How I Got To Africa

In 1978, when I was about 29, my former mate and several of our friends joined the Original Hebrew Israelite Foundation of Liberia. The Original Hebrew Israelites (often called the Black Hebrews) focused on the fact that the original Hebrews of the Old Testament were people of African Ancestry. The group wanted to return our people to that land to live peacefully and return to the life of our biblical ancestors. One point they emphasized was that the division between Africa and Israel was man made,the Suez Canal, and that Israel was actually a part of North East Africa. This supported the notion that the man called Jesus, the son of Joseph was of African Ancestry.

The idea that Jesus wasn't white was very appealing to me. I had begun ditching St. James Methodist Sunday School at the ripe old age of 12 when I just couldn't relate to the blue-eyed, blond portrayed as my savior. I was destined to be a rebel from the beginning.

At any rate the Hebrews were on a recruitment drive spearheaded by Prince Asiel Ben Israel, the handsome, charismatic International Ambassador of the Hebrews. His goal was to recruit among the Black Nationalist groups. At the time it was very difficult to get Blacks from America into Israel. The Israelis frowned on the immigration of African Americans to Israel and most Black Hebrews that resided in Israel were illegal aliens. Setting up settlements with Black Nationalists made sense because the nationalists had an affinity for Africa and could hit the ground running in the settlements that the Hebrews, who will henceforth be called the Nation, had in Liberia and Ghana, West Africa.

My mate and I were Black Nationalists and living in Africa was definitely appealing to us. Black Nationalists claimed "Africa for Africans at home and abroad." When as a little girl, I had seen Kwame Nkrumah, first president of modern day Ghana, in his ceremonial Kente robes, I knew that someday I would set foot on African soil. The Hebrews helped me realize that dream.

Since returning from Liberia I've been asked a number of times if I considered the seven years that I spent as a member of the Hebrew Israelites cult membership. Honestly, it's always been a difficult question for me and one which I have answered differently on at least a few occasions.

Today, as I reflect over my life I would say no, I was not a cult member; I didn't have a cult mentality. I always thought my own thoughts, I questioned policies that were implemented and made as many decisions for myself as possible. Like every person in a "system," you pick your battles but I think when people are in a cult they have a slavish mentality and do what they are told because they feel there are no other options.

I was with the Hebrews seven years and in Liberia on my own for four years. I always had a job and typically another source of income on the side. In fact my salary was one that was shared communally to benefit other members of the community. I do remember that the structure of living communally, conforming to decisions I didn’t personally make and accepting those consequences, had the effect of crippling my personal decision making capacity, once I left the Nation. I am reminded of a friend whose husband was a Chief in the US Navy and upon his retirement he found the decisions and requirements of civilian life very stressful. He'd had much less requirement to make personal decisions in the Navy. So would we declare the US Navy a cult? I'd say no, and in my opinion the Hebrew Israelite Foundation is also not a cult.