The Art of Endurance: Psychological Warfare and the Battle for Global Africa
Every day, I wake up on a battlefield.
Not the kind carved by trenches or littered with shell casings. This battlefield is psychological, spiritual, and cultural. It’s one where perception is as deadly as policy, and where creative expression is both a weapon and a shield. I have chosen, or perhaps have been chosen, to engage in a war—one that seeks to reclaim, reframe, and resurrect the narrative of Global Africa and the Black World. And this warfare is not for the faint of heart.
The last decade of my life has been a mission through this terrain. Through AfriKin, an organization committed to showcasing the intellectual and artistic genius of people of African origin, I’ve chosen art as the vehicle for cultural advancement. But what may appear to some as curatorial elegance or poetic vision is, in truth, a survival strategy. A resistance effort. A war cry.
War in Plain Sight
From denied access to withheld funding, from rejected grants to institutional indifference—every setback is a strategic denial, a form of weaponization. The battlefield is bureaucratic. It is economic. It is social. Those with the power to support often look the other way, not because the cause isn’t righteous, but because it isn’t "aligned." And so, the village is starved—not by famine, but by ego and exclusion.
Yet still, I rise. Fueled by the belief that I am the safest bet I know. I am not playing by their rules—I am creating my own. Like the house in the casino, I do not play to lose. A friend once said, “You can never lose, because you define what winning looks like.” And that, perhaps more than any accolade, is my north star.
The Economy of Secrets and the 3Ds
The warfare I speak of demands more than brute force. It requires tools—Discipline, Discernment, and Discretion. These are not just personal virtues; they are strategic imperatives. They form an economy of secrets, where leverage is currency and silence, a form of strength. The sharpest generals win wars not on battlefields but in conference rooms. In whispers. In perception.
Reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Robert Greene’s 33 Strategies of War, and the Bhagavad Gita has prepared me not just for survival, but for sovereignty. These texts—ancient and modern—have taught me that true warriors fight not for domination, but for liberation. They fight not out of choice, but of necessity.
Cultural Institutions as Frontlines
AfriKin was born out of this necessity. A vessel for radical possibility. A platform where the arts aren’t entertainment—they’re resistance. And yet, the very institutions meant to fund and elevate these efforts have fallen prey to flawed KPIs and outdated gatekeeping metrics. The arts and culture industries are being measured by standards that simply do not fit them—leaving entire communities without the oxygen they need to breathe, let alone thrive.
Let’s be clear: saying the “rules are the same” but only the “product changes” is intellectually dishonest. The arts create the rules. They shape societies, influence economies, and ignite revolutions. Yet today, they are policed by those who neither understand nor value their full potential.
Time for a Reckoning
This is not just about art. It’s about survival. It’s about the psychic cost of being in a prolonged state of defense. We’re witnessing societal decline—technological stagnation, political distrust, cultural disconnection. We are grabbing at straws. It’s time to admit that the solutions of yesterday no longer serve the problems of today.
If highly intelligent individuals and institutions have failed to solve these generational issues, perhaps it’s time we stop relying solely on intelligence and instead lean into imagination, empathy, and intuition—tools that artists wield with precision.
We must ask: Who are the disruptors willing to fund transformation? Who among us can look past anecdotal populism and invest in systems like AfriKin that offer real solutions? Because let’s be honest—the general public cannot sustain institutions like these. If we want to win this war, we must reach those with the vision and resources to see the bigger picture.
Call to Action: Winning the War Without Fighting
To move forward, we need decisive shifts:
Reform Funding Models: Dismantle biased KPIs and create evaluation criteria that reflect cultural, not just commercial, impact.
Center Creative Leadership: Involve artists and cultural strategists in decision-making at policy levels.
Invest in Cultural Infrastructure: Build sustainable ecosystems around art and culture—education, wellness, tech, and enterprise.
Protect Mental and Spiritual Health: Elevate care as core to leadership—leaders must be whole to build whole communities.
Champion Intelligence AND Imagination: Value both logic and lore. Reason and rhythm. Data and dreams.
In Closing: I Am the House
This warfare, as relentless as it has been, has not broken me—it has forged me. I stand today because others took bullets for me, bandaged my wounds, carried me when I could not carry myself. To them, I owe everything.
Still, I choose to play this game by my own rules. Not because I seek rebellion, but because I seek relevance—for myself, my community, and the world we are building. I do not live by the world’s expectations. I live by conviction.
AfriKin is not just an organization. It is a movement. A frontline. A strategy. And in this economy of secrets, we have become both the message and the method.
If you want to bet on something, bet on AfriKin. Bet on art. Bet on culture. Bet on the warriors who wear creativity as armor.
Because in this house—we always win.
With love and light,
— Alfonso Brooks, for AfriKin
CALL TO ACTION:
The AfriKin Art Fair 2025: Through Creation, We Find Meaning is now open for artist submissions. Be part of a historic movement. Tell your story. Share your vision. Heal through creation.
Visit Afrikin.art for more information and submission guidelines.
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