point entirely. This is the groundwork for deconstructing the Western worldview for African peoples so as to enable the reconstruction of a value-system more in harmony with life and human dignity for all peoples. Though Dr. Ani does not hide her Pan-African sentiments, she offers her thesis in a very cogent and, for its subject matter, concise way. Her thinking and effort is to be commended by all those who persist in the recognition of universal human dignity.

Dr. Ani's book is one that I have been looking for a very long time although I may have not have been ready for it until now. As a Black man in America, Yurugu completely demystifies the notion of European/white cultural superiority. This book is very difficult to read because of the content that must be covered and the concepts that must be deconstructed and explained. The book hits so many nails on the head. I would not expect most white people to understand it. In fact, most BLACK people will not be able to understand it unless they have adopted an Afrocentric location. Those who know are not intimidated into thinking Afrocentrism to the exclusion of other pardigms and points of view. In fact, Afrocentrism invites the point of view of others as a way to seek truth. I suspect that most people, particularly white people as well as even Black people who have vested themselves into European culture, will find most of Yurugu impalatable. In fact they will decry her work as "reverse racism." However, most balanced and objective people will find this work immensely almost frightenly informative. I admit it has taken me a while to read this book but that is so that I can contemplate what I have read, to allow time to digest these thoughts. White people need not fear retribution or malice from Black people but they should take heed. A Black person or other persons of color who have read this book and others like it will view white people and western culture in a much different light. If white people find black folk questioning them with a heretofore unseen level of confidence and scrutiny, then they will know that they are centered in their "Africaness." Then you will know to say what you mean and mean what you say!

I am curently doing research on the Pan-African movement, and this book provides an excellent background of the Afrocentric critique of European imperialism and racism.

To the other reviewer who said that the moral equivalent of this book would be "A eurocentric critique of African thought and behavior", I would like to say you are wrong, for two reasons:

1. If Africans had enslaved and denigrated Europeans for five centuries, Europeans could legitimately write a book with the title you suggested, and it would be highly moral.
2. In the current situation, most mainstream social science is eurocentric and criticizes African culture and behavior. This is immoral, because it justifies crimes against humanity.

Remember, morality is on the side of the oppressed, not the oppressors. There must be justice in this world!

Incredible!! In this monumental work,Dr.Ani enlightens us on subjects to often overlooked and misunderstood.With the skill of a surgeon,Dr Ani dissects European hegemony over the minds of the Non European.She begins with Platonic thought which sets the stage for the overall genesis of European thought and behavior.She then drifts into religon,which for many is the most sacred of our sacred cows.She exposed religon in this context not merely as "mind control" as many atheists,Communists etc..would conclude, but as a well thought ot system that butresses European self being at the same time it "enslaves "non europeans.She deftly uses Swahili terms to encapsule difficult ideas and explains them thoroughly. An incredible book.

This book should be essential to any library of a student serious about Afrocentric thought. Mama Marimba Ani gives a blunt and scholarly approach to the effects the european race has had on African people worldwide. The book may be a bit intimadating for students new to this school of thought. You should be well versed in the ideologies of Plato to even deal with the first chapter. However, there is imformation in this book that can be an asset to any degree of knowledge. She sets into motion an all out attack on christain ideology in the second chapter. In the thrid chapter she gives the workings of the europeans since of arts and fashion opposed to the africans since of style. Every moment of this book is explosive. I recommend this book immensly.

The beauty of this book lies in Ani's methodology. Her critique extends to the Western intellectual tradition and its objectification of people of color. This tradition contributed to the process of creating the 'other' and to the more generalized devaluation of non-white people, and thus reinforced the imperial impulse of various European nations. The anthropologists played their part in reinforcing this impulse by 'studying' these people and 'justifying' their inferiority to Europeans. Ani documents this among such fathers of the field as Henri St. Simon. She then uses a similar methodological formula, that such fathers established in western universities, to critique European culture. As such, an admirable quality of the book is Ani's own ability to "turn every stratagem of the destroyers against themselves," by using a similar western methodology to construct the critique. The research spans from platonic discourse to the contemporary AIDS `crisis.' I recommend this book to any student wishing to learn about ways to do an overtly political type of anthropology.