THE DEATH OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Shavar Dakel Jeffries
Our community is on its deathbed. Half of all Black children are today
living below the poverty line; one-third of Black families as a whole
are mired at this level; drugs, namely crack coccaine, are sucking the
lifeblood from our communiy in ways that the institution of slavery could
not; guns and anger today reign where books and hope once dwelled; we
disrepect our women and glorify our criminals; whites continue to
discriminate against and subjugate the great majority of our community
which does attempt to create an honest living out of a dishonest conundrum.
Indeed, our community is on the brink of destruction.
If we are to avoid our impending destruction, we must each individually
take personal responsibility and agency for our community as a whole. We
must realize that when a brother in Newark is shot, it is a part of us
who is dying; we must understand that when a mother weeps because of her
son's crack addiction, it is a part of us that is crying. We once
believed that "It taks a village to raise a child;" however, today we are
monomaniacally concerned with our own gain, our own profit, and our own
progress.
As long as we buy into this selfish, capitalist, American attitude our
community will continue to sink further and further into the abyss of
despair, decay, and destruction.
We must take personal responsibility for our children. Don't blame the
white man for your inability to be in a home and to demonstrate to your
son what a man is supposed to represent; don't let Snoop Dog and the
forever-glorified Tupac demonstrate to our young brothers what it is to
be a Black man in America.
Everyone who is posting on this newsgroup should take individual
responsibility and demonstrate to our children that being a Black man
does not begin and end with guns and 40s nor with calling every Black
woman a ho or a bitch (Why don't we call her what we called her when she
wiped the blood of slavery off our brow or what we called when she simply
told that busdriver "No!," and that was "mother," "sister" and we said "I
love you.") No, we must show our young that being a Black man means being
respectful, hard-working, diligent, strong, and persevering.
I hope we can get it together and soon. These Gingrich Republicans
coupled with the several cases before the conservative Supreme Court are
going to push us further and closer to the cliffs of despair.
We made it through the slave trade and through slavery, we made it through
the Nadir and Jim Crow, we made it through everything that the white
power structure could throw at us. We made it through it all because we stood
united and in solidarity for our common cause of inclusion and equality.
But today we are dying and this is largely due to our repudiation of our
responsibilities as mothers and fathers and to our larger
preoccupation with individual goals and concerns. Let's get it together,
Black people. The problem is so great and the time is so short.
Are you going to sit idly-by and allow the death of the Black community
to occurr. I know that I'm not; I hope I'm not the only one.
Shavar Dakel Jeffries
Marpessa Kupendua
>
>In article <Pine.ULT.3.91.95032...@bio1.acpub.duke.edu>, Shavar Dakel Jeffries <sd...@acpub.duke.edu> writes:
>> To all those concerned with the future of Black America:
>>
> Don't blame the white man for your inability to be in a home and to
demonstrate to your son what a man is supposed to represent; don't let
Snoop Dog and the forever-glorified Tupac demonstrate to our young
brothers what it is to be a Black man in America.
>>
I agree with everything in your beautiful, heart-felt post except I had to
put the brakes on right about here. I don't feel it is correct to give
these young brothers so much credit for what's happening to our youth today.
I firmly believe that this is all being engineered by the music industry
as part of our continuing genocide. To blame Snoop Dog and Bro. Tupac for
what is going on with your young brothers is like blaming the reporter for
the 10:00 news. These strong young brothers are doing what we have shown
them is the only thing of importance to us ... getting PAID.
We should know better than to take the same attitude as the white
and white-wannabee mainstream on most any issue ... why is this one any
different? I think it's preposterous to see us protesting
and condemning our youth, our own future! We failed in continuing the
struggle as a WHOLE and need to face that, thus the negative imagery
portrayed. Instead of steamrolling these young brothers we need to do
some SERIOUS repair work in some inspired and dramatic way. Their
rebellion will only INCREASE as long as we condemn them. Which will be
to all our detriments. And you must admit that some of their righteous
defiance is RIGHT ON TIME! We are the "old heads" and need to deal with
what we should have been dealing with all along instead of concentrating
so much on our individidual selves and that's providing a firmly rooted
foundation that tells the TRUTH to our young people instead of FAIRY TALES.
Then, maybe they can gain some respect for us and each other.
>> Being a Black man
>> does not begin and end with guns and 40s nor with calling every Black
>> woman a ho or a bitch (Why don't we call her what we called her when she
>> wiped the blood of slavery off our brow or what we called when she simply
>> told that busdriver "No!," and that was "mother," "sister" and we said "I
>> love you.") No, we must show our young that being a Black man means being
>> respectful, hard-working, diligent, strong, and persevering.
I love that! We have got to take them back to SCHOOL and for real this
time, NOT no system school shit, OUR OWN schools and OUR OWN roots.
And teach them the TRUTH about what is going on with this system as it
relates to us instead of "fantastic voyages."
WE CAN make it popular to be "down" with each other! Each one, teach one.
>>
>> But today we are dying and this is largely due to our repudiation of our
>> responsibilities as mothers and fathers and to our larger
>> preoccupation with individual goals and concerns. Let's get it together,
>> Black people. The problem is so great and the time is so short.
>>
>> Are you going to sit idly-by and allow the death of the Black community
>> to occurr. I know that I'm not; I hope I'm not the only one.
>> Shavar Dakel Jeffries
>
> Amen. This post was very inspirational to me. I am glad to see that there is
>someone else out there who is aware of the fact that its not what you say or
>what you think. Its what you do. If you are not putting in the work then
>you are just as bad as the brother or sister who doesnt know. If you are not
>actively involved in the struggle then you cannot truly feel the pain of our
>people, nor do you have the right to complain. We are in a war.
>
> asante sana for your vision..
> Mijaan Salim Aquil
You're both an inspiration to me! Together we will win!
Mar.
ad...@sirius.com
Shavar Dakel Jeffries <sd...@acpub.duke.edu> wrote:
> We must take personal responsibility for our children. Don't blame the
> white man for your inability to be in a home and to demonstrate to your
> son what a man is supposed to represent; don't let Snoop Dog and the
> forever-glorified Tupac demonstrate to our young brothers what it is to
> be a Black man in America.
>
> Everyone who is posting on this newsgroup should take individual
> responsibility and demonstrate to our children that being a Black man
> does not begin and end with guns and 40s nor with calling every Black
> woman a ho or a bitch (Why don't we call her what we called her when she
> wiped the blood of slavery off our brow or what we called when she simply
> told that busdriver "No!," and that was "mother," "sister" and we said "I
> love you.") No, we must show our young that being a Black man means being
> respectful, hard-working, diligent, strong, and persevering.
I feel ya bro. I agree with all of your sentiments. I think one of the
uphill battles to be waged in this newsgroup (and rap/hip hop) in general
is responsibility of the artist. Too many of us are preoccupied with
satisfying the tastes of the Hip Hop Nation and forget to serve the real
folks that we owe.
Peace for your words and thanx for posting it
--
_________________________________________________
| No I'm not a God but my WORD IS BOND |
|From Chicago To Oakland...My World is THE GHETTO|
| Jabari Adisa 8{> |
| ad...@sirius.com |
|________________________________________________|
Marpessa Kupendua
talk to y'all before the inevitable happens.
I left this newsgroup a few months back in utter
dismay and disgust (as I'm sure some lightbulb
will point out). For the past few weeks I have
been reading the posts up here by the very
conscious bros. and sis. who are attempting
dialogue and are getting trashed in the same
manner I was. I have been thinking about this
for quite some time and have come up with, maybe
not a new, idea. Let me know what you think.
We need to take a chunk of this newsgroup for
ourselves, those who are awake and aware of the
state of emergency we subsist in. I cannot stand
the thought of this sister's eloguent post from
the heart getting disseminated by the "coon squad",
those who are "checking out the planet",
wisecrackers, straight up suckas and straight up
racists who think they are clever and ALWAYS take
us off point! I know what that feels like and
the anger you feel is beyond description. Let's
keep this thread pure. Let's NOT respond to those
who ask idiotic questions, demand explanations for
one or two sentences, quote statistics, etc., etc.
for their own entertainment or other self-serving
purposes. WE need a place to have meaningful,
intelligent dialogue about the REAL we are dealing
with. WE should be able to at least keep this
thread pure for those of us who want support,
encouragement, inspiration, intelligent feedback,
from those with CONSCIOUS minds. If they get
too outrageous we can slam them on another thread
or E-mail them personally. Let's vow to keep
this very meaningful, all-encompassing, well
titled thread for those with the third eye open.
A brother recently sent me an article that he
was considering posting on SCAA but "didn't know
if they could handle it." The article was
well written and researched and DYNAMIC in every
sense of the word. Since he has not posted it,
I can only assume that he didn't want his
sweat-over work and conclusions to be
bastardized and trashed by these closed-minded
brainwashed people. Who needs that stress
and who can blame him? Since SCAA is the first
stop many of US make in our journey in the
internet, we should have a place on this
newsgroup where we can be
FOR REAL and refuse to debate the naysayers
and those who would take us off point.
As one much maligned brother so eloquently stated:
"The blood that flows within holds the sweat of
millions who stood strong in the face of dire
oppression and prayed MY eyes would one day see
through the smoke and grasp the sun as it is
MY people's destiny." We've had much stronger
adversaries than these jokers. Let's secure this
thread as a place where we can dialogue,
post articles, sound off, whatever.
Can we unite around that?
Mar.
DarkStar
--
-------------------------- Sign below the dotted line --------------------
Welcome to my virtual reality!
Ed Brown - dark...@cais.com
Copyright, 1995, Edwin Brown
mellow mike
black community.
In article <Pine.ULT.3.91.95032...@bio1.acpub.duke.edu>,
Shavar Dakel Jeffries <sd...@acpub.duke.edu> wrote:
: To all those concerned with the future of Black America:
:
: Our community is on its deathbed. Half of all Black children are today
: living below the poverty line; one-third of Black families as a whole
: are mired at this level; drugs, namely crack coccaine, are sucking the
: lifeblood from our communiy in ways that the institution of slavery could
: not; guns and anger today reign where books and hope once dwelled; we
: disrepect our women and glorify our criminals; whites continue to
: discriminate against and subjugate the great majority of our community
: which does attempt to create an honest living out of a dishonest conundrum.
: Indeed, our community is on the brink of destruction.
:
i get really tired of hearing this argument. not because there is no truth
in it but because it presumes falsely that nothing is being done about the
situation.
: If we are to avoid our impending destruction, we must each individually
: take personal responsibility and agency for our community as a whole. We
: must realize that when a brother in Newark is shot, it is a part of us
: who is dying; we must understand that when a mother weeps because of her
: son's crack addiction, it is a part of us that is crying. We once
: believed that "It taks a village to raise a child;" however, today we are
: monomaniacally concerned with our own gain, our own profit, and our own
: progress.
:
there is no impending destruction of the african american community. we
have 10 million more of us than we did when i was born 33 years ago.
: As long as we buy into this selfish, capitalist, American attitude our
: community will continue to sink further and further into the abyss of
: despair, decay, and destruction.
african americans know better than anyone else on the planet how to
survive capitalism with our souls intact.
:
: We must take personal responsibility for our children. Don't blame the
: white man for your inability to be in a home and to demonstrate to your
: son what a man is supposed to represent; don't let Snoop Dog and the
: forever-glorified Tupac demonstrate to our young brothers what it is to
: be a Black man in America.
four years ago it was nwa and luke skywalker we were to fear. where are
they now?
:
: Everyone who is posting on this newsgroup should take individual
: responsibility and demonstrate to our children that being a Black man
: does not begin and end with guns and 40s nor with calling every Black
: woman a ho or a bitch (Why don't we call her what we called her when she
: wiped the blood of slavery off our brow or what we called when she simply
: told that busdriver "No!," and that was "mother," "sister" and we said "I
: love you.") No, we must show our young that being a Black man means being
: respectful, hard-working, diligent, strong, and persevering.
:
wow. nobody in my family ever came up with that argument before. where
would i be (netsurfer that i am) without you to remind me?
: I hope we can get it together and soon. These Gingrich Republicans
: coupled with the several cases before the conservative Supreme Court are
: going to push us further and closer to the cliffs of despair.
: We made it through the slave trade and through slavery, we made it through
: the Nadir and Jim Crow, we made it through everything that the white
: power structure could throw at us. We made it through it all because we stood
: united and in solidarity for our common cause of inclusion and equality.
:
: But today we are dying and this is largely due to our repudiation of our
: responsibilities as mothers and fathers and to our larger
: preoccupation with individual goals and concerns. Let's get it together,
: Black people. The problem is so great and the time is so short.
:
: Are you going to sit idly-by and allow the death of the Black community
: to occurr. I know that I'm not; I hope I'm not the only one.
:
ok so tell us, what is the situation in your zip code? who is your
congressional rep and what is she doing about it? your perceptions tell us
more about your idea of 'the black community' than what it is really all
about. these are things that happen perhaps in your 'hood, but just
because some fluff journalist is always talking about it doesn't mean
that's whats going on in *my* 'hood.
here we have the opportunity to be specific, on the ground and hear
straight out abou what is going on in every community we live in and
people keep coming in here with all this abstract statistical bullshit.
this all reminds me why i liked hot 97 so much when i lived uptown. people
represent from their own hoods and shouted out peace to peoples. nobody
would dare front like they represent the whole black nation. what's up
with that?
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
mbo...@panix.com harambee!
keeper of the cool zone http://drum.ncsc.org/~bowen/zone0.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ad...@sirius.com
(Marpessa Kupendua) wrote:
> We need to take a chunk of this newsgroup for
> ourselves, those who are awake and aware of the
> state of emergency we subsist in. I cannot stand
> the thought of this sister's eloguent post from
> the heart getting disseminated by the "coon squad",
> those who are "checking out the planet",
> wisecrackers, straight up suckas and straight up
> racists who think they are clever and ALWAYS take
> us off point!
> As one much maligned brother so eloquently stated:
> "The blood that flows within holds the sweat of
> millions who stood strong in the face of dire
> oppression and prayed MY eyes would one day see
> through the smoke and grasp the sun as it is
> MY people's destiny." We've had much stronger
> adversaries than these jokers. Let's secure this
> thread as a place where we can dialogue,
> post articles, sound off, whatever.
>
> Can we unite around that?
>
> Mar.
RESPECT to the sista for stringin these words together like she did. I
agree with her idea. It seems absurd to me that, as diverse as Black folks
are, that the majority of the sentiments expressed here are um,
well...mainstream.
Those of us who are interested in networking and exchanging ideas on a
community upliftment level absolutey have a DUTY to utilize this as an
organizing tool. If we spend too much time welcoming spectators in or
repairing other peoples hurt feelings then we have forgotten our own.
I'm down Sista Marpessa. You can look forward to my participation in this
alternative wing of SCAA
Peace
and even if yall do reject my love...I still love you all, simply cos you
are Black and I know some part of what you go thru and what makes us like
we are.
DarkStar
: Don't believe the hype!
Let me be more verbose about what I wrote. Peep this!
I see a single mother with no support from the father.
I see a single mother with support from the father, grandparents, and the
entire family while she goes to college.
I see a drug dealer, f*cked up on what he sells.
I see a former drug dealer, trying to school his homiez about the path they're
on.
I see a kid hanging out during the school day when he should be in school.
I see another kid winning honors out his waazoo with all of the "top" schools
trying to get him to attend their college.
I see a kid having trouble in her studies.
I see a kid having trouble in her studies being tutored by family members
because her mother got the word out that she needed help in school.
I see a small kid looking for a father figure.
I see a small kid playing with his father/uncle/cousin/grandfather.
I see hope in the "hopelessness".
Shavar Dakel Jeffries
Bergen Street to be precise. One of my best friends is dead after being
beaten in prison and another one has already died of AIDS. That ain't no
abstract bullshit, motherfucker, that's what's real.
And what else is real is that if we in the Black community don't get our
act together and soon, there won't be a Black community much longer. So
"Mellow" fuckin' "Mike," I hope you're doing your part, brotha, if you
are one, because AIDS and miseducation and ignorance and despair and
hopelessness is real, not make-believe.
So while you're criticizing a reality that I was relaying on the
Internet, I hope you're doing something to solve these problems. These
problems are quite real, kid, and so are the consequences. Please wake
up, before it's too late.
Marc Reid (EC)
TO LOOK AT YOUR HISTORY BOOKS;YES, THINGS ARE BAD, BUT THIS KIND OF DEFEAT-
IST THINKING DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS;WE WERE THE FIRSt AND WE'LL
BE THE LAST;WE'VE RISEN TO HEIGHTS FACING TURBULENCE WHICH WOULD HAVE SPIRIT-
UALLY CRIPPLED OTHERS;WE, ON THE OTHER HAND HAVE EMERGED STRONGER-YES, WE
HAVE OUR PROBLEMS, BUT LET'S NOT BE SO HARD ON OURSELVES;LET'S NOT FORGET WHO
PUT THE GUNs IN OUR HANDS, WHILE FILLING OUR HEADS WITH CRACK AND FALSE
HOPES.
I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING
IN, BUT I JUST CAN"T ACCEPT THAT WE WONT MAKE IT THROUGH THIS, LIKE
EVERYTIHNG ELSE....
MY2BEANZ
MARC
J Lopez
In <mbowen-2103...@mbowen.dialup.access.net> mbo...@panix.com (mellow mike) writes:
>scaa is one of the most active newsgroups in the entire usenet. that's a
>black community.
>i get really tired of hearing this argument. not because there is no truth
>in it but because it presumes falsely that nothing is being done about the
>situation.
>there is no impending destruction of the african american community. we
>have 10 million more of us than we did when i was born 33 years ago.
>african americans know better than anyone else on the planet how to
>survive capitalism with our souls intact.
>four years ago it was nwa and luke skywalker we were to fear. where are
>they now?
>wow. nobody in my family ever came up with that argument before. where
>would i be (netsurfer that i am) without you to remind me?
>ok so tell us, what is the situation in your zip code? who is your
>congressional rep and what is she doing about it? your perceptions tell us
>more about your idea of 'the black community' than what it is really all
>about. these are things that happen perhaps in your 'hood, but just
>because some fluff journalist is always talking about it doesn't mean
>that's whats going on in *my* 'hood.
>here we have the opportunity to be specific, on the ground and hear
>straight out abou what is going on in every community we live in and
>people keep coming in here with all this abstract statistical bullshit.
>this all reminds me why i liked hot 97 so much when i lived uptown. people
>represent from their own hoods and shouted out peace to peoples. nobody
>would dare front like they represent the whole black nation. what's up
>with that?
Excellent reply, Mike. I think the argument can be made, in fact, that
the "black community" is more alive, more vibrant, more full of ideas and
art and music and influence than it has ever been in the history of this
nation. Perhaps some of us are guilty of seeing certain aspects of our
past through rose colored glasses, and imagining a decline from a
Renaissance which was much smaller, less pervasive and even less lucrative
than the cultural (re)generation we see unfolding before us today.
Yes, there are a lot of bad things happening, too. But let's not allow
the media to define us in terms of the negative things and persons among
us. As Darkstar concisely put, and I think you'll agree, "Don't believe
the hype!"
--
jlopez :: "How the hell can you write an essay on E. M. Forster with almost
total reference to Harold Robbins?" --Willy Russell
Brooke Sharer
>Shavar Dakel Jeffries
The disintegration of the US culture is not limited to the black community.
Almost everyone in this country is in a minority group: blacks, hispanics,
women, homosexuals, asians, etc. Even white males think that they are
being unfairly discriminated against through quotas. We're a country full
of people who think they are victims. Everyone is looking out for the
people in their own group; however, our country's biggest problem affects
all of us.
Big companies sometimes perform cost-benefit analysis if they find a flaw
in one of their products before it hits the market. If the likelihood is that
not many people will die from this mistake and they'd have to pay more to fix
the mistake than pay people who sue them after someone dies, they won't bother
to fix the mistake. They knew about the dangers of uranium radiation when many
Native Americans were working in their mines, but didn't bother to tell them,
now most of the people working in these mines are dying of cancer. As long
as they can get away with it, they'll continue to dump toxic waste and
pollutants into our air, water, and into our landfills.
It's no doubt that we're expendable to them; this is a throw-away society,
as long as they make money, why worry about throwing away a few lives?
Crime, gangs, and drug use are a problem almost everywhere you go, not just
in the black community. It may be more prevalent there because they were
the ones to have the least power (i.e. political clout, wealth, etc.) to
begin with, and are most easily exploited. People are asked to do more
for less money, while the people who own the companies increase their
profits.
Hate crimes are on the rise. Membership in white supremacist groups keep
growing. Everybody keeps hating everybody else. A lot of rap music refers to
women as b****es and h*s. We buy this music and don't complain. The big
companies make all the money, and we start using the words b**** and h* as if
they are interchangeable with lady or woman.
I don't know what the solution is, but the problems blacks face are similar to
what everyone else faces. We need to love each other more and hate less. If
we see our problems as black problems or gay problems or hispanic problems
(etc.) we'll always be pitted against each other, when we need to be working
together. Everyone in this newsgroup (I'm assuming) has something in common:
we all like some form of rap music. Everyone in the US has something in
common: we all live in a country that is (supposed to be) dedicated the
principles of freedom, justice, and equality. Many people feel that our
country is inadequate in achieving these principles.
Enough of my rambling on and on. Just putting down some of my thoughts I've
been thinking of for the past couple of months. I know I'm idealistic, but
we all share many of the same problems. The only way they will ever be
solved is if we work together. Otherwise, things can only get worse.
Just my $.02,
Brooke Lorren Sharer
sha...@chaph.usc.edu
Marpessa Kupendua
RE: A newsgroup within a newsgroup for the CONSCIOUS people
I'm thrilled by the positive responses! ALREADY I feel 100 times stronger!
A beautiful Sis. in Augusta, GA (Another SCAA drop-out) sent
me the following:
"The time is NOW for establishing on-going communication between blacks in
Amerika. NOW!!!!!! When you think about it, it isn't really all that
hard to do. If each one of us has a typewriter, a word processor, a computer,
writes his or her own newsletter and sends that newsletter by mail to ten
people, the cost boils down to $2.90. An update sent once a week would cost
$11.60. That's all. $11.60 a month. The postal service may
be unreliable, but until we all go "on-line" that is what we have.
Telephone calls can be prohibitively expensive, but $11.60 a month
is not a back-breaking expense for most of us. The most important
thing is that we are communicating with each other and ten other
people. The possibilities for expansion are limitless.
I think that all of us recognize that mainstream information sources
are by in large misinformation sources. And they are really in reality
dangerous sources in that they are designed to keep blacks in Amerika
confused, isolated by fear and distracted. We are fortunate that today
we have more correct information available to us than ever before.
Unfortunately, it is not generally found on the display stands in
mainstream bookstores. Many of us do not have access to bookstores owned and
operated by blacks in Amerika. We MUST network and share."
On the personal tip, my husband and I are the Front-Line Network. We
typeset, lay out, paste-up and publish grass roots publications, the most
notable of which at this time is "The Jamal Journal", sponsored by the
very hardworking Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal, and
written mostly by Bro. Mumia, the only political prisoner we know of on death
row who at this moment is fighting for his life. He is a TRUE Afrikan
patriot. If interested in checking one out write: Int'l Concerned Family &
Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, P.O. Box 19709, Phila., PA 19143. He has also
authored two books "Survival Is Still a Crime" and due out in April "Live From
Death Row." My husband and I have five children, Ameerah Nyade (13),
Marcus Mozia (6), Hannibal Sundiata and Malcolm Jelani (5), and Diop Jahi (2).
Marcus, Hannibal and Malcolm are all diagnosed as autistic and also battling
severe lead poisoning from a house we rented 3 years ago. We have been out
there struggling and supporting all of US for over 10 years now.
Let's say we:
1. Agree to respectfully disagree. We exemplify so many different facets
of our glorious freedom struggle, various religious and cultural practices
and political beliefs. We've been disrespected on this newsgroup long enough,
please let's not dog each other.
2. Make sure our conscious bros. & sis. caught up in a flame war or who quit
the newsgroup know we've got their backs and are here to give them respect and
intelligent, thoughtful feedback.
3. Never allow ANYONE'S ridicule, insults, ignorance and flame baiting cause
confusion and distract us EVER AGAIN. The victory is in our not giving in to
temptation on THIS thread and only on THIS thread. Out there we can do whatever
we care to.
4. All of us will post something uplifting on this thread as often as
possible and share with each other in hopes of educating and bolstering
ourselves as well as those too shy to post here, bearing in mind that
our enemies are watching and maybe even within us.
5. Your ideas?
Is "The death ..." a good name for attracting others of us? "Conscious
Party" comes to mind, but is that too frivolous sounding? Something fiercer,
yet triumphant-sounding? In other words, is this an effective drum
for outreach? Comments?
One thing we definitely have in common is that once the third eye is open
there's just no turning back to your former self! You NEVER see things
the same way ever again and sometimes that can be very isolating. That
ALONE unites us, makes us family.
Love, Struggle, Courage, Bolekaja!
As Bro. Asari said: "It is our DUTY to use this as an organizing tool."
As Bro. Jeffries said: "Let's get it together Black people. The problem
is so great and the time is so short."
As Sweet Honey in the Rock said: "We who believe in freedom cannot rest."
Let the people say: ........ :)
Marpessa Kupendua
The following are brief but powerful excerpts of an article on "The
State of The Race Conference: The Good, The Bad and The Pathetic"
written by Bridgitt Mwamini Robertson and published in REAL AFRICAN
WORLD magazine.
"How will Africans in America feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves in
the upcoming decade? Are Black people in the greatest peril since
post-Reconstruction? Will African people organize a third political
party? The conference was dedicated to the memory of Malcolm X, and
the theme was 'taking responsibility for the reconstruction of the
black community.' [We need to liberate] Black people from being
handicapped with a 'messianic complex', or the need to have someone
'save us.' Erskine Peters stated in his book, African Americans in
the New Millenium, 'we're trapped when we are looking and waiting for
one person to follow. We do ourselves in by that route. It's a big
trap to sit and wait on the ONE MODEL philosophy ... we don't need one
leader, but good leaders who bring stimulation to our minds and
actions..' ... African-Americans must create a methodology
to deal with the structural nature of America's domestic dilemma.
Dr. Claud Anderson stated in his book, 'Black Labor, White Wealth',
'the root problem in Black communities across America is race and
the unjust distribution of this nation's wealth, power, and resources ...'
Study without practice is empty and practice without thought is
blind ... Africans [need to] create methods of accountability,
engage in constructive criticism, and become action-oriented. To
effectively combat the forces against us, Black people must get
better organized. With as much work as Africans have to do, time
is of the essence. No longer can we afford C.P. time or the luxury
of attending conferences just to hear the great speeches. Each and
every one of us have the responsibility of leaving this world a better
place than the one we inherited. And this will not be done if we
keep engaging in the same unproductive, pathetic, and outdated
models of the past that obviously didn't work. This must stop.
Remember the African proverb: the wise person who does not learn
ceases to be wise."
Someone sent this beautiful, rootsy, color, 10 1/2 x 13 sized
magazine to my husband in the mail. It is full of wonderfully
progressive, refreshingly honest articles to all those interested
in culture, nation-building, history, music, politics, you name it!
I immediately fell in love with it. Sis. Barbara Beebe (a
beautiful dreadlocked sister pictured in the magazine) is the
managing editor and her staff is RIGHT ON with the hard core truth.
Especially refreshing were the lack of corporate ads, all ads
promoting black entrepreneurs on the culture tip. Trust me, this
one is a definite SAVER and worth supporting. A year's
subscription is only $12.00 and published by RAW Communications,
931 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta, GA 30314 - Phone:
404-523-0758.
Other articles in Volume 1, Number 3 (bless their hearts!)
to give a better overall description:
Along the Color Line - the Dr. Manning Marable series
Where Do You Stand? - T.O. Moore, Ph.D.
Message from His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I
Learning About Herbs
Irations - this issue features "Who's Minding the Kids?"
by Ifini Sheppard - an interview with Speech of Arrested
Development and KRS-1
The Youth Look to Jazz - Willie Hunter
Searching for Sound Independence (on the music tip)
Our African Past - "Harmonious History" From Griots to
Rappers: Black Music and the Recording of our Past -
Jelani Madaraka
How To Read a Recording Contract
HQH Posse in Da Yard
The Sound & Fury - The Profit & Destruction of Black Music -
Muzunga Nia
Black Rock in a Hard Place
How Reggae Crossed Over
George Clinton Drops a Bomb on the Music Industry -
Barbara Beebe - indepth interview with the funkmaster,
complete with full color poster
African Memories: African-American Culture & Traditions -
Brian Lassiter
Music reviews, new releases from Third World Press, lots of
excellent info to pass on to the youth
If we don't support each other, who will?
Struggle,
Sis. Marpessa (Mar.)
Patrick Fleming
It was said by someone that "We were the first and we will be the last".
What was your point? We may be the last, but what condition will we be
in?
Mellow Mike says that "there is no impending destruction of the african
american community". May I ask where you live?
I admit I'm not very active community wise. I do show my support
financially to black organizations and I do attend various meetings. I
find it a job in itself keeping my family straight.
I have a eighteen year old brother living in Fifth ward Houston who I'm
keeping straight. He wears his pants half way off his ass ALL THE TIME
and has both ears pierced, but he goes to school and hasn't been lured by
the quick money in the drug game. I know it tempts him because he is very
much tired of being broke. I have to talk to him all the time to keep him
straight and teach him some knowledge about life in general.
I have a twenty year old cousin who has completely slipped. He is not in
the game (yet), but he isn't doing anything with his life.
I want my mother to move away from the ward, because it's just her and my
brother and her house was broken into just Monday.
You have to take care of your own before you go out into the community and
try to make a change.
As far as the criticism about rap artists being destructive, I have to say
they ARE partly to blame. Today's generation (including myself, I'm 24)
is raised by hip-hop. Not everyone is of strong enough mind to hear that
gangsta stuff day in and day out and not have it affect them on some
level. Most of the people putting out that bs are ONLY trying to get paid
and taking NO responsibility. They don't care if it affects the kids
negatively, long as they get paid. I'll listen to the bitch/ho stuff if
the artist is really talented (ie: Dr Dre, he's a talented producer), but
most of the stuff I BUY is from artists who are about the real hip-hop and
not the rap. Like Da Bushbabees, Lords of the Underground, Tha
Alkaholiks, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, etc...
Mellow Mike also said:
"four years ago it was nwa and luke skywalker we were to fear. where are
they now?"
Well, sir, since Luke, there has been more mindless booty music than I
care to think about. And artists think that putting a fat ass on the
screen will get them play. Luke started/perpetuated all that and it's
helped to degrade women.
Mark Reid said:
"IF YOU THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA GET WIPED OUT ANYTIME SOON, I THINK YOU NEED
TO LOOK AT YOUR HISTORY BOOKS;YES, THINGS ARE BAD, BUT THIS KIND OF DEFEAT-
IST THINKING DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS"
The original poster of this thread does not have a defeatist attitude. He
is saying we all need to wake the hell up. He did not say that it's over
for us all. That would be a defeatist attitude.
That's my piece. All supporters of true poets who are about the real
hip-hop are commanded to go purchase the latest Common Sense album. I
slept on the brother because he was from Chicago, but I peeped his latest
and it's up for the phattest album of the year on my list.
Peace to blac...@ghetto.com & Shavar Dakel Jeffries.
--
Patrick Fleming (w...@apple.com) Apple Computer
--------------------------------------------------------- Inc.
Any opinions expressed are NOT necessarily those of Apple
Christian E. Ukachukw
>DarkStar (dark...@cais.cais.com) wrote the following words of wisdom:
>: Don't believe the hype!
>Let me be more verbose about what I wrote. Peep this!
>I see a single mother with no support from the father.
>I see a single mother with support from the father, grandparents, and the
>entire family while she goes to college.
>I see a drug dealer, f*cked up on what he sells.
>I see a former drug dealer, trying to school his homiez about the path they're
>on.
>I see a kid hanging out during the school day when he should be in school.
>I see another kid winning honors out his waazoo with all of the "top" schools
>trying to get him to attend their college.
>I see a kid having trouble in her studies.
>I see a kid having trouble in her studies being tutored by family members
>because her mother got the word out that she needed help in school.
>I see a small kid looking for a father figure.
>I see a small kid playing with his father/uncle/cousin/grandfather.
>I see hope in the "hopelessness".
Word! (at least that's how young people say it, right?)
>-------------------------- Sign below the dotted line --------------------
>Welcome to my virtual reality!
>Ed Brown - dark...@cais.com
>Copyright, 1995, Edwin Brown
--
--- Christian E. Ukachukwu (ukac...@cig.mot.com) ---
Marpessa Kupendua
Wiz said:
>
>>It was said by someone that "We were the first and we will be the last".
>What was your point? We may be the last, but what condition will we be
>in?
I said that and it is prophecy, not my words. The point is to give
us strength. As far as what condition we'll be in, I can only hope
that we will finally be liberated mentally (from centuries of
brainwashing), physically (from all manner of drugs, viruses, and
other assaults on our well being) and spiritually.
>
>I admit I'm not very active community wise. I do show my support
>financially to black organizations and I do attend various meetings. I
>find it a job in itself keeping my family straight.
I can relate strongly to that! You are, therefore, active community-
wise, cuz you ARE giving support and at least you recognize that
there is a problem and are willing to talk honestly about it.
>
>I have a eighteen year old brother living in Fifth ward Houston who I'm
>keeping straight. He wears his pants half way off his ass ALL THE TIME
>and has both ears pierced, but he goes to school and hasn't been lured by
>the quick money in the drug game. I know it tempts him because he is very
>much tired of being broke. I have to talk to him all the time to keep him
>straight and teach him some knowledge about life in general.
>I have a twenty year old cousin who has completely slipped. He is not in
>the game (yet), but he isn't doing anything with his life.
>I want my mother to move away from the ward, because it's just her and my
>brother and her house was broken into just Monday.
>You have to take care of your own before you go out into the community and
>try to make a change.
Your family is lucky to have a conscious brother like you looking out for
them to the best of your ability. I sincerely hope the struggles
your family are enduring will turn around for the better soon. I agree
mostly with you here. But I also believe that doing work on behalf
of the people can be done at your own pace, based on your own beliefs
and principles as long as you're working for good, whatever you
individually are able to do (such as donating financial contributions,
which those organizations appreciate a whole lot more than you may
know) depending on what's going on in your life at that particular time.
>
>Patrick Fleming (w...@apple.com) Apple Computer
Sis. Marpessa (Mar.)
mellow mike
Fleming) wrote:
: I see some truly blind folks posting on this thread.
:
: It was said by someone that "We were the first and we will be the last".
: What was your point? We may be the last, but what condition will we be
: in?
:
: Mellow Mike says that "there is no impending destruction of the african
: american community". May I ask where you live?
i live in a nice yuppy neighborhood in northwest atlanta (30339) where
they deliver anything i want. 3 months ago i lived in harlem on 125th and
broadway (10027), a year ago i lived in boston on the fens (02115), a year
and a half before that i lived on the border of prospect heights and park
slope in brooklyn(11217). two years before that i lived in southern
california on the beach (90254). three years before that i lived in south
central on florence and crenshaw. before that i lived in south central
near adams and labrea. before that i lived in the valley in panorama city
(where they painted 'niggers go home' on the sidewalk in front of my
building). before that i lived in the west valley in reseda in a college
neighborhood. before that i lived where i grew up near crenshaw and
jefferson in the crenshaw district.
my point is that i can live and die in one spot, or not. there are plenty
african americans everywhere. now if harriet tubman wasn't afraid to get
the hell out of dodge, why should anybody else? either you are running
your hometown or your hometown is running you. either you stand your
ground with your neighbors and friends or you get stood on. what is worth
preserving is up to you.
:
: I admit I'm not very active community wise. I do show my support
: financially to black organizations and I do attend various meetings. I
: find it a job in itself keeping my family straight.
:
: I have a eighteen year old brother living in Fifth ward Houston who I'm
: keeping straight. He wears his pants half way off his ass ALL THE TIME
: and has both ears pierced, but he goes to school and hasn't been lured by
: the quick money in the drug game. I know it tempts him because he is very
: much tired of being broke. I have to talk to him all the time to keep him
: straight and teach him some knowledge about life in general.
:
: I have a twenty year old cousin who has completely slipped. He is not in
: the game (yet), but he isn't doing anything with his life.
:
: I want my mother to move away from the ward, because it's just her and my
: brother and her house was broken into just Monday.
:
: You have to take care of your own before you go out into the community and
: try to make a change.
:
exactly what i'm saying.
i stayed in houston for about 3 weeks last year. i tried to let net folks
know i was coming, but i couldn't get in touch with anyone. i would have
liked to find my way around. as it was, i met some young folks at a reggae
club on westheimer and that was about it.
: As far as the criticism about rap artists being destructive, I have to say
: they ARE partly to blame. Today's generation (including myself, I'm 24)
: is raised by hip-hop. Not everyone is of strong enough mind to hear that
: gangsta stuff day in and day out and not have it affect them on some
: level. Most of the people putting out that bs are ONLY trying to get paid
: and taking NO responsibility. They don't care if it affects the kids
: negatively, long as they get paid. I'll listen to the bitch/ho stuff if
: the artist is really talented (ie: Dr Dre, he's a talented producer), but
: most of the stuff I BUY is from artists who are about the real hip-hop and
: not the rap. Like Da Bushbabees, Lords of the Underground, Tha
: Alkaholiks, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, etc...
:
: Mellow Mike also said:
: "four years ago it was nwa and luke skywalker we were to fear. where are
: they now?"
:
: Well, sir, since Luke, there has been more mindless booty music than I
: care to think about. And artists think that putting a fat ass on the
: screen will get them play. Luke started/perpetuated all that and it's
: helped to degrade women.
:
yes you have to admit that there are plenty of people who truly think they
have nothing better to do than listen to and believe all the okey doke.
but there is really nothing new about all that. it's all about getting a
life. and nobody can say that young people don't understand what game is
being played. i don't buy that.
mellow mike
<Pine.ULT.3.91.95032...@raphael.acpub.duke.edu>, Shavar
Dakel Jeffries <sd...@acpub.duke.edu> wrote:
: My "hood," as you call it is the Weequaic section of Newark, New Jersey;
:
don't take your anger out on me. i didn't question your reality. i
question your broad strokes. and what i'm doing (and what i have done) for
whatever communities i do them for (and have done) is between me and those
people, and if i was truly concerned about my credibility in any of that i
wouldn't be here.
now. the african american nation is going to survive aids, and
homelessness and prison beatings and crass commercial rap music and
miseducation and ignorance and despair. and it will survive it one person
at a time and one neighborhood at a time. what people need is people and
information they can use on the ground, not dire alarmist predictions. and
if you or anybody else fails to understand that not everybody is going to
get worked up on a national level about one issue or another (and not
everybody has the skills to help on every issue) then you all are going to
go hoarse and trip out. but all that screaming doesn't impress everybody.
for all of those problems there are people who dedicate their lives to
solving them. they survive, get the skills necessary and move to apply
those skills. what continually unnerves me is how folks come into this
forum screaming about how we should all be aids researchers, teachers,
priests, music critics and extended parents for every black person in
america all at once or it's the end of black civilization as we now know
it.
what i'm saying is if you can tell me who in weequaic is doing one of
those things well, then i will have some knowledge about what works so
when somebody comes here with a specific question, somebody may be able to
provide a specific answer. i have seen it work in this forum despite all
the bullshit that also goes on here.
i've been on the internet (and i have built enough information systems)
for a long enough time to know if you don't have specifics, you just have
thrashing around and that's a waste of everybody's time. and when you
disrespect people's real skills by telling them they are all wrong for not
being down with *your* program, you limit your ability to benefit from
those skills in the future.
so i ask again, what works in newark?
one more thing. i'm not your motherfucker, and i bet a nickel i was black
before you had a name. and i remain mellow.
Marpessa Kupendua
to great to ignore! We should support them in numbers just as large
to insure their stability in our communities and to provide these
booksellers with the money to continue to provide us with new and
exciting titles. If you do not live in an area where there are
black bookstores or do not have the time or whatever other reason to
visit your local black bookstore, the "Know Thyself Bookshelf" was
created to not only expose readers to popular and interesting books
coming out of the black books revolution, it also acts as a study
guide for those wanting to expand their minds, create a new
awareness and also enjoy the activity of reading. "Know Thyself" is
written on the Temples of Kemit, it is the key to liberation.
These brothers have the widest assortment of literature that I
personally have EVER seen! They range from:
"Majo Means One" - M. Feelings - $4.95 (Children)
"When Lions Could Fly" - J. Koram - $5.95 (Young Adults)
"African Presence in Early Europe" - I. Van Sertima - $15.00 (History)
"African Origin of Civilization" - Cheikh Anta Diop - $11.95 (History)
"Egyptian Book of the Dead" - E. Budge - $9.95 (History)
"Blood in My Eye" - George Jackson - $11.95 (Politics)
"The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey" - Amy Garvey -
$10.95 (Politics)
"Metu Neter" - $15.00 (Psychology/Religion)
"African People & European Holidays" - I. Barashango - $8.95
(Psychology/Religion)
"The Wretched of the Earth" - F. Fanon - $8.95 (Psych/Religion)
"Bloods" - W. Terry - $4.95 (General)
"Heal Thyself" - Queen Afua - $9.95 (Health)
and a wide assortment of videos.
For a partial listing of titles write:
Know Thyself Bookstore & Cultural Development Center,
528 S. 52nd Street (at Hazel), Philadelphia, PA 19143; or
call the Knowledge Hotline at (215) 748-2278. They accept
VISA-Mastercard-American Express, VERY reasonable prices, and
specialize in hard to find books. If you're in the area, stop in
and rap to Bro. Deke and the hardworking staff.
Love, Struggle,
Sis. Marpessa (Mar.)
Scm2870
We need to make this online stuff accessible to our brothers and
sisters out there. Don't you know we could have a communications
revolution that could lead to something more. It would be fierce if
more balck folk know about this. I am a student and what I suggest is
to possibly have some folk use your account so they can get the goods.
What do you think about the uses of the on-line to further the cause?
solidarity soul sister