Happy Black Love Day
In 1993, Ayo Handy created “Black Love Day,” acknowledged on Feb. 13, as a commemorative holiday of observance, celebration, atonement and reconciliation. It is a 24-hour demonstration of love showing at best five specific acts of love — toward the Creator, self, family, the black community and race.
From the continent of Africa to the Caribbean islands, you’ll find many rituals, traditions and assortments of celebrations that strengthen and empower our roots. Black Love Day reminds us to celebrate from an Afrocentric perspective, instead of from the burrowed views of Europeans. In fact, the word “love” is quite limited by the English language, while other languages of the world use more words than one to describe the range of this powerful emotion.
So how can we celebrate Black Love Day? Demonstrate love for 24 hours, then transform in love forever! Display the “Akoma,” an Adinkra symbol of love, patience, goodwill, faithfulness and endurance. Give the greeting “Nya Akoma” (N-yah-Ah-Coma), which means “get a heart, be patient!” Celebrate with personal love rituals, couple love-ins or community relationship ceremonies. Buy conscious gifts from black merchants to recycle black dollars in our beloved communities. Commit to the principles of our ancestors for more love and unity in the black diaspora.
In celebrating Black Love Day we can express love to not just one person, but to all. Black Love Day is an opportunity to heal all of our relationships — a holistic alternative to Valentine’s Day, a day for others to reflect and respect our existence and contribution to life.
Happy Black Love Day!
