Our Mothers, Our Powers, Our Texts: Manifestations of Aje in Africana Literature (Blacks in the Diaspora)

353 Pages·2005·2.75 MB·English

by  Teresa N. Washington

Literary Criticism
African American Studies Our Mothers, Our Powers,
WASHINGTON
“Blazes a new trail in Africana literary criticism by providing an
insight into the soul and spirit of Africana womanhood.”
—Anthonia Kalu, University of Northern Colorado
Our Texts
Our
“Not only a brilliant study, but also a model to be emulated.”
—Ousseynou B. Traore, William Patterson University
Mothers,
This book is a study of Àjé.’s subversive power of creation and
re-creation in the works of Hurston, Morrison, Naylor, Soyinka, Our
Kincaid, and others. In Yoruba culture, Àjé. is the furtive force the Manifestations of Àjé. in Africana Literature
Great Mother used to create life and ensure evolution, sharing her
force with other deities and select humans to provide the world with Powers,
structure and balance. Often misconstrued as witchcraft, in fact Àjé.
can be observed in any person of ability, insight, and leadership. In
Our
Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men, Àjé. can be glimpsed in the
power of forcibly relocated women and men to signify, name, create,
and outwit a foreign culture’s notions of god and devil, living and Texts
dying. In this book, Teresa N. Washington seeks out Àjé.’s subversive
power of creation and re-creation in a diverse range of Africana texts.
She examines the ancient forms of Àjé. in Yoruba culture to create a
cross-cultural foundation for the investigation of important texts by
African, African American, and African Caribbean writers. This is a
rich and theoretically important study that looks deep into the spirit-
power of Africana women.
TERESA N. WASHINGTON earned her Ph.D. at Obafemi Awolowo
University (formerly the University of Ife) in Ife-Ife, Nigeria, where
she undertook in-depth study of Àjé. and its infl uence on Africana
literatures. Washington currently teaches Africana literatures at Kent
State University.
BLACKS IN THE DIASPORA
Darlene Clark Hine, John McCluskey, Jr., and David Barry Gaspar,
founding editors
INDIANA
University Press
Bloomington & Indianapolis
http://iupress.indiana.edu
1-800-842-6796 INDIANA TERESA N. WASHINGTON
Credit: John Biggers, Starry Crown, 1987, acrylic on canvas. © Estate of John
T. Biggers; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY.
Our Mothers, Our Powers, Our Texts
Blacks in the Diaspora
Founding Editors Darlene Clark Hine
John McCluskey, Jr.
David Barry Gaspar
Editor Claude A. Clegg III
Advisory Board Kim D. Butler
Judith A. By¤eld
Leslie A. Schwalm
Tracy Sharpley-Whiting
Our Mothers, Our Powers, Our Texts
Manifestations of Àjf in Africana Literature
Teresa N. Washington
Indiana University Press
b l o o m i n g t o n a n d i n d i a n a p o l i s
This book is a publication of
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA
http://iupress.indiana.edu
Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail [email protected]
© 2005 by Teresa N. Washington
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on
Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
manufactured in the united states of america
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Washington, Teresa N., date-
Our mothers, our powers, our texts : manifestations of Àjf in Africana litera-
ture / Teresa N. Washington.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-253-34545-6 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-253-21757-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. American ¤ction—African American authors—History and criticism.
2. Women and literature—United States—History—20th century. 3. Ameri-
can ¤ction—Women authors—History and criticism. 4. African ¤ction
(English)—History and criticism. 5. African American women—Intellectual
life. 6. American ¤ction—African in®uences. 7. African American women
in literature. 8. Mothers and daughters in literature. 9. Yoruba (African
people)—Religion. 10. Motherhood in literature. 11. Creation in literature.
12. Women in literature. I. Title.
PS374.N4W368 2005
810.9′351—dc22
2004024471
1 2 3 4 5 10 09 08 07 06 05
For the living spirit of Vircy Dickey, Mississippi’s Classiest Lady,
and for
Nasia “Coco B.” Luster, the Child Who Shines
I am the ¤rst and the last
I am the honored one and the scorned one
I am the whore and the holy one
I am the wife and the virgin
I am the barren one
And many are my daughters
I am the silence that you cannot understand
I am the utterance of my name
—Julie Dash, Daughters of the Dust
C O N T E N T S
Acknowledgments / ix
Note on Orthography / xi
Introduction / 1
PART ONE / ÀJ¢ IN AFRICANA ORATURE
1. Àjf in Yorubaland 13
2. Àjf across the Continent and in the Ìtànkálg 56
PART TWO / ÀJ¢ IN AFRICANA LITERATURE
3. Word Becoming Flesh and Text in Gloria Naylor’s Mama
Day and T. Obinkaram Echewa’s I Saw the Sky Catch Fire 113
4. Initiations into the Self, the Conjured Space of Creation,
and Prophetic Utterance in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa and
Ntozake Shange’s Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo 141
5. Un/Complementary Complements: Gender, Power, and Àjf 165
6. The Relativity of Negativity 198
7. The Womb of Life Is a Wicked Bag: Cycles of Power, Passion,
and Pain in the Mother-Daughter Àjf Relationship 217
8. Twinning across the Ocean: The Neo-Political Àjf of Ben
Okri’s Madame Koto and Mary Monroe’s Mama Ruby 245
Coda Continua 273
viii l contents
Appendix / 279
Glossary / 283
Notes / 287
Works Cited and Select Bibliography / 313
Index / 327
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
This work is the product of the wisdom, knowledge, and un-
derstanding of numerous artists, academics, spiritualists, and gentle
mentors. Because the seeds for this book germinated long ago in the
most ancient Earthen Pot, I give honor to Ìyánlá Odùduwà, the Womb
of Origins; Èsù, who led me stumbling through the crossroads; and
Òrìsà mi, Oya. I give most high praise to the architects of my existence,
Àwon Ìyá Mi: Ìyánlá Ann Wade Sullivan, Donnie Harris, Mat Har-
ris, Lenell Harris, Betty Washington-Patterson, Mattie Harris, Vivian
Washington, Irma L. Young-Washington, Aunt Ann, and Aunt Candy.
Every time I gaze in a mirror, I see you! I give greatest thanks to
Cornelius Washington, Sr.; Cornelius Washington, Jr.; and Cornelius
Washington III; Unka Johnny Crow; Unka Robert Lee; Unka Lenny
(you a man and a half!); and Leonard Crooks III (Len-Len). I pay the
highest homage to my Ancestors, who laid the foundation for this
work by introducing me to my Selves: Vircy Dickey, Elvester Owens,
and Rufus Owens. I acknowledge the guidance of the Leslie, Harris,
Washington, Cockerham, Wade, Dickey, and Sullivan families and all
my kinfolks, without whom neither this work nor I would exist. My
Continental African spiritual and academic guides deserve more ap-
preciation than words can express. I give high thanks and praise to
the most honorable wisdom-keepers and knowledge-sharers: Oyin
Ogunba, Roger Makanjuola, Samuel Modupeola Opeola, and Yèyé mi
àti Ìyá-Ìwé, Madame Oyeronke Igbinola, the world is richer because of
your existence. I am also profoundly blessed to have known and been
enriched by the wisdom of Mary E. Modupe Kolawole, A. Nasiru,
O. O. Olatunji, Benedict Ibitokun, Adebayo Faleti, Akinwumi Isola,
Adebayo Ogundijo, Bidemi Okanlawon, Adiyi M. Bestman, Bade Aju-
won, Ayo Opefeyitimi, Egbe I¤e, J. R. O. Ojo, ’Biodun Adediran, Niyi
Osundare, Moses A. Makinde, V. O. Morakinyo, Ola “Giver of Life”
Rotimi, Chief-o! Charles Uji, Chief-o! Uko Atai, The Right Reverend
Father T. Ilesanmi, Ade and Yemisi Amusa, Chris Manus, O. Olorode,
Kolawole Ositola, Ganiyu Oyetibo, Abdul-Rasheed Abudu, and Kasim
Oladipo. To the entire family of Obafemi Awolowo University—I kúnle
to you. Esf un gan an ni! Most sincere thanks to Kujerako Arshungbo,
Fofo Lamota, The Old Man, and The Old Lady—my Ghanaian family
who makes me feel ten feet tall! Thanks to all the students and scholars