Benin Joins In Black Love Day to Reconcile African Diaspora

Black Love Day, Feb. 13th, is a commemorative holiday (wholyday) of observance, atonement, celebration, reconciliation and 24 hour demonstration of love in which you show 5 specific acts (tenets) and Whites show "love in action" towards Blacks. The Republic of Benin has endorsed BLD and all BLD observances are requested to focus on the intention of "African Global Interconnectedness Through Reconciliation".

(PRWEB) February 13, 2004 --"With no mention of the epidemic of AIDS in Africa nor African American double-digit unemployment, in President Bush's 2004 State of the Union Address, perhaps Black Love Day offers a simple solution for people of African descent in controlling their own destiny. This year's focused intention for Black Love Day - February 13th is "Black Global Interconnectedness through Reconciliation", stated Ayo Handy Kendi, founder/director of the African Amerrican Holiday Association (AAHA) and founder of Black Love Day (BLD). BLD started in 1993, is a commemorative holiday (wholyday) of observance, celebration, atonement and 24 hour demonstration of love showing at least 5 specific acts (tenets) of love -- towards the Creator, for self, for the family, within the Black community and for the Black race. On this day, Whites also show "love in action" for Blacks and inspect their own racial attitudes. Handy-Kendi is encouraging all Black Love Day observances to focu on the "intention" African Diaspora relationship healing and bonding with AAHA's official 11th Annual Black Love Relationship Ceremony at The Sistrum, 5920 Georgia Avenue, N.W., Wash., D. C., 6-9:30 p.m. to feature the powerful "Ritual of Reconciliation" officiated by Handy-Kendi and an apology from the Amabassador of Benin, H.E. Cyrille S. Oguin.

Amabassador Oguin is a member of the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development that is leading the process of reconciliation initiated in Benin for the Black Diaspora. Oguin's endorsement of BLD demonstrates The Republic of Benin's long held belief that the African continent most "come together with their brothers and sisters of the Black Diaspora", according to His Excellency Mathieu Kerekou, President of the Republic of Benin, "to cleanse our Spirit of the damage inflicted during slavery...to acknowledge our share of responsibility...tosurrender to forgiveness in order to start afresh and pursue our goal towards progress...". Benin, located in West Africa, historically is know for Ouidah, one of the major ports of the so-called Slave Coast.

Handy-Kendi explained," BLD's 2004 "Inention" gives all African people a vision of our interconnectedness-- for example, urban poverty can be cured by investing African American skills and enterprise into Motherland Africa, but we can only manifest such opportunities by putting away the old fears, attitudes and behaviors still used to divide and conquer a people. For 24 hours this Feb. 13th, attempt to reconcile the past and reconnect globally on a higher level of love, to overcome mutual condidtions of Black self-hatred shown in the recent Black on Black violence of D.C. youth murdering another youth in the halls of a public school parelled to the murders of thousands of Black youth forced to fight in the Congo against their own people. BLD offers love as a "tool to heal all or our relationships" which will make it easier for us to act to change our interconnected future".

As a wholistic alternative to Valentine's Day, Black Love Day is now observed by thousands and its increasing popularity motivated Handy-Kendi to re-issue "The Black Love Book", 3rd Edition with antholy on love, as the definitive resource guide on observing Black Love Day. Contact AAHA at 202-667-2577 for BLD information , to organize a Ritual of Reconciliation or to purchase the Black Love Book.
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