Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Blak Pantha. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Blak thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
This mission started with my desire to create a group of young Afrikan-centered people that were about producing products for the global Afrikan community. We drew inspiration from the Mossi Empire which is an Afrikan tribe from Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. This tribe was specifically known for being hostile to enslavers, colonialists, and their religion. We adopted their morals and values in such a way that we vowed to teach people about traditional Afrikan history, spirituality, science, language, and any other epistemology relevant to the Afrikan experience. Through this process, we created several businesses including a clothing line and a publishing company. The Mossi Warrior Clan’s mission is to inform, teach and disseminate accurate information about our history in a manner that makes the lessons palatable for Afrikans. We must glean from the past to draw power for the future like a ram backs up before it strikes.
Blak , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
They call me Blak Pantha ( and I was that before the movie). I am a Pan Afrikan, Lecturer, Author, Afrikology Scholar proud member of many organizations, and Co-founder of the Mossi Warrior Clan. I am an advocate of Kimoyo (African Spirituality) and use the principles of these ancient practices to solve problems within the black community and in the diaspora worldwide.
Having traveled to KMT, South Afrika, and Senegal he is an avid researcher and focuses on sound methodology and primary and well-verified secondary sources as his means of providing information.
I got into this business by researching the who, what, when, where, and why of Afrikan people. Once I obtained the knowledge from these 5 why’s I decided to produce material that would benefit Afrikans Globally. We started on google hangouts that we would broadcast to youtube. People were very accepting of the information so we started writing books. That lead to a clothing line and a publishing company under the Kofi Piesie Research Team brand. We solve the problem of the displaced Afrikan not knowing about his history. What sets us apart is our dedication and work ethic. We always go the extra mile for our people and our character is well known to be upright.
I think we are most proud of our 25-plus publications (including two pan-Afrikan journals), scholarships at the Gayye Njorro Academy in the Gambia and Our Publishing Company. We have produced this ourselves with no kickstarter, gofundme or any other fundraising platform. I want future clients and supporters to know that whether you tune in to our Youtube Channel, buy our books, or petition us to publish your book you will get some of the best and brightest Afrikan minds that are serious about quality work.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I assumed that when I started creating things about Afrikan history and culture that most people were interested in the truth and that would sell itself. I was very sadly mistaken. Most people are very comfortable with the lie and unwilling to change to the truth. You have to introduce the truth in a very particular manner so it is palatable to most and they consider a change. Over time they become comfortable with the thought of change and then eventually make the necessary changes in their life. I knew when we started putting out publications there would be pushback but the amount of pushback at times was very disheartening. Humans have a propensity to remember the bad more than the good so this is why it sticks in my mind. Unlearning my assumption was the best thing for us as a business we began to mute the noise and focus on our true supporters.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Our initial funding came from us. I’m very proud to say that. No gofundme, kickstarter etc. We all pitched in, all hands on deck to make our products happen. I think that is the best way because you get to see whos serious or not. Our family atmosphere proved to be the correct culture for success. Likeminded individuals that are willing to sacrifice always is beneficial. There were others with us at first but through their actions including lack of commitment and sacrifice they slowly weeded themselves out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sametreedifferentbranchpublishing.com
- Instagram: BlakpanthaMossi, MossiwarriorClan
- Facebook: MossiWarriorClan
- Youtube: MossiWarriorClan
- Other: Afrikan Spirituality Master Class https://www.udemy.com/course/afrikan-spirituality-101/ Mini Documentary https://tone.vision/programs/i-create-art-episode-3-blak-pantha-14009a?fbclid=IwAR10qMyQcHNMkNjHjFN4T0mSXI-RF6_iYuxoaGrPfftuLaZrZixge-6cflo Personal Website http://www.blakpanthaserer.com