Preface

Where do I begin?

During the summer of 2014, I wanted to become immortal. I understood immortality as a desire that humans have strived for since the beginning of written history. I decided that I would aim to become the manifestation of this search, and while researching it, I came to learn that African-Americans are known to have the highest mortality of any demographic in America combined[1]. No surprise, as most things for African-Americans are like this, but it was an obvious setback to achieving my goal.

In my quest for immortality, I found research suggesting that longevity was linked to wealth[2]. I didn’t have any, but an idea came into my mind. What if my quest for longevity could improve my wealth? Given all the wisdom, experience, and opportunities that come with a longer life-span, that would relieve me of the burden of my current situation. However, I didn’t want to live long and be a vegetable; instead, I wanted to improve my health-span to enjoy the long life I planned to lead.

Since 2013, I have lived a very nomadic lifestyle, so trying to achieve immortality felt inaccessible. This issue was mostly due to not having enough money to support myself on the go. While I was living in Tuskegee, AL, it was difficult to buy food that supported my immortality goal. Not only was I in a food desert, but I didn’t have a solid place to store food. Most of my money went to fast food establishments, which I knew was linked to many health issues. In addition to that, I couldn't afford a gym membership, but I was very active. I rode my bike 42 miles a day, worked an 8-hour fast food job, and also taught the beautiful art of Capoeira. Many days, I didn’t know where I would be resting my head, so I established a way to maintain my nomadic lifestyle on my journey to immortality.

In 2016, I combined my priorities of money and exercise, and began working at a gym overnight in Auburn, Alabama. This is where I drafted the essence of this book, and during that phase of writing, I found many holes in my knowledge and experience about longevity, health, and wellness. This sent me on a journey to become a certified personal trainer, and countless hours of research through youtube, books, hands-on experience, and personal experimentation.

What I created for myself and what I am sharing with you is a way to achieve longevity while being nomadic. In my perspective, the entire African-American culture is nomadic. We are a group of people taken away from our homes, trying to establish one, but around every corner there is resistance to our existence. I feel this way on a very personal level because I still can’t imagine a place comfortable enough to call home. I’ve been the traveler that passes through life and locations sharing my experiences, ideas, and perspective.

Realizing this, I created a protocol that answered these 8 questions:


  1. Is the protocol accessible?

  2. Is the protocol mobile?

  3. Is the protocol applicable?

  4. Can everything I need fit inside my backpack without being too heavy?

  5. Can I effectively share this protocol with others?

  6. Is the protocol inexpensive?

  7. Will it extend my health-span?

  8. Will it extend my life-span?

Today, I am happy to bring this protocol to you with only a few prerequisites:


  1. This book. I share my knowledge of how to be successful in this protocol.

  2. A suspension trainer. A tool made by a marine, Randy Hetrick, who needed a way to train while being deployed away from conventional gyms.

  3. A drive to improve by any means necessary. This protocol only works if you work it. It’s as simple as that.

In a time where statistics show African-Americans’ chance of survival is the lowest, I am choosing the path of longevity through evidence-based practices to combat the narrative of death. We are left in the dark in the conversation for longevity, maybe because an unknown agenda of extermination is in place. Whatever the reason, that ends here. Black people, like everyone else, have the right to live a healthy and fulfilling existence.

Being thrown into the darkness about these things creates the need for the Black in Black Rites Wellness. The protocol is a ritualized way of actualizing your goals, bringing the use of the word Rites, and Wellness is the end goal. Now, you understand the name for my business, and the title of this book.

To My Students

Though I couldn’t continue my work in Tuskegee with you, I dedicate this book to you and to all of my future students. This book contains the fundamentals that I wished I could’ve read for myself during my transformation, and shared with you directly. I wish that we could’ve continued our mission together, but I didn’t stop working. I went through some life-changing experiences to manifest this work in hopes of inspiring you to continue your journeys. I love you all, and I am thankful for the time we had together. If you are reading this, I am calling you to become the person you have always dreamed of being.

References

  1. “African American Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 July 2017, https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aahealth/index.html.

  2. Woolf, Steven H., et al. How Are Income and Wealth Linked to Health and Longevity? Apr. 2015, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/49116/2000178-How-are-Income-and-Wealth-Linked-to-Health-and-Longevity.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjWsd3ZzurlAhUD26wKHU2vCd0QFjAMegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw0Z2rR0h6zUxNpiVgS7E2DX.