Big Mama Said: If you remember who you are…then act like it.” Browder Speaks Restoration

BY: Terry Allen

Big Mama would always be on that front porch stoop where she delivered to her audience of sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, great-great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews—and she would deliver her God Moment!

And on this day, if Big Mama had heard that conversation—about Kemet, about our elders, about knowledge being passed from generation to generation—she would have rocked back in that chair, looked over those glasses, and said:

“Baby… you ain’t lost… you just been disconnected from your beginning.”

See, what those brothers were really talking about wasn’t just history. They were talking about ownership—of who we are, where we come from, and what we are supposed to do with it. They were reminding us that before we were taught to doubt ourselves, we built civilizations. Before we were told to follow, we led. Before we were erased, we were the authors. Today this message is anchored by Anthony T. Browder showed up, showed out, and deserved every ounce of recognition for his restoration talk on OurStory in Dallas . 

And Big Mama would lean in just a little closer and say:

“Don’t you ever let somebody teach you your story starting in the middle.”

Because that’s the trick, isn’t it? If they can cut off your beginning, they can control your direction. If they can make you forget your foundation, they can shake your confidence. But when you know your roots run deep—when you understand that your people carried science, spirit, and structure into the world—then you stop walking like you’re trying to be accepted… and start moving like you already belong.

Now what struck me most in that exchange wasn’t just the knowledge—it was the responsibility. that Browder speaks of. 

Those men weren’t just reminiscing. They were passing the baton.

They talked about elders who poured into them. They talked about sitting at the feet of teachers. They talked about being guided—not just by books, but by spirit, by ancestors, by something deeper than what you can see. And Big Mama would nod and say:

“That’s because wisdom ain’t just learned… it’s received.”

And here’s where she would get real quiet… because this part matters.

She’d say, “Now that you know better… what you gon’ do with it?”

Because too many of us love the conversation, but we shy away from the commitment. We’ll share the quote, repost the clip, nod our heads in agreement—but we won’t step into the work.

And the truth is, while we’re debating, others are deciding.
While we’re talking, others are organizing.
While we’re reacting, others are moving.

Big Mama would tap that cane on the ground and remind us:

“Action speaks louder than memory.”

If Kemet matters, then how you show up matters.
If history matters, then your participation matters.
If legacy matters, then your discipline matters.

Because all politics is local, and all change starts with somebody deciding they’re not going to sit this one out.

So yes, honor the elders.
Yes, study the history.
Yes, reconnect to the truth.

But don’t stop there.

Build something.
Teach somebody.
Protect something.
Lead somewhere.

Because this moment we’re in right now—it’s not the end of the story.

It’s the turning point.

And Big Mama would close it like this:

“Baby… you cannot climb a smooth mountain. So stop complaining about the struggle… and start using it to rise.”

Thank God, for Lucile “Big Mama” Bailey Robinson Allen. Let me remind you again that Big Mama’s wisdom would now make her a TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter sensation.

And today’s lesson from her legendary verbal tome is simple:

“If you remember who you are… then act like it.”

Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and – Vice President at FocusPR, founder of the charity City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org