When the final resting place of a person is disturbed, it creates spiritual disturbances of all kinds. These disturbances can wreck havoc on the living. Today, 39 ancestral injustices were corrected today, because the Historic Evergreen Negro Cemetery Preservation Project answered the call to divine duty. I was honored to assist in honoring our ancestors that we know not by name…
It was Thursday, March 5th, 2026. Sango’s day, Oya’s number (9) on the daily numerology. The moon was waning in House 7, Libra. What a perfect time to banish imbalance, especially on this massive SCALE. I love how Olodumare (The Most High God) lines things up. Queen Mother Fabu and I arrived at the Evergreen Historic Negro Cemetery in 5th Ward. Interesting how it was the first crossroad (Iba Esu) we came to, as soon as we exited the same freeway that disturbed the graves of those we came to honor.
Oya is the mother of the ancestors, so this was a hand-in-glove divine assignment for me. The energy was light and celebratory, one of those moments where you knew that both the heavens and the earth were pleased. A personal prophecy met me at the gate. As the crowd gathered, every one was warm, and seemed grateful for what we were present to do. I greeted the living for a while, then I greeted the ancient ancestors with 351 copper pennies. 9 X 39. More on that later.
The ceremony began at the front of the cemetery, right inside of the gate. There were prayers, poems, speeches from city officials, members of the Historic Evergreen Negro Cemetery Project, and the Houston Chief of Police. ABC News came out, and my heart was overjoyed to see the collective respect and understanding of divine balance in this way. This moment felt like proof that humanity was evolving. The singer blessed with Mahalia Jackson’s “Soon I Will Be Done,” then came back with “Get Right, Church and Let’s Go Home!” OMG…My grandmother’s favorite gospel song, The one that was sang at HER home going…a great divine confirmation that her spirit was in the building. My heart soared.
The ceremony was a divine elixir of ancestral drum groove, (of course I danced), a sharing of history, divine correction, and having a little bit of church at the same time. My part came last, as I connected the ceremony to the libation and other final rites for the reinterred. I noticed the winds pick up when I began to speak. Iba Oya! It was so perfect. See the video below to hear the speech. You’ll hear the audio version over 222.9 The Mothership’s Airwaves!
There was a clearing in the center of the cemetery that led from the front gate clearing to the vault that held the ancient remains. I led the way to the gravesite, old libation bottle in hand. Oya would have had it no other way. As we walked, D’Angelo’s “Unshaken” played on the loudspeakers. Something about the way his baritone soulful croon filled the cemetery lifted my soul. “May I….stand unshaken…..amidst….amidst a crashing world….” Man.
As with any funeral, there was a tent next to the gravesite that held the ancient remains. In this moment, Amen, Ase, Namaste, and silent well wishes were in harmony. I poured 39 times for 39 ancestors, and special ash to ash and dust to dust rites followed by the funeral home director. Of course, fellowship followed in a more elevated vibration. We celebrated the great thing we’ve done for the ancestors we know not by name, our city, and our sense of evolving humanity. I say, ase, and beam up.
IiiYansaje T. Muse
for more information about the Historic Evergreen Negro Cemetery Preservation Project, and Why not Legacy & Heritage, visit https://www.whynotlegacyandheritage.org/
