The Power of Iwa

I am a person who strongly believes in knowing your true self. I believe to really get things accomplished, you have to know yourself and know your goals, boundaries, and your strengths. This week's class really spoke to me because it ties into what I feel is important in life. Dr. Gbadegesin's lecture "Omoluabi : Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility" was very powerful to me.

Dr. Gbadegesin started with the flaws in academic knowledge. He spoke on how academic knowledge claims that Africans have no history or philosophy. According to Dr. Gbadegesin a flawed academic knowledge cannot properly be of help to the community. When knowledge is inadequate, it is up to the professionals in any field of study to rectify it. Scholars must challenge orthodoxy and transform knowledge so that it accurately portrays the history of all people. For example, Dr. Gbadegesin stated that most of the world believes that the first philosophers were Plato, Socrates, and those we were taught by European tradition. However, true philosophy started in ancient Egypt, with the goddess Ma'at and Ptahhotep's Book of Instructions. These were the very first guidelines of morality.

Omoluabi, Dr. Gbadegesin's next topic, translates to "a child begotten of the chief of Iwa". Omoluabi describes a person of character who is disciplined and self-improving. This is also a person who puts knowledge to serving the community and does not shy away from personal sacrifices. Without knowing what the term meant before this class, I've always felt this was a definition of a good person or someone with good character. To have my beliefs realized in this class period was amazing to me. I hope that this resonated with other students like it did for me. I feel that we need more young Black individuals seeking to fulfill the concept of Omoluabi.

If Omoluabi is begotten of Iwa, then what is Iwa? Iwa is the essence of existence and character. The story goes that Iwa was married to Orunmila, who mistreated her. Iwa left him, and when Orunmila lost his wife, everything around him started to crumble. In desperation, he went after his wife. Iwa is who we are essentially. When you lose who you are, you lose everything. When you actualize your true potential, you are fortifying your Iwa. You have a responsibility to yourself to actualize your potential; and you have a responsibility to the community to use that potential for their service.