Ome’lika Kuumba is Founder and CEO of Sistah With A Nia, LLC. (The Black SWAN) and Artistic Director Emerita of Giwayen Mata. Ome’lika Kuumba is a sistah with a purpose (Nia) with decades of experience as an artistic director, choreographer, cultural arts educator, dancer, drummer, lyricist and musical arranger. As in the fifth principle of Kwanzaa states, “to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness…”, Ome’lika gives her time and energy as an artist and an educator providing services and experiences that are empowering, encouraging, engaging, enjoyable, and enlightening. Whether as an audience member, co-worker or student, those who are impacted by Sis. Ome’lika’s work are moved to see and be their best selves as individuals and community builders.
Swans represent beauty, inner beauty, love, loyalty, self-love, and trust. Black Swans signify an insight about oneself which changes one’s position from victim to victor. Black Swans are graceful reminders to move from any position where one feels powerless and at the mercy of external forces. They are reminders that it is time to reclaim one’s personal power. Black Swans signify equality, the joy of freedom felt in helping others, one’s inner mysteries that are desperate for creative expression to be set free, and the protective power of romance.
Nia (Purpose) is the fifth principle of the Nguzo Saba. It is a commitment to the collective vocation of building, developing and defending our national community, its culture and history in order to regain our historical initiative and greatness as a people. People of Africa and the African Diaspora share in the grand human legacy Africa has given the world. That legacy is one of having not only been the fathers and mothers of humanity, but also the fathers and mothers of human civilization. They introduced the basic disciplines of human knowledge in the Nile Valley civilizations. This identity gives us a cultural purpose and suggests a direction that demands our behaving as descendants of mothers and fathers of civilization rather than as irresponsible, ill-informed cultural children of the world. The principle of Nia makes us conscious of our purpose in light of our historical and cultural identity. Each of us has a moral and cultural obligation to participate in creating maximum freedom and development of the people framed within the context of the needs, hopes and aspirations of the people.
Nia suggests that the highest form of personal purpose translates itself into a vocation and commitment which involves and benefits the community. This level and quality of purpose not only benefits the collective whole, but also gives fullness and meaning to a person’s life in a way individualistic and isolated pursuits cannot. True greatness and growth never occur in isolation and at the expense of others. African philosophy teaches that we are social beings whose reality and relevance are rooted in the quality and the kinds of interactions we have with each other.
The Sixth Principle of the Nguzo Saba is Kuumba. It is a commitment from person to person and generation to generation to being creative by doing always as much as we can in the way that we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it. Kuumba has both a social and spiritual dimension and is deeply rooted both in social and sacred teachings of African societies. This principle is expressed in the literature and culture of ancient Egypt. Creativity is an original act or imitation of the Creator and a restorative act also reflective of the Creator constantly pushing back the currents of chaos and decay and revitalizing and restoring the natural, spiritual and cosmic energy of the world. In ancient Egypt, there was a spiritual and ethical commitment and obligation to constantly renew and restore the great works, the legacy of the ancestors and the creative energy of the leader and nation. This was considered doing Maat, i.e., reaffirming and restoring truth, justice and righteousness, harmony, balance, order, rightness, etc. Each pharaoh saw his or her reign, then, as one of restoration of Maat, i.e., the reaffirmation, reestablishment and renewal of the Good, the Beautiful and the Right.
Sistah With A Nia, LLC.,(The Black SWAN) incorporates the symbolism of the Black Swan and the principles of Nia and Kuumba in the work that we do, the services we provide, the programs that we promote and the products that we produce. At Sistah With A Nia, LLC. (The Black SWAN) our purpose is to creatively make your visions take flight and soar!