After reading Brother Ayinde's piece I found that it could be one of the most daunting questions facing people of African descent to date. What type of Leaders will we have if they lack integrity, what types of organisations will we have if the foundation of that organisation is not based on the principles of Maat. Without Truth, Justice, Righteousness, Balance, Harmony, & Reciprocity will we be any better off than we are today. Without integrity as individuals or as a people all talk about true African liberation is just that talk. One of the greatest challenges facing the Continent of Africa in regard to leadership is an absense of integrity. When we look to the Black leadership here in the U S it is a matter of integrity. As an activist I constantly remind myself that with out this all work that I do is suspect. We as individuals who say we are about the Edification of our people must constantly be on guard not to let our success' obscure our view of the ultimate cause. It has been said that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So let us ask our selves does love of our people allow us to over look the Brother in the community that sells drugs: or does integrity say that he is wrong regardless of his skin color. Does the Black face make it ok for the Brother to abuse the sister or do we hold him to a higher standard and demand that he shows the sister the dignity and respect that she deserves.

These are the questions that we have to ask our selves as a people. We cannot afford the luxury of being emotional or superficial or any of the other hoops we so often jump through. In order to trust our leaders we must be able to respect them, and Integrity is crucial to that process. In order to work together collectively as a people we must trust and respect each other.

Integrity; Uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles 2. The state of being whole or entire. 3. sound or unimpaired condition.

As I sit here and reflect on this I could use the definitions of morality, ethics and all the principles of "Maat", but the point is that as we seek to unite as a people that we understand that we have an obligation not only to our People but to the world to set a standard that surpasses the current Standards that have been set, other wise we will have traded a White Oppressor for a Black one. All we have to do is look to Africa to see the results of that. We must recognize that inorder to be truly free means to liberate not only ourselves but all of humanity. Let us not forget that freedom is never free nor is it simply physical it is also spiritual and integrity is a by-product of Spiritual growth.