August 14th is GRAN IBO DAY, a Global Igbo New Yam Festival Day. This is already being celebrated by many since it was proposed to a number of Igbo Organisations six years ago.
A celebration took place in the home of Ezedibia Chidi Osuagwu in Owerri on August 14th 2022, and a good number of Igbo culture enthusiasts partook.
Why August? And why 14th? The African Diaspora in the Americas did excellent job in documenting who African peoples, particularly their revered Igbo are (who that understands this will understand why the Whiteman dreads Igbo). One of the things they recorded is that the Igbo took the idea that August is the month of the Great Igbo Spirit, who they called Gran Ibo/Great Igbo (Google Gran Ibo)…mother of nations.
Gran Ibo became Mother of nations the Black Race when on 14th August 1791 the African Slaves in Saint Domingue (which became Haiti) resolved “Nou Se Ibo”, We Are All Igbo (Google Nou Se Ibo). This put the lives of Nanchons Ginen (Google Nanchons Ginen); Black Race under the universal motherhood and protection of Gran Ibo and launched the Haitian Revolution.
“Nou Se Ibo”, We Are All Igbo
The GREATEST REVOLUTION in all Human History, in gratitude of which the Igbo People were declared IBO GRANMOUN…the Great Igbo Nation (Google Ibo Granmoun). And the Jubilation Song of the Revolution is IBO LELE (Google Ibo Lele).
Black Americans are at this time celebrating Black August…as Black Liberation Month. This is because in August 1831, taking a cue from his Haitian kinsmen and inspired by the birthmark of the Igbo Liberator, which his people pointed out to him, Nat Turner launched his Slave rebellion in the United States (Google Nat Turner).
Though short-lived, Nat Turner was satisfied with the extent of his success and took the Igbo warrior Odogwu title. Events from this rebellion and the extreme brutality of the suppression cascaded into the American Civil war a generation later EMANCIPATION of the Slaves in 1863 (this explains British formation of the Glover-Hausa Constabulary in the same 1863 to start colonialization of West Africa.
From this Colonialism army Britain had specifically excluded South Nigerians to avoid Rebellious Igbo as Lugard warned in his handover note two short generations later MUST CONTINUE TO BE AVOIDED AND DISEMPOWERED. Does anyone sense a link between the plights of Haiti, African Americans and Homeland Igbo in todays world?). So, the August rebellion culture has continued in USA since Frederick Douglas called a Conference to fight against re-enslavement of escaped slaves to mark the Anniversary of Turner’s rebellion.
Today, as we write there is Igbo Women’s August Meeting all over Igboland. It is in order. Gran Ibo is Mother of Nations. August is Gran Ibo’s Month. The August meeting originated from the general AUGUST HOMECOMING of the Igbo for the New Yam Festival. This is the only time of the year people can come home and meet, with different community calendars and events separated, unlike Christmas for instance.
The New Yam Festival season, with its peak mid August, is the SEASON OF CLEANSING AND RENEWAL in the Igbo Agriculture/Nature Calender cycle. This explains why the Haitians chose it for the CLEANSING RITUAL at BOIS CAIMAN (Renunciation of the world system of Slavers) on the Night of 13th August and launched the REVOLUTION for RENEWAL (Reversion to African worldview and Civilization) at Midnight leading up to 14th August as the Igbo are wont to do with ỊCHỤAFỌ.
It is tough, if not impossible, for the zero-sum worldview of the slavers to ever displace UWAIZU, the Universalist, holy, African dynamic universe the Africans had reverted to in Haiti. And for which have paid a VERY VERY HEAVY, which from grateful Africans won them the Sobriquet IBO GRANMOUN…The Great Igbo Nation, not minding that Nigeria was, deliberately engineered by enemies of the Black Race as a cage to encage and humiliate their HERO.
Ọ ga-adị mma!
Reference:
August is Gran IBO – Mambo Vye Zo Komande LaMenfo
#AugustMeeting #Odogwu #ChidiOsuagwu #Haiti #IBOGRANMOUN #GRANIBODAY #AUGUSTHOMECOMING #NewYamFestival
