More than anything, it is imperative that we understand the importance of food as medicine and that we build up our immune system. Nutrition is fundamental to our survival and to overcoming any disease. We must eat like our lives depended on it. And just know that there are so many steps we can take to give our bodies the competitive edge to not only survive — but to thrive.
This pandemic has shown us that once again — the Black community cannot rely on systems built by the colonizers to save us. And nor should we. The exact same system that gave us this brutal system of policing, also gave us modern day medicine, which explains why the Black community always has the worst of all health outcomes. Study upon study shows that racism and colonialism is as prevalent in the medical field as it is in the so called system of justice. And the racism of doctors has a huge affect on the health outcomes of the patients they work with.
As African people, we must reawaken our ancestral memory, the memory that flows deep from within our ancestral DNA to the future of our yet unborn. Africa is the birthplace of medicine in which art, philosophy, botany and astronomy are integral aspects of medicinal knowledge. In Traditional African Medicine nature is utilized as both art and science to deliver medicines that are powerful, humane, and effective. Yet today African traditional knowledge is relegated to the periphery, as our lives are dominated by western medicine delivered to us through a for profit, colonialist system whereby deadly side effects are the norm. It is incumbent upon us to elevate our Traditional African Thought Systems to the fore of our existence, and to liberate our people from the medical tyranny of colonialism.
And we do that not by throwing away the things that we have learned, or by completely casting aside western medicine. Instead we do that by opening up to receiving a whole other paradigm for existence in this world by studying African traditions, and by embracing the concept of food as medicine.And it is with that concept in mind that the Black Is Back Healthcare Working Group put together this pamphlet of home remedies to build up our immune system so that we can navigate through this pandemic and flu season. (This is not a substitute for medical advice, and anyone who is feeling sick should consult a medical practitioner.) Remember, we are our own liberators. We always have been. Click below to download the pamphlet
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